The Power of God in the Salvation of His People # 2

The Power of God in the Salvation of His People # 2

2. The Power of God in Convicting Us of Sin

"For you were once darkness" (Eph. 5:8). Such was the Christian's fearful state before grace laid hold of him. he was not only in darkness, but he himself was "darkness." He was utterly devoid of a singly ray of spiritual light. The "light of reason" of which men boast so much, and the "light of conscience" which others value so highly, were utterly worthless as far as giving any intelligence in the things of God was concerned.  It was this solemn fact that Christ referred when He said, "If therefore the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matt. 6:23). Yes, so "great" is that darkness that men "call evil good and good evil; put darkness for light, and light for darkness; put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20). So "great" is that darkness that spiritual things are "foolishness" unto them (1 Cor. 2:14). So "great" is that darkness that they are completely ignorant of it (Eph. 4:18), and utterly blind to their actual state.

Not only is the natural man unable to deliver himself from this darkness, but he has no desire whatever for such deliverance, for being spiritually dead - he has no consciousness of any need for deliverance. it is because of their fearful state that, until the Holy Spirit actually regenerates, all who hear the Gospel are totally incapacitated for any spiritual understanding of it. The majority who hear it imagine that they are already saved, that they are real Christians, and no arguments from the preacher, no power on earth, can ever convince them to the contrary. Tell them, "There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes - and yet is not washed from their filthiness" (Prov. 30:12), and it makes no more impression than does water on a duck's back! Warn them that, "Except you repent, you shall all likewise perish!" (Luke 13:3), and they are no more moved than are the rocks by the ocean's spray. No, they suppose that they have nothing to repent of, and know not that their repentance needs "to be repented of" (2 Cor. 7:10). They have far too high an opinion of their religious profession to allow that they are in any danger of hell!

Thus, unless a mighty miracle of grace is wrought within them, unless divine power shatters their complacency - there is no hope at all for them. For a soul to be savingly convicted of sin is a greater wonder than for a putrid fountain to send sweet waters. For a soul to be brought to realize that, "Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually," (Gen. 6:5) requires the power of omnipotence to produce.

By nature, man is independent, self-sufficient, self-confident. What a miracle of grace has been wrought when he now feels and owns his helplessness!! By nature, a man thinks well of himself. What a miracle of grace has been wrought when he acknowledges, "in me dwells no good thing" (Rom. 7:18)! By nature, men are "lovers of themselves" (2 Timothy 3:2). What a miracle of grace has been wrought when they abhor themselves (Job. 42:6)! By nature, man thinks he is doing Christ a favor to espouse His Gospel and patronize His cause. What a miracle of grace has been wrought when he discovers that he is utterly unfit for His holy presence, and cries, "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" (Luke 5:8). By nature, man is proud of his own abilities, accomplishments, attainments. What a miracle of grace has been wrought when he can truthfully declare, "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus...and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ!" (Phil. 3:8).

3. The Power of God in CASTING OUT THE DEVIL

"The whole world lies in wickedness" (1 John 5:19) - bewitched, fettered, helpless. As we go over the Gospel narratives, and read of different ones who were possessed of demons, thoughts of pity for the unhappy victims stir our minds, and when we behold the Saviour delivering these wretched creatures, we are full of wonderment and gladness. But does the Christian reader realize that we, too, were once in that same awful plight? Before conversion, we were the slaves of satan, the devil wrought in us his will (Eph. 2:2), and so we walked according to the prince of the power of the air. What ability had we to deliver ourselves? Less than we have to stop the rain from falling, or the wind from blowing!

A picture of man's helplessness to deliver himself from satan's power is drawn by Christ in Luke 11:21, "When a strong man armed keeps his palace, his goods are in peace." The "strong man" is satan. His "goods" are the helpless captives. But blessed be His name, "The Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8). This, too, was pictured by Christ in the same parable, "But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he takes from him all his armor wherein he trusted, and divides the spoils" (Luke 11:22). Christ is mightier than satan, whom He overcomes him in the day of His power (Psalm 110:3), and emancipates "His own" who are bound (Isa. 61:1). He still comes by His Spirit to "set at liberty" them that are bruised" (Luke 4:18), therefore is it said of God, "Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son!" (Col. 1:13). The Greek word for, "delivered," signifies freeing by violence, a plucking or snatching out of a power that otherwise would not yield its prey.

~A. W. Pink~

(continued with # 3)