A Man's Interest in Christ May Be Known
Section I. A Matter of the Highest Importance, to Be Determined by Scripture
Before we speak directly to the question, we will first establish some things to prepare the way for an answer.
First, a man's interest in Christ, or his gracious state, may be known, and with more certainty than people suppose. Indeed, this knowledge may be more easily attained than many imagine. The Lord has commanded men to know their interest in him, treating it as something attainable: "Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith," etc. (2 Cor 13:5) "Give diligence to make your calling and election sure," etc. (2 Pet 1:10) Many of the saints have attained a clear persuasion of their interest in Christ and in God as their own God. How often do they call him their God and their Portion! And how convinced is Paul "that nothing can separate him from the love of God!" (Rom 8:38–39) Therefore the knowledge of a man's gracious state is attainable.
Moreover, this knowledge is no mere fancy or unsupported notion; it is most sure. "Doubtless thou art our Father," says the prophet on behalf of the church. (Isa 63:16) This is clear from three things.
[1.] No fancy, but only a very sure knowledge, yields genuine comfort to a rational man in his most real distresses. And this knowledge does exactly that. "When the people spake of stoning David, he encouraged himself in the Lord his God." (1 Sam 30:6) He says, "He will not be afraid of ten thousands that rise against him." (Ps 3:6) Consider that alongside these words: "But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head." (Ps 3:3) And again: "The Lord is my light, and my salvation, whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident." (Ps 27:3)
[2.] It is a sure knowledge of a thing that makes a wise merchant sell all he has in order to keep it secure, and that makes a man willingly give up children, lands, and life, and allow the loss of all things joyfully. And this knowledge does exactly that. (Matt 13:44; Mark 10:28; Heb 10:34; Rom 5:3; Acts 5:41)
[3.] It must be a sure and certain knowledge, and no fancy, upon which a man freely and voluntarily stakes his soul as he steps into eternity, with this word on his lips: "This is all my desire." (2 Sam 23:5) Such is this knowledge.
Furthermore, not only may a godly man come to sure knowledge of his gracious state, but this knowledge is more easily attainable than many suppose. If, as will later be proved, a man may know the gracious work of God's Spirit in himself, then by arguing rationally from that work he will be compelled to conclude his interest in Christ, unless he denies clear Scripture truths. I will use just one example here, since we will speak to this more directly later. A godly man may reason as follows: whoever receives Christ is rightly counted a child of God. "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God." (John 1:12) But I have received Christ in every sense that word can carry.
I am pleased with the plan of salvation by Christ; I agree to its terms; I welcome the offer of Christ in all his offices, as a King to rule over me, a Priest to offer sacrifice and intercede for me, a Prophet to teach me; I give my heart to him and rest on him as best I am able. What else can receiving him mean? Therefore I may plainly and rightly conclude: I am justified in counting myself God's child, according to that Scripture which cannot fail.
Second, to be savingly in covenant with God is a matter of the highest importance. "It is his life." (Deut 32:47) And yet very few have, or even seek after, a saving interest in the covenant, while many foolishly think they have such a thing without any solid ground. "Few find, or walk, in the narrow way." (Matt 7:14) This should press people to be serious about the matter, since it is of such great consequence to be in Christ, and since so few may rightly lay claim to him. Many foolishly fancy an interest in him while being deceived by a false confidence, as the foolish virgins were. (Matt 25)
Third, men must resolve to be determined by Scripture in the matter of their interest in Christ. The Spirit speaking in Scripture is the judge of all controversies: "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." (Isa 8:20) This includes the question of whether a man is savingly in covenant with God or not. Do not mock God while you appear to search after such a thing. If we prove from Scripture, the uncontested rule, that you are gracious and have savingly entered into covenant with God, then resolve to grant as much and to rest in it. If the contrary appears, let it be settled accordingly. Otherwise you only mock the Lord, and so "your bands shall be made strong" (Isa 28:22), for "a jot of his word cannot fail." (Matt 5:18)
Therefore seek eye-salve from Christ so that you may judge things as the word of God reveals them to be.
Section II. Reasons Why So Few Come to Clear Knowledge of Their Interest in Christ
Fourth, although the matter of a man's interest in Christ is of such great importance, and the way to attain knowledge of it is so plainly set out in Scripture, yet few reach a distinct knowledge of it. So that this may not discourage anyone from attempting it, I will briefly note some reasons why so few come to this clear knowledge. These reasons will also prepare the way for what follows.
The first thing that hinders many from knowing their interest in Christ is ignorance of certain key principles of religion.
[1.] That it was free love in God's own heart, and nothing in man, that moved him to send a Savior to accomplish the work of redemption: "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son." (John 3:16) Men keep searching for some ground for that work within themselves. This leads them away from a fitting and high understanding of the first source of God's covenant-favor to his people, which has no reason, cause, or motive in us. And so they cannot come to the knowledge of their interest.
[2.] They are ignorant of how that love effectively works upon a man's heart so that he has grounds to lay claim to it. Ordinarily this love works in the following order.
[1.)] It first reveals to a man his own fallen state, showing him that sin and corruption defile the whole person, and that anything in him that might be called righteousness is worthless: "All these things are loss and dung." (Phil 3:8)
[2.)] It then reveals Christ as the full and satisfying treasure above all things: "The man finds a treasure, for which with joy he selleth all," etc. (Matt 13:44)
[3.)] It then determines the heart and draws it to approach the living God in the ordinances: "Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts." (Ps 65:4) It causes the heart to wait upon him, and upon him alone: "My soul, wait thou only upon God." (Ps 62:5) Having in this way dropped the seed of God into the heart and formed Christ there, (Gal 4:19) God changes and renews the heart in this work: "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you." (Ezek 36:26) God's law is so impressed upon the heart in that change (Jer 31:33) that the whole yoke of Christ commends itself to the man without exception. The law is acknowledged "good, holy, just, and spiritual." (Rom 7:12)
From that new principle of life there then flow acts of a new life: "faith worketh by love," and the man becomes "a servant of righteousness unto God." (Gal 5:6; Rom 6:18)
This appears especially in the spirituality of worship, as men then "serve God in spirit and truth; and in the newness of the spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter," (John 4:24; Rom 7:6) and in tenderness in all manner of conduct. The man then "exerciseth himself how to keep a conscience void of offence towards God" and towards men. (Acts 24:16)
It is in this way that the love of God reveals itself to man and works upon him, so that he has ground to lay a genuine claim to it. He may rightly conclude that the love which sent a Savior had regard to such a man as has found these things made real to him. Surely ignorance of this hinders many from knowing their interest in Christ. If a man does not know how God works with a person so that he may rightly lay claim to God's eternal love, he will wander in the dark and never come to the knowledge of his interest in him.
[3.] Many people are also ignorant of the fact that God alone is the hope of his people. He is called "the Hope of Israel." (Jer 14:8) Although inward qualifications serve as evidence of that hope, the heart's resting upon God as a full, satisfying portion is faith: "The faith and hope must be in God," (1 Pet 1:21) and that is the only proper condition that gives right to the saving blessings of the covenant. "To him that worketh not, but believeth, faith is counted for righteousness." (Rom 4:5) If anyone takes license here and turns grace into licentiousness, there is, without doubt, a delusion in that; since "there is forgiveness with him, that he may be feared." (Ps 130:4) And hardly can any person who has found the expressions of God's love mentioned earlier make the covenant a cloak for sinful liberty without some measure of spiritual conflict.
In this respect, "he that is born of God doth not sin;" and "he who doth so sin hath not seen God." (1 John 3:6)
I say, God is the hope of his people, not their own holiness. If they intend honestly and long seriously to be like him, many failings should not weaken their hope and confidence, for it rests in him "who changeth not;", "and if any man sin, he hath an advocate." (Mal 3:6; 1 John 2:1) When people place their hope in anything besides the Lord, it is no wonder they are kept in a wavering condition, shifting with every change of the thing they have made the ground of their hope, since they give God neither the glory due to his name nor what he will not yield to another. "They who know thy name will put their trust in thee." (Ps 9:10) "My glory will I not give to another; I am the Lord, that is my name." (Isa 42:8)
[4.] Many people are ignorant of the different ways and degrees in which God works with his people, and this greatly darkens both their knowledge and their assurance of their interest in him. This ignorance consists mainly in three things.
[1.)] They are ignorant of the different degrees and ways of the law's work that ordinarily deals with people, and of the different ways in which the Lord first brings people to Christ. They do not consider that the jailer is kept in bondage not an hour; (Acts 16) Paul is kept in suspense three days; (Acts 9) Zaccheus not one moment. (Luke 19)
[2.)] They are ignorant of, or at least do not consider, how different the degrees of sanctification are among the saints, and how honorably it appears in some while in others it is sadly blemished. Some are very blameless and more free from serious outward sins, adorning their profession greatly, as Job and Zacharias. These are said to be "perfect and upright, fearing God, and eschewing evil; righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless." (Job 1:8; Luke 1:6) Others were subject to very gross and sad evils, as Solomon, Asa, and so on.
[3.)] They are ignorant of the different communications of God's face and expressions of his presence. Some walk much in the light of God's countenance and enjoy much deeply felt fellowship with him, as David did; others are "all their days kept in bondage through fear of death." (Heb 2:15) Surely this ignorance of the different ways God works with his people greatly darkens their knowledge of their interest in him, since they commonly limit the Lord to one way of working, which he does not keep, as the examples above have shown.
The second thing that darkens people regarding their interest in Christ is this: there is something in which their heart, in some respect, condemns them for dealing deceitfully and guilefully with God. Those whose heart condemns them for holding on to some known transgression against the Lord, which they will not release and for which they are not using the means God has appointed for deliverance, cannot be expected to come to clarity about their interest. Nor can those come to clearness who know some positive duty commanded in their station, which they deceitfully avoid and shun, neither closing cheerfully with it nor willing to be led into it. These too are, in some respect, condemned by their own heart, as the former sort are; and in that condition it is difficult to come to a clear knowledge of their state. "If our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God." (1 John 3:21)
It is assumed here that a self-condemning heart proportionally weakens a person's confidence before God.
I do not deny that people may, on good grounds, plead an interest in Christ even in the case of prevailing iniquity: "Iniquities prevail against me; as for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away." (Ps 65:3) "I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin." (Rom 7:23–25) But such a plea is hard to attain, if attainable at all, when the heart is dealing deceitfully and entertaining known guile in some particular. Let people therefore clear themselves of the particular they know too well.
It is the very thing that hinders them, ruining their confidence and access in all their approaches to God: "Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more." (Judg 10:13) The Lord casts the people's idolatries back at them and rejects their suit on that account.
That which draws away the heart first in the morning and last at night, like "an oven heated at night, and it burneth as a flaming fire in the morning," (Hos 7:6) spoken of the wicked, and takes up a person's thoughts often on their bed, as it is said of some, "He deviseth mischief upon his bed," (Ps 36:4) and which ordinarily leads the heart away in time of religious duty, whose remembrance has power to enliven the spirits more than the remembrance of God, so that "their heart is after the heart of some detestable thing;" (Ezek 11:21) and which stands against people when they would lay hold on the promise, as God casts men's sins at them when they meddle with his covenant: "What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldst take my covenant in thy mouth?" (Ps 50:16), that is the thing which hinders the knowledge of a gracious state.
Let it go, and it will be far easier to reach the knowledge of an interest in Christ.
The third thing that hinders the knowledge of an interest in Christ in many people is a spirit of sloth and careless negligence. They complain that they do not know whether they are in Christ or not; but as few take pains to be in him, so few take pains to examine whether they are in him. It is a work that cannot be done sleeping: "Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves: know ye not your own selves?" (2 Cor 13:5) The several words used there, examine, prove, know, show that real labor is involved. "Diligence must be used to make our calling and election sure." (2 Pet 1:10) It is a work above flesh and blood: the "holy anointing which teacheth all things" (1 John 2:27) must make us "know the things freely given to us of God." (1 Cor 2:12)
Shall the Lord concern himself with a matter of such great weight, and not so much as be inquired of to accomplish it for people? (Ezek 36:37)
Be ashamed, you who spend so much time reading romances, adorning your persons, hawking and hunting, consulting lawyers about your outward estate in the world, and perhaps in worse things than these, be ashamed that you spend so little time searching out whether you are an heir of glory or not, whether you are on the way that leads to heaven or the way that will land you in darkness forever. You who judge this inquiry below you, and unworthy of your time or effort for even a moment, probably have, in God's account, judged yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, so that you will have no lot with God's people in this matter.
The fourth thing that darkens the knowledge of an interest in Christ is that people do not settle on what would satisfy them. They complain that God will not show them what he is about to do with them, yet they cannot say what they know would satisfy them concerning his purpose. This is a grievous thing. Can we regard as serious those who have never yet determined what would satisfy them, and who are not earnestly inquiring after it? If the Lord had left us in the dark on this matter, we would be somewhat less inexcusable.
But since the grounds of satisfaction and the true marks of an interest in Christ are so clear and so frequently found in Scripture, and "so many things written, that our joy may be full," (1 John 1:4) and "that those who believe may know that they have eternal life," (1 John 5:13) and since "he that believeth hath the witness of it in himself," (1 John 5:10) no one can claim excuse here.
We will not pause here to show what may and should satisfy concerning our interest, since we are to speak directly to that point afterward.
The fifth thing that helps keep people in the dark about their interest in Christ is that they settle on unstable grounds. These grounds are better suited to proving the comfortable state of a triumphant soul sailing before the wind than to proving a genuine interest in Christ. I grant that these marks are precious in themselves, and do clearly demonstrate such an interest where they are present; yet an interest in Christ can exist, and can be known in good measure, without them. Let me touch on a few of them.
First, some think that all who have a true interest in Christ are above the prevailing power of every sin. But this is contrary to the Psalmist's words: "Iniquities prevail against me; as for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away," (Ps 65:3) where that holy man lays just claim to pardon even in the case of prevailing iniquity. It is also contrary to Paul, who thanks God through Christ for freedom from the condemnation of the law, even while a law in his members leads him captive to sin. (Rom 7:23)
Second, some think that all true saints constantly have access to God in prayer, and perceptible answers to prayer at all times. But this is contrary to the many sad experiences of God's people, who often complain that they are not heard or regarded: "How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?" (Ps 13:1) And again: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the day-time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent." (Ps 22:1–2)
Third, some think that all who have any true interest in Christ must have God witness it to them by a high operation of that witnessing Spirit spoken of: "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God," (Rom 8:16) of which more later. And so they keep suspecting their own interest in Christ because they lack this experience. But they forget that they must first believe and give credit to that "record which God hath given of his Son, that there is life enough in him" for men, (1 John 5:10) and only then look for the seal and witness of the Spirit: "In whom, after ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise," (Eph 1:13) etc.
As long as people hold to these principles and others like them, they can hardly come to the knowledge of their gracious state, a state which God has warranted people to confirm and clarify for themselves by other means than those just listed.
Section III. Some Mistakes about an Interest in Christ Removed
The fifth thing to be established is the removal of some mistakes that people readily fall into when they set about proving their interest in Christ.
[1.] It is a mistake to think that everyone who is in Christ knows that he is in Christ. Many are truly gracious, and have a good title to eternal life, yet do not know as much until it is made clear to them afterward. "These things are written to believers, that they may know they have a true title to eternal life," (1 John 5:13) that is, that they may know they are believers; and so it is assumed they did not know it before.
[2.] It is a mistake to think that all who come to the knowledge of their interest in Christ attain an equal certainty about it. One may say he is persuaded that nothing present or to come can separate him from the love of God; (Rom 8:38–39) another reaches only this far: "I believe, help my unbelief." (Mark 9:24)
[3.] It is a mistake to think that everyone who attains a strong persuasion of his interest in Christ always holds it. He who today may say of the Lord, "He is his refuge" and "his portion," (Ps 91:2; Ps 119:57) will at another time say, "He is cut off," (Ps 31:22) and will ask whether the truth of God's promise fails for evermore. (Ps 77:8)
[4.] It is also a mistake to think that everyone who attains a good knowledge of their gracious state can formally answer every objection raised against it. They may nonetheless hold fast to the conclusion and say, "I know whom I have believed." (2 Tim 1:12) There are few grounds of the Christian religion of which many people are so firmly persuaded that they can maintain them formally against every contrary argument, yet they may and will hold the conclusion steadfastly and rightly. It is the same in this case.
[5.] It is no less a mistake to imagine that the vain and groundless confidence many profane and ignorant unbelievers maintain is the same thing as this knowledge of an interest in Christ that we are pleading for. Many falsely claim God "to be their Father," (John 8:41) and many look for heaven who will be turned away with the "foolish virgins." (Matt 25:12) Yet we must not conclude from this that all knowledge of an interest in Christ is delusion and fancy, simply because these people are deceived. While thousands are deluded, some can say on good and solid grounds, "We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lieth in wickedness." (1 John 5:19)
