by Arthur W. Pink
by Arthur W. Pink
Philologos Religious Online Books
Philologos.org
by Arthur W. Pink
June, 1935
A Satanic Device.
One device that Satan hath to keep souls off from holy exercises and religious services is by moving them to make false inferences from those blessed and glorious things that Christ hath done. As, that Jesus Christ has done all for us, therefore there is nothing for us to do, but to joy and rejoice. He hath perfectly justified us, fulfilled the law, satisfied Divine justice, pacified His Father's wrath, is gone to Heaven to prepare a place for us, and in the meantime to intercede for us; and therefore away with praying, mourning, hearing, striving, etc. Ah! what a world of professors hath Satan drawn in these days from religious services by working them to make such sad, wild, and strange inferences from the sweet and excellent things that the Lord Jesus hath done for His beloved ones. Now the remedies against this device are these:
1. To dwell as much on those Scriptures that show you the duties and services that Christ requires of you, as upon those Scriptures that declare to you the precious and glorious things that Christ hath done for you. It is a sad and dangerous thing to have two eyes to behold our dignity and privileges, and not one to see our duties and services. I should look with one eye upon the choice and excellent things that Christ hath done for me, to raise up my heart to love Christ with the purest love, and to joy in Christ with the strongest joy, and to lift up Christ above all, who hath made Himself to be my all; and I should look with the other eye upon those services and duties that the Scriptures require of those for whom Christ hath done such blessed things, as upon that of the Apostle: “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's” (1 Cor. 6:19, 20). And that, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58). And that “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Gal. 6:9). And that “Rejoice evermore” and “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:16, 17). And that “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12). And that “Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Heb. 10:24, 25). Now a soul that would not be drawn away by this device of Satan, he must not look with a squint eye upon these blessed Scriptures, and abundance more of like import, but he must dwell upon them; he must make these Scriptures to be his chiefest and choicest companions, and this will be a happy means to keep him close to Christ and His service in these times, wherein many turn their backs upon Christ, under pretense of being interested in the great things that have been acted by Christ.
2. The second remedy against this device of Satan is to consider that the great and glorious things which Jesus Christ hath done and is a-doing for us, should be so far from taking us off from religious services and pious performances, that they should be the greatest motives and encouragements to the performance of them that may be, as the Scriptures do abundantly evidence. I will only instance in some, as, “That we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life” (Luke 1:74, 75). Christ hath freed you from all your enemies: from the curse of the law, the predominant damnatory power of sin, the wrath of God, the sting of death, and the torments of hell; but what is the end and design of Christ in doing these great and marvellous things for His people? It is not that we should throw off duties of righteousness and holiness, but that our hearts may be the more free and sweet in all holy duties and heavenly services. So says the Apostle, “I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty”; mark what follows: “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor. 6:18 and 7:1). Again, “The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:11-14). Ah, souls! I know no such arguments to work you to a lively and constant performance of all heavenly services, like those that are drawn from the consideration of the heart and glorious things that Christ hath done for you; and if such arguments will not take you and win upon you, I do not think the throwing of hell fire in your faces will ever do it.
3. The third remedy against this device of Satan is seriously to consider that those precious souls which Jesus Christ hath done and suffered as much for as He hath for you, were exceedingly active and lively in all religious services and heavenly performances. He did and suffered as much for David as for you, and yet who more in praying and praising God than David? “Seven times a day will I praise the Lord.” Who more in the studying and meditating on the Word than David? “Thy law is my meditation day and night.” The same truth we run and read in Jacob, Moses, Job, Daniel, and the rest of the holy prophets and Apostles, for whom Christ hath done as much for as for you. Ah, how have all those worthies abounded in works of righteousness and holiness, to the praise of free grace! Certainly Satan hath got the upper hand of those souls that do argue thus: Christ hath done such and such glorious things for us, therefore we need not make any care and conscience of doing such and such religious services as men say the Word calls for. If this logic be not from hell, what is? Ah, were the holy prophets and Apostles alive to hear such logic from out of the mouths of such as profess themselves to be interested in the great and glorious things that Jesus Christ hath done for His chosen ones, how would they blush to look upon such souls! and how would their hearts grieve and break within them to hear the language and to observe the actings of such souls! He that talks of Heaven, but doeth not the will of God, is like him that gazed upon the moon, but fell into the pit.
4. The fourth remedy against this device of Satan is seriously to consider that those who do not walk in the ways of righteousness and holiness, who do not wait upon God in the several duties and services which are commanded by Him, cannot have that evidence to their own souls of this righteousness before God, of their fellowship and communion with God, of their blessedness here and their happiness hereafter, as those souls have who love and delight in the ways of the Lord, who are always best when they are most in the works and service of the Lord. “Little children,” saith the Apostle, “let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous” (1 John 3:7). “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother” (1 John 3:10). “If ye know that He is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him” (1 John 2:29) and “He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His Word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him. He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked” (1 John 2:4-6). “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:6, 7). So James: “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?” i.e. it cannot. “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:14, 26). To look after holy and heavenly works is the best way to preserve the soul from being deceived and deluded by Satan's devices, and by sudden flashes of joy and comfort; holy works being a more conscious and constant pledge of the precious Spirit, begetting and maintaining in the soul more solid, pure, clear, strong, and lasting joy. Ah souls! as you would have in yourselves a constant and blessed evidence of your fellowship with the Father and Son, and of the truth of grace, and of your future happiness, look that you cleave close to holy services, and that you turn not your backs upon religious duties.
5. The fifth remedy against this device of Satan is solemnly to consider that there are other choice and glorious ends for the saints' performance of religious duties than for the justifying of their persons before God, or for the purchasing of the pardon of sin, namely, to testify their justification. A good tree cannot but bring forth good fruits (Matt. 6:17); to testify their love to God, and their sincere obedience to the commands of God; to testify their deliverance from spiritual bondage, to evidence the indwelling of the Spirit, to stop the mouths of the worst of men, and to gladden those righteous souls whom God would not have you sadden. These, and abundance of other choice ends there be, why those that have an interest in the glorious doings of Christ, should, not withstanding that, keep close to the holy duties and religious services that are commanded by Christ. And if these considerations will not prevail with you to wait upon God in holy and heavenly duties, I am afraid if one should rise from the dead, his arguments would not win you; but you would hold on in your sins and neglect God's service, though you lost your souls forever” (Thomas Brooks, 1652).
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