Others may be satisfied with such testimony, but, as
for myself, if I did not have the testimony of my own spirit that I had
obeyed the Lord in Christian baptism, I would obtain that testimony
before the going down of the sun.
"Well," says one, "is that all the witness of the Spirit mentioned by
the apostle?" Yes, that is all; absolutely and unqualifiedly all. What
more can you desire? "Well," says another, "I want something more than
the mere word; I want to be saved like the thief on the cross." How do
you know that the thief on the cross was saved? "Oh, the Bible says he
was." True, but that is the testimony of the "mere word"; so you have as
much testimony to your own salvation as you have for the salvation of
the thief on the cross, and it would be impossible for you to have any
more. Suppose the Lord were to come down and take you up bodily and set
you down before his throne in heaven, and, in the presence of all the
angels and archangels, say to you: "My child, your sins are all
forgiven." "Now," says one, "that would be testimony indeed." Yes, it
would be testimony, but no more testimony than you have in the word of
God now; you would then have only the testimony of the "mere word" of
God that you were forgiven.
Pages:
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114