July 16, 2023
Well, soul, for thy comfort know, if ever the Spirit of God hath begun a sanctifying or comforting work, causing thee to hope in his mercy, he never is, will, or can be the messenger to bring contrary news to thy soul; his language is not yea and nay, but yea and amen forever.
William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour
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One of Satan’s wiles is to aggravate believers’ sins, intending to make us question our standing in Christ, and he will try to make us believe this message is from God himself. Imagine a child that fears disappointing his father, and another spiteful child knows of his friend’s love for his father, so he forges a letter from the child’s father listing his crimes and disowning him. The child would be heartbroken, but the deception is clear in the fact that his father would never disown him. We often find ourselves in a similar situation when our sins weigh heavy on us and make us question our salvation. It’s true that the Holy Spirit hates our sins and will convict us of them, but for the purpose of correction, not to doubt our salvation. These thoughts are from Satan. If Christ has regenerated your heart, he will never be the messenger of a notion contrary to the good work he’s begun in you.