Jesus was the source of security

JESUS WAS THE SOURCEOF SECURITY
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
2 Timothy 1:12 12Thatis why I am suffering as I am.
Yet this is no cause for shame, becauseI know whom I
have believed, and am convincedthat he is able to
guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.
Assured Security In Christ BY SPURGEON
“I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to
keepthat which I have committed unto Him againstthat day.”
2 Timothy 1:12
IN the style of these Apostolic words there is a positiveness most refreshing in
this age of doubt. In certain circles ofsocietyit is rare nowadays to meet with
anybody who believes anything. It is the philosophical, the right, the
fashionable thing, nowadays, to doubt everything which is generallyreceived.
Indeed, those who have any creedwhatever are by the liberal schoolsetdown
as old-fashioned dogmatists, persons ofshallow minds, deficient in intellect,
and far behind their age. The greatmen, the men of thought, the men of high
culture and refined taste considerit wisdom to castsuspicionupon Revelation,
and sneerat all definiteness of belief.
“Ifs” and “buts,” and “perhaps” are the supreme delight of this period. What
wonder if men find everything uncertain–when they refuse to bow their
intellects to the declarations ofthe God of Truth? Note then, with admiration,
the refreshing and even startling positiveness ofthe Apostle–“Iknow,” says
he. And that is not enough–“Iam persuaded.” He speaks like one who cannot
tolerate a doubt. There is no question about whether he has believed or not. “I
know Whom I have believed.” There is no question as to whether he was right

in so believing. “I am persuaded that He is able to keepthat which I have
committed to Him.” There is no suspicionas to the future. He is as positive for
years to come as he is for this presentmoment. “He is able to keepthat which
I have committed to Him againstthat day.”
Now there is a positiveness which is very disgusting–whenit is nothing but the
fruit of ignorance and is unattended with anything like thoughtfulness. But in
the Apostle’s case, his confidence is founded not on ignorance, but on
knowledge. “Iknow,” says he. There are certain things which he has clearly
ascertained, whichhe knows to be fact. And his confidence is grounded on
these ascertainedTruths of God. His confidence, moreover, was not the fruit
of thoughtlessness,for he adds, “I am persuaded.” As though he had reasoned
the matter out and had been persuaded into it–had meditated long upon it,
and turned it over–and the force of Truth had quite convinced him, so that he
stoodpersuaded.
Where positiveness is the result of knowledge andof meditation, it becomes
sublime, as it was in the Apostle’s case. And being sublime it becomes
influential. In this case it certainly must have been influential over the heart of
Timothy, and over the minds of the tens of thousands who have, during these
nineteen centuries, perused this Epistle. It encouragesthe timid when they see
others preserved. It confirms the wavering when they see others steadfast. The
greatApostle’s words, ringing out with trumpet tone this morning, “I know,
and I am persuaded,” cannot but help to cheer many of us in our difficulties
and anxieties. May the Holy Spirit cause us not only to admire the faith of
Paul, but to imitate it, and to attain to the same confidence!
Some speak confidently because they are not confident. How often have we
observedthat brag and bluster are only the outward manifestations of inward
trembling? They are but concealments adoptedto covercowardice!As the
schoolboy, passing through the Churchyard, whistles to keephis courage up,
so some people talk very positively because they are not positive. They make a
pompous parade of faith because they desire to sustainthe presumption
which, as being their only comfort, is exceedinglydear to them.
Now in the Apostle’s case, everysyllable he speaks has beneathit a most real
weight of confidence which the strongestexpressions couldnot exaggerate.
Sitting there in the dungeon, a prisoner for Christ, abhorred by his
countrymen, despisedby the learned, and ridiculed by the rude, Paul
confronted the whole world with a holy boldness which knew no quailing. A
boldness resulting from the deep conviction of his spirit. You may take these
words and put what emphasis you can upon eachone of them, for they are the
truthful utterance of a thoroughly earnestand brave spirit. May we enjoy

such a confidence ourselves, and then we need not hesitate to declare it–for
our testimony will glorify God and bring consolationto others.
This morning for our instruction, as the Holy Spirit may help us, we shall first
considerthe matter in question, that which Paul had committed to Christ.
Secondly, the factbeyond all question, namely, that Christ was able to keep
him. Thirdly, the assuranceofthat fact, or how the Apostle was able to say, “I
know and am persuaded.” And fourthly, the influence of that assurance when
it rules in the heart.
1. First, then, dear Friends, let us speak fora few minutes upon THE
MATTER IN QUESTION.
That matter was, first of all, the Apostle’s deposit of all his interests and
concerns into the hands of God in Christ. Some have said that what Paul here
speaks ofwas his ministry. But there are many reasons forconcluding that
this is a mistake. A greatarray of expositors, at the head of whom we would
mention Calvin, think that the sole treasure which Paul deposited in the hands
of God was his eternal salvation. We do not doubt that this was the grandest
portion of the priceless deposit–butwe also think that as the connectiondoes
not limit the sense, it cannot be restrictedor confined to any one thing. It
seems to us that all the Apostle’s temporal and eternal interests were, by an
act of faith, committed into the hands of God in Christ Jesus.
To the Lord’s gracious keeping the Apostle committed his body. He had
suffered much in that frail tabernacle–shipwrecks, perils, hunger, cold,
nakedness, imprisonments, beatings with rods and stoning had all spent their
fury upon him. He expectedbefore long that his mortal frame would become
the prey of Nero’s cruelty. None could tell what would then happen to him–
whether he should be burned alive to light up Nero’s gardens, be torn to
pieces by wild beasts to make a Romanholiday–or become the victim of the
headsman’s sword. But in whateverway he might be called to offer up himself
a sacrifice to God, he committed his body to the keeping of Him who is the
Resurrectionand the Life.
He was persuaded that in the day of the Lord’s appearing he would rise again,
his body having suffered no loss through torture or dismemberment. He
lookedfor a joyful resurrection and askedno better embalming for his corpse
than the powerof Christ would ensure it.
He gave over to Christ at that hour his characterand reputation. A Christian
minister must expect to lose his reputation among men. He must be willing to
suffer every reproachfor Christ’s sake. But he may rest assuredthat he will
never lose his realhonor if it is riskedfor the Truth’s sake and placed in the

Redeemer’s hands. The day shall declare the excellence ofthe upright, for it
will revealall that was hidden and bring to light that which was concealed.
There will be a resurrection of characters as wellas persons. Every reputation
that has been obscuredby clouds of reproachfor Christ’s sake shallbe
rendered glorious when the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the
kingdom of their Father. Let the wickedsaywhat they will of me, said the
Apostle, I commit my characterto the Judge of the quick and the dead.
So also his whole lifework he delivered into the hands of God. Men said, no
doubt, that Paul had made a greatmistake. In the eyes of the worldly wise he
must have seemedaltogethermad. What eminence awaitedhim had he
become a rabbi! He might have lived respectedand honored among his
countrymen as a Pharisee. Or if he had preferred to follow the Grecian
philosophies, a man with such strength of mind might have rivaled Socrates or
Plato!But instead, he chose to unite himself with a band of men commonly
reputed to be ignorant fanatics who turned the world upside down. Ah, well,
says Paul, I leave the reward and fruit of my life entirely with my Lord, for
He will at last justify my choice of service beneaththe banner of His Son. And
then the assembleduniverse shall know that I was no mistaken zealotfor a
senseless cause.
So did the Apostle resign to the hands of God in Christ his soul, whateverits
jeopardy from surrounding temptations. However greatthe corruptions that
were within it, and the dangers that were without, he felt safe in the great
Surety’s hands. He made over to the Divine Trustee all his mental powers,
faculties, passions, instincts, desires and ambitions. He gave his whole nature
up to the Christ of God to preserve it in holiness through the whole of life.
And right well did his life-course justify his faith.
He gave that soul up to be kept in the hour of death, then to be strengthened,
sustained, consoled, upheld, and guided through the tracks unknown–up
through the mysterious and unseen–to the Throne of God, even the Father. He
resignedhis spirit to Christ, that it might be presentedwithout spot or
wrinkle or any such thing in the Last GreatDay. He did, in fact, make a full
deposit of all that he was, and all that he had, and all that concernedhim, into
the keeping of God in Christ, to find in his God a faithful Guardian, a sure
Defenderand a safe Keeper. This was the matter, then, about which the
Apostle was concerned.
But next to this, the matter in question concernedthe Lord’s ability to make
goodthis guardianship. The Apostle did not doubt that Christ had accepted
the office of Keeper of that which he had committed to Him. The question was
never about Christ’s faithfulness to that trust. The Apostle does not even say

that he was confident that Jesus would be faithful. He felt that assertionto be
superfluous. There was no question about Christ’s willingness to keepthe soul
committed to Him–such a statementPaul felt it unnecessaryto make. But the
question with many was concerning the powerof the once crucified Redeemer
to keepthat which was committed to Him.
Oh, said the Apostle, I know and am persuadedthat He is able to do that.
Mark, my dear Friends, that the question is not about the Apostle’s powerto
keephimself. That question he does not raise. Many of you have been troubled
as to whether you are able to endure temptation. You need not debate the
subject. It is clearthat apart from Christ you are quite unable to persevere to
the end. Answer that question with a decided negative at once, and never raise
it again. The enquiry was not whether the Apostle would be found meritorious
in his own righteousness inthe Day of Judgment, for he had long ago castthat
righteousness aside.
He does not raise that point. The grand question is this, “Is Jesus able to keep
me?” Stand to that, my Brethren, and your doubts and fears will sooncome to
an end. Concerning your own poweror merit, write, “despair,” straightway
upon its forehead. Let the creature be regardedas utterly dead and corrupt,
and then lean on that arm, the sinews of which shall never shrink. And cast
your full weightupon that Omnipotence which bears up the pillars of the
universe. There is the point–keepto it, and you will not lose your joy. You
have committed yourself to Christ. The greatquestion now is not about what
you cando, but about what Jesus is able to do. And rest assuredthat He is
able to keepthat which you have committed to Him.
The Apostle further carries our thoughts on to a certainset period–the
keeping of the soul unto what he calls “that day.” I suppose he calls it, “that
day,” because it was the day most ardently expectedand commonly spokenof
by Christians. It was so usual a topic of conversationto speak of Christ’s
coming and of the results of it, that the Apostle does not say, “the advent,” he
simply says, “thatday.” That day with which Believers are more familiar than
with any other day beside. That day, the day of death if you will, when the
soul appears before its God. The Day of Judgment, if you please–thatday
when the books shallbe openedand the recordshall be read.
That day, the winding up of all, the sealing of destiny, the manifestation of the
eternal fate of eachone of us. That day for which all other days were made.
Christ Jesus is able to keepus againstthat day. That is to say, He is able to
place us, then, at the right hand of God, to setour feet upon the Rock when
others sink into the pit that is bottomless. To crownus when others shall be
accursed. To bring us to eternal joy when sinners shall be castinto Hell.

Here was the matter of consideration–canthe GreatShepherd of souls
preserve His flock? Ah, Brethren, if you have never searchedinto that
question, I should not wonder but what you will! When you are very low and
weak, and heart and flesh are failing. When sicknessbrings you to the borders
of the grave and you gaze into eternity, the enquiry will come to any
thoughtful man–Is this confidence of mine in the Christ of God warranted?
Will He be able in this lastarticle, when my spirit shivers in its unclothing,
will He be able to help me now?
And in the more dreadful hour, when the trumpet pealshall awake the dead,
shall I, indeed, find the Great Sin Bearerable to stand for me? Having no
merit of my own, will His merit suffice? From ten thousand sins will His
blood, alone, cleanse me? Nothing can ever equal this matter in importance. It
is one of most pressing urgency of consideration.
II. It is a happy circumstance that we can turn from it to our secondpoint, to
dwell for a while upon THE FACT BEYOND ALL QUESTION, namely, that
God in Christ is able to keepthat which we have committed to Him.
The Apostle’s confidence was that Christ was an able Guardian. So he meant,
first, that Jesus is able to keepthe soul from falling into damning sin. I
suppose this is one of the greatestfears that has ever troubled the true
Believer. Have you everprayed that you might rather die than turn aside
from Christ? I know I have, and I have sung bitterly in my soul that verse–
“Ah, Lord! With such a heart as mine,
Unless You hold me fast,
I feel I must, I shall decline,
Now, troubled Christian, remember that your Lord is able to keepyou under
every possible form of temptation. “Ah,” you say, “the Apostle Paul had not
the trials I have. I think he had. But if he had not, Jesus had. And Christ has
ability to keepyou under them. Do I hear one say, "I am the only one of my
household that has been calledby Grace, and they all oppose me. I am a lonely
one in my father’s house”? Now, Paulwas preciselyin your condition. He was
a Hebrew of the Hebrews, and he was regardedby his people with the most
extreme hate because he had come out from among them to follow the
Crucified One.
Yet Paul felt that God was able to keephim, and you may depend upon it–
though father and mother forsake,and brothers and sisters scoff–He whom
you trust will keepyou also firm in the faith. “Ah,” says another, “but you do
not know what it is to strive with the prejudices of an education hostile to the
faith of Jesus. When I seek to grow in Grace, the things I learned in my

childhood force themselves upon me and hinder me.” And was not the Apostle
in this case?As touching the Law he had been a Pharisee, educatedin the
strictestsect, brought up in traditions that were opposedto the faith of Christ.
And yet the Lord kept him faithful even to the end.
None of his old prejudices were able so much as to make him obscure the
simplicity of the Gospelof Christ. God is able to keep you, also, despite your
previous prejudices. “Ah,” says one, “but I am the subjectof many skeptical
thoughts. I often suffer from doubts of the most subtle order.” Do you think
that the Apostle never knew this trial? He was no strangerto the Greek
philosophy, which consistedofa bundle of questions and skepticisms. He must
have experiencedthose temptations which are common to thoughtful minds.
And yet he said, “I know that He is able to keepme.” Believe me, then, the
Lord Jesus is equally able to keepyou.
“Yes,” says another, “but I have so many temptations in the world. If I were
not a Christian, I should prosper much better. I have openings now before me
by which I might soonobtain a competence, andperhaps wealth, if I were not
checkedby conscience.”Do you forget that the Apostle was in like case?What
might he not have had? A man of his condition in life–his birth and parentage
being altogetheradvantageous–aman of his powers of mind and of his great
energy! He might have seizedupon any attractive position. But those things
which were gain for him, he counted loss for Christ’s sake. And he was willing
to be less than nothing, because the power of Divine Grace kepthim true to
his profession.
But you tell me you are very poor, and that poverty is a severe trial. Brothers
and Sisters, you are not so poor as Paul. I suppose a few needles for his tent-
making, an old cloak, anda few parchments made up all his wealth. A man
without a home, a man without a single foot of land to call his own, was this
Apostle. But poverty and want could not subdue him–Christ was able to keep
him even then. “Ah,” you say, “but he had not my strong passions and
corruptions.” Mostsurely he had them all, for we hear him cry, “I find, then,
a Law, that when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the
Law of God after the inward man: but I see another Law in my members,
warring againstthe Law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the
Law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who shall
deliver me from the body of this death?”
He was tempted as you are, yet he knew that Christ was able to keephim. O
trembling Christian, never doubt this soul-cheering fact–thatyour loving
Savior is able to keepyou. But the Apostle did not merely trust Christ thus to
keephim from sin–he relied upon the same arm to preserve him from despair.

He was always battling with the world. There were times when he had no
helper. The Brethren often proved false, and those that were true were
frequently timid. He was left in the world like a solitary sheepsurrounded
with wolves. But Paul was not faint-hearted. He had his fears, for he was
mortal–he rose superior to them, for he was Divinely sustained. What a front
he always maintains! Nero may rise before him–a horrible monster for a man
even to dream of–but Paul’s courage does notgive way.
A Jewishmob may surround him, they may drag him out of the city–but
Paul’s mind is calm and composed. He may be laid in the stocks afterhaving
been scourged, but his heart finds congenialutterance in a song rather than a
groan. He is always brave, always unconquerable, confident of victory. He
believed that God would keephim, and he was kept. And you, my Brothers
and Sisters, though your life may be a very severe conflictand you sometimes
think you will give it up in despair–younever shall relinquish the sacred
conflict. He that has borne you onwardto this day will bear you through, and
will make you more than conqueror, for He is able to keepyou from fainting
and despair.
Doubtless, the Apostle meant, too, that Christ was able to keephim from the
powerof death. Beloved, this is greatcomfort to us who so soonshall die. To
the Apostle, death was a very present thing. “I die daily,” saidhe. Yet was he
well assuredthat death would be gain rather than loss to him, for he was
certain that Christ would so order all things that death should be but like an
angelto admit him into everlasting life. Be certain of this, too, for He who is
the Resurrectionand the Life will not desert you. Do not, my Brothers and
Sisters, fall under bondage through fear of death, for the living Savioris able
to keepyou, and He will.
Do not, I pray, look too much at the pains, groans, and dying strife. Look
rather to that kind Friend, who, having endured the agonies ofdeath before
you, can sympathize with your sufferings, and who, as He ever lives, can
render you available assistance. Castthis care on Him, and fear no more to
die than you fear to go to your bed when night comes.
The Apostle is also certainthat Christ is able to preserve his soul in another
world. Little is revealedin Scripture by way of detailed descriptionof that
other world. Imagination may be indulged, but little can be proved. The spirit
returns to God who gave it, this we know. And in the instant after death the
righteous soul is in Paradise with Christ. This, too, is clear. Yet whether we
know the details or not, we are assuredthat the soul is safe with Christ.
Whateverdanger from evil spirits may await us on our journey from this

planet up to the dwelling place of God. Whateverthere may be of conflict in
the lastmoment, Jesus is able to keepthat which we have committed to Him.
If I had to keepmyself, I might, indeed, tremble with alarm at the prospectof
the unknown region. But He that is the Lord of death and of Hell, and has the
keys of Heaven, cansurely keepmy soul on that dread voyage acrossa
trackless sea. It is all well. It must be well with the righteous–evenin the land
of death–for our Lord’s dominion reaches eventhere–and being in His
dominions we are safe. Paulbelieved, lastly, that Christ was able to preserve
his body. Remember my statementthat Paul committed all that he had, and
was, to God in Christ?
We must not despise this body. It is the germ of the body in which we are to
dwell forever. It shall be raised from corruption into incorruption, but it is the
same body. Developedfrom weaknessinto power, from dishonor into glory, it
never loses its identity. The marvel of the resurrection will not fail of
accomplishment. It may seeman impossibility that the body which has rotted
in the tomb, and, perhaps been scatteredin dust overthe face of the soil–
which has been absorbedby vegetables,which has been digestedby animals,
which has passedthrough countless circles ofchange–shouldbe raisedagain.
Yet impossible as it seems, the Lord Jesus Christ will perform it.
It must be as easyto constructa secondtime as to create out of nothing at the
first. Look at creationand see that nothing is impossible with God. Think of
the Word, without whom was not anything made that was made, and
straightwayyou will talk no longerof difficulties. With man it may be
impossible, but with God all things are possible. In your entirety, my
Brethren, in the integrity of your manhood, spirit, soul, and body–all that is
essentialto your nature, to its happiness, to its perfection. Every part of you
and every powerof you–you having placed all in the hands of Christ–shallbe
kept until that day, when in His image you shall stand, and prove in your own
persons the power which in your faith you do, this day, devoutly trust.
III. We shall, in the third place, pass on to notice THE ASSURANCE OF
THAT FACT, or how the Apostle Paul attained to it.
“I cannot talk like that,” says one. “I cannotsay, ‘I know, and I am
persuaded,’ I am very thankful that I can say, I hope, I trust, I think.” Dear
Friends, in order to help you to advance, we will notice how the Apostle Paul
attained to such assurance. One main help to him was the habit, as seenin this
text, of always making faith the most prominent point of consideration. Faith
is twice mentioned in the few lines before us. “I know Whom I have believed,
and am persuaded that He is able to keepthat which I have committed to

Him.” Paul knew what faith was, namely, a committal of his precious things
into the custody of Christ.
He does not say, “I have servedChrist.” No. He does not say, “I am growing
like Christ, therefore I am persuadedI shall be kept.” No. He makes most
prominent in his thought the fact that he believed, and so had committed
himself to Christ. I would to God, dear Friends, that you who are subject to
doubts and fears, instead of raking about in your hearts to find evidences and
marks of growthin Grace and likeness to Christ, and so on, would first make
an investigation concerning a point which is far more vital–namely this–have
you believed?
Dearanxious Heart, begin your searchon this point. Do you commit yourself
to Christ? If you do, what though marks should be few and evidences for
awhile should be obscure, he that believes on Him has everlasting life. He that
believes and is baptized shall be saved. The evidences will come, the marks
will be clearedin due time. But all the marks and evidences betweenhere and
Heaven are not worth a single farthing to a soul when it comes to actual
conflict with death and Hell.
Then it must be simple faith that wins the day. Those other things are good
enough in brighter times. But if it is a question whether you are safe or not,
you must come to this, “I have restedwith all my heart on Him that came into
the world to save sinners, and though I am the very chief of sinners, I believe
He is able to save me.” You will getto assurance if you keepclearabout your
faith.
The next help to assurance,as I gather from the text, is this. The Apostle
maintained most clearly his view of a personalChrist. Observe how three
times he mentioned his Lord. “I know Whom I have believed, and am
persuaded that He is able to keepthat which I have committed to Him.” He
does not say, “I know the doctrines I believe.” Surely he did, but this was not
the main point. He does not say, “I am certainabout the form of sound Words
which I hold.” He was certainenough about that, but it was not his
foundation. No mere doctrines can ever be the stay of the soul. What can a
dogma do? What cana creed do?
Brethren, these are like medicines–youneed a hand to give them to you. You
want the physician to administer them to you–otherwise you may die with all
these precious medicines close athand. We want a personto trust. There is no
Christianity to my mind so vital, so influential, so true, so real, as the
Christianity which deals with the Personof the living Redeemer. I know Him,
I know He is God, I know that He is mine. I trust not merely in His teaching,

but in Him. Noton His laws, rules, or teachings am I depending so much as on
Himself, as a Person. DearBrothers and Sisters, is that what you are doing
now?
Have you put your soulinto the keeping of that blessedMan who is also God?
He who sits at the right hand of the Father? Can you come in faith to His feet
and kiss the prints of the nails? Can you look up into His dear face and say,
“Ah, Sonof God, I rely upon the powerof Your arms, on the preciousness of
Your blood, on the love of Your heart, on the prevalence of Your plea, on the
certainty of Your promises, on the immutability of Your Character. I reston
You, and on You alone”? Youwill get assurancereadily enough, now. But if
you begin to fritter awayyour realization of the Personof Christ and live
merely on dogmas and doctrines, you will be far removed from real
assurance.
Brothers and Sisters, the Apostle attained this full assurance through growing
knowledge. He did not say, “I am persuaded that Christ will save me, apart
from anything I know about Him.” But he begins by saying, “I know.” Let no
Christian among us neglect the means provided for obtaining a fuller
knowledge ofthe GospelofChrist. I would that this age produced more
thoughtful and studious Christians. I am afraid that apart from what many of
you gatherfrom the sermon, or from the reading of the Scriptures in public,
you do not learn much from the Word of God, or from those innumerable
instructive books which godly men have bequeathed to us.
Men are studious in various schools andcollegesin order to obtain knowledge
of the classicsandmathematics. But should we not be even more diligent that
we may know Christ? That we may study Him, and all about Him–and no
longerbe children, but in knowledge may be men? Many of the fears of
Christians would be driven awayif they knew more. Ignorance is not bliss in
Christianity, but misery. Knowledge sanctifiedand attended by the Presence
of the Holy Spirit is as wings by which we may rise out of the mists and
darkness into the light of fall assurance. The knowledge ofChrist is the most
excellentof sciences.Seekto be masters of it, and you are on the road to full
assurance.
Once, again, the Apostle, it appears from the text, gained his assurance from
close considerationas wellas from knowledge. “Iknow and am persuaded.”
As I have already said, persuasionis the result of argument. The Apostle had
turned this matter over in his mind. He had meditated on the pros and cons.
He had carefully weighedeachdifficulty, and he felt the preponderating force
of Truth sweptevery difficulty out of the way. O Christian, if you made your
mind more familiar with Divine Truth, you would, under the guidance of the

Holy Spirit, have much more assurance!I believe it is the doctrine which we
have leaststudied in the Word which gives us the most trouble in our minds.
Searchit out and look.
The divisions among Christians, nowadays, are not so much the result of real
differences of opinion as of want of accurate thought. I believe we are getting
closerand closerin our theology, and that on the whole, at leastamong the
Nonconforming Churches of England, very much the same theologyis
preachedby all evangelicalministers. But some are not careful of their terms
and words, and use them incorrectly. And so they seemto preach wrong
doctrines when in their hearts they mean rightly enough. Maywe come to be
more thoughtful, eachof us, for a thousand benefits would flow from there.
Thinking of the Deity of Christ, considering of the veracity of the Divine
promises, meditating upon the foundations of the Everlasting Covenant,
revolving in our minds what Christ has done for us–we should come at last, by
the Spirit’s teaching–to be fully persuadedof the power of Christ to keepthe
sacredcharge which we have given to Him. Doubts and fears would vanish
like clouds before the wind. How many Christians are like the miser who
never feels sure about the safetyof his money, even though he has lockedup
the iron safe and securedthe room in which he keeps it–andlockedup the
house–andbolted and barred every door?
In the dead of night he thinks he hears a footstep, and tremblingly he goes
down to inspect his strong-room. Having searchedthe room and testedall the
iron bars in the windows, and discoveredno thief, he fears that the robber
may have come and gone, and stolen his precious charge. So he opens the door
of his iron safe. He looks and pries, he finds his bag of gold all safe, and those
deeds, those bonds–they are safe, too. He puts them away, shuts the door,
locks it, bolts and bars the room in which is the safe and all its contents. But
even as he goes to bed he fancies that a thief has just now brokenin! So he
scarcelyeverenjoys sound, refreshing sleep.
The safetyof the Christian’s treasure is of quite another sort. His soul is not
under bolt and bar, or under lock and keyof his own securing. He has
transferred his all to the King eternal, immortal, invisible–the only wise God,
our Savior–andsuch is his security that he enjoys the sleepof the Beloved,
calmly resting, for all is well. If Jesus couldfail us, we might wear sackcloth
forever! But while He is Immutable in His love and Omnipotent in his power,
we may put on the garments of praise. Believing as we do that eternal love
neither can, nor will desert a soul that reposes in its might, we triumph in
heart and find glory begun below.

IV. Now to close. Whatis THE INFLUENCE OF THIS ASSURANCE when it
penetrates the mind? As time fails me, I shall but saythat, as in the Apostle’s
case, it enables us to bear all the disgrace whichwe may incur in serving the
Lord. They said Paul was a fool. “Well,” replied the Apostle, “I am not
ashamed, for I know Whom I have believed. I am willing to be thought a
fool.” The ungodly may laugh at us now, but their laughs will soonbe over,
and he will laugh that wins forever.
Feelperfectly confident that all is safe and you can let the world grin at you
till its face aches. Whatdoes it matter what mortals think? What difference
does it make what the whole universe thinks if our souls are beloved of God?
You will, my dear Friends, as you live in full assurance ofGod’s love, grow
quite indifferent to the opinions of the carnal. You will go about your
heavenly service with an eye only to your Master’s will–andthe judgment of
such as cavil and carp will seemto you to be too inconsiderable to be worth a
thought.
If you doubt and fear, you will be hard put to it. But if you are serenely
confident that He is able to keepyou, you will dare the thickestof the fray–
fearless becauseyour armor is of God. Assurance will give you a serenity
within which will qualify you for doing much service. A man who is always
worrying about his own soul’s salvation canhave little energy with which to
serve his Lord. But when the soul knows the meaning of Christ’s words, “It is
finished,” it turns all its strength into the channels of service out of love to
such a blessedSavior.
O you that doubt, and therefore fret and care, and ask the question, “Do I
love the Lord or not? Am I His or am I not?”–how I wish this suspense were
over with you! O you who feardaily, lest, after all, you will be castaways–you
lose your strength for serving your God! When you are sure that He is able to
keepwhat you have committed to Him, then your whole manhood, excitedby
gratitude, spends itself and is spent in your Master’s cause. Godmake you
men to the fullness of vigor by giving you a fullness of assurance.
Those who are unsaved in this place may well envy those who are. That which
attractedme to Christ–I have not heard of others brought in this way, but this
brought me to Christ mainly–was the doctrine of the safetyof the saints. I fell
in love with the Gospelthrough that Truth. What, I thought, are those who
trust in Jesus safe? Shallthey never perish and shall none pluck them out of
Christ’s hands? Everybody esteems safety. One would not insure his life
where he thought there was a doubt as to the safetyof the insurance. Feeling
that there was perfectsafety if I gave myself up to the Redeemer, I did so. And
I entertain no regrets to this day that I committed my soul to Him.

Young people, you cannotdo better than early in life entrust your future with
the Lord Jesus. Manychildren at home appear to be very excellent. Many
lads, before they leave their father’s house, are amiable and commendable in
character. But this is a rough world–and it soonspoils the Graces thathave
been nurtured in the conservatoryof the home. Goodboys very often turn out
very bad men. And girls who were so lovely and pure at home have been
known to become very wickedwomen.
O children, your characters will be safe if you trust them with Jesus!I do not
say you will be rich if you trust Christ, nor that you will prosper after the
manner of men. But I do saythat you shall be happy in the bestsense of that
word, and that your holiness shall be preservedthrough trusting yourself with
Jesus. I pray that you may be led to desire this, especiallyany of you who are
leaving your father’s house, or are setting up in business on your own account.
Commit yourselves to God!
This first Sunday of a new year. What time more suitable for beginning
aright? O may the Holy Spirit softly whisper in your ears reasons that shall
persuade you to give yourselves to Christ! I sayagain, my testimony is that
you cannotdo a wiseror a better thing. Oh, the happiness my soul has known
in resting on my Lord! I wish you knew it. I would not ceaseto be a Christian
if I might be made a king or an angel. No charactercanbe to me so suitable or
so happy as that of a humble dependant upon the faithful love of my
redeeming Lord.
O come and trust Him, dear young Friends! You older ones–do you need that
I should speak to you, when you are getting so near your grave? You are now
out of Christ–how soonmay you be in Hell? You younger ones, I say, embrace
this flying hour and let this be the day of which you shall sing in after years –
“It is done! The greattransaction’s done!
I am my Lord’s, and He is mine–
He drew me, and by His Grace I followedon,
Charmed to confess the voice Divine.
High Heaven, that heard the solemn vow,
That vow renewedshall daily hear–
Till in life’s latesthour I bow,
And bless in death a bond so dear.”
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES

The Grounds Of His Joyful Confidence Under All His Sufferings
2 Timothy 1:12
T. Croskery
I. HIS APOSTLESHIP WAS THE CAUSE OF HIS SUFFERINGS. "For
which cause I also am suffering these things" - imprisonment, solitude, the
hatred of Jew and Gentile. He estrangedthe Jews by preaching the gospel
to the Gentiles, and he offended the Gentiles by denouncing their idolatries
and undermining their lucrative superstitions.
II. HE OWNS NO SHAME IN THE GOSPEL. It may be an offence to the
Greek and a stumbling block to the Jew;but he is not ashamedof it,
because he is not ashamed:
1. Of its Author.
2. Of its truths and ordinances.
3. Of his ownfaith in it.
4. Of his sufferings for it.
III. THE REASON WHY HE IS NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL.
"ForI know whom. I have trusted, and am persuaded that he is able to
keepmy deposittill that day."
1. He knows his Redeemerthrough faith and love and experience. It is
"eternallife" to know him (John 17:3). It is not that he merely knows of
him, but he knows him - what he is, what he can do, what he has promised
to do - and therefore he can trust him.
2. His trust is in a knownPerson.
(1) The apostle would have been very foolish to trust an unknown person.
We distrust strangers. We will only entrust that which is dear to us - our
children or our money - to those known to us.
(2) There are foolish people who think it a wiser, as well as a more
meritorious thing, to believe without knowledge;like the Spanish Jesuit
who said, "I believe in this doctrine, not in spite of its impossibility, but
because it is impossible." The apostle held a very different view.
(3) There are some people of whom we may say that the mere they are
known the less are they trusted. A fuller experience discovers flaws in their
characterforbidding confidence. But our Saviour is One who is trusted the
more he is known, in all the various circumstances ofhuman life.

3. The apostle has placedhis soul, as a precious deposit, in the hands of
Christ, with the assurance ofits perfectsafety. "I am persuaded that he is
able to keepmy deposittill that day." Severalcircumstances enhance the
significance ofthis act of the apostle.
(1) The value of the deposit. What can be more precious than the soul?
(Mark 8:37).
(2) The danger of its loss. The soul is a lostthing, and but for grace
eternally so.
(3) The sinner feels the deposit is not safe with himself. Man cannot, any
more than man's brother, save his own soul.
(4) Who will take charge of this deposit? Many shrink from responsibility
in cases ofa difficult and delicate nature. But Jesus Christ has undertaken
for us; he will take us completely in charge;he will keepour deposit till the
day of judgment.
(5) Mark the limit of time as to the safetyof the deposit - "till that day." No
day short of that - not even the day of death; for the completedglory is
reservedfor the day of judgment. That will be the day for the bestowalof
the crownof life.
4. Mark the assuranceofthe apostle as to the safetyof his deposit. "I am
persuaded that he is able to keepmy deposit." This shows
(1) that assurance is a possible attainment (1 John 5:13);
(2) that it is a cheering and sustaining experience. - T.C.
Biblical Illustrator

I also suffer these things.
2 Timothy 1:12
Pride in the profane causethgoodmen to suffer for well-doing
Jr. Barlow, D. D.
The Pharisees were zealousforthe law and ceremonies,and Paul preached
the gospel, calledthem beggarlyand impotent rudiments; told that if they
were circumcisedChrist profited them nothing. Why, this so took down the
pride of man, that he should not be justified by his own works, but by
another's, that Paul was persecuted, and hardly intreated of his own
countrymen. If a skilful tailor take measure of a crookedand misshapen
person, and fit the garment proportionable to the pattern, a proud piece of
flesh will pout, swell, and wrangle with the workmen; so let the ministers
and men of God do good, divide the Word aright, high and lofty spirits will
be muttering, for they cannot endure the light, or to be told of their
deformities. Thus Paul was reputed aa enemy for telling them the truth. A
counterfeit and false glass is the fittest for old, withered, and wrinkled
curtizans to view themselves in; for if it should show them their right
shapes, all things to nothing, they split it againstthe walls.
(Jr. Barlow, D. D.)
For I know whom I have believed
The foundation of the Christian's hope
E. Cooper.
I. ONE GROUND OF THE APOSTLE'S ASSURANCE WAS A
PERSUASION THAT CHRIST IS ABLE TO KEEP THE SOULS
COMMITTEDUNTO HIM.
1. It is implied that Christ is able to bring the soul into a state of salvation.
2. This persuasionof the apostle implied that Christ is able also to preserve
the soulin a state of salvation. He added, as the other ground of his
assurance —
II. A CONSCIOUSNESS THAT HE HAD HIMSELF COMMITTED
UNTO CHRIST HIS OWN SOUL. However firmly he might be persuaded
of Christ's ability to save the souls committed to Him, he yet could not be
assuredthat He would save his soul unless he felt conscious ofthe fact, that
it was really committed unto Him. Let us now see what things this
consciousnessalso implied.

1. It implied that he had knowinglygiven up all thoughts and hopes of
saving himself by his own merits and doings.
2. It was further implied in it, that he now knowingly placedall his hopes
and dependence on the sacrifice and mediation of Jesus Christ alone.
3. But it was also implied in it that, from the time in which he had thus
renounced his own righteousness, andby faith had hoped in the
righteousness ofChrist, he had lived and actedconsistentlywith such a
faith and hope.
(E. Cooper.)
The Christian's confidence in Christ
W. B. Collyer, D. D.
The faith of the Christian is here seen.
I. In its OBJECT "Iknow whom I have believed."
II. In its CHARACTER. It is seenin many noble qualities and bearings,
inseparably connectedwith eachother in the triumphant professionmade
by the apostle.
1. Knowledge is here the foundation of faith "I know whom I have
believed." Yes, he knew by irresistible demonstration — such as extracted
the venom of his heart againstJesus ofNazareth, and filled it with
inextinguishable love and fervent devotedness to Him.
2. As knowledge is the foundation of faith, so faith is the reposing of an
absolute trust — "I am persuaded that He is able to keepthat which I have
committed to Him."
III. In its CONSUMMATION — "againstthat day." There is to be a
consummation — when we shall receive "the end of our faith, even the
salvationof our soul." The province of faith is but for a season, and it shall
give place to the vision and fruition of God.
(W. B. Collyer, D. D.)
The internal evidence of experience
H. W. McGrath, M. A.
The evidences for revelationhave been commonly divided under two
heads, external and internal. Under the head of external evidence, we may

class allthose proofs, which, though relating to what is found in the
Scriptures, are nevertheless exteriorto the Word of God; such, for
instance, as the authenticity of the Books ofScripture, and the genuineness
of their authorship, the miracles by which the truths that the apostles
delivered were attested, and the sufferings and persecutionwhich they
underwent. But then the internal evidence is not less important. We might,
first, take the internal evidence of Scripture which we gatherfrom the
Word of God itself — the harmony of one portion of it with another, and
the circumstance that in our investigationof its bright and blessedpages,
they seemat once to commend themselves, as what we might expect to
come from the God of truth. And then there is the internal evidence, which
may be gatheredfrom the Christian's own experience — the attestation, so
to speak, of a Christian's own experience to the truths which he finds
revealedin the Scriptures of God. Now we believe that it is to evidence
partaking of this characterthat the apostle alludes in our text. There was
no confounding of his principles; there was no putting down of the truth
which he maintained; nothing was able to terrify him out of what he had
embracedas the truth of God. "ForI know whom I have believed, and am
persuaded that He is able to keepthat which I have committed unto Him
againstthat day." Now this class ofevidence, we believe, will, more or less,
be the evidence of every believer in the Lord Jesus.
I. The first point which is presentedfor our considerationis THAT THE
APOSTLE BELIEVED THE GOSPEL. This is the first actof the sinner
with respectto Jesus.
II. But the believer goes further. He does not rest with dependence upon
the promise, that the Lord will be with him unto the end of the world; but
he is assuredof this, because he finds THAT SO FAR AS HE HAD
TRUSTED THE PROMISE, GOD HAS ACTUALLY BEEN WITH HIM.
He has found Him true to His word by positive experience.
III. THE CONFIDENCE WHICH PAUL HAD IN THE FUTURE
GATHERED FROM HIS EXPERIENCE OF THE PAST.
(H. W. McGrath, M. A.)
The believer's confidence in the prospectof eternity
W. Jay.
I. THE AWFUL PERIOD. It is not mentioned by name; but the apostle
only calls it "that day." What day? The day of death, when "the dust

returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns unto God who gave
it"? Or the day of judgment? Doubtless the day of judgment. This is often
in the Scripture called "that day," in order to show us that it is a very
important, a very remarkable, a very distinguished day.
II. WHAT THE APOSTLE DID in the prospectof this period. He
depositedsomething in the Redeemer's hands; "that which I have
committed unto Him againstthat day." What, now, was this deposit? You
evidently see it was something personal, in which he actedas a believer.
And it is not necessary, as far as I know, to exclude anything from the
transaction;but principally we are to understand the eternal concerns of
his soul. And if this required any confirmation, it may be derived from the
example of poor Stephen, who, when he was dying, said, "Lord Jesus
receive my spirit" — and from the experience ofDavid, who in an hour of
danger said, "Into Thy hand I commit my spirit; Thou hast redeemed me,
O Lord God of truth!" It means, therefore, simply believing. The apostle's
representationof faith here will remind us of severalthings.
1. The committing our eternal all into His bands implies conviction. The
man before was deluded by error and blinded by ignorance;but now "the
eyes of his understanding" are opened.
(1)Now he is convinced of the value of his soul.
(2)He is now convinced of the dangerof the soul.
(3)And now, too, he is convinced of his inability to save his soul.
2. And this act implies also a concernfor its security and welfare.
3. The act of committing the soul to Christ also implies application to the
Redeemerfor the purpose of salvation.
4. It implies submission,
III. THE SATISFACTION FELT in the review of the transaction.
1. You see whatthe satisfactionis derived from: and, generally considered,
you observe that it takes in the apostle's acquaintance with the great
Depositoryhimself — "I know whom I have believed."
2. You have seenthe satisfactiongenerallyexpressed;but here is a
particular reference with regardto it. "And I am persuaded," says he,
"that He is able to keepthat which I have committed unto Him againstthat
day."
(W. Jay.)

Acquaintance with Christ the Christian's strength
G. Jeans, M. A.
Since the same source from whence Paul had all his high attainments is as
open in all its fulness to eachof us, as it was to him, let us considerthe way
in which that inexhaustible fountain was made available to him to draw
supplies according to all his need, whether for support under the
discouragementofhis trials, or for direction under the perplexity of his
difficulties. One word of the text will open the whole of this to us: "I
know";— "I know whom I have believed," says he. Knowledge was the
substance of his power. Nay, then, says the unlearned Christian, it is too
difficult for me. Such knowledge is too wonderful and excellent. It is high, I
cannot attain unto it. It is not for me. How discouraging!will the poor and
busy man say. I have neither the leisure nor the means and opportunity of
gaining it. How heartless the attempt, then, will the weak-mindedand
humble Christian say, consciousofhis weakness. How canI ever hope to
reacheven a measure of that, when I feel my weaknessand inability every
step I take. But to the most unlearned, to the busiest, to the most
feebleminded, I say, that this knowledge and all the power it contains is for
you. Mark the text. The apostle does not say, I know the support I shall
receive, or the direction that will be given me, for I am wise and
experienced, but, "I know whom I have believed." His knowledge was not
of things, but of a person, and that but one.
I. Here is mentioned HIS KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUSTEE. Letus
considersome particulars of the more obvious but important kind, wherein
the apostle knew, and we should know Him.
1. He knew that He was faithful, therefore he believed Him.
2. He knew Him to be able.
3. He knew Him to be willing.
4. He knew Him to be all-wise, both to see his trouble, and the best way to
get him out of it.
5. Nay, though clouds and darkness surrounded him, Paul staggerednot at
this, for he knew the ways of the Lord, that this is His method of dealing
with His children. In a word he knew Him to be the sum of all happiness,
the source ofall strength, the pledge and faithfulness of all the promises,
the depositoryof all power, the ruler of all events, the head over all things
to His people, the Saviour both of soul and body.

II. WHAT WAS IT THAT THE APOSTLE COMMITTEDTO HIM?
What was that deposit (as it is in the original), he was persuaded He was
able to keep? I answerin one word, his treasure. But that would assume
many forms under different circumstances.
1. When the guilt of sin would come upon his conscience,it would be the
salvationof his soul.
2. When the powerof temptation would come over him, it would be his
integrity in serving God.
3. When personaldangers surrounded him, and left him no way of escape,
it would be his self-preservation.
4. When assailedby the malicious insinuations of false apostles, andattacks
upon his motives, as at Corinth, it would be his character.
5. When he heard of the entering in of grievous wolves into the flock he had
fed so carefully, it would be the care of all the churches. Whatever it was,
in short, that at the moment most occupiedhis thoughts and attention, that
was what he had depositedfor safe-keeping in the hands of Christ, and
which he was persuadedHe was able to keepagainstall assaults until that
day, when the secrets ofall hearts shall be revealed, and every man shall
have his praise of God.
(G. Jeans, M. A.)
Grounds of confidence in the Saviour's ability
R. Hall, M. A.
We have here a strong expressionof his confidence in the Saviour: let us
consider, first, the nature, and then the ground of this confidence.
I. ITS NATURE. Some suppose the deposit, which the apostle mentions as
committed to him, to denote the gospeltrust in general:and this view is
favoured by the similar expressionin the context, "that goodthing, which
was committed to thee, keep — hold fastthe form of sound words." But it
seems more probable that he refers in the text to the interestof his
salvation, the trust of his whole being, his body, soul, and spirit, which he
had confidently committed to Christ, as Him who had "abolisheddeath,
and brought life and immortality to light." In the near view of martyrdom,
dissolution, and eternity, his confidence remained unshaken. This is a trust
unfit to be reposedin any createdarm. No potentate canhold back his own
spirit, much less another's, a moment from death no angelcould under

take such a trust; he would abjure it. Some portion of our interests we
commit to others, but never think of committing our whole spirit to a
creature. Hence we infer that Jesus Christ is truly God: else it were highly
improper, and indeed accursed, thus to trust Him.
II. THE GROUNDS ON WHICH THE APOSTLE TRUSTS THE
SAVIOUR. He saw that in His characterwhich warranted such confidence,
and he had a conviction of His ability. There was some peculiarity in Paul's
case, to which we may advert, but which we need not anxiously separate
from the generalcase ofChristians.
1. The first ground, peculiar to Paul, is his vision of Christ at Damascus:
this penetratedhim with reverence and attachment for the glorious person
then revealed:his heart was melted like wax, and he cried, "Lord, what
wilt Thou have me to do?"
2. He was confirmed in his trust by his subsequent experience of the favour
and powerof Christ. His eyes were opened by Ananias at Christ's
command. Miraculous powers of greatvariety were conferredon himself;
so that he did perhaps even greaterwonders than Christ had done. He was
inspired to preach with powerand boldness: "the power of Christ rested
on him." In his soul such a renovation took place, as only Divine power
could have effected:he was purified with humility and enlarged with love;
his prospects were extendedfar beyond time: and all this was the effectof
Christ's ascension, and His gift of the Holy Spirit.
3. Jesus Christhad wrought the greatsalvation, and reconciledit with all
the attributes of God.
4. The rank which Jesus Christ holds in heaven assures us that He "is able
to keepthat which is committed to Him."
5. As Jesus Christ is the appointed Judge of all, so eternal life is at His
disposalin His judicial character.
(R. Hall, M. A.)
A funeral sermon
J. E. Good.
I. THE SACRED DEPOSIT WHICH THE APOSTLE HAD MADE. All
that concernedhis soul, his hopes and his desires, his deliverance from
guilt, and the enjoyment of the eternal favour of his God, comprised the

whole amount of that deposit he had committed to the custody of his
Redeemer. Now this transactionintimates —
1. The perfect consciousnessofa separate and immortal existence.
2. A deep sense ofthe supreme value of the soul.
3. A powerful conviction of the awful nature of death.
II. THE HIGH SATISFACTION HE FELT WITH REGARD TO ITS
SAFETY.
1. He knew Him in the power of His arm.
2. He knew Him in His sacredrelation to the Church, as Prophet, Priest,
and King.
3. He knew Him, in all the promises of His Word.
4. This persuasionwas founded upon the certain return of the Saviour as
the Judge of all. Hence he speaks ofhis soul being kept in safetyagainst
that day.
(J. E. Good.)
The confidence of St. Paul
C. J. Hoore, M. A.
I. HIS KNOWLEDGE EXPRESSED — he knew whom he believed. It was
not in himself he trusted, nor on his own foundation that he built; he
stakednothing on his own reasonor imagination or self-begottenopinions;
nor had he any reliance on his own merits, or a high notion of the worth of
his exertions, evenfor the cause ofhis fellow-creatures, orfor the glory of
God. It was not the world or the world's opinion that he trusted or
followed, or any human judgment or conclusionthat he rested upon, as
apart from God's revelation.
1. He knew Him as the revealedSaviour spokenof and promised from age
to age.
2. He knew Him as the Almighty Saviour, the eternalSon of the Father,
fully sufficient for the wants of fallen man, and entirely adapted to the very
work of redemption which He came from heavento fulfil.
3. And he knew and believed this on the personalexperience of that power
in his own heart; the presence ofthe Spirit of Christ in his own soul, having
already revived and quickened him from the death of his former corrupt
and blinded state.

II. THE TRUST he reposedin the objectof his faith — "I am persuaded
that He is able to keepthat which I have committed to Him againstthat
day." There was a persuasion, or, as the original describes it, a full reliance
and settledrepose in his mind on the objectof his faith — the Saviour
whom he believed. It is perhaps here a question, whether the apostle meant
to say in these words, that Christ could and would keepthat which he had
committed to Christ; or, that which Christ had committed to him.
Doubtless there is an interchange, as it were, an intercommunion between
Christ and the soul of the believer; so that something is committed from
Christ to the soul of His servant, and something also committed from the
soul to Christ; and both are kept by the power of Christ alone. Christ
committed His truth, His word, His gospelto the apostle, to be receivedin
the heart and proclaimedthroughout the world; and the apostle committed
himself, his all, to Christ. By His grace alone couldthe purity and
perpetuity of Divine truth be upheld in the world; and by His Spirit alone
could the apostle be himself upheld amidst the shocksoftemptation and
the inroads of time and the world, and conductedsurely forward unto that
day. It was in the former sense perhaps that, in a following verse, the
apostle said to Timothy — "That goodthing which was committed to thee,
keepby the Holy Ghostwhich dwelleth in us." But take the text rather in
the view given to us by our own translation, and we shall find that apostle
had been persuaded, and not in vain, to entrust to Christ and His grace, his
credit, his peace, his soul for ever.
1. His credit. He had to go forth truly, to Jew and Gentile, to preach what
might seema new religion — the one truth of God, hidden from ages and
generations, andnew made manifest by the gospel;and he had to pledge
himself that it was true, and worthy their acceptance.He was persuaded
Christ could keepthe word he had given, and fulfil the promises he had
made,
2. He committed to Christ his peace. Peace,suchas the world valued and
sought after, the apostle was not very likely ever to ensure: he had to meet
danger and want, to face enemies and bear insult. Happiness under such
circumstances must have been very different from what the world calls
happiness: but it was not the less so for that, nor could he the less
confidently trust his inward peace and even outward circumstances to Him
who judged and maintained his cause, andwho had said "PeaceI leave
with you; not as the world giveth give I unto you."

3. To Him, in fine, the apostle committed, doubtless, his soul, his all, for
time and eternity. He actedhere in the full spirit of his fellow-apostle St.
Peter(1 Peter 4:19).
(C. J. Hoore, M. A.)
Faith illustrated
C. H. Spurgeon.
I. THE GRANDESTACTION OF THE CHRISTIAN'S LIFE. The apostle
says, he committed himself into the hands of Christ. I saw the other day a
remarkable picture, which I shall use as an illustration of the way of
salvationby faith in Jesus. An offender had committed a crime for which
he must die, but it was in the olden time when churches were consideredto
be sanctuaries in which criminals might hide themselves and so escape. See
the transgressor — he rushes towards the church, the guards pursue him
with their drawn swords, allathirst for his blood, they pursue him even to
the church door. He rushes up the steps, and just as they are about to
overtake him and hew him in pieces onthe threshold of the church, out
comes the bishop, and holding up the crucifix he cries, "Back,back!stain
not the precincts of God's house with blood! stand back!" and the guards
at once respectthe emblem and stand back, while the poor fugitive hides
himself behind the robes of the priest. It is even so with Christ. The guilty
sinner flies to the cross — flies straight awayto Jesus, andthough Justice
pursues him, Christ lifts up His wounded hands and cries to Justice,
"Stand back!stand back! I shelterthis sinner; in the secretplace of My
tabernacle do I hide him; I will not suffer him to perish, for he puts his
trust in Me." The apostle meant that he did make a full and free surrender
of himself to Christ, to be Christ's property, and Christ's servantfor ever.
I must add, however, that this actof faith must not be performed once
only, but it must be continued as long as you live. As long as you live you
must have no other confidence but "Jesus only." You may take Him now
to-day, to have and to hold through life and in death, in tempest and in
sunshine, in poverty and in wealth, never to part or sunder from Him. You
must take Him to be your only prop, your only pillar from this day forth
and for ever.
II. THE JUSTIFICATION OF THIS GRAND ACT OF TRUST.
Confidence is sometimes folly; trusting in man is always so. When I exhort
you, then, to put your entire confidence in Christ, am I justified in so
doing? "I have not trusted to an unknown and untried pretender. I have

not relied upon one whose characterI could suspect. I have confidence in
one whose power, whose willingness, whoselove, whose truthfulness I
know. I know whom I have believed." Paul not only knew these things by
faith, but he knew much of them by experience. Our knowledge ofChrist is
somewhatlike climbing one of our Welsh mountains. When you are at the
base you see but little; the mountain itself appears to be but one half as
high as it really is. Confined in a little valley you discoverscarcelyanything
but the rippling brooks as they descendinto the stream at the base of the
mountain. Climb the first rising knoll, and the valley lengthens and widens
beneath your feet. Go up higher, and higher still, till you stand upon the
summit of one of the greatroots that start out as spurs from the sides of the
mountain, you see the country for sonic four or five miles round, and you
are delighted with the widening prospect. But go onward, and onward, and
onward, and how the scene enlarges, till at last, when you are on the
summit, and look east, west, north, and south, you see almostall England
lying before you. Yonder is a forestin some distant country, perhaps two
hundred miles away, and yonder the sea, and there a shining river and the
smoking chimneys of a manufacturing town, or there the masts of the ships
in some well-knownport. All these things please and delight you, and you
say, "I could not have imagined that so much could be seenat this
elevation." Now, the Christian life is of the same order. When we first
believe in Christ we see but little of Him. The higher we climb the more we
discoverof His excellenciesand His beauties. But who has ever gained the
summit? Paul now grown old, sitting, grey hair'd, shivering in a dungeon
in Rome — he could say, with greaterpowerthan we can, "I know whom I
have believed!" — for eachexperience had been like the climbing of a hill,
eachtrial had been like the ascending to another summit, and his death
seemedlike the gaining of the very top of the mountain from which he
could see the whole of the faithfulness and the love of Him to whom he had
committed his soul.
III. THE APOSTLE'S CONFIDENCE. "Iam persuaded that He is able to
keepthat which I have committed to Him." See this man. He is sure he
shall be saved. But why? Paul! art thou sure that thou canstkeepthyself?
"No," says he, "I have nothing to do with that": and yet thou art sure of
thy salvation!"Yes," saithhe, "I am!" How is it, then? "Why, I am
persuaded that He is able to keepme. Christ, to whom I commit myself, I
know hath power enough to hold me to the end." Martin Luther was bold
enough to exclaim, "Let Him that died for my soul, see to the salvationof
it."

(C. H. Spurgeon.)
Assurance
J. Irons.
I. THE OBJECTOF FAITH — "I know whom I have believed." Well,
now, whom have you believed? Have you believed Juggernaut? Have you
believed the Hindoo Brahmins? The glorious covenantHead of His Church
— I have believed Him. "He that believeth on the Son of God hath
everlasting life; and he that believeth not hath not life." Where there is no
believing of a saving description upon the Personof the Lord Jesus Christ,
there is no salvation. It is in vain to tell me of all the excellenciesofthe
creature, of all the attainments of moral philosophy, and of all the pride of
superstition, it only just makes a pious road to hell for those who pretend
to pursue it. There is no such thing as salvation, no such thing as safety, for
time or for eternity, but by believing on the Sonof God. "I know." I
beseechyou to mark the positive nature of the assertion. It is not, "I hope,
or trust"; it is not, "I can, or shall, or may, believe in Him"; but, "I know
whom I have believed." I do not like anything less than "I know," even in
things temporal. If I were to ask my servant whether such and such a
matter is safe, orright, or done properly, and I were to receive for an
answer, "I think so," or "Probablyit may be so";"Do not tell me that," I
should say, perhaps somewhatangrily; "Do you know it? is it really so?"
Surely, then, if I should require this in temporal matters, what should I
look for in things spiritual You tell me God is merciful, and I shall do as
well as others in the end. "I know whom I have believed." The question
might be put to the persons who make such an assertion, "Whatdo you
know of Him?" "Well, I will tell you. I know very well that He is truly,
properly, essentially, eternallyGod. I know enough of Him to be quite sure
that He is truly, and properly, and sinlesslyman. I know for certain of
Him, that He is, in His complex character, as Godand man, Mediator,
Surety, Daysman for His Church, in officialstanding." Do you know all
this? Do you know Him personally? Canyou say, "I know that in His office
He has accomplishedall that is requisite for the salvation of His Church."
Look at the word "believe" before we quit this part of our subject. "I know
whom I have believed." What is believing? In the margin of our Bible we
read "trusted." Well, believing is trusting, and trusting is believing.
II. THE NATURE OF FAITH'S ACTINGS — "that which I have
committed to Him." There is something about this which enters at once

into the daily experience of a child of God, and I think if it were more
extensively practisedin our experience, we should be happier Christians —
the committing of everything to Him. I have committed to Him my soul's
concerns;I have committed to Him the affairs of time; and I committed to
Him His visible Church, which neither legislators normonarchs care
anything about, but to distract and to destroy. Look at these things for a
few moments. I have committed to Him my soul's concerns. And these are
of two descriptions;my soul's concerns for security, salvation, eternallife;
and my soul's concerns in regard to spiritual existence, and spiritual
prosperity, in my way to glory. I commit both to Him. Now the nature of
faith's actings is to commit all to Jesus, in both these respects. If the filthy
effluvia of human nature's risings annoy me, I shall cry, "Lord, subdue all
my iniquity." I commit them all to Him; cannot do anything without Him,
and I am sure it is no goodtalking about it. "Lord, conquer my depravity.
Lord, fulfil Thy promises, that 'sin shall not have dominion.'" Then go on
to mark, that it is faith's province to commit the affairs of this life to Him.
They are not too little, they are not too mean for Him to notice, nor for
Him to manage, and it may be viewed as the peculiar privilege of the
Christian to carry to the throne of grace, and commit to Christ, every
arrangementHe may make, every bargain into which He may enter, every
associationHe may form, and every companion He may choose. So with all
His successes— to commit them all to Him, remembering that it is He who
giveth power to get wealth. So, again, with regardto lossesand crosses,
painful events.
III. THE EXPECTATION OF FAITH. "He is able to keep"it; and that is
the point which fixes upon my attention. BlessingsonHis name, that He is
as willing as He is able! He is interested in it. But this statement implies
greatdanger or difficulty, or the Divine keeping would not be necessary. It
implies that our beloved Zion is surrounded with every descriptionof
enemies and dangers, or it would not be said that it needs Divine keeping.
Moreover, there seems in this expectationof faith enough to nourish
assurance itself. "He is able to keepthat which I have committed to Him."
Well, then, assurance may lift up its head, and say, "If it be the soul's
concerns, I have nothing to doubt — I trust it all in His hands. If it be the
affairs of my family, or my business, I have nothing to harass me
concerning them." One word more. "Againstthat day." We might mention
the day of the termination of that trouble, the day of the accomplishmentof
that desire, the day of the consummation of a certain purpose or scheme in
God's providence, relative to our spiritual or temporal affairs; but I must

hasten to that day the apostle had immediately in view, "that day" when
Christ shall claim His own; "that day" when all the electionof grace shall
appear before Him, and be presentedto the Father "a perfect Church,
without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing."
(J. Irons.)
The grounds of the believer's confidence
D. Moore, M. A.
What a noble picture have we here! Elsewhere we are told that the apostle
was "in presence weak, andin speechcontemptible"; but he does not
appear so now. We see in him a courage andcalmness more than human.
"What though my departure from this world be marked by infamy, and
violence, and scorn — what though friends forsake,and the world revile,
and foes pursue me with unresting hatred, I have one treasure of which
they cannot rob me, one refuge to which I can always fly, one Friend who
'having loved me, will love me unto the end.'"
I. THE TERMS IN WHICH THE APOSTLE MAKES THIS NOBLE
DECLARATION OF HIS CONFIDENCE.The apostle does not say, "what
I have believed," as if his hope stoodin his creed, which might be very
exact— or in his Church, which might be Very true — or in his labours,
which were incessantand self-denying — or in his life, which was without
reproachand blameless;but he says, "The proper objectof my confidence
is a Person;my religionconsists in having found a Friend — A Friend with
whom all my interests for time and for eternity may be entrusted. I cleave
to a living, infallible, Divine Protector. 'I know whom I have believed.'"
The expression, as you perceive, is in true keeping with the entire spirit of
New Testamenttheology. When a sinner awakesto the first sight of his
danger, the first words to be addressedto him are, "Believe onthe Lord
Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." This is a principle of the Divine
procedure which would commend itself were it only for its beautiful and
pure simplicity. When pressedwith the terrors of a guilty conscience, when
despair and fearseemto be coming in upon me like a flood, I want
something to fly to at once;I want to he directed immediately to an altar of
safety. Tell me not of things to be believed, or learned, or sought for, or
done, but tell me of one simple actwhich shall bring me within reachof
mercy. Do not lose time in considering how "life and immortality are to be
brought to light" — take Him as "the life." A convincedsinner cannotdo
better than embrace a theology of one article — "I know whom I bare

believed." Again, let us look at the word "believed." In the writings of St.
Paul the expressionstands for the highest form of moral persuasion. It
implies the strength of an all-pervading practicalconviction — the
reposing of a loving, perfect, and confiding trust. The advance of this upon
a mere intellectual faith you will perceive — for not only is it believed that
Christ came for man's salvation, but that this salvationhas become
individually applied to ourselves. "I know whom I have believed." My faith
rests upon my knowledge,just as my knowledge reactsupon my faith. I am
not making a plunge into eternity in the dark. I have lookedto the
soundness of my Rock to see whetherit will bear me; I have "tastedthat
the Lord is gracious,"and therefore am "confidentof this very thing, that
He that hath begun a goodwork in me, will perform it unto the day of
Christ." The word points out to us the dangerof taking our religion on
trust; the duty of subjecting our opinions to a diligent and inquiring
search. An uninvestigated faith cannever be a happy faith. Christ's work
for us must be believed, but Christ's work in us must be proved. Let us
take the next words, showing to us the nature of the Christian's deposit —
"I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep
that which I have committed unto Him againstthat day." To the trust here
spokenof we can place no limit. How greatthe privilege of having this
treasure lockedup in safe Custody, feeling that whatever else is taken from
us, our souls are enclosedin the sanctuary of heaven — that our Jesus puts
His hand upon these and says, "Thesesouls are Mine" — "Mine to be
kept, Mine to be watchedover, Mine to be purged from all dross and
defilement, and to be rendered back eachto his own," at that day!" And
the apostle mentions this day, in preference to the day of his death, because
although the earlierperiod would abundantly vindicate the Saviour's
faithfulness, yet the other is the day when Christ shall formally give up His
greattrust — when, in the presence of all the intelligences ofheaven, He
shall show how carefully He has watchedover souls, through the conflicts
of life, through the terrors of death, through the tong repose of the grave,
now to hold them up as His jewels, andreward, and crownat "that day."
II. THE GROUNDS ON WHICH THE APOSTLE RESTS HIS
CONFIDENCE.These,as we should suppose, must consistin the personal
qualifications of Him who was the subject of such trust, in the attributes of
His holy nature, in the efficacyof His atoning work, in the virtue of His
meritorious obedience, in the continued exertions of His resumed Divinity
now that He is seatedat the right hand of God. Thus, let us look at the
attributes of His nature — at His power, for example; does He not say, "All

things are delivered into My hand"; "allpower is given unto Me in heaven
and in earth"; "I open, and no man shutteth; I shut, and no man openeth!"
Who, then, can harm us, if we have securedsuch a Friend as this? But,
further, we know Paul would have a ground of persuasionin the work of
Christ, in the sufficiency of His obedience, in the infinite reach of His
atonement. The apostle was one who felt painfully the greatnessofhis own
deficiencies. His language everwas "'In the Lord Jehovahhave I
righteousness andstrength' My only trust is 'that I may be found in Him.'"
But once more, the apostle would find a comforting ground of persuasion
in the thought that the Saviour in whom he believed, lived for ever. It is a
sad reflectionwith regard to our earthly friends, that howevercherished or
howevertried, death will soontake them away.
(D. Moore, M. A.)
A safe deposit
S. Martin.
We sometimes believe in men whom we do not know. We think we know
them; but we are mistaken. We may inquire; we may observe;we may ask
for testimony and receive it: we may even put men to severe test:still we
are sometimes mistakenand deceived, and we have to confess,"Idid not
know the man whom I trusted." The case presentedby the text is the
opposite of that. In this instance we have trust leading to increasedand
enlargedknowledge — knowledge strengthening trust, and both producing
the expressionoffull assurance. Youobserve that the language of the text
is somewhatmetaphorical. We have certain facts in the Christian life put
before us here under the figure of a deposit — A depositor— A depositary,
and the confidence of the depositor.
I. WHAT IS THIS DEPOSIT?Was it the soulof the writer? Was it the
well-being of Paul in his persecution, the getting good out of his sorrow (1
Peter4:19). Was it the work of his salvation — that work to which he
himself refers, when, addressing some of his converts, he says, "He which
hath begun a good work in you will perform it"? Was it his future crown
— the crownof righteousness?Was it his converts, for whom he was
perpetually praying? Was it his apostolate?Was it the welfare of the
Churches? Was it the truth, and the proclamationof the truth? The great
care of a man on a dying bed is himself, and this should be our greatcare
in life; yet to take charge ofhimself no man is capable. Whatevercapacity
a man may have had, or human nature may have had before the fall, the

loss of capacitywhich sinfulness and transgressionhave occasionedis
immense; and there is a fearful loss of position. The soul is guilty, and
needs pardon, righteousness,and restoration. The spirit is polluted, and it
is dark, dim, dull, and deathly, through its pollution — it wants light and
life. A physician is needed to whom this soul, consciousofits guilt and of
the disease ofsin, may commit itself. A priest is needed, who can undertake
the work of atonement; and an advocate, who can make intercession. Such
an advocate, sucha priest, such a physician, Paul had found in Jesus
Christ; and to Him, who unites in His ownperson all that a sinner needs to
find in a Saviour, Paul had given up himself.
II. THE DEPOSITOR. This is Saul of Tarsus. Did Gamalielteachhim
this? Some of Gamaliel's strongestandmost prominent lessons were self-
reliance. The tendency of his teaching was to lead the young Saul to depend
upon himself, and he had, as we know, from the story of his life, an
immense amount of self-confidence. There is nothing committed to God to
keep— the man only talks of his ownvirtues and gooddeeds, comparing
himself with another. This is not Saul the Pharisee, itis Saul the Christian.
It is Saul, but it is Saul born again, it is Saul born from above, it is Saul a
new creation, old things have passedaway, behold all things have become
new! New, this confidence in another; old, that self-confidence."Ican take
care of myself," would have been his language a few years ago;"my
prayers and alms-giving, and goodworks will save me," he would then
have said; now, he is entirely changed, and he represents the state of his
heart in writing, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He
is able to keepthat which I have committed unto Him againstthat day."
Saul of Tarsus took charge of himself, but Saul the Christian committed
himself to another. And who is that other?
III. THE DEPOSITARY. DoesPaulhere refer to God, whose name he
mentions in the eighth verse, or to our Saviour, Jesus Christ, whom he
introduces to us in the tenth verse? We think he refers to our Saviour,
Jesus Christ — not, of course, that we can separate Godand our Saviour,
Jesus Christ — because "Godis in Christ, reconciling the world unto
Himself." The depositary, mark, is Christ; the anointed Keeperof souls;
one upon whom the unction of the Holy Ghostwas poured out without
measure, that He might take charge of souls;Christ — observe, Jesus
Christ, the divine and devoted Keeper of souls. Now, to "JesusChrist, our
Saviour, who hath abolished death, and brought life and immortality to
light"; to the "Word made flesh," "God manifest in flesh," "Godover all
blessedfor evermore," to Him did Paul commit himself. It is in vain that

you try to mingle these things — taking the responsibility of life upon your
shoulders and committing yourself to another. You cannot do this; you
must either madly and vainly try to bear the burden alone, or you must
commit the whole to your Saviour, and all then that you are responsible for
is, doing what He tells you, and not doing that which He forbids you. But,
as to the charge, the charge is His; and as to the responsibility, the
responsibility is His; and as to the care, all the care is His. Is there any
danger of your abusing these truths? Is it possible that any of you cansay,
"Well, if this be the case, Ihave certainly askedChrist to take the charge of
my soul, and I may be as careless as Iplease." Whenyou put yourself into
the hands of a physician, you feel that you are accountable for obedience to
his instructions, and that his resources are made available to you just as
you are submissive to his treatment. Just so with our Saviour Jesus Christ.
IV. THE CONFIDENCE OF THE DEPOSITOR. "Iknow whom I have
believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keepthat which I have
committed unto Him againstthat day." The confidence of Paul relates to
four objects: —
1. The generalcharacterof the depositary. "I know what He is, and what
He can do; I see and I appreciate all the attributes of His nature; I know
that He has an eye that never slumbers nor sleeps, anarm that is never
weary, a working hand that is stretched out still, a heart of love — the
extent and energy of which surpass knowledge.
2. Then it rests in the ability of the depositary with respectto this
particular trust. "He is able to keep" — ABLE to keep. Few men had so
seenthe dangers of this world as Paul. God keeps some souls in a blissful,
childish ignorance of their dangers, and they go through life with an
amount of simplicity which is extraordinary, and which we cannot account
for exceptupon the principle that God does literally hide them as in His
pavilion. But there are others whose spiritual senses are so quickened, that
they see almostevery thing relating to their religious life — at leastthe
many of the spiritual and evil influences to which they are exposed.
3. This confidence relates to the continuousness ofthe presentassurance.
"He is able to keepthat which I have committed to Him againstthat day."
The fires of that day shall burn the wood, hay, stubble, and shall develop in
grand contrastthe gold, and the silver, and the precious stones. "Against
that day. 'He is able to keepthat which I have committed to Him.' He
knows what the test of that day will be, and againstthat day He is able to
guard my trust, and nothing that I have committed to His hands, shall even
in that day be lost."

4. Further, you observe, the apostle rests very much in the accuracy, and in
the soundness ofhis own experience. "I know," he says, "whom I have
believed." And how did he know? Did he know through having received
the testimony of the prophets, who all bore witness to the Saviour? Did he
know simply through having listenedto Christian teaching, or to the
teaching of such an one as Ananias? No; from these sources he did derive
information, but he knew through following Christ, that He was able to
keepthat which he had committed to Him — he knew through taking
advantage of Christ, that He was able — just as you know what a physician
can do, by his attendance at your sick bed, or as you may know what a
legaladviser is able to do, by the counselhe gives you in some time of
temporal perplexity, or just as you may know a friend by his aid in the
hour of adversity. He had, againand again, put Jesus Christ to the proof,
and the proof had shown that not even God's words had fully describedthe
Saviour.
(S. Martin.)
Christian confidence
C. Molyneux, B. A.
Let us look, first of all, at this persuasion, which I want you to be the
subject of; and then we will see the ground on which it rested;and then the
consequencesofwhich it was productive.
1. "I am persuadedthat He is able to keepthat which I have committed
unto Him againstthat day." You see, it amounts to a perfectpersuasionof
security here; here is absolute safety, and the experience ofit. The word
"persuaded" is as strong as possible. It was the deep inwrought conviction
of his soul; it was not liable to be disturbed; it was a settledfact, as you
dispose of a thing, and say, That is done, it is settled. It was the persuasion
of his mind, that all was safe for eternity. Observe the remarkable use in
this text of the word that by the apostle, which is very instructive. He says,
"I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto
Him againstthat day." He uses the word, you see, twice, with no
antecedentin either case exactly, and no specific objectmentioned to which
it refers. There is something very striking about that. He takes for granted,
that all will understand it; that no mistake can possibly exist about it; that
no man will read the verse, and not at once interpret to what the word
"that" refers in both instances. "Keepthat!" Why, no child here doubts
what he means. "My soul." "Againstthat day!" No child candoubt what

day — the greatday of His own coming. They are the two things in
comparisonwith which everything else sinks into absolute, utter
insignificance. The beauty of this passage, Ithink, is in that word
"commit." As expressive and explanatory of the meaning of the word faith,
I do not know any more beautiful term. People seemat a less to understand
what is meant at last by faith. The best interpretation, I think, is to be
found in the idea which that word "commit" conveys. You commit your
goods to a personyou can trust; you commit your body, your life, all you
have got, exactly in proportion as you have grounds for trusting a man —
your welfare, your character, your reputation, your honour. You say, "I
can leave my honour in your hands." That is exactly the meaning of the
word here: "I have committed." There is something very beautiful in it,
and it seems practicallyto be this. I have put the matter out of my hands
into His." Now, I wish you would quietly enter into that idea, and
thoroughly understand it. I do not know anything that could positively give
real comfort to a man, like the certainty that he has put his soul's interests
out of his own hands into safe keeping. I think this word "commit" implies
not only the apostle's sense ofthe value of the soul, but a man's practical
inability to keephis own soul. Why do you commit your property to some
one to keep? Because youfeel that you cannot keepit yourself, for some
reason— never mind what. Why do you commit your health into the
hands of a physician? Because youfeel that you cannot cure yourself. And
so on with regardto anything else. You commit your child to an instructor,
because you feelthat you have more confidence in the instructor. So that
the factof committing anything to another supposes some inability on our
part to do the thing. Just so with the soul. I dwell on that with unspeakable
comfort. There is a relief to my soul in this idea, that with its tremendous
responsibilities, with the awful destinies before it, I canhand it over into
Jesus Christ's keeping, and that He will keepthat which I commit unto
Him.
2. But on what ground did the apostle arrive at this supposition — because
there must be some ground for it? For instance:if I were to sayto you to-
morrow, "Go and commit your property and your interests into the hands
of some man," you would say, "Why that man? On what grounds? I know
nothing about that man." But if I were to say, "That man that you know
thoroughly well," and you were thoroughly alive to his capability and
power, what would you say? You would say, "Yes, I know whom you call
upon me to believe; I am persuaded that he is able to keepthat, if I do
commit it to him." You see, it would altogetherdepend upon the

knowledge youhave of the man. So Paul says here: "I know whom I
believe; therefore I am persuadedthat He is able to keepthat which I have
committed unto Him againstthat day." Now, then, what do we know about
Him? What kind of knowledge is it that would warrant Paul, or that will
warrant you and me, that we can commit all to Jesus Christ? There might
be, of course, endless particulars specified. This is the reasonwhy I call
upon you so much to study the whole work and characterofChrist. It is,
depend upon it, being thoroughly acquainted with the work of Jesus
Christ, it is having an intelligent understanding of all that He has done,
that gives this kind of unqualified assurance andhappy confidence.
Therefore we read, "This is eternal life, to know Thee." It is not just a sort
of glimpse; it is not merely saying, "I believed Christ died"; but it is
understanding and knowing these things. I often tell you, and I am
persuaded of it, that throughout eternity our study will be the cross of
Christ. "Againstthat day" — that is, right on from the present moment till
that day comes. You will observe, that implies the state after death, as well
as our present state. I have nothing to suffer in the intermediate state — no
purgatory — no difficulties of any kind. He has kept me through life; He
will keepme afterwards, for He will keepthat which I have committed
unto Him to that day. It runs on from the moment a man commits his soul
to Christ. The expressionis very striking here. It seems to teachus, and to
prove by implication, that after that day there is no danger. Then security
will not be a matter merely of promise, but of circumstances.WhenI am
perfectedin body and soul, where will be my danger? When I am in
mansions where there is a gulf betwixt the mansions and hell where Satan
is, and he cannot ferry it, all will be perfectly safe. Therefore we are to be
as pillars in the temple of God, and to go no more out for ever.
3. Now, then, what was the consequence ofit? "I am not ashamed." Why
was he not ashamed? Because he was the subject of that glorious
persuasionthat all was safe. And I want you to believe, that there is the
closestconnectionbetweenboldness in a Christian's careerand assurance
in a Christian's heart; that no man will take the walk of a Christian, and
occupy the path as he ought to do, boldly and consistentlyand in a
straightforwardway, unless he feels that all is safe with regardto his
everlasting state. He says, "Forwhich cause I suffer." Forwhat cause?
Because"Iam appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacherof the
Gentiles;for the which cause I suffer." When Paul was first brought to
God, what did the Lord say about him? He said, "I will show him how
greatthings he must suffer for My name's sake." Itis very remarkable, He

did not say, "I will show him what greatthings he shall do," but "what
greatthings he shall suffer." If we are consistentfollowers ofGod, we must
be sufferers. Having alluded to his sufferings, he says, "I suffer"; but he
adds, "I am not ashamed." "I stand manfully forward and confess Him."
Now, what is the ground? I have alreadymentioned it. It is because ofthat
persuasion. That is the antidote.
(C. Molyneux, B. A.)
The use and abuse of dogma
D. J. Vaughan, M. A.
A goodman at the present day, writing a letter, with death staring him in
the face, to an intimate friend, would be likely to write, not, "I know whom
I have believed," but, "I know what I have believed." It comes more
natural to us to express our religious convictions so — to think more of the
"what" than of the "whom" — to cling rather to the creed, or doctrinal
system, than to the Living Person, to whom systemand creedbear witness.
Of course, the doctrinal system implies the Living Person;but the system is
nearer to our thoughts than the Person. With St. Paul it was otherwise. To
him the Living Person— God our Father, Jesus Christ our Lord and
Saviour — was everything, was all in all; the system was nothing — nay,
we may say, had no existence. Therefore itis, that, in view of death and
judgment, and all that is most trying to human faith and courage, he
writes, "NeverthelessI am not ashamed" — I feelno fear for I know whom
I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keepthat which I
have committed to Him againstthat day." Now this is a matter which both
requires and deserves the most carefulelucidation. It has a very important
hearing upon present difficulties and pressing questions of the day. St. Paul
was trained up, as a boy and a young man, m an elaborate religious system,
of which the Scribes were the expositors, and the Pharisees the devoted
adherents. He was at one time, as he tells us, an enthusiastic votary of finis
system himself. But the moment came at lastwhen he found himself
compelled to renounce this systemutterly, to casthimself at the foot of the
cross, and to consecrate his whole life to the love and the service of Jesus
Christ. From that moment Christ was everything to him. Strictly speaking,
he no longerhad anything that could be calleda religious system. All was
Christ. Take one or two of his most expressive phrases, and you will feel
how true this is: "To me to live is Christ." "I am crucified with Christ, and
it is no longerI that live, but Christ liveth in me." We, too, have been

trained up, more or less carefully, in an elaborate religious system. Must
we break with this system, as St. Paul broke with the religious system in
which he had been educated, in order to find, as he found Christ? Must we
learn to say with him, in the sense in which he said it, "What things were
gain to me, these I counted loss for Christ"? Or is it given to us to travel by
a road which was denied to him — to preserve unbroken the continuity of
religious thought. Here we are in fact touching what I have calledone of
the most pressing questions of the day, the use and abuse of dogma. And
here we find ourselves in presence oftwo conflicting tendencies — two
tendencies which run absolutelycounter, the one to the other; one, an
impatience, a fierce intolerance of dogma; the other, an equally fierce
insistance upon dogma, as almost the one thing needful for these latter
days, and the sole antidote for their disorders. You know the battle-cries of
the two contending parties; one, demanding definite, distinctive, dogmatic,
Church teaching;the other, demanding not dogma, but religion. Observe,
then, first of all, that it is impossible for us to put ourselves exactlyin St.
Paul's position, or to getat his result preciselyin his way. Eighteen
centuries lie betweenus and him — eighteencenturies of controversy, of
division, of development. Dogma is an inevitable growthof time, as every
one may learn from his own experience. The opinions of any person who
thinks at all, and in proportion as he thinks, pass with lapse of time out of a
semi-fluid state into one that is fixed and solid. Such conclusions are to the
individual thinker what dogmas are to the Christian Church. St. Paul had
never formulated to himself the dogma of the Trinity in Unity: but in the
lapse of centuries that dogma became a necessityofChristian thought. But
then, this development of dogma — necessaryas it is, beneficial as it may
be — must never be confounded with the reality of spiritual worship — the
worship of the Fatherin spirit and in truth. It moves along a lowerlevel
altogether— the level of the understanding, not of the spirit or of the soul.
Herein lies the peril of that vehement insistance upon dogmatic teaching,
which is so common in these days. Unless it be most carefully guarded, it
leads straight to the conclusionthat to hold the right dogmas is to be in the
way of life. The light of life, the light which quickens, the light which is life,
can be ours only on condition that we follow Christ. Dogmatic
developments, then, are one thing; the religious or spiritual life of the soul
is another thing. And the former may, certainly, be so handled and used, as
to give no help to the latter. Yet there is, undoubtedly, a relation between
the two;and the former may be made to minister to the latter, it we will.
And the question is, What is this relation? and, How may the dogmatic
development be made subservient to the spiritual life? Christ says, "I am

come that they might have life, and that they might have it more
abundantly." Life, eternallife, salvation, redemption, righteousness:such
words as these express the first and the last thought of the gospelof Christ,
the aim of which is ever to touch and quicken and heal the souls of men.
First in the historicalorder, and first in the order of thought, comes the
spiritual reality, "the word of life"; afterwards the dogmatic form and
framework. The latter is, as it were, the body, of which the former is the
soul. The words of Jesus are, as we should expectthey would be, the purest
conceivable expressionofspiritual truth, with the slightestpossible
admixture of anything extraneous and unessential. Forthis very reasonit
is often exceedinglydifficult to grasp their import — always quite
impossible to exhaust their fulness. When we pass from the words of Jesus
to the words of His apostles, we trace the first beginnings of that inevitable
actionof the human intellect upon spiritual truth, of which the growth of
dogma is the result. It could not be other wise. The disciple could not be
altogetheras the Master. But though we may thus trace in the Epistles of
the New Testamentthe development of the first "organic filaments," out of
which in time would be constructedthe full-grown body of Christian
dogma — the shooting of the little spikes of ice acrossthe waters oflife and
salvation, which would eventually lead on to the fixity and rigidity of the
whole; — yet are they so full of light, from proximity to the Fountain of all
light, that the spiritual always predominates over the intellectual, and the
spiritual elements of their teaching are visible on the surface, orscarcely
below the surface, of the words in which it is couched. But, as time went on,
the intellectualform began more and more to predominate overthe
spiritual substance;until, at last, it has come to be often no slight task to
disentangle the one from the other, and so to getat that which is spiritual;
and which, being spiritual, can be made food and refreshment and life to
the soul. So far we have been dealing with the questions:"What is the
relation of dogma to religion?" and "How may the dogmatic development
be made to minister to the religious life?" And our answerto these
questions may be summed up thus: Christ's own words, first and before
all, go straight to the springs of the religious life, that is, the life of faith and
hope and love, of aspirationand endeavour; and, after these, the words of
His apostles. Christiandogma grows out of the unavoidable action of the
human intellect upon these words, and upon the thoughts which they
express. In order to minister to the soul's true life, such dogma must be
translated back, by the aid of the Holy Scriptures, into the spiritual
elements out of which it has sprung. When it becomes the question of the
truth or falsehoodof any particular dogmatic develop ment, the testing

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