Sovereign Grace Church

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed;
we are perplexed, but not in despair

(Read 2 CORINTHIANS 4)

God’s dear children have not all the same clear judgment of truth, they are not all of one mind and the same sentiment in all points; yet they all have one Lord, one faith, and one hope, and there is a uniformity in their experience, in regard to the exceeding sinfulness of sin, the depravity of their nature, their perplexities from the world, the flesh, and the devil, their love of the Scriptures, and the exceeding preciousness of Christ: this proves that they are taught by one and the same Spirit. We have perplexities of a spiritual nature, beside those in common with others, which natural men are utter strangers to; these are no weak evidences of our spiritual birth. To be perplexed with a body of sin and death, with a sense of unbelief, with deadness, formality, wanderings in spiritual duties, with Satan’s temptations, injections, accusations, corrupt reasonings and carnal pleadings; the feeling all these makes it manifest that the soul is born of God; and alive to God; for when dead in sin, we felt nothing of them. How exceedingly absurd and foolish, then, do many act, because thus perplexed! Oh they are ready to give up hope, cast away confidence, and deny they are God's children; but their sense of these things, and groaning under them, are evident tokens of salvation. “Perplexed, but not in despair” O take heed of giving the least way to despair, of desponding, of letting go your confidence in Christ, of giving up for one moment the least degree of hope in Christ; for consider the evil of this: 1. You hereby slight the everlasting love of God the Father to sinners. 2. You dishonour the work and salvation of the Son of God for sinners. 3. You grieve the Holy Spirit, the Comforter of sinners. 4. You disregard the gospel of grace, glad tidings to sinners, and set at nought all God’s precious promises in Christ unto sinners. 5. You give the enemy all possible advantage over you: he stands, and cries, ‘There! there! so would I have it.’ 6. You give sin all its strength against you. 7. You perplex, distress, and darken your own soul, whereby you are hindered from running the way of God’s commands with love and delight. A thousand evils are connected with indulging despondence; away then with all false humility, it is devilish: hold fast this faithful saying, for it is worthy of all acceptation, at all times, under all circumstances, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners!” (1 TIMOTHY 1:15). Till the devil can blot that truth out of God’s word, or make you anything worse than a sinner [a self-righteous reprobate pharisee!], you, as a quickened sinner, have the same reason as Paul, or any other apostle, to say, I am “always confident,” (2 CORINTHIANS 5:6).