Precious Remedies: Understanding Faith & Providence

Device for keeping souls in a sad, doubting , and questioning condition: By working them to make false definitions of their graces.

“Satan knows, that as false definitions of sin wrong the soul one way, so false definitions of grace wrong the soul another way.”

Example: the definition of a hard working man, is a man who makes six figures, and works 12 hours a day. if this were the definition, most men would be considered lazy, why try?

Remedies against this device:

Consider that there may be true faith, yeah, great measures of faith, where there is no assurance. ; ; ;

Consider that God in the scripture does define faith otherwise. He defines it as a receiving of Christ. ; ; ; ;

Consider that there may be true faith where there is much doubting. ; ; ;

Consider that assurance is an effect of faith; therefore it cannot be faith. The cause cannot be the effect, nor the root the fruit. Assurance flows from faith. Faith cannot be lost, but assurance may, and does fade from time to time due to circumstances and sin. ; ;

Device: another device Satan uses to keep the soul in a sad, doubting, and questioning condition is, by working the soul to make false inferences from the cross(afflictions or trials) actings of Providence.

Example:

a man brakes his leg in an accident on his way to the airport for his vacation, now he’s angry with God because he can’t go now.

Remedies against the device:

Consider that many things may be cross to our desires that not cross to our good. That same man that broke his leg later found out that the flight that he was going to be on crashed, not one survivor. Though providence did work against his desire, yet it did not work against his good.

Consider that the hand of God may be against a man, when the love and heart of God is much set upon a man. ;

Ephraim was the second son born of Joseph, which became a tribe in Israel, the northern kingdom. The Lord’s hand was fast after the tribe of Ephraim to draw them to repentance, and this chapter in captures the Lord’s heart towards Ephraim, and Ephraim’s response. God’s providence, through their trials in their exile, produced their repentance, which was God’s heart to restore his people through trial.

God’s providence is always working for our good, in spite of our fleshly desires. His providence is a most glorious grace because it produces in us a heart for God as his children.

Consider, that all the strange, dark, deep, and changeable, providences that believers meet with, shall further them in their way to heaven, in their journey to happiness. God’s divine wisdom and love are ordering all things here on earth, always working to produce real, internal, and eternal good for those that love him.

All the rugged providences that David met prepared him for the throne, leading God’s people. The rugged providences that Daniel met were to preserve God’s people in their exile, restraining them to repentance, and restoring them as his children, and their advancement. As the stones struck Stephen’s head, with each stone, bringing Stephen that much closer to Christ, the corner-stone, the author, and perfecter of our Faith. So all the strange rugged providences that we meet, they shall raise us ever more closer to Christ, our chief corner stone.