Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 1428
Delivered on Lord’s-Day Morning, August 11, 1878
“He that believes on the Son of God has the witness in himself.” 1 John 5:10.
SOME time ago I tried to set forth the manner of the witness and sealing of the Spirit and I have no doubt that the subject will still remain upon the memory of many of you. But I am led to refer to it again and to go over the same ground because I meet with so many instances in which mistakes are made in reference to it—mistakes which cause great sorrow and much sin. The letter which I will now read I received yesterday and it is one of many of the same subject. “Dear Mr. Spurgeon—May I ask your prayers and the prayers of your congregation, to God, that He will, by the Holy Spirit, reveal Himself to me. I have for a long time past, I may say, years, been trying to serve Him and have a strong desire openly to join with His people, but I have not the witness in myself that I am saved and until then I dare not take the step.”
Now, this letter breathes an anxious desire to be right and sincere in all things and this is to be highly commended. We ought to be jealous over our spirit, fearful of hypocrisy and resolved to do all things in truth and sincerity. We ought to abhor the idea of making a profession of that which is not true and, so far, this letter shows a spirit worthy of imitation. Everyone should be anxious that he should in nothing be a hypocrite and should not allow the profession of his lips to go one single inch beyond the feeling of his heart. It is, again, a most proper thing that every man should desire to have the very best possible evidence as to his soul’s salvation and if there is an evidence to be had of a very special, decisive and certain kind, it is but right that every man should cry to God for it and should feel unsatisfied until he obtains it.
But, when all this has been said, we are bound in honesty to add that it is very possible for this anxiety to become an obstacle to faith and for the desire after special evidence to become a hindrance to our receiving the evidence which the Lord has given us in His Word. In our ignorance we may be overlooking the true source of peace and assurance! While straining our eyes by looking for that which God will never reveal to us, we may be missing rare consolations which lie near at hand! While craving for something unusual we may be neglecting that which Infinite Wisdom has put within our reach, like the foolish child which utters hungry cries for the moon, but forgets to eat the bread upon its own plate!
There are many who, in their sincerely earnest desires to gain some token for good, are forgetting that earnest of the Spirit which is already within their own bosoms and thus, through darkness of spirit, they miss present comforts and are too feeble for present duties. They sit in fetters forged by their own fancy, when they might as well arise and walk at large. May the Holy Spirit, therefore, instruct us so to handle this matter that many who are seeking for this inner witness may know that they already have it, or may at least obtain it this day through Jesus Christ our Lord. Here, then, is our text—“He that believes on the Son of God has the witness in Himself.”
I. Our first observation is that BELIEVING ON THE SON OF GOD COMES BEFORE THE INNER WITNESS. “He that believes on the Son of God has the witness in Himself—he believes before he has that witness—and it is only as a Believer that he obtains it. This is self-evident in the text. No one can read these words without seeing that a man must be a Believer before he has the witness in himself. It does not say, “He who has the witness in himself becomes a Believer,” but the order is reversed—“He that believes has the witness in himself.” He believes first and then he obtains the inner witness.
The basis of faith is the testimony of God concerning His Son—the testimony of God as we find it in holy Scripture. I do not believe Christ Jesus to be the Son of God because of anything I feel within myself, but because God Himself declares Him to be such! Neither do I trust my soul with Jesus because of certain emotions felt within, but because God, in the Book which I accept as His testimony, declares that He has set forth Jesus to be the Propitiation for sin. In the
Bible I see that God Himself witnesses that whoever trusts Jesus is thereby forgiven, accepted and saved! And, therefore, I trust Him. We have no other foundation for our faith to rest upon than the witness of God. “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater.” The testimony of God is surely enough for us! Dare we ask for more?
We must not go about to buttress the solid pillar of Divine Testimony. “Thus says the Lord” is proof enough and it is blasphemous impertinence for us to demand further evidence! Dare we look around for something which we have observed or something which we have felt to be a support to the solemn declaration of the Most High? If so, we are not believing in God at all, but are waiting for a surer witness than God, who cannot lie! In such a case we are still lost, for we cannot be saved while we are calling God a liar by refusing to believe Him till He can bring corroborative evidence! If we were to obtain that additional evidence, it is clear that our faith would not then stand in God, but in the additional testimony and so we should remain as to God still unbelievers!