MR. MOODY--What is it to be a child of God? What is the first step?
Rev. M. Rainsford--Well, sir, I am a child of God when I become united to the Son of God. The Son of God prayed that all who believed upon Him should be one with Him, as He was one with the Father. Believing on Jesus, I receive Him, and become united to Him; I become, as it were, a member of his Body. I am an heir of God, a joint-heir with Christ.
Mr. M.--What is the best definition of Faith?
Mr. R.--Trust in the Son of God, as the Saviour He has given to us. Simple trust, not only in a creed, but in a Person. I trust my soul to Him. I trust the keeping of my soul to Him. God has promised that whosoever trusts Him, mercy shall compass him on every side.
Mr. M.--Does not the Scripture say that the devils believe?
Mr. R.--They believe the truth, do they not? They believe that Jesus was manifested to destroy them; and they "tremble." I wish we believed as truly and as fully that God sent His Son into the world to save us.
Mr. M.--What is it to "trust?"
Mr. R.--I take it to mean four things:
(1) Believing on Christ: that is, taking Him at His Word.
(2) Hoping in Christ: that is, expecting help from Him, according to His Word.
(3) Relying on Christ: That is, resting on Him for the times, and ways, and circumstances in which He may be pleased to fulfill His promises according to His Word.
(4) Waiting on Christ: that is, _continuing_ to do so, notwithstanding delay, darkness, barrenness, perplexing experiences, and the sentence of death in myself. He may keep me waiting awhile (I have kept Him a long time waiting); but He will not keep me waiting always. Believing in Him, hoping in Him, relying upon Him, and waiting for Him--I understand to be trusting in Him.
Mr. M.--Can all these friends here believe the promises?
Mr. R.--The promises are true, whether we believe them or not. We do not make them true by believing them. God could not charge me with being an unbeliever, or condemn me for unbelief, if the promises were not true for me. I could in that case turn round and say: "Great God, why did you expect me to believe a promise that was not true for me?" And yet the Scriptures set forth unbelief as the greatest sin I can continue to commit.
Mr. M.--How are we "cleansed by _the Blood?_"
Mr. R.--"The blood is the life." The sentence upon sinners for their sin was, "The soul that sinneth it shall die." That we might not die, the Son of God died. The blood is _the poured-out life of the Son of God_, given as the price, the atonement, the substitute, for the forfeited life of the believer in Jesus Christ. Any poor sinner who receives Christ as God's gift is cleansed from all sin by His Blood.
Mr. M.--Was the blood shed for us all?
Mr. R.--
"There is a fountain filled with blood, Drawn from Immanuel's veins; And sinners plunged beneath that flood, Lose all their guilty stains.
The dying thief rejoiced to see That fountain in his day; And there may we, though vile as he, Wash all our sins away."
Mr. M.--Some may think that this is only a hymn, and that it is not Scripture. Did the Lord ever say anything similar to what the hymn says?
Mr. R.--He said: "I have given you the blood upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls." That was said of the picture of the blood of Christ. And at the Last Supper our Lord said His blood was "the blood of the new testament which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins."
Mr. M.--What is "the gift of God?"
Mr. R.--There are three great gifts that God has given to us--
(1) His blessed Son.
(2) The Holy Ghost, "the promise of the Father," that we might understand the unspeakable gift bestowed on us when He gave His Son.
(3) He has given us His Holy Word.
The Holy Ghost has inspired the writers of it that we may read, and hear, and know the love that God has to us, "in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." We could not have the Son for our Saviour, unless God gave Him. We could not understand the gift of God, unless the Holy Ghost had come to quicken us and teach us; and this He does through the Word.
Mr. M.--How much is there in Christ for us who believe?
Mr. R.--In Him dwelt "all the fullness of the Godhead bodily"--fullness of life, of righteousness, of sanctification, of redemption, title to heaven, and meetness for it; all that God wants from us, and all that we want from God, He gave in the person of Christ.
Mr. M.--How long does it take God to justify a sinner?
Mr. R.--How long? The moment we receive Him we receive authority to enroll ourselves among the children of God, and are then and there justified from all things. The sentence of complete justification does not take long to pronounce. Some persons profess to see a difficulty in the variety of ways in which a sinner is said to be justified before God: (1) Justified by God; (2) Justified by Christ; (3) Justified by His Blood; (4) Justified by grace; (5) Justified by faith; (6) Justified by works.