There are three kinds of spiritual or soul conditions among the children of God, which, in truth, one may name evil states. These are: — A legal mind — a bad conscience and a self-occupied heart. I would like to give you in a few words the means by which these states may be healed.
1. A legal mind is common and is hard to get rid of. It is often so obstinate that it robs the believer, even to the end of his life, of peace, joy and liberty, which are given him of God. It disturbs the soul in its enjoyment of the free unlimited grace of God — even of the deliverance which that grace has brought, and puts everything wrong. This evil also falsifies God's character, as it puts Him in the place of a severe Master Who inexorably demands the execution of a certain duty, instead of showing Himself as a gracious friendly Giver, Who has His joy in the grateful worship of happy children.
In a word, a legal mind piles up heavy dark clouds between the soul and God, and creates disorder. Certainly it is good and right to wish to walk according to the Holy Scriptures; but a legal mind makes everything cold, formal and unfriendly, instead of everything being a real joy. It chills the feelings so much that it hinders their happy outflow to God.
The only safe remedy for this state is Grace. Let the free Grace of God enter the soul in all its loveliness and heavenly power, whereby the latter may learn to know God in His true character as Giver, as the One Who lives amongst His saved people. Let us by faith enjoy His blessed presence in grace, and realise that we are not under law, but under Grace. God sees us in Christ, loves us in Him, and the blood of Christ "cleanses us from all sin." May we grasp this godly reality in a childlike simple faith, and the spirit of a legal mind will flee. A soul established by grace is happy, and also "zealous of good works."
2. A bad conscience works in different ways, and is the cause of many trials for the soul, producing difficulties, doubts and fears, instead of introducing the heart into the sovereign love and blessing of God. Who has not come across this state can have little idea of the sufferings caused by it in a soul. Often a bad conscience is bound up with a legal mind, then the believer becomes a stranger to peace and joy by faith.
The remedy for this great evil is The Truth — the simple loudly-proclaimed Truth of God, the authority of the Holy Scriptures that in direct or immediate contact with the Word of God, brings the conscience into subjection to this Word alone. In this way only will the soul be ruled and freed from its own thoughts and anxious fears. The Truth shall make you free," John 8:32.
3. A self-occupied heart. — The results of this last evil are manifold. To such a one things and persons are observed and valued only as far as they are in relation to himself. We lean towards those whose feelings and opinions harmonise with our own, while towards another one has no sympathy. We love those who view things as we do. In brief we judge men and things, not in relation to Christ and His interests, but in the relation in which they stand to our own poor "I" and its narrow circle of interests. The godly remedy for this evil is: The Person of Christ! He restores the fellowship with God and His own that had been broken through this dreadful evil. There is no other remedy, but this is infallible. "These things write we unto you that your joy might be full."
So the remedy for a legal mind is Grace; for a bad conscience, the truth; and the union of grace and truth, that is, Christ Himself, is the remedy for a soul always occupied with itself. May the Lord enable us to grasp the infallible healing power of these three remedies. "Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ," John 1:17.
Translated from "Gnade and Wahrheit."
Grace is the sweetest sound
That ever reached our ears,
When conscience charged and justice frown'd
'Twas grace removed our fears.
'Tis freedom to the slave,
'Tis light and liberty;
It takes its terror from the grave,
From death its victory.