9
January, 1945
The U n c o n d em n e d Hea r t
X L u a .
By ARTHUR HEDLEY Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England presence, then we must live in'holi ness and love. Power in Prayer The uncondemned heart bedomes bold and confident in making its re quests known unto God. It knows the blessedness of answered prayer. It receives from God because it keeps His commandments, and does those things that are pleasing in his sight” (1 John 3:22). There is a vital con nection between prayer and obedience. The blind man whose sight was re stored by our Lord knew that obedi ence brought down God’s blessing. When the Pharisees basely accused his Benefactor of being a sinner, the man warmly replied, “We know that God heareth not sinners; but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth” (John 9:31). It is clear why obedience means success in prayer. In walking along the path of obedience the soul obtains a clearer vision of God’s will and pur pose. He whispers His secrets into the ears of those who delight to do His will. Such knowledge so influences our petitions that they become echoes of God’s voice, and cannot fail of ac complishment. . It is not surprising that men like George Mueller and Hudson Taylor were so daring and successful ifi prayer. They obeyed the will of God so perfectly that they enjoyed un broken fellowship with God, and walk ing closely with God they received a clear insight into His mind and pur pose. Knowing that their prayers were in accordance with the will of God, because such were inspired by their knowledge of His mind and character, they had no doubt about the answer. When there is nothing between us and God, and it becomes our delight to do that which is well pleasing in His sight, then God gives a further revelation of His will; and thus, be cause our prayers are based on a knowledge of His will, the answer is assured, for “this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will he heareth us: And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (1 John 5:14, 15). his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). What a comfort it is to know that in the time of "failure “we have an advocate with the Father” ! There is this further consolation in the hour of self-condemnation. The Apostle John reminds us that “God is greater than our heart” (1 John 3:20). _The heart is severe in its con demnation, but powerless to give re lief. It is God’s prerogative alone to cleanse the heart and breathe the word of pardon and peace. Our grief- stricken hearts see only the evil with in; but God, who is greater, sees also the desire to be conformed to His image. Knowing that He knows us better than we know ourselves, we can look into His face and say'with per fect confidence: “Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee” (John 21:17). The Glorious Possibility But God means us to be "more than conquerors" in our conflict with “the world, the flesh, and the devil.” It is gloriously possible to live a life of un broken fellowship with God, and this is the ideal life for every believer. When we surrender ourselves wholly to the will of .God, and walk in the path of obedience, then, because no condemning sin comes between us and our heavenly Father, we enjoy a sweet sense of His smile- and friend ship. As we abide in Christ, walk ac cording to His Word, and look to Him continually for guidance and grace, it becomes possible to live the victorious life. It is selfishness which robs us of our faith in God, rather than adver sity. Cavalier was a Huguenot leader who devoted his life to the cause of God with his fellow Protestants and suffered much at the hands of hjs persecutors. For years he enjoyed un broken fellowship with God; then he became vain and forsook the cause of God. Finally he came to England and entered the British army. When presented to Queen Anne she said, “Does God visit you now, Monsieur Cavalier?” These words went home as a sharp arrow to his heart. He stood dopdemned, and with bowed head re mained silent. If we( would come freely, joyously, confidently into God’s P" | MANY Christians, one of the most precious verses in the New Testament is that which declares; “There is therefore (now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Rom. 8:1). Many of us can recall the day when we lived in a state of condemnation and fear because our hearts were not right with God. We sought to repress our guilty fears by losing ourselves in pleasure, politics, business, music, or literature. But we found no rest of soul till, we were reconciled to God through faith in the atoning sacrifice of our Saviour. Today we are resting our souls on His gracious promise for He has said: “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). But although reconciled to God through: the death of His dear Son, there are occasions when in our un guarded moments we are overtaken by some sin, and our hearts condemn us for our weakness and failure. Or, as we walk in the light of God’s Word and in close fellowship with our Lord, we begin to discover our own hearts, and become sadly conscious of our pride, envy, jealousy and impurity. When we see ourSelves as we really are, we cry out alifiost in despair: “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Young converts are apt to think that the saints were guilty of using exag gerated language when speaking of their sinful state, but ere long they, too, find, themselves turning to the penitential Psalms for comfort, and in the silence of their own secret cham ber they cry: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psa. 51:10). The Christian’s Advocate In such times, when we suffer from a deep sense of humiliation, condem nation, and shame, we are not left without consolation and hope. We are assured of God’s willingness to for give the moment we humbly confess our sin, and there is the blessed as surance that “the blood of Jesus Christ 1
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