Total strangers to a work of divine grace in their hearts!
(Arthur Pink)
"Come, and hear, all you who fear God, and I will declare what he has done for my soul!" Psalm 66:16
It is greatly to be feared that there are multitudes in Christendom who truly imagine and sincerely believe that they are among the saved, yet who are total strangers to a work of divine grace in their hearts.
It is one thing to have clear intellectual conceptions of God's truth-it is quite another matter to have a personal, real heart acquaintance with it.
It is one thing to believe that sin is the awful thing that the Bible says it is-but it is quite another matter to have a holy horror and hatred of it in the soul.
It is one thing to know that God requires repentance-it is quite another matter to experimentally mourn and groan over our vileness.
It is one thing to believe that Christ is the only Savior for sinners-it is quite another matter to really trust Him from the heart.
It is one thing to believe that Christ is the sum of all excellency-it is quite another matter to love Him above all others.
It is one thing to believe that God is the great and holy One-it is quite another matter to truly reverence and fear Him.
It is one thing to believe that salvation is of the Lord-it is quite another matter to become an actual partaker of it through His gracious workings.