Am I really a Christian?
Answering Eight Doubts (Continued)
Simplified
and Abridged from Thomas Boston
Note: In his spiritual classic
“Human Nature In Its Fourfold State,” the Scottish minister Thomas Boston
(1676-1732) lists eight “cases” where a true Christian might have spiritual
doubts about the authenticity of his faith.
Here is the seventh of the eight doubts:
Seventh Doubt: I have never
read in the Bible or known about a true child of God who was as tempted or as
without God as I am. Since I do not know
of any Christian who has ever been in my condition, I can only conclude that I
must not be a believer.
Answer: This doubt comes from ignorance both of the
Bible and of the actual experience of Christians. Those who have this doubt should try speaking
with a mature Christian friend or a godly minister. Doing this has brought peace to some when
they realize that their case is not exceptional and that many Christians have
had the same struggle.
The Bible provides many examples
of Christians suffering with horrible temptations. The devil tempted Job to blaspheme (Job 1:11;
2:9). Asaph was tempted to think
religion was vain and to throw it off (Psalm 73:13). Christ himself was tempted to “cast himself
down from a pinnacle of the temple” and “to worship the devil” (Matt 4:6-9). Many Christians have not only been attacked
with temptations, but they have even been overcome by them and fallen into
gross sin for a time. Peter denied
Christ, and cursed and swore that he did not know him (Mark 14:71). Some Christians were compelled to blaspheme
under persecution by Paul, before he was converted (Acts 26:10-11).
Many Christians can bear witness
to their own sad personal experiences in this area. They have suffered very great temptations
which have astonished their spirits, made their bodies tremble, and made them
sick to their stomachs. Satan’s fiery
darts can cause great damage. It takes
great diligence to extinguish them or to block them with the shield of faith
(Eph 6:16). Sometimes
Satan throws so many fire-balls at our house that all we can do is constantly run
back and forth to extinguish them. We
must remember, however, that it is not a sin merely to be tempted. It is sin only when we consent to the
temptation. If one is tempted to sin but
does not consent to the temptation, he can no more be accused of that sin than
a chaste man can be charged with fathering a child out of wedlock.
Suppose you go to a mature Christian
friend or minister and share your problem, but they say they have never known
anyone exactly in your condition. You still should not think that your case is
exceptional. You certainly should not
give up hope! Even a mature Christian or godly minister
cannot know every difficulty a child of God might face. Some have had struggles known only to God and
their own consciences. Though Scripture
provides directions for every condition a believer might be in, it does not
exhaustively list every struggle a Christian might face. Though you cannot find your specific case in
the Bible, bring your case to the Bible, and you will find a remedy. Do not worry with trying to find out if
anyone has ever been in your condition.
Strive instead to apply Christ to your condition. Christ has a remedy for all diseases. Even if you found a true Christian who was
tempted in the same way you are what would that prove? Your situations would not be exactly the same
in every way. Consider the human
face. In some ways, every human face is
the same. Each has the same features. At the same time, every face is also different
and can be distinguished from all others.
Conclusion: If you see the marks of Biblical regeneration
in your life, you should conclude that you are in the state of grace. This is true even if you are struggling with
temptations that are unique to you (which is not very likely).
Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle
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