Sugar in the Tea; or, The Christian's Assurance
When a young convert was asked the question, “How do you know Jesus Christ has accepted and forgiven you, and that you are a Christian?” the answer was, “How do you know when you have got sugar in your tea?” This was a sufficient answer; the forgiven soul had felt the change which conversion brings, and had tasted the love of Jesus. It was a positive experience; he knew whom he had believed.
Some good people who are troubled with a desponding temperament worry themselves about this matter of assurance. To such we would say — do n’t vex your soul about assurance; practice the faith of adherence. Cleave fast to Jesus Christ. Fasten your weakness to his omnipotence; in your ignorance seek his guidance; when he says, “My blood cleanseth from sin,” believe him; and when conscience bids you do anything to please Christ, do it. That Saviour who died for you asks you to trust him and to follow him; and that is all that he demands of you. Are you sincerely, honestly doing that? Then listen to what that loving Saviour says to you: “My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” Christ never declared that if you or I in a fit of self-confidence or waywardness threw ourselves out of that loving hand we would be safe; we are only safe while we remain there.
All that is required of you is adherence and obedience. You have got to put the sugar into your tea if you want to taste its sweetness.
Repentance unto life is a turning away from your sins unto God with a full purpose of and endeavor after new obedience. Are you doing that? Saving faith is the heart’s cling to Jesus Christ and him only. If you are doing that it ought to give you a cheerful, delightful sense of security. “Faith is the milk,” Spurgeon used to say, “and assurance is the cream that rises on it.” If your milk is nearly all water you cannot expect much cream. The stronger your faith of adherence the more peace of mind and spiritual joy you will have. The Bible does not declare that assurance is essential to salvation; but it does declare that faith and obedience to Jesus Christ are essential. I don’t 20 doubt that a great many people will get into heaven who had rather a feeble faith and still less joy in this world. Their feet were not “like hinds’ feet;” they hobbled along on crutches. That was not Christ’s fault; it was their own fault.
Poor Peter had rather a feeble faith when he screamed to his Master out of the waves, “Lord, save me!” he had received from the Holy Spirit a great baptism and attained a mighty faith when his trenchant sermon at Pentecost brought in thousands of converts. Saul of Tarsus had an infant faith in his soul when he was groping about in the house of Judas at Damascus; the infant had grown into a giant when Paul could shout, in the eighth chapter of Romans, “Neither height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord 1”
We have just said that assurance is not a positive essential to salvation; but it is essential to our peace and comfort. It is the duty of every Christian to seek for it; the more sugar we put into the draught the sweeter will it be to our taste. Old heroic Latimer used to say that when he had a strong steadfast trust in his Master he could face a lion; when he lost it he was ready to run into a mouse-hole. If you and I have put our entire trust in Jesus Christ for our salvation, and are striving every day to do his will and to bless our fellow-men with our religion, then he is responsible for the trust. Why should we worry t
When I built this house I got a deed for the land and recorded it. I do n’t run down to the registry ofce every week to see that the title is good. If we have taken Jesus Christ at his word, and committed our souls to his keeping and our lives to his ordering and our powers to his service, let us not worry about our title-deeds to heaven. Go about your life work, brother, and do it thoroughly and conscientiously. God is responsible for the resuks, sooner or later, and for your final reward. The shepherd knoweth his flock, and calleth them all by name. To you his voice is “Only believe,” “Follow me!” If your cup of trial is sometimes bitter, put in more of the sugar of faith. If you feel chilled by the disappointment of your plans or the unkindness of others, get into the sunshine of Christ’s love. If income runs down, invest more in God’s precious promises. A good, stout, healthy faith will sweeten your affections, and sweeten your toils, and sweeten your home, and sweeten the darkest hours that may lie between this and heaven. Adherence will bring assurance.
“If our love were but more simple
We would take him at his word,
And our lives would be all sunshine
In the sweetness of our Lord.”