CHRISTIAN CONFIDENCE
‘I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.’
St. Paul knows what none of the wise men of this world know. He knows his Saviour. Here we have an account of this knowledge and the use he made of it.
I. The deposit which St. Paul made.—He speaks of having ‘committed’ something—a remarkable expression, which indicates that the transaction is of great importance. Now what was it that St. Paul had committed? Without a doubt, he committed his soul. Why had he done so? It has been well said, because he was so convinced of its value. You cannot save yourself, you cannot sanctify yourself, and therefore if your soul is to be safe it must be placed in the hands of another. But St. Paul committed not only his soul, though it was the most precious thing he had, but himself, body, soul, and spirit; he committed his cares, his hopes, his prospects, all he desired, wished, and hoped for, he made a complete and entire surrender of everything he had to Jesus Christ.
II. The persuasion which He had about it.—What was the confidence he expressed about this deposit which he had made? What was his persuasion? ‘I am persuaded,’ he says, that ‘He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him.’ What did he mean?
(a) That Christ was able to keep him from finally falling away.
(b) That He was able to keep him from being overwhelmed in the days of sorrow, temptation, discouragement, affliction, and darkness.
(c) That God was able to keep the soul which he had thus committed to Him from falling into sin. This is a far greater demand on his faith than any other. He believed Christ was ‘able to guard him from stumbling’ (Jude 1:24).
III. The ground upon which this persuasion rested.—It was personal knowledge of Him Whom he trusted. ‘I know Whom I have believed,’ not ‘what.’ Not the doctrines of the Gospel, though no man knew them better. The writer of the Epistle to the Romans was no novice in Christian doctrine, but he says nothing about doctrines. ‘I know Whom.’ Not a doctrine but a Person.
Rev. E. W. Moore.
Illustration
‘During the last illness of the late Dr. Alexander, of Princeton, he was visited by a former student. After a few words of conversation had been exchanged, the venerable doctor said to the young disciple, “Give me some text to help me, quote me some text that will strengthen me for the last battle.” And the young man repeated the words, “I know ‘in’ Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.” “No,” said the doctor, “that is not right; it is not ‘ in Whom,’ it is ‘ Whom.’ I will not have even a preposition between me and my Saviour.” “I know Whom.” ’