You can Believe the Promises of God and Be Lost- A Question

[Timmay]

Thoughts on this article?

Is Piper adding to what the Gospel is or is he correct?

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/you-can-believe-the-promises-of-god-and-be-lost


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[Dachaser]

Thoughts on this article?

Is Piper adding to what the Gospel is or is he correct?

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/you-can-believe-the-promises-of-god-and-be-lost


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Jesus states there that those were people who He never had a relationship with, so how could their works be done by the Holy Spirit operating with them?

 

[Jo_Was]

But being persuaded that the goodness and trustworthiness and beauty of Christ and his promises are factual is not saving faith.

I think the impression I get of Piper's point overall is akin to the difference of head knowledge of Christ and the things of Christ etc vs the experiential knowledge of Christ. I think you see this a lot today in our post-Christian world and our nominal Christian society which still seeks a spirituality...There are people who "believe" in God and will say they believe in God and his promises (think of the trope of the generic pinterest or instagram or home decor or person claiming Jeremiah 29:11 as a "promise" for their life or bringing it out to encourage, yet do not seem to fully understand the context. They believe in that promise...without really understanding what that promise really means...and perhaps when confronted with such realities of what the promises of God are, may find that they do not believe what they think they believe). Think of those who say they are a Christian and say they love Christ, yet only call on his name to pray in times of great trouble, or only tend to the means of grace and the Sabbath every "holiday" or so, or do good works in his name but more out of a vague sense of morality than a true conviction for the spiritual lost of this world. Many have done and do God's work, yet in vain, and even still the Spirit uses such methods to bring people to Christ. God is still able to work in the hearts of men even by weak or false prophets who preach because the Holy Spirit is still at work (think of how Paul attested to someone who preached insincerely, yet Paul rejoiced that whether in pretense or truth Christ was preached). God is still able to respond and listen and act upon prayer...in times of great lament and prayer and coming to God, God may respond and show his mercy to whole groups and nations (such as with Israel) though not all its parts are truly saved.

Ultimately, I think Piper is really just redressing Reformed experiential preaching and Reformed understanding of the Visible vs. Invisible Church.

 

[Scott Bushey]

Without reading the article, at face value, the statement is true. You could be self deceived.

 

[lynnie]

This article can only be discussed in relation to the recent blog war about Piper saying faith alone does not save, and works are the necessary fruit of justifying faith.

https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/will-we-be-finally-saved-by-faith-alone

He did an initial post, then the blog war exploded, and this is just one more post. I can't even remember who thought he sounded like Federal Vision or Norman Shepherd and who thought he was fine, or who thought he was fine but badly worded.

As far as this one goes- "The embracing of spiritual beauty is the core of saving faith"?? "We rest in security and sweetness"? Seriously?? When I was an idiot charismatic we all just savored the sweet beauty of the Lord. It took years for me to really recognize how entirely awful my sin nature and how there is no hope for me apart from my Savior. None.

I don't know, maybe I've lost my first love and I am missing something. But this article seems "off". I'd rather be where I am now which is less savoring and more aware of how nothing good dwells in my fallen person and my only hope is Jesus. Maybe it is semantics?

I used to love Piper, written or audio. The last several years I've lost interest. I'd rather read some traditional Reformed author.

 

[Timmay]

The embracing of spiritual beauty part. I mean does one realize this at initial conversion? Jesus never says this to be saved. It seems like this is something one would grow into over time, not necessarily have or be aware that one has at conversion.


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[De Jager]

Does this article seem a little gnostic to anyone else? Or is it just me?

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

Does this article seem a little gnostic to anyone else? Or is it just me?

I assumed the focus to be upon assurance, that is one believing something positively. Just as the non-believer claims assurance there is no God, they are deluding themselves, not in possession of notia, assensus, and fiducia. Hence, the passage from Matthew Piper appeals to in the opening of his response and subsequently notes that their "faith" is defective.

 

[De Jager]

I assumed the focus to be upon assurance, that is one believing something positively. Just as the non-believer claims assurance there is no God, they are deluding themselves, not in possession of notia, assensus, and fiducia. Hence, the passage from Matthew Piper appeals to in the opening of his response and subsequently notes that their "faith" is defective.

He is saying 'fiducia' is not enough. He says that you can trust the promises and still be damned. He says that to be saving faith, there must be an enjoyment and a comprehension of the sweetness of Christ present. He is tyring to divide 'fiducia' up into two, saying that is possible to personally trust promises and yet still be damned because you do not have the requisite amount of warm fuzzy feelings.

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

He is saying 'fiducia' is not enough. He says that you can trust the promises and still be damned. He says that to be saving faith, there must be an enjoyment and a comprehension of the sweetness of Christ present. He is tyring to divide 'fiducia' up into two, saying that is possible to personally trust promises and yet still be damned because you do not have the requisite amount of warm fuzzy feelings.

Piper always requires a great deal of effort to tease out what he is really implying. Sigh.

I am relying the fine distinctions of @Contra_Mundum:
https://www.puritanboard.com/threads/what-is-faith.84212/#post-1053800

The chair illustration says it all for me. I suspect Piper was going at the topic along the same lines.

 

[De Jager]

Folks, as someone who has dealt with incessant doubts and fears regarding assurance of salvation and my spiritual state, I have to be honest, this article is extremely troubling to me.

Piper spends an awful lot of time telling us what he thinks saving faith looks like, and how it is essential to find the truth “beautiful” and to find enjoyment in the “God of the promises”. In fact, he says that if this is not there, then it is not real saving faith.

As a scrupulous, doubting, weak Christian, this terrifies me. Sure, this sounds great – but I will confess to you that I have not even for one single, solitary moment ‘enjoyed’ or ‘cherished’ God to the level that I should. And you know what? I confess that to God. I don’t love God as I should. I should be constantly amazed with God, shouting forth praise 24/7 – but I am not.

For a scrupulous, doubting person, they read this article and say – do I love Christ? Do I cherish him? Do I have a sense of the ‘sweetness’ of Christ? Maybe I don’t!! Maybe I am damned. Maybe I haven’t actually ever cherished him – sure, I can think of times when I have read a scripture and thought – wow, Jesus is wonderful – but maybe that was just the Devil working up a false emotion in me to help delude me. I must be damned.

Let’s assume they come to this conclusion. What then? We know that true saving faith is wrought by the work of the Holy Spirit. This person is absolutely convinced of this – they cannot produce this saving faith in themselves – they are lost, and require the regenerative work of the Spirit. So this person is then left to sit on their bed, dreading their own death yet hating their own life, convinced that they don’t have the requisite level of emotive response that accompanies true saving faith, leading them to believe that they don’t have true saving faith.

I have dealt with this extensively in my life, and it is the most horrible, despondent, place a person can be. To be absolutely convinced of the sovereignty of God in salvation but at the same time convinced that you are counted among the lost is the worst position anyone can be in on this earth. It is more enjoyable to be happily ignorant and headed to hell than in this predicament.

This article by Piper does not point us to Christ and his sufficiency. It points us to ourselves and the own faults in our faith. Well guess what? My faith IS faulty. It IS imperfect. And yet I believe it is saving because it looks to Christ, whose death on the cross atones for even my imperfect faith. My cry is that of the man in Mark 9 – I believe…help my unbelief!!! ☹ ☹

 

[Timmay]

Folks, as someone who has dealt with incessant doubts and fears regarding assurance of salvation and my spiritual state, I have to be honest, this article is extremely troubling to me.

Piper spends an awful lot of time telling us what he thinks saving faith looks like, and how it is essential to find the truth “beautiful” and to find enjoyment in the “God of the promises”. In fact, he says that if this is not there, then it is not real saving faith.

As a scrupulous, doubting, weak Christian, this terrifies me. Sure, this sounds great – but I will confess to you that I have not even for one single, solitary moment ‘enjoyed’ or ‘cherished’ God to the level that I should. And you know what? I confess that to God. I don’t love God as I should. I should be constantly amazed with God, shouting forth praise 24/7 – but I am not.

For a scrupulous, doubting person, they read this article and say – do I love Christ? Do I cherish him? Do I have a sense of the ‘sweetness’ of Christ? Maybe I don’t!! Maybe I am damned. Maybe I haven’t actually ever cherished him – sure, I can think of times when I have read a scripture and thought – wow, Jesus is wonderful – but maybe that was just the Devil working up a false emotion in me to help delude me. I must be damned.

Let’s assume they come to this conclusion. What then? We know that true saving faith is wrought by the work of the Holy Spirit. This person is absolutely convinced of this – they cannot produce this saving faith in themselves – they are lost, and require the regenerative work of the Spirit. So this person is then left to sit on their bed, dreading their own death yet hating their own life, convinced that they don’t have the requisite level of emotive response that accompanies true saving faith, leading them to believe that they don’t have true saving faith.

I have dealt with this extensively in my life, and it is the most horrible, despondent, place a person can be. To be absolutely convinced of the sovereignty of God in salvation but at the same time convinced that you are counted among the lost is the worst position anyone can be in on this earth. It is more enjoyable to be happily ignorant and headed to hell than in this predicament.

This article by Piper does not point us to Christ and his sufficiency. It points us to ourselves and the own faults in our faith. Well guess what? My faith IS faulty. It IS imperfect. And yet I believe it is saving because it looks to Christ, whose death on the cross atones for even my imperfect faith. My cry is that of the man in Mark 9 – I believe…help my unbelief!!! [emoji852] [emoji852]

This is pretty much what I felt when I read the article.


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[De Jager]

Piper always requires a great deal of effort to tease out what he is really implying. Sigh.

I am relying upon Bruce's very fine distinctions:
https://www.puritanboard.com/threads/what-is-faith.84212/#post-1053800

The chair illustration says it all for me. I suspect Piper was going at the topic along the same lines.

And what Piper is saying - is that resting on the chair is not saving faith.

You need to sit on the chair and say "wow, I love this chair! what a wonderful chair!! I am enamoured by the sweetness of this chair"

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

Folks, as someone who has dealt with incessant doubts and fears regarding assurance of salvation and my spiritual state, I have to be honest, this article is extremely troubling to me.

Izaak,

You may find the following edifying:
https://www.puritanboard.com/threads/assurance-a-second-work-only-for-some-believers.84588/

Firstly, I firmly believe that those whom God chose and accepted in Christ He effectually called and sanctified by His Spirit; can neither totally or finally fall away from the state of grace. The believer is eternally saved and shall persevere until the end (Phil. 1:6; 2 Peter 1:10; Rom. 8:28-30; John 10:28-29; 1 John 3:9; 5:18; 1 Peter 1:5, 9).

Secondly, even true believers may have their assurance of faith shaken by several things; it may be diminished or even interrupted; such as negligence in preserving it, by falling into sins which wound the conscience and grieve the Holy Spirit. Also, these things can happen by some sudden or particularly vile temptation, by God's withdrawing the light of His face, or suffering the same things that cause fear to those who walk in darkness having no light (Psa. 31:22; 51:8, 12, 14; 77:1-10; Eph. 4:30-31; Matt. 26:69-72; Luke 22:31-44).

However, the true believer is never totally destitute of the seed of God and the life of faith that in the end their love of Christ and the church having a conscience to their duties by operation of the Holy Spirit will in due time be restored (1 John 3:9; Luke 22:32; Psa. 51:8, 12; 73:15). In the meantime, they are supported to keep them from utter despair (Micah 7:7-9; Jer. 32:40; Isa. 54:7-14; 2 Cor. 4:8-10).

We need to trust God's word, not our fickle feelings, when He says:

"These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life."

I believe assurance can be gained in our walk of faith from feeding our faith and starving our doubts by not neglecting daily Scripture study, rejoicing in hope, being patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer (Romans 12:12), fellowship with other believers, keeping stewardship of the secular and spiritual gifts God has given us, and with regular assembly with others to worship God, receive instruction, access the ordinary means of grace, and be subject to discipline.

I hope this helps you in some small measure and will lift up prayers for you.

Spoiler: James Durham

James Durham: Assurance Christ died for you in particular

Use One. The first use serves for information to let you know that there are many professing Christians that account this a curious, nice and conceity thing, to study to be sure and to make it sure that Christ in His death and sufferings minded them in particular. Others maybe think it impossible; and all may think it a right hard and difficult thing and indeed so it is. But yet we would have you to consider: 1. That simply it is not impossible, else we should say that the comfort of the people of God were impossible. 2. That it is no curious thing; for the Lord does not lay the obligation to curiosity on any, though we would wish that many had a holy curiosity to know God’s mind towards them that they might not live in the dark about such a concerning business. 3. “That the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him” (Ps. 25:14), and even this same secret concerning redemption is with them, “and he will show them his covenant.” And indeed it were no small matter to have this manifested.

Use Two. And therefore as a second use of the point, we would commend to you the study of making this sure; for it has many notable advantages attending it. It would provoke to humility and to thankfulness to Him “that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood” [Rev. 1:5].It would make a comfortable and cheerful Christian life; it would warm the heart with love to God and to Jesus Christ, Who has thus loved us as to give Himself for us. When we commend this to you, it is no uncouth, nice, needlessly curious or unattainable thing; nor would we have you, when you cannot attain it, to sit down discouraged; neither would we have you take any extraordinary way to come by it; nor waiting for any new light, but that which is in the Bible; nor would we have you resolving to do no other thing till you attain to this. But this we would have you to do, even to make faith in Christ sure by fleeing to Him and casting your burden on Him, by cordial receiving of Him and acquiescing in Him; and then you make all sure. The committing of yourselves to Him, to be saved by His price paid to divine justice and resting on Him as He is held out in the gospel, is the way to read your interest in His redemption.

And this is it that we have in Galatians 3 and 2:19–20, where it is disputed at length that we are heirs of Abraham by believing. “By the law” (says the apostle) “I am dead to the law, that I might live unto God: I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I live in the flesh is by the faith of the Son of God.” Hence he concludes, “who loved me, and gave himself for me.” And this he proves in the last words, “I do not frustrate the grace of God.” ‘I do not disappoint it, I mar it not in its end and design.’ ‘It is’ (as if he had said) ‘seeking a lost sinner to save and I give it a lost sinner to be saved.’ For though God’s decree be the first step to salvation and the work of redemption follows on it and then believing on both; yet to come to the knowledge of God’s decree of election and of our concern in the covenant of redemption, we look downward and seek first to know if we have a right to make application of that which was thought upon long since concerning us. And this we do by reflection on the way we have come to believing.

If we have been convinced and made sensible of sin and of our lost condition by nature; if we have not smothered that conviction, but cherished it; if we have not run to this or that duty for satisfying of divine justice and for making of our peace thereby, but were necessitated to betake ourselves to Jesus Christ made offer of in the gospel for the salvation of sinners; and if we have closed with Him as He was offered—if we have done so, we may thence conclude that He had loved us and given Himself to save us because He has humbled me for sin (may the serious soul say) and given me this faith to believe in Him; and this is His promise which I rest upon that I shall be saved.

Or you may try your interest in His redemption thus: Whether am I one of God’s people or no? Whether do I walk like them? And so go through the marks and signs of holiness, asking yourself, what sincerity is there in me? What mortification? What humility, meekness, love to God and His children? And what fruits of faith in new-obedience? These two, faith and holiness, are the pillars that bear up the house of assurance—working and not resting on it, believing and yet not growing vain and light because of it; but so much the rather studying holiness; and to go on between and with these two till we come to read God’s mind about our election and redemption. For neither believing nor holiness can make any alteration in the bargain of redemption, yet it will warrant our application of the bargain and clear out interest in it; as the Apostle Peter plainly insinuates when he thus exhorts, “Give diligence to make your calling and election sure” [2 Pet. 1:10]. How is that? Will diligence make God alter His decree of election or make it any surer in itself? No, by no means. But it will assure us of it; for “by so doing an entrance shall be ministered unto us abundantly into his everlasting kingdom.” By giving all diligence to add one grace to another and one degree of grace to another, there shall be a wide door opened to us to go into heaven by; and there is no hazard in commending this doctrine to you all, even the study of faith and holiness, thereby to come to the knowledge of God’s secret counsel concerning you.

James Durham, Sermon 20, Seventy-two sermons on Isaiah 53.

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

And what Piper is saying - is that resting on the chair is not saving faith.

You need to sit on the chair and say "wow, I love this chair! what a wonderful chair!! I am enamoured by the sweetness of this chair"

Really?

being persuaded with the mind that something is true is not the same as apprehending the beauty and worth of the truth. And without that, our conviction may be no more than the devil’s useless assurance that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Even he “believes” that. But he does not see it as beautiful and precious and wonderfully suited to accomplish good and holy purposes.​

I am going to extend Piper the most charity I can muster, and assume that his statement above actually captures the distinctions he is making about mere assurance and genuine faith.

 

[De Jager]

Really?

being persuaded with the mind that something is true is not the same as apprehending the beauty and worth of the truth. And without that, our conviction may be no more than the devil’s useless assurance that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Even he “believes” that. But he does not see it as beautiful and precious and wonderfully suited to accomplish good and holy purposes.​

I am going to extend Piper the most charity I can muster, and assume that his statement above actually captures the distinctions he is making about mere assurance and genuine faith.

There is a large print heading in his article that says

Defining Faith as Resting Is Not Enough

..."What we must say about resting is that to be a saving resting it must be a sense of safety from hell, but also a sense of satisfaction in the beauties of God (Psalm 16:11). We rest in security, and we rest in sweetness."

Therefore, it is not enough to rest in Christ. There is a certain subjective level of "sweetness" we must experience.

I'm sure whatever it is, I don't have it.

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[Ask Mr. Religion]

There is a large print heading in his article that says

Defining Faith as Resting Is Not Enough

..."What we must say about resting is that to be a saving resting it must be a sense of safety from hell, but also a sense of satisfaction in the beauties of God (Psalm 16:11). We rest in security, and we rest in sweetness."

Therefore, it is not enough to rest in Christ. There is a certain subjective level of "sweetness" we must experience.

I'm sure whatever it is, I don't have it.

Back up a wee bit before that quote:

"We must clarify the spiritual nature of this resting, in order to distinguish it from the deluded “resting” of Matthew 7:22. Those professing Christians have a kind of “resting” in God’s security."

You are introducing "subjective" into the article. The "sweetness" is used twice, read synonymously with satisfaction.

 

[Susan777]

This is pretty much what I felt when I read the article.


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I too have struggled with assurance on and off for many years. It is a peculiar type of hell. “am I trusting enough? Do I “believe “ sufficiently?” On and on it plays in my head ...until I force my self to look outside myself and look on Jesus and His Gospel promises. It is there and only there that I obtain peace. Most likely, I am simply a weak Christian but I don’t care for John Piper. His language is flowery and sentimental. It reminds me of the hymn “In the Garden”. This particular article only reinforces my opinion. We are all given different temperaments I suppose, but anything more than laying hold of the promises and clinging tenaciously to the One who gave them is for me, a recipe for spiritual depression.

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

Most likely, I am simply a weak Christian but I don’t care for John Piper. His language is flowery and sentimental.

Lest anyone assume I am an apologist for Piper, I would like to say that I agree with you, Susan. He is an acquired taste, sometimes leaving not a favorable taste, too. I think Piper often tends to avoid letting yea be yea and nay be nay in some desire to not offend. I cannot know this for a certainly, so I try to extend charity to him and anyone else that is the topic of a discussion, per the duties of ninth commandment. Of course, those duties do not preclude taking another to task, especially me, when it can be shown they have wandered off the path.

About the last time I read Piper being quite explicit and cogent was in his exposition of Romans 9:1-23. I could not believe I was reading the same fellow who produces all those other more sanguine publications.

 

[Von]

In "A Peculiar Glory" Piper uses the analogy of someone trusting a stranger to deposit money for him.
He says that if you trust a man that you know to be trustworthy, this is honorable to the man, and your money will be deposited. If you don't know the man, it is not honorable to him, but it also shows that you're a fool.

In the same sense, he says, the faith of a true believer, knowing the worth/glory of the one he believes in, is honorable.

He correlates this with Edwards from "Religious Affections":
"But if the religious affections that persons have do indeed arise from a strong persuasion of the truth of the Christian religion, their affections are no better unless their persuasion is a reasonable persuasion or conviction. By a “reasonable conviction,” I mean a conviction founded on real evidence, a good reason, a just ground for that conviction. Men may have a strong persuasion that the Christian religion is true when their persuasion is not built on any evidence at all. Instead, it is built entirely on education and the opinion of others. Many Muslims are strongly persuaded of the truth of the Muslim religion because their fathers, neighbors, and nation believe it. That belief of the truth of the Christian religion which is built on the same grounds as a Muslim’s belief of the Muslim religion, is the same sort of belief. Though the thing believed happens to be better, that does not make the belief itself a better sort; for though the thing believed happens to be true, yet the belief does not owe itself to this truth, but to education. So just as this conviction is no better than the Muslim’s conviction, so the affections that flow from it are no better in themselves than the religious affections of Muslims."
- From Religious Affections

Now, (to use Piper's argument) will the money still be deposited, regardless of the extent to which you know the person whom you approach with your money. In other words, is your faith sufficient or does it depend on your knowledge of the one in whom you believe? Piper answers that it depends.

 

[De Jager]

In "A Peculiar Glory" Piper uses the analogy of someone trusting a stranger to deposit money for him.
He says that if you trust a man that you know to be trustworthy, this is honorable to the man, and your money will be deposited. If you don't know the man, it is not honorable to him, but it also shows that you're a fool.

In the same sense, he says, the faith of a true believer, knowing the worth/glory of the one he believes in, is honorable.

He correlates this with Edwards from "Religious Affections":
"But if the religious affections that persons have do indeed arise from a strong persuasion of the truth of the Christian religion, their affections are no better unless their persuasion is a reasonable persuasion or conviction. By a “reasonable conviction,” I mean a conviction founded on real evidence, a good reason, a just ground for that conviction. Men may have a strong persuasion that the Christian religion is true when their persuasion is not built on any evidence at all. Instead, it is built entirely on education and the opinion of others. Many Muslims are strongly persuaded of the truth of the Muslim religion because their fathers, neighbors, and nation believe it. That belief of the truth of the Christian religion which is built on the same grounds as a Muslim’s belief of the Muslim religion, is the same sort of belief. Though the thing believed happens to be better, that does not make the belief itself a better sort; for though the thing believed happens to be true, yet the belief does not owe itself to this truth, but to education. So just as this conviction is no better than the Muslim’s conviction, so the affections that flow from it are no better in themselves than the religious affections of Muslims."
- From Religious Affections

Now, (to use Piper's argument) will the money still be deposited, regardless of the extent to which you know the person whom you approach with your money. In other words, is your faith sufficient or does it depend on your knowledge of the one in whom you believe? Piper answers that it depends.

If your faith is a result of a regenerate heart, you will be saved, period. Faith flowing from a regenerate heart is always saving faith. No one's faith is 'sufficient' to save unless it is wrought by the Holy Spirit - and even a Spirit-wrought faith is not perfect faith, but it is ALWAYS effectual. And, if it is true faith wrought by the Holy Spirit, then it will reveal itself over time by the fruit of the Spirit.

The question to ask is not "is my faith sufficient"? Because the answer to that is NO. No one can ever cling to Christ 'enough'. No one can ever love Christ 'enough'. No one can ever know Christ 'enough'. Faith as small as that of a mustard seed will save, as long as the object of that faith is correct. My faith does not save, Christ saves. I look to him.

Christ died for us "while we were yet sinners". He provides us with all that we need, including a faith that is sufficient to look to him, the saviour.

 

[lynnie]

I read things like this Piper post occasionally about how true Christians really are, and they never seem to have room for the death bed conversions or the thief on the cross. I realize such persons are a tiny minority of the saved, but they experience almost nothing besides turning to Jesus Christ in simple faith before they die. They don't have time to get radical or passionate or bear this fruit or that fruit or savor anything before they die. They just turn to the Lord. Repentance is turning.

My husband pretty much read and listened to everything Piper taught up to the start of the last decade, but no longer. There has been a shifting in his older age, hard to describe exactly, but with limited time we no longer make him a priority.

 

[Dachaser]

Folks, as someone who has dealt with incessant doubts and fears regarding assurance of salvation and my spiritual state, I have to be honest, this article is extremely troubling to me.

Piper spends an awful lot of time telling us what he thinks saving faith looks like, and how it is essential to find the truth “beautiful” and to find enjoyment in the “God of the promises”. In fact, he says that if this is not there, then it is not real saving faith.

As a scrupulous, doubting, weak Christian, this terrifies me. Sure, this sounds great – but I will confess to you that I have not even for one single, solitary moment ‘enjoyed’ or ‘cherished’ God to the level that I should. And you know what? I confess that to God. I don’t love God as I should. I should be constantly amazed with God, shouting forth praise 24/7 – but I am not.

For a scrupulous, doubting person, they read this article and say – do I love Christ? Do I cherish him? Do I have a sense of the ‘sweetness’ of Christ? Maybe I don’t!! Maybe I am damned. Maybe I haven’t actually ever cherished him – sure, I can think of times when I have read a scripture and thought – wow, Jesus is wonderful – but maybe that was just the Devil working up a false emotion in me to help delude me. I must be damned.

Let’s assume they come to this conclusion. What then? We know that true saving faith is wrought by the work of the Holy Spirit. This person is absolutely convinced of this – they cannot produce this saving faith in themselves – they are lost, and require the regenerative work of the Spirit. So this person is then left to sit on their bed, dreading their own death yet hating their own life, convinced that they don’t have the requisite level of emotive response that accompanies true saving faith, leading them to believe that they don’t have true saving faith.

I have dealt with this extensively in my life, and it is the most horrible, despondent, place a person can be. To be absolutely convinced of the sovereignty of God in salvation but at the same time convinced that you are counted among the lost is the worst position anyone can be in on this earth. It is more enjoyable to be happily ignorant and headed to hell than in this predicament.

This article by Piper does not point us to Christ and his sufficiency. It points us to ourselves and the own faults in our faith. Well guess what? My faith IS faulty. It IS imperfect. And yet I believe it is saving because it looks to Christ, whose death on the cross atones for even my imperfect faith. My cry is that of the man in Mark 9 – I believe…help my unbelief!!! ☹ ☹

Faith to me would be simply belieing in and trusting that what God promised in the scriptures is the truth.
There are times when in the Valley of life, all of us will have at times doubts and fears, but the truth still remains that God is whom he claims to be, that we trust in Him, and hold unto the promises of God.
Its not based upon how I feel, or what I think, but upon God and the promises in Christ and His word.