Imperfect Vision

Many true-hearted believers today are as imperfect in their spiritual vision as the disciples of long ago. They see men as trees walking, so to speak. Very few things are clear to them. For example, many fear that though they are children of God by faith in Christ Jesus, they may ultimately find themselves rejected. They fail to understand that there is no condemnation for those whom divine grace has identified with Christ. They are apprehensive that the gift of the Holy Spirit may be withdrawn from them, not perceiving that this priceless bestowal is due to the Savior's blood which makes it secure forever. They imagine that every time the Christian fails, he needs a fresh cleansing in the atoning blood. Their faith does not grasp that the Christian is judicially clean forever and needs nothing for daily failures but the water of the Word of God.
Concerning the coming of the Lord Jesus, they are fearful lest they should then be left behind, not having learned that our translation to glory is the fruit of sovereign grace alone which can never fail. Oh, that all these would go aside once more with the Savior and get another touch from His blessed hand as the poor man of Bethsaida. They would then read spiritual things in God's own light, and their joy would be full forever.
W. Fereday