LAWTON CHURCH OF GOD, LAWTON, OKLAHOMA

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16 SANCTIFICATION THE CURE FOR UNBELIEF

Perfect love brings perfect confidence. This is true in everything. Perfect love means complete devotement, and complete devotement means cheerful obedience, and where there is the witness of the Spirit and the testimony of the conscience to perfect obedience there is boldness and assurance. “If our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.”

The child who has disobeyed the parent cannot ask a favor of the parent in confidence, because of the accusations of its conscience. The man who has violated the law seeks to evade the officer of the law because he feels self-condemned. So when the heart is not fully assured that God is pleased it cannot approach Him in perfect confidence.

Unbelief has its root and source in carnality; the carnal mind not being “subject to the law of God,” destroys confidence and so generates doubt and unbelief; hence every unsanctified soul has more or less of conflict with unbelief. Many have supposed unbelief simply a weakness, but not so; it is a devilishness; it dishonors God and imperils the soul. Faith honors God and “is the victory that overcometh the world.”

Unbelief is the tap-root of all evil; faith is the avenue of every blessing. Sanctification is faith made easy, as by this experience the soul is brought into an atmosphere and condition where the hindrances to faith are all removed. Believe God and you will find a pure heart; having a pure heart you will find it most natural and easy to believe God, and live the life of faith.