Thus we have seen that the blessed Person of God's Son wins my confidence. His FINISHED WORK makes me eternally safe. GOD'S WORD about those who believe on Him makes me unalterably sure. I find in Christ and His work the way of salvation, and in the Word of God the knowledge of salvation.

"But, if saved," you may say, "how is it that I have such a fluctuating experience, so often losing all my joy and comfort, and getting as wretched and downcast as I was before my conversion?" Well, this brings us to our third point;

THE JOY OF SALVATION

You will find, in the teaching of Scripture, that while you are saved by Christ's work and assured by God's Word, you are maintained in comfort and joy by the Holy Ghost, who has come to indwell every true believer.

Now you must bear in mind that every saved one has still "the flesh" within him, that is, the evil nature he was born with and which, perhaps, showed itself while still a helpless infant on his mother's lap. The Holy Ghost in the believer resists the flesh and is grieved by every activity of it, in motive, word or deed. When he is walking "worthy of the Lord," the Holy Ghost will be producing in his soul His blessed fruits - "love, joy, peace ..." (see Galatians 5:22). When he is walking in a carnal, worldly way the Spirit is grieved, and these fruits are wanting in greater or less measure.

Let me put it thus for you who do believe on God's Son:

Christ's Work and Your Salvation stand or fall together

Your Walk and Your Enjoyment stand or fall together

When Christ's work breaks down (and, blessed by God, it never, never will), your salvation will break down with it. When your walk breaks down (and be watchful, for it may), your enjoyment will break down with it.

Thus it is said of the early disciples (Acts 9:31), that they were "walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost." And again in Acts 13:52: "And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost." My spiritual joy will be in proportion to the spiritual character of my walk after I am saved.

Now do you see your mistake? You have been mixing up enjoyment and your safety, two widely-different things. When, through self-indulgence, loss of temper, worldliness, etc., you grieved the Holy Spirit, and lost your joy, you thought your safety was undermined. But again I repeat it -

Your safety hangs upon Christ's work FOR you. Your assurance upon God's Word TO you. Your enjoyment upon not grieving the Holy Spirit IN you.

When, as a believer, you do anything to grieve the Holy Spirit of God, your communion with the Father and the Son is, for the time, practically suspended; and it is only when you judge yourself, and confess your sins, that the joy of communion is restore.