What is the Verdict?

What is the Verdict?

(No. 1855)

A SERMON DELIVERED ON LORD'S-DAY MORNING, AUGUST 16, 1885,

BY C. H. SPURGEON,

AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.

"Beloved, if our heart condemns us not, then have we confidence toward
God." 1 John 3:21.

CAREFULLY observe that this text is spoken to the people of God. It
speaks to those who are called, "beloved." These are the people who are
especially loved of God and of His people. It is a very sweet and
endearing title, but it evidently, in this case, belongs only to those
who are of the family of Grace–these, alone, can remain uncondemned of
their hearts and live in confidence towards God. I want you to observe
this because there are different ways of addressing different people
and these ways are instructive. To those who are not yet numbered among
the beloved, we preach the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
It is a Gospel intended for the sinful and it talks to them of pardon
bought with blood–it is a Gospel intended for the ungodly and it
speaks to them of the work of the Holy Spirit, whereby their ungodly
hearts may be renewed. Its tale is altogether of Grace and free favor
and the passing by of transgression, iniquity and sin to all those who
cast themselves believingly at Jesus' feet. That is the voice of
Scripture to those who, as yet, are not beloved. The hope is that the
Lord will call them beloved who were not beloved–and that in the place
where it was said, "They are not My people," they shall be called the
people of the living God!

But when we come to speak to those who are saved, to those who are the
beloved of God, we deal not with the pardon of criminals, but with the
conduct of children. They are saved in the Lord with an everlasting
salvation and, therefore, we do not so much urge them to saving faith
as to the higher degree of boldness which grows out of faith–to that
confidence towards God which is the right and privilege of the heirs of
salvation! We want them not only to know that they have believed, but
to be assured of it and to enjoy that holy familiarity with God, that
blessed boldness towards God, that sweet joy and restfulness of spirit
which are their privilege as the beloved of the Lord. These enjoyments
may be had by them if they will be obedient to the directions of the
Spirit of God which are laid down by the beloved Apostle in this
Epistle.

As soon as we become children, we are freed from the condemning power
of the Law. We are not under the principle and motive of the Law of
Works, but yet we are not without Law unto Christ. We come under those
sacred regulations which rule the household of God. We are dealt with
not as mere subjects are ruled by a king, but as children are governed
by a father. We come from under that Law which was promulgated with
thunder and lightning and the sound of a trumpet waxing exceedingly
loud and long, and we listen to the gentle voice of the Man, Christ
Jesus. We come from under that Law which did not permit even a beast to
touch the mountain, but kept all Israel at a distance by boundaries set
about the mountain, and we draw near with glad hearts unto the Lord. We
come, I say, from under the Law and we feel the sway of love. "You are
not under the Law, but under Grace" and, therefore, sin shall not have
dominion over you. We have come into the family of God–and in that
family there is a rule and discipline devised by love and carried out
with infinite compassion. Upon our obedience to that discipline, our
peace and prosperity depend. If we so live that our hearts condemn us
not, then have we confidence towards God.

It appears from the text that this child-like confidence towards God
originally arises out of a certain solemn trial of our case. There is
to be a trial within the heart, or conscience–a trial in which every
power of the inner nature is to take its part as prosecutor, witness,
jury, or judge. Out of this trial comes the non-condemnation which
gives birth to "confidence toward God." At this time I shall bring
before you, first, the trial in the inward court of the heart.
Secondly, the acquittal pronounced by this court, "If our heart condemn
us not." And thirdly, the result, the confidence which comes of this

acquittal. "If our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward
God." May the Holy Spirit teach us while we think on these things!

I. I want you to think of THE TRIAL HELD IN THE INNER COURT OF MAN'S
NATURE, within his heart. It is a sort of petty session, not the Great
Assize. Conscience sits within us, as judges sometimes sit in chambers,
hearing cases, as they say, in camera. If we are righteously acquitted
in this first court, then the matter is ended and we have confidence
toward God. But if our heart condemn us; if in this preliminary trial
we are condemned, it is an evil omen, for the probability is that the
great all-knowing Judge will more than confirm the sentence.
Condemnation by our own conscience is a bad sign, though there is a
court of appeal. If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our
heart and knows all things.

I will now speak upon this trial under the heads of certain
observations.

This trial is studiously avoided by very many. Many professors shun
anything like a testing of their profession–any trying of their
religion by examination. Multitudes of persons seldom think! They live
the life of butterflies, flitting from flower to flower with careless
wing–there is no real purpose in their lives. Many others think, and
think deeply, but not about their souls or their God. They consider the
matter of their relationship to their Creator to be a very secondary
matter which can be taken up in the last few minutes of their lives,
when the death sweat is on their brow and they are quite incapable of
proper judgment! They leave, I say, the best things to the worst
moments and think that they are wise in so doing! This is a grave folly
and ought not to rule a man in his senses.

Certain Christian professors, too, who should know better, seldom
examine themselves as to whether they are in the faith. They take it
for granted that all is well with them. They made a profession a great
many years ago. They have been decent sort of people ever since–in
fact, they have been respected among their fellow Christians–possibly
they have even taken office in the Church. Are they to question their
foundation? Is it necessary that they should put themselves into the
scales and be weighed again? It is a very ominous sign for a man, when
he is afraid of discussing his spiritual state in the chamber of his
own heart. I am persuaded that many Christians are the subjects of
doubts and fears about their own condition simply because they have
never thought the matter out. It is a great deal better to sift an
affair to the bottom than it is to be always tormented by suspicion. If
I must go to sea and I suspect the soundness of the vessel, I shall
demand that the ship be surveyed and that I know whether it is a rotten
old coffin, or whether it is a good substantial ship.

I do not think it is a healthy state of things for man to be always
singing–

"'Tis a point I long to know."

Brothers and Sisters, you ought to know whether you love the Lord or
not! Your love must be very cold and feeble if it is a matter of
question! Warmth of love proves its own existence in many ways. Friend,
you should be anxious to the last degree to take stock of your
spiritual estate. Your desire should be to know the very worst of your
case. If your condition should turn out to be horribly bad, you had
better know it–certainly your knowing it will not make it any worse!
If your case should turn out to be all right, then you will have the
confidence that comes of this knowledge–the confidence of which our
text speaks. If our hearts, after due, deliberate and impartial trial,
condemn us not, then we have confidence toward God and that confidence
sweetens life! He that gets confidence through honest searching of
heart shall be filled with delight and strength. But, I repeat it
sadly, many avoid the inward trial of the heart–they will not bring
their case into the spiritual court, even though the Judgement Seat is
set up in the privacy of their own inward nature! Thus they walk on
blindfolded to the brink of the precipice. God grant the bandage may be
taken off before they have taken the final and fatal step.

But secondly, let us note that genuine Christians very much frequent
this court of conscience. They long to have their condition put to a
thorough test, lest they be deceived. I have known some Christians even
stay too much in this court– they so often test themselves that it
looks as if they would spend their lives in making trials of their
state. Looking within can be easily overdone–we ought to have higher
work than that of continually laying the foundation of repentance from
dead works. When a ship first leaves the stocks, it is well for it to
go on a trial trip, but to have a ship always being tried would be very
absurd–it is time that it took voyages in real earnest and was
registered in the merchant service– there will then be trial enough in
the actual execution of service.

Some Christians, by a continual introspection, are always raising the
point, "Am I a Christian?" Brothers and Sisters, be a Christian! "Am I
a child of God?" Brothers and Sisters, be a child of God and enjoy it!
And do not spend a lifetime in searching for the family register.
However, it is certain that the genuine Christian is not averse to
self-examination, nor to any form of test through which he can be put.
If you are right with God, your prayer will be, "Search me, O God, and
know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there is any
wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. O my God, I do
not wish to be deluded with 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace! I
do not want to deceive myself, or to be lulled into soft slumbers upon
the dainty bed of presumption. No, let me be emptied from vessel to
vessel rather than be suffered to settle upon my lees. Let me be
searched with candles rather than harbor sin within me. Let me even be
thrust into the fire rather than remain base metal, the counterfeit of
the King's money." Make sure work for eternity. Be certain, by the
witness of the Holy Spirit within you, that you are, indeed, the
children of God! The spirit of the true man answers to this–he is
always willing to set in order the court of conscience and make solemn
trial of his heart and life.

In this court, dear Friends, the question to be decided is a very
weighty one. What is that question, do you think? I do not think it is
the question, "Am I perfect?" because we can solve that without holding
a formal court. The question is not, "Am I absolutely free from sin?"
for, "if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth
is not in us." The question is this, "Am I sincere in the truth? Is my
religion true and am I true in my profession of it?" Next, "Does love
rule in my nature?" All this chapter deals with love and teaches us
that the possession of love is the supreme test of our state. Note the
14th verse–"We know that we have passed from death unto life, because
we love the brethren. He that loves not his brother abides in death."
The enquiry is–"Do I love God? Do I also love my brother? Is my spirit
that of love–for, if not, I am not a child of God."

Then the next question is, "Do I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?" In
the verse which succeeds my text, this is put as a great test, that we
believe in Jesus Christ. Faith is the main question for conscience to
decide, together with the following one, "Do I also keep His
Commandments? Do I obey God? Do I seek to be holy as Jesus is holy? Or
am I living in known sin and tolerating that in myself which does not
and cannot please God?" The verse that follows my text puts it, "We
keep His Commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His
sight." And the question is, "Do we not only try to keep the
Commandments, but do we do so because it is pleasing to God? Is my
master motive to please God? Do I want to be an Enoch, who had this
testimony, that he pleased God? Do I keep His Commandments and labor to
please Him?"

These are the questions to be tried in the court of conscience and
never was there a weightier issue! On this, our eternal state depends!
It is not your estate that is now at stake; it is not your health that
is now in question. It is your living unto God, your being now a child
of God and so being prepared to face the mysterious solemnities of
eternity. O Sirs, do not hesitate to take these matters into the court
of conscience! If you have avoided that court before, attend it, now,
and give your soul a solemn hearing!

This court is guided by a mass of evidence. That evidence has not to be
sought for–it is there already! If the case were to be, "Do my fellow
men think me a child of God; do they regard me as being a Believer in
whom faith works by love?" that would be a difficult question because
we would have to subpoena so many to give their opinion of our private
and public life. But in this case, we have nothing to do with
outsiders–the conscience is the witness as well as the judge and jury!
The whole case is carried on within. We cannot object to the witnesses,
for they are our own heart and conscience. We must believe what these
say. Nor can we object to the judgement, since our own conscience is
judge and we are not at all likely to be unjust towards ourselves. We
are so partial and there is so much of flattering deceit and self-love
about us, that we could not wish to be tried by a more favoring judge
than our own conscience! We cannot decline the jurisdiction under any
pretence of prejudice against us.

And, oh, what a mass of evidence our heart can furnish–evidence even
more conclusive than that of outward actions! Memory rises up and says,
"I remember all you have done since your profession of conversion–your
shortcomings and breaches of the Covenant." The will confesses to
offenses which never ripened into acts for lack of opportunity. The
passions admit outbreaks which were concealed from human observation.
The imagination is made to bear testimony– and what a sinful power
that imagination is and how difficult it is to govern it–its tale is
sad to hear! Our tempers confess to evil anger, our lusts to evil
longings, our hearts to evil covetousness, pride and rebellion. Hopeful
witness there is, also, of sin conquered, habits broken and desires
repressed–all this is honestly taken in evidence and duly weighed.

Everything within us will have to tell whether it has been renewed or
not, whether it has been changed from darkness to light, and come from
under the power of sin and Satan into the power of Christ. Each power
can give evidence of Grace or token of unregeneracy and, according to
the weight of evidence, the verdict must go. The heart possesses a mass
of evidence utterly unknown anywhere else, for the heart knows its own
sinfulness as it knows its own bitterness and the man's heart can
reveal secrets to itself which it dare not whisper into the ear of the
kindest friend! The trial cannot fail from lack of evidence bearing
upon the point.

While the trial is going on, the deliberation causes great suspense. I
stand trembling as long as I have to ask my heart, "Heart, do you
condemn me, or do you acquit me?" You may have seen a picture entitled,
"Waiting for the Verdict." The artist has put into the countenances of
the waiters every form of unrest, for the suspense is terrible. Blessed
be God, we are not called upon to wait long for she verdict of
conscience! We ought never to let the question remain in suspense at
all–we should settle it and settle it in the Light of God–and then
walk in the light as God is in the light. I confess I cannot understand
the comfort which I see in some people's faces when they admit that
they do not know whether they are the people of God or not. If you are
not saved, or are not sure of it, how dare you rest? Are you in danger
of eternal wrath? Then give no sleep to your eyes till you know that
you have escaped so great a peril! It looks to me as if your doubt
could not be real if it does not work in your heart great misery and
agony of spirit. A person in doubt about his salvation and unable to
rest, I can perfectly well understand. But a person in doubt in any
measure about his reconciliation to God and yet happy, is a mystery!
How can the Grace of God be in a heart which is not sure of pardon and
yet is content? It is an exceedingly painful thing to have this trial
going on in the soul and to be waiting for the verdict.

One thing I will observe, however, before I leave this matter–it is
not the supreme court. If it should so happen that the verdict of the
court should be against you, if your heart condemns you, remember the
verdict is not final–there is still a higher court. I love the way in
which Peter put it once. He had denied his Master, denied Him
repeatedly with oaths, but he had bitterly repented–and when his Lord
said to him, "Simon, son of Jonas, do you love Me?" His heart did not
condemn him upon the question of loving his Master, but it did condemn
him sorely for having denied his Lord. So, after pleading, "Lord, I do
love You," he takes his case into the Higher Court and says, "Lord, You
know all things; You know that I love You." In moments of soul
conflict, it will be wise for you to carry this question beyond
yourself up to the Omniscient One! The translation of the Revised
Version, though I do not like it, has a bearing on this point and so I
quote it–"Hereby shall we know that we are of the truth, and shall
assure our heart before Him, whenever our heart condemn us, because God
is greater than our heart and knows all things."

I pray you all to remember this, that the trial by your conscience is
not, after all, the ultimate and the decisive one, because your
conscience may go to sleep, or make a mistake in your favor. Or your
conscience may become morbid and may not take under its consideration
all the facts of the case and so, may go against you. Since there may
be an error of judgment, you should make your appeal to the Most High,
saying, "Search me, O God." Above all, if your conscience should now
condemn you, still remember that there remains the free, full Gospel
even for the chief of sinners! If you stand before God condemned in
heart, this morning, throw yourself upon your face with that sense of
condemnation upon you and cry, "God be merciful to me, a sinner!"
Whichever verdict comes from an enlightened conscience, it will be
exceedingly serviceable to you if you have regard to it. If it condemns
you not, then have confidence toward God. And if it condemns you, the
condemnation may drive you, at once, to flee for refuge to the Hope
that is set before the guilty in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
May the Holy Spirit thus bless you!

II. Allow me, secondly, to speak to you upon a pleasing theme, namely,
THE ACQUITTAL ISSUED FROM THIS COURT–"If our heart condemns us not."
Observe that a man may get an acquittal from the court of conscience,
for the question laid before the heart can be settled. It can be
ascertained whether I sincerely believe in Jesus Christ. It can be
ascertained whether I sincerely love God and love His people. It can be
ascertained whether my heart is obedient to the Commands of the Lord
Jesus Christ. These are not hazy, mysterious problems which can never
be solved! The case may be made clear one way or the other. The court
has no difficulty before it beyond its faculty–it is quite competent
to decide the question in the light of Scripture by the help of God.

These questions, however, must be debated with great discernment.
Suppose a person to be greatly tempted, to be tempted morning, noon and
night with foul temptations, yet conscience must not say, "This person
is no child of God because he is tempted." There is no sin in being
tempted, since our Lord Jesus was tempted of the devil and yet in Him

was no sin. Abundance, yes, superabundance of temptation is no proof
against the sincerity of our faith in our God! On the contrary, it may
sometimes happen that the more we are tempted the more true is it that
there is something in us to tempt, some good thing which Satan seeks to
destroy.

Again, the verdict of the heart must be given with discrimination, or
otherwise we may judge according to outward circumstances and so judge
amiss. It will never do to say, "I am greatly afflicted in estate, in
family, or in depression of spirits and, therefore, I cannot be a child
of God." What? Are not God's children chastened? What son is there whom
the Father chastens not? Some of the best children of God have been the
most afflicted. Yes, and let me say it pointedly, some of the purest
Christians that have ever lived have had the most sickness to bear and
by that means they have been made more meet for Heaven, even as the
sycamore fig, by being bruised becomes ripe. When, therefore, it is
suggested that you are not a child of God because you are afflicted,
the idea is not to be tolerated, since we are born to trouble as the
sparks fly upward!

Neither, again, do our imperfections or infirmities decide against us.
An enlightened conscience says, "It is true this man has sinned, but it
was not of intent, but by inadvertence or surprise. His soul hates the
sin into which he fell. He deeply repents of his offense." The
occurrence of sin in the life does not prove a man to be out of Grace.
The prevalence of sin, the toleration of sin, the love of sin, the
willful continuance in sin would do so–but the fact of imperfection,
if wept over and repented of, is not condemnatory evidence! The fact
that my child is little and feeble is no proof that he is not my son.
The boy may be like his father and yet be only a tiny baby. Weakness
and even faultiness may be confessed and yet we may have confidence
towards God. So the verdict has to be given with great discrimination.

And the verdict has to be given, mark you, upon Gospel principles. The
question before the court of conscience is not, "Have I perfectly kept
the Law?" The answer to that is simple enough–"There is not a just man
upon earth that does good and sins not." "By the works of the Law shall
no flesh living be justified." The question is, "Am I a Believer in the
Lord Jesus Christ? Am I resting in Him for salvation and do I prove the
truth of that faith by loving God, loving the Brethren, by doing those
things which are pleasing to God and avoiding those things which are
displeasing to Him? "The question is not concerning merit, but
concerning Grace and the fruit of Grace! Salvation is of Grace and of
Grace, alone–therefore my enquiry should be–"Am I partaker of that
Grace? Unworthy though I am, am I washed in the blood of Jesus? Am I
covered with His righteousness? Am I accepted in the Beloved?" That is
the question and if ever you get to discussing it upon legal
principles, you will go wrong. We are not tried in the court of the
heart according to the Old Covenant, but according to the New
Covenant–another book is opened which is the Book of Life.

Permit me to say, here, that this question in the court of the heart
must never be settled by our feelings. If the heart is at all right in
its judgments, it will never say, "I am a child of God because I am so
happy." Nor will it exclaim, on the other hand, "I cannot be a child of
God because I am so sad!" Holy feelings may be brought in as evidence,
but they are hard to estimate. Feelings are variable as the wind–they
depend so much upon the body and outward surroundings–so much, even,
upon the condition of the atmosphere! I acknowledge that as to
feelings, I go up and down very much according to the weather.
Therefore I make small account of my feelings. If I am very happy, I
say to myself, "Keep steady. Be not intoxicated with joy." If I find my
spirits sink, I cry, "Come, Heart, do not play the fool! You have
nothing to be down about–rejoice in God, always, and have no
confidence in the flesh." Deal thus with yourselves, for the question
in hand is not, "Am I happy?" but, "Am I a sincere Believer. Does my
faith prove its sincerity by the effect which it produces upon my
life?" Sinners can rejoice as well as saints–and saints can mourn as
well as sinners! The point is not what we feel, but what we believe and
do.

This question of our state ought to be settled speedily. As I have
already said to you, it must not be allowed to hang about. We know "the
law's delays," but we must not allow any delay in this court. No, we
must press for summary justice. Does my heart condemn me, or does not
my heart condemn me? Get a clear and plain answer, at once, to this
issue. If your heart condemns any of you here, this morning–if you
say, "Yes, I am a member of the Church but I ought not to be, I do not
live as I should." If you are not Believers in Christ. If you feel that
you have no love to the Brethren, then take the verdict and go humbly
to God and ask Him to renew your hearts! The door of Free Grace is
still open to you. But, on the other hand, if your conscience says,
"Yes, with all my imperfections, with all my infirmities, I do love God
with all my heart. I do trust in Christ, for I have nothing else to
trust to. I do lean my whole weight upon His finished work. I hang on
Christ as a vessel hangs on the nail. I have no dependence anywhere
else. I know there is a change in me; I

know that the things I once loved, I now hate, and the things I once
hated, I now love. I desire perfect holiness in the fear of God"–then
you are in the condition of which the Apostle says, "If our heart
condemns us not, then have we confidence toward God."

Let us consider that happy state at some length and then close our
discourse. May you all have the full enjoyment of holy boldness before
God through the operation of the Holy Spirit.

III. Let us consider THE CONSEQUENCE OF THIS ACQUITTAL. Here is the man
who has had his acquittal in the court of conscience. Your conscience
has said, "He is a sincere man. He is a believing man. He is quickened
with the life of God. He is an obedient and God-fearing man." And now
you have confidence toward God, or, at least, you have a right to such
confidence. What does that confidence or boldness mean? There is the
confidence of truthfulness. When you kneel down to pray, you know that
you are praying and not mocking God. When you sing, you are making
melody in your heart. When you preach, you are preaching that which
your soul believes. If I spoke to you, today, about things which I was
not quite sure of, it would be wretched work! But I usually feel a
great deal of enjoyment when I am preaching because, to me, the things
which I teach are my comfort and life. Ifyou do not enjoy the sermon,
at least I do!

Sometimes I say to myself, "These doctrines are exceedingly sweet. I
feed upon them, myself, and, therefore, the people ought to be fed. And
if they are not, it is their own fault." A cook may not even get a
taste of the meat, but it is not often so with me. Because I believe
for myself, I feel a confidence in preaching to you! Confidence towards
God is a truthfulness of spirit which prevents our being ashamed in
what we do towards Him. Can you say, "Whatever I do, I do it honestly.
Though I am not what I wish to be in all things, yet that which I
profess before God is true"? Then you have confidence! "One thing I
know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see." I do not put spectacles
over blind eyes and make people believe that I can see, but I really
see. I know I do! I know I trust, I know I love God, I know I love
holiness!

This deep sincerity breeds in a man a blessed indifference to the
judgments of men. Having a conscience void of offense, he feels a holy
freedom as to the formalities of pretence. Look at the hypocrite–he is
afraid of being found out! He has to do everything most primly and
demurely lest he should be suspected. If you paint your face, you must
take care neither to cry nor laugh, lest you crack the enamel! If you
wear shoddy clothing, you must not run or jump, for your garments might
tear! Accidents must be guarded against when you deal with shams. A
hypocrite will censure you very severely for having smiled just
now–and he will condemn me outright for being so wicked as to make you
smile on such a day. Poor soul, he must keep up his propriety, for it
is all he has.

In these times of bad trade, many who are ready to fail are afraid to
lower their expenditure for fear their poverty should be suspected–and
so they keep up a good appearance to stave off bankruptcy as long as
they may. If they were solvent, they would not be so fearful. If your
conscience condemns you not, then you enjoy a blessed ease of spirit
because the Truth of God is in you.

The next kind of confidence is confidence towards God to one's
acceptance with Him. If my heart say, "Yes, you do believe," then I
know, from God's Word, that I have eternal life. The Word says, "He
that believes on Me has everlasting life." Conscience says, "Yes, you
have faith," and the heart concludes, there is, therefore, now no
condemnation. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with
God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Believe me, the sweetest stream that
ever waters this desert world is the river of confident acceptance in
the Beloved! When you know this, your life is gilded with the sunlight
of the coming Glory and your heart rejoices exceedingly.

This produces and, perhaps, it is that which the Apostle most intended,
a boldness of converse. The man who knows that he is truthful and that
God has accepted him, then speaks freely with God! He feels a holy awe
of God and never wishes to lose it. He exercises a sacred boldness
towards Him. Is it not wonderful to see how Abraham talked with God? He
went up to the place where God spoke with Him and, when God told Him
that He was about to destroy Sodom, how exquisitely and yet how boldly
did Abraham put it–"Will You also destroy the righteous with the
wicked? That be far from You." What? Does Abraham expostulate with God?
Does Abraham dream do an unjust thing? Oh, no! But he is bold and that
is the most forcible plea which he can think of and so he urges it
again and again with God.

How he pushes his case–"I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord,
which am but dust and ashes: perhaps there shall lack five of the 50
righteous: will You destroy all the city for lack of five?" It is
wonderful pleading and it illustrates the words, "confidence toward
God." Look at Job. There was a man whose heart did not condemn him, for
he could say, "Lord, You know I am not wicked." He speaks with God very
boldly and he says, "Oh, that I knew where I might find

Him: I would come even to His seat–I would order my case before Him
and fill my mouth with arguments." Though the terrors of God might make
Him afraid, yet, secure in the quiet of his conscience, he has
confidence towards God! Not only confidence in God, mark you, but
toward God, so as to speak with God as a man speaks with his friend! Do
you understand this? I know you do not if you have any doubt as to your
being a child of God. Suspicion makes you a coward, for when your heart
does not condemn you and you know that you are right before the Lord,
then you feel liberty of converse.

This leads to great confidence in prayer. Look at the context. "We have
confidence toward God. And whatever we ask, we receive of Him because
we keep His Commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His
sight." If you want power in prayer you must have purity in life! There
is no promise in the Bible made to all of you that whatever you ask,
God will give you–it is made to persons of a certain character! The
unlimited promise is to the man of God who is so sanctified that he
will not ask and does not think of asking anything that is not in
accordance with God's will! Remember this passage–"Delight yourself,
also, in the Lord; and He shall give you the desires of your heart."
The desire of the man who delights in God is always in accordance with
the mind of God–therefore he is the man that can get whatever he
wills. When you do all things that please God and your life is
sanctified and holy, then it is that you abide in His love. Has not
Jesus said, "If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you shall
ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you"? Unsanctified desires
will be graciously refused–but the will of the sincerely obedient man
is conformed to the will of God and, therefore, it shall be fulfilled.
"This is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing
according to His will, He hears us."

Our text means, also, that such a man shall have confidence towards God
in all service for God. Look at the man of God who has confidence
towards God, as to the perils encountered in faithfully following His
Lord. Take Daniel, for instance. Daniel does not question about what he
has to do when the decree is signed that whoever shall pray, shall be
cast into the den of lions. He opens his window as he was accustomed to
do. He looks towards Jerusalem and bows his knees as he had done
before–and he prays to God as if there were no edict! His confidence
toward God is that he is safe in the path of duty. He does not count
the cost and neither did the three holy children when the fiery furnace
was before them, but they said, "Our God whom we serve is able to
deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out
of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto you, O king, that we
will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have
set up."

Is not that a blessed confidence towards God which a man obtains when
his heart does not condemn him? If Daniel had said, "I shall pray down
in the cellar, or with the blinds drawn," he would have lost all
confidence towards God and would not have been the man he was. If the
three children had said, "We will bow the knee, but we will make in our
minds a secret protest–we will not really worship the idol, but we
will worship God while we bow before the image," they would not have
had confidence in God. Alas, what foolish tricks men play with what
they call their consciences, nowadays! This wonderful 19th Century is
altogether incomprehensible to a simple, honest man! Consciences used
to work up and down, yes or no–but now they have an eccentric action,
altogether indescribable! A man serves the devil, nowadays, and gets
the devil's pay–and all the while talks of serving God! May you have a
conscience void of offense, straight and clear in everything, and so
have confidence towards God.

Moreover, we have this confidence towards God in the way of service so
that we are sure of receiving all necessary help. God will help the
true man and if he comes to a pinch and cannot get on by himself, he
may boldly summon others of his Master's servants to his aid. Look at
Joshua fighting with the Amalekites. The day is not long enough and,
therefore, he lays his command upon the sun and says to it, "Sun, stand
still upon Gibeon and you, moon, in the valley of Aja-lon"! He had need
of longer daylight and he dared the sun and moon to move an inch till
the pursuit of his foes was over. Thus may a servant of God challenge
help from earth and Heaven and impress all forces into the service of
his Lord. An officer, if he finds himself in straits, impresses anybody
that passes by, saying, "In the King's name, help me." Even so, if you
do your Lord's bidding and if conscience condemns you not, you may
impress into the service of the great King every angel in Heaven and
every force of Nature as need requires!

I wish I had time to tell you all that confidence towards God means. It
means rest, perfect rest. Look at your Lord when the tempest was on.
Loud roaring, the billows come near to overwhelming the ship, but He is
asleep! Nobody but He could dare to slumber because nobody else had
such confidence in God! He knew the vessel was safe, why should He

worry? True, He was Lord High Admiral of the seas and had
responsibility not only for His own flagship, but for the whole fleet
of little ships that sailed with Him that day–but He did not give way
to sleeplessness because of that–He cast Himself on God and fell
asleep! It was the best thing to do. You and I may do the same–we need
not be frightened nor worried, nor troubled, but just trust in the Lord
and do good and so shall we dwell in the land and, verily, we shall be
fed. This is confidence towards God!

This confidence often mounts up into joy till the Christian man
overflows with delight in God. He cannot contain his happiness. As
Solomon says, he eats his bread with joy, for God has accepted his
works. He lives with the wife of his youth in full contentment and his
children are a blessing to him. He goes to his toil rejoicing to serve
God in his calling and he comes home at night to repose himself in the
care of his God and Father. All is well and he knows it.

Blessed man that has confidence in God! Such a man goes up to his last
bed when the message comes that the spirit must return to God who gave
it–he goes to die without alarm–his conscience does not condemn him
and, therefore, he lays himself down in patience and waits the signal
to be with God. Meanwhile the light of Heaven steals over his face and
they that come to cheer and comfort him hear strange words, like notes
of the birds of Paradise, dropping from his lips. They see that he is
in pain, but they also mark that he is baptized in enjoyment. They
think that he is dying, but he testifies that he is entering into life!
The pearly gates are open before him–the glitter of the golden street
is meeting his failing eyes. Hear him sing, as best as his failing
breath permits–

"And when you see my eye-strings break,

How sweet my minutes roll!

A mortal paleness on my cheek,

But glory in my soul!"

Now he is gone, gone into the land of spirits! He stands before his God
and he does not tremble. He has that eagle-eye which can bear the light
of the eternal sun! His heart condemns him not and he has confidence
towards God. Amidst the supernal splendors he cries, "My Father!"
Angels are crying, "Lord and God," but he says, "My Father"–and those
loyal servants make room for a royal child! The shining ones escort the
happy spirit to the blessed Father's feet. There we leave him.
"Beloved, if our heart condemns us not, then have we confidence toward
God." God bless you. Amen.
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