I.--MR. MOODY AND REV. MARCUS RAINSFORD.
WHAT IT IS TO BE A CHILD OF G.o.d.
MR. MOODY--What is it to be a child of G.o.d? What is the first step?
Rev. M. Rainsford--Well, sir, I am a child of G.o.d when I become united to the Son of G.o.d. The Son of G.o.d prayed that all who believed upon Him should be one with Him, as He was one with the Father. Believing on Jesus, I receive Him, and become united to Him; I become, as it were, a member of his Body. I am an heir of G.o.d, a joint-heir with Christ.
Mr. M.--What is the best definition of Faith?
Mr. R.--Trust in the Son of G.o.d, as the Saviour He has given to us.
Simple trust, not only in a creed, but in a Person. I trust my soul to Him. I trust the keeping of my soul to Him. G.o.d has promised that whosoever trusts Him, mercy shall compa.s.s him on every side.
Mr. M.--Does not the Scripture say that the devils believe?
Mr. R.--They believe the truth, do they not? They believe that Jesus was manifested to destroy them; and they "tremble." I wish we believed as truly and as fully that G.o.d sent His Son into the world to save us.
Mr. M.--What is it to "trust?"
Mr. R.--I take it to mean four things:
(1) Believing on Christ: that is, taking Him at His Word.
(2) Hoping in Christ: that is, expecting help from Him, according to His Word.
(3) Relying on Christ: That is, resting on Him for the times, and ways, and circ.u.mstances in which He may be pleased to fulfill His promises according to His Word.
(4) Waiting on Christ: that is, _continuing_ to do so, notwithstanding delay, darkness, barrenness, perplexing experiences, and the sentence of death in myself. He may keep me waiting awhile (I have kept Him a long time waiting); but He will not keep me waiting always. Believing in Him, hoping in Him, relying upon Him, and waiting for Him--I understand to be trusting in Him.
Mr. M.--Can all these friends here believe the promises?
Mr. R.--The promises are true, whether we believe them or not. We do not make them true by believing them. G.o.d could not charge me with being an unbeliever, or condemn me for unbelief, if the promises were not true for me. I could in that case turn round and say: "Great G.o.d, why did you expect me to believe a promise that was not true for me?" And yet the Scriptures set forth unbelief as the greatest sin I can continue to commit.
Mr. M.--How are we "cleansed by _the Blood?_"
Mr. R.--"The blood is the life." The sentence upon sinners for their sin was, "The soul that sinneth it shall die." That we might not die, the Son of G.o.d died. The blood is _the poured-out life of the Son of G.o.d_, given as the price, the atonement, the subst.i.tute, for the forfeited life of the believer in Jesus Christ. Any poor sinner who receives Christ as G.o.d"s gift is cleansed from all sin by His Blood.
Mr. M.--Was the blood shed for us all?
Mr. R.--
"There is a fountain filled with blood, Drawn from Immanuel"s veins; And sinners plunged beneath that flood, Lose all their guilty stains.
The dying thief rejoiced to see That fountain in his day; And there may we, though vile as he, Wash all our sins away."
Mr. M.--Some may think that this is only a hymn, and that it is not Scripture. Did the Lord ever say anything similar to what the hymn says?
Mr. R.--He said: "I have given you the blood upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls." That was said of the picture of the blood of Christ. And at the Last Supper our Lord said His blood was "the blood of the new testament which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins."
Mr. M.--What is "the gift of G.o.d?"
Mr. R.--There are three great gifts that G.o.d has given to us--
(1) His blessed Son.
(2) The Holy Ghost, "the promise of the Father," that we might understand the unspeakable gift bestowed on us when He gave His Son.
(3) He has given us His Holy Word.
The Holy Ghost has inspired the writers of it that we may read, and hear, and know the love that G.o.d has to us, "in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." We could not have the Son for our Saviour, unless G.o.d gave Him. We could not understand the gift of G.o.d, unless the Holy Ghost had come to quicken us and teach us; and this He does through the Word.
Mr. M.--How much is there in Christ for us who believe?
Mr. R.--In Him dwelt "all the fullness of the G.o.dhead bodily"--fullness of life, of righteousness, of sanctification, of redemption, t.i.tle to heaven, and meetness for it; all that G.o.d wants from us, and all that we want from G.o.d, He gave in the person of Christ.
Mr. M.--How long does it take G.o.d to justify a sinner?
Mr. R.--How long? The moment we receive Him we receive authority to enroll ourselves among the children of G.o.d, and are then and there justified from all things. The sentence of complete justification does not take long to p.r.o.nounce. Some persons profess to see a difficulty in the variety of ways in which a sinner is said to be justified before G.o.d: (1) Justified by G.o.d; (2) Justified by Christ; (3) Justified by His Blood; (4) Justified by grace; (5) Justified by faith; (6) Justified by works.
Justification has reference to a court of justice. Suppose a sinner standing at the bar of G.o.d, the bar of conscience, and the bar of his fellow-men, charged with a thousand crimes.
(1) There is the Judge: that is G.o.d, who alone can condemn or justify: "It is G.o.d that justifieth." That is justification by G.o.d.
(2) There is the Advocate, who appears at court for the sinner; the counselor, the intercessor: that is Christ. "Justified by Christ."
(3) There is next to be considered the ground and reason on account of which the Advocate pleads before the Judge. That is the merit of His own precious Blood. That is justification by His Blood.
(4) Next we must remember the law which the Judge is dispensing. The law of works? Nay, but the law of grace and faith. That is justification by His grace.
(5) And now the judge himself p.r.o.nounces the result. "Be it known unto you that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him all that believe are justified from all things."
Now, for the first time, the sinner at the bar knows the fact. This is justification by faith.
(6) But now the justified man leaves the criminal"s dock. He does not return to his prison, or to his chains. He walks forth from the court-house a justified man; and all men, friends or foes, are made aware that he is free. That is "justification by works."
Mr. M.--A man says: "I have not found peace." How would you deal with him?
Mr. R.--He is really looking for the wrong thing. I do not look for peace. I look for _Christ;_ and I get peace with Him. Some people put peace in the place of Christ. Others put their repentance or prayers in the place of Christ. _Anything_ put in the place of Christ, or between the sinner and Christ, is in the _wrong place_.
When I get Christ, I possess in Him everything that belongs to Him, as my Saviour.
Mr. M.--Some think they cannot be Christians until they are sanctified.
Mr. R.--Christ is my Sanctification, as much as my Justification. I cannot be sanctified but by His blood. There is a wonderful pa.s.sage in Exodus. The high priest there represented in picture the Lord Jesus Christ. There was to be placed on the forefront of the miter of the high priest, when he stood before G.o.d, a plate of pure gold, and graven upon it as with a signet, the words: "Holiness to the Lord." My faith sees it on the forefront of the miter on the brow of my High Priest in heaven. "And it shall be upon Aaron"s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be _always_ upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord." That was for Israel of old! _That_ on the brow of Jesus Christ is for me. Yes--for me, "that I may be accepted before the Lord." As I believe this truth it purifies my heart, it operates on my affections and my desires; and I seek to walk with Him, because He is my Sanctification before G.o.d, just as I trust in Him as my Justification--because He shed His blood for me.
Mr. M.--What is it to believe on His name?
Mr. R.--His name is His revealed self. We are informed what it is in Exodus. Moses was in the mount with G.o.d, and He had shown him wonderful things of kindness and of love. And Moses said, "O G.o.d, show me thy _glory!_" And He said, "I will make all my _goodness_ pa.s.s before thee." So He put Moses in the cleft of the rock, and proclaimed the name of the Lord: "The Lord, the Lord G.o.d, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth; keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin"--there it is, root and branch "and that will by no means clear the guilty." That is His name; and His glory He will not give unto another: and to believe in the name of the Lord is just to shelter under His promises.