The faith which lays hold on Jesus arises in a feeling of misery over sin; otherwise we are like those who imagine they are whole and have no need of healing. This we were taught as children.
Christian experience agrees with this.
When the Holy Spirit through the Word of God reveals to us our sin and our utter helplessness, then we feel the need of the grace of Jesus and His atoning blood. Not before.
Hjertet det maatte sin jammer jo kjende
forend det vilde til korset sig vende.
Jesus is the beginner and finisher of our faith. The accused and guilty are invited to come to Him. And when the soul accepts the invitation and comes to Him--that is the secret of believing.
To come is to believe.
And this is the peculiar thing about faith: it does not look at itself--it sees Him only, Him only.
The true faith takes its refuge in the grace of God; it knows of no other resting-place.
One who seeks a resting-place for his faith in his own heart or seeks grounds for comfort in his own conversion and godliness, finds neither faith nor comfort.
But when in your utter helplessness you look up to Him Who bore your sins in His body and upon the tree, then that look makes you glad.
They looked unto Him and their faces shone with gladness and their countenance was never covered with the blush of shame.
