Stablish, Strengthen, Settle You
To establish a strong relationship with God, we must make a definite commitment, stay put during the season of establishing and testing, and trust in God's spiritual guidance.
A.B. Simpson emphasizes the necessity of having clear understanding and confidence in our relationship with Christ before making a commitment to Him. This commitment must be definitive and irrevocable, akin to planting a tree or a bride at the altar. Following this commitment, believers enter a period of establishment and testing, where they must remain steadfast until their new relationship with Christ becomes a permanent aspect of their lives. Simpson likens this process to a surgeon stabilizing a broken bone, highlighting that God provides spiritual support during this formative time. Ultimately, he reassures that the God of all grace will stablish, strengthen, and settle us after we have endured trials.
Text
In taking Christ in any new relationship, we must first have sufficient intellectual light to satisfy our minds that we are entitled to stand in this relationship. The shadow of a question here will wreck our confidence. Then, having seen this, we must make the committal, the choice. That commitment must be just as definite as the planting of a tree in the soil, or the bride who presents herself at the marriage altar. It must be once for all, without reserve, without recall. Then there is a season of establishing, settling and testing, during which we must stay put until the new relationship gets so fixed as to become a permanent habit.
For example, when the surgeon sets the broken arm he puts it in splints to keep it from moving until the bone knits.
So God has His spiritual splints that He wants to put upon His children to keep them quiet and unmoving until they pass the first stage of faith. It may not be easy, but the God of all grace, who hath called you unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, [will] . . . stablish, strengthen, settle you.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Intellectual Basis for Commitment
- A. The necessity of intellectual light
- B. The danger of doubt and uncertainty
- II. The Commitment Itself
- A. The importance of a definite choice
- B. The need for a once-for-all commitment
- III. The Season of Establishing and Testing
- A. The role of spiritual 'splints'
- B. The process of settling and strengthening
Key Quotes
“The commitment must be just as definite as the planting of a tree in the soil, or the bride who presents herself at the marriage altar.” — A.B. Simpson
“God has His spiritual splints that He wants to put upon His children to keep them quiet and unmoving until they pass the first stage of faith.” — A.B. Simpson
Application Points
- Make a definite commitment to your faith and stand firm in it.
- Trust in God's spiritual guidance and allow Him to establish and strengthen you.
- Be patient during the season of establishing and testing, knowing that it is a necessary part of spiritual growth.