"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4: 6-7)
"Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. “Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. “Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? “And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? “If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. “If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. “For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. “But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you." (Luke 12: 22-31)
We are not to worry or be anxious as believers. Yet, as the Psalmist said -
"As a father pities his children, So the LORD pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust." (Psa. 103: 13-14)
The Lord knows the weakness of his children and knows how to pity and to sympathize with them. He knows that they are often afraid, weak and impotent, and "at wits end." He certainly knows the fears and anxieties of the poor of his people, who struggle financially. Yet, he tells us that such fears and worries arise from our lack of understanding and faith in him as our Father. Worry is often sin because if stems from unbelief.
Here are "40 Charles Spurgeon Quotes on Anxiety, Fear, and Worry" (here) that I would like to call attention to before moving forward in our train of thought. The editor who selected these quotations from the great man of God wrote this foreword: "Many of the following Charles Spurgeon quotes on anxiety come from Gospel Hope for Anxious Hearts: Trading Fear and Worry for the Peace of God."
We will only give some of the better ones in this posting. Said Spurgeon (emphasis mine):
"Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength."
"Joy in the Lord is one of the best preparations for the trials of this life. The cure for care is joy in the Lord."
Yes, as said in Nehemiah: "The joy of the Lord is your strength." (8: 10)
"Cares are manifold; therefore, let your prayers be as manifold. Turn into a prayer everything that is a care. Let your cares be the raw material of your prayers, and, as the alchemists hoped to turn dross into gold, so do you, by a holy alchemy, actually turn what naturally would have been a care into spiritual treasure in the form of prayer. Baptize every anxiety into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and so make it into a blessing."
That is good commentary on what Paul's advice was to the anxious Christian.
"Let your cares drive you to God. I shall not mind if you have many of them if each one leads you to prayer. If every fret makes you lean more on the Beloved, it will be a benefit."
"Cares are numerous and, therefore, let your prayers be as numerous. Turn everything that is a care into a prayer."
"Prayer that brings freedom from care is communion with God."
"May you, if you have fear, also have faith with your fear, and then afterwards have your faith without any fear! When faith gets strong enough, fears are expelled!"
"My brother, if you cannot rest in poverty, neither would you in riches; if you cannot rest in the midst of persecution, neither would you in the midst of honour. It is the spirit within that gives the rest, that rest has little to do with anything without."
Anxiety & Assurance of Salvation
The next two citations well describe the Hardshell mind and spirit. They are often talking about how they do not know if they are saved, about how all they have is a "little hope." They often speak ill of those Christians who boast of knowing, beyond any doubt, that they are born again and a child of God. You will also often hear them couch their words of affirmation with the qualifier "if I be not deceived." They will say "I love the Lord if I be not deceived." Oftentimes it is mere false humility (which I have written about in my series "Uriah Heap Humility"). Sometimes it is an honest confession of one who really is not sure of personal salvation.
Said Spurgeon:
"If you are never afraid about the condition of your soul, I am afraid for you!"
That is one extreme. We should be on guard against "presumptuous sins." (Psa. 19: 13) Believers ought always to be "examining themselves to see whether they are in the faith" (II Cor. 13: 5), and "making their calling and election sure." (II Peter 1: 10) If a person is not in the habit of doing so, I, like Spurgeon, am afraid for such a person (or have my doubts about him). Does that, however, preclude them from having doubt? And anxiety? No. It only manifests their lack of faith in God and his word, and of their failure to seek first God's righteousness and rule.
Spurgeon also said:
"Never let anxieties about Sanctification destroy your confidence of Justification."
That is a good one indeed! Perhaps such words apply to our Hardshell brothers who often sing the words of this old hymn:
"Tis a point I long to know,
Oft it causes anxious thought;
Do I love the Lord, or no?
Am I His, or am I not?"
Lord, decide the doubtful case!
Thou who art Thy people’s sun;
Shine upon Thy work of grace,
If it be indeed begun.
Let me love Thee more and more,
If I love at all, I pray;
If I have not loved before,
Help me to begin today.
I do not sing this. The reason is this: I know in whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep me unto the end. (See II Tim. 1: 12) When any doubt enters my mind, I know it is of the Devil, and of the flesh, and from "an evil heart of unbelief." (Heb. 3: 12) And, I say "get thee behind me Satan." And, I begin to recite the promises of God and the doubt flees quickly away and sweet firm assurance remains as a citadel and firm foundation.
If my wife asked me if I love her, will I say "yes, if I be not deceived"? Or, "well, I hope so"? I know that I love my wife. I have no doubt about it! Can I be less sure of my love for the Lord? The same is true with believing. When someone in whom I have confidence tells me something, I believe it without doubt. The same is true with what God tells me.
Rather than sing the above song about worrying about being saved, I had rather sing songs such as "Sing And Be Happy." The poetry reads thus:
If the skies above you are gray, You are feeling so blue,
If your cares and burdens seem great all the whole day through,
There's a silver lining that shines in the heavenly land,
Look by faith and see it my friend, Trust in His promises grand.
Often we are troubled and tried, Sick with sorrow and pain,
There are others living in sin blest with earthly gain,
Take new courage we cannot tell what the morrow may bring,
When the dark clouds vanish away then your heart truly can sing.
Oft we fail the see the rainbow up in heaven's fair sky,
When it seems the fortunes of earth frown and pass us by,
There are things we know that are worth more the silver and gold,
If we hope and trust Him each day, We shall have pleasure untold.
Sing and you'll be happy today, Press along to the goal,
Trust in Him who leadeth the way, He is keeping your soul,
Let the world know where you belong, Look to Jesus and pray,
Lift your voice and praise Him in song, Sing and Be Happy Today!
Friend, you can know that you are a child of God. If you know you love and believe in Christ, you should have no anxiety about your salvation.
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