God, A Believer's Glory

There is a destructive principle that tells us that faith is only to be a rational assent to the Word of God, without a particular application of that Word made to our souls. This is as contrary to the gospel, and to the experience of every real saint, as light is contrary to darkness, and heaven to hell.

My brethren, what good would it do you if you had ten thousand checks in your coat pockets, but when you looked at them, there was not one payable to you? Likewise with the promises of the gospel. All that is said of God and Christ is ours. The great question, therefore, is whether the God we profess to believe in is our God?

The devils can say "O God," but they cannot say "My God." That is a privilege peculiar to God's chosen people, who really believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

The question then is, how God is our God (thy God)? My brethren, our all depends upon it! What signifies saying "this is mine" and "that is mine" if you cannot say "God is mine"? The best thing God has left in the New Testament is Himself: "I will be their God, and they shall be my people" (Eze. 37:27).

Now, how shall I know that God is my God? I'm afraid that some people think there is no knowing. I am so far from believing we cannot know that God is ours, that I am fully persuaded—as clear as the sun is in the meridian—that God is my God. And how shall I know it, my brethren?

1. Nobody knows God to be their God that does not feel Him to be his God in Christ. Outside of Christ, God is a consuming fire. I know there are a great variety of ways in people's conversions, but still, my brethren, we must all feel our misery. We must all feel our distance from God; all feel that we are estranged from God, that we bring into the world with us a nature that is not agreeable to the law of God, nor possibly can be.

We cannot be said to believe that God is our God until we are brought to be reconciled to Him through His Son. Can I say a person is my friend until I am reconciled to him? Therefore the gospel alone is the ministration of reconciliation.

Now, this reconciliation is brought about by a poor sinner's being introduced to Jesus Christ; and when once he sees his enmity and hatred to God, feeling the misery of departing from him, and being conscious that he is obnoxious to eternal wrath, flies to Jesus as to a place of refuge, and expects a reconciliation only through the blood of the Lamb.

2. My brethren, if God is our God and our glory, we should do all to the glory of God. Religion, as I have often told you, turns our whole life into one continued sacrifice of love to God. As a needle, when once touched by a loadstone, turns to a particular pole, so the heart that is touched by the love of God turns to his God again.

When a soul is turned to God, every day is a Sabbath, every meal is a spiritual refreshment, and every sentence he speaks should be a sermon; and whether he stays abroad or at home, whether he is on the exchange or locked up in a closet, he can say, "O God, thou art my God!"

3. If God is your glory, then you love His cross. If God is our glory, we shall glory not only in doing but in suffering for Him; we shall glory in tribulation, and count ourselves most highly honored when we are called to suffer most for His great name's sake.

Lord God Almighty, make us content to be vilified whilst here, make us content to be despised while below, make us content to have evil things spoken of us all for Christ's sake, yet a little while! The more we are honored by His grace to suffer, the more we shall be honored in the kingdom of heaven. Oh, that thought! Oh, that blessed thought! Oh, that soul-transporting thought!

If there be any of you that have not yet called God your God, may God help you to do so tonight. Who knows but those that have served the lust of the flesh and the pride of life for their god, may now take the Lord to be their God? Oh! if I could but see this, I think I could drop down dead for you.

My dear Christians, will you not help me, you that go and call God your God? Go and beg of God for those that are in the gall of bitterness, that have no God or Christ to go to, and if they were to die tonight would be damned forever. O poor sinner, where is your glory then? Where is your purple and fine linen? Your purple robes will be turned into purple fire, and instead of calling God your God, you will be damned with the devil.

Oh, think of your danger! O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD! If you never have been awakened before, may the arrows of God, steeped in the blood of Jesus Christ, reach your heart now!

Think how you live at enmity with God; think of your danger every day and every hour, your danger of dropping into hell; think how your friends in glory will leave you. And may this consideration, under the influence of the Holy Ghost, excite you to choose God for your God! O man, O woman, God is willing to be a sinner's God; He has found out a way whereby He can be reconciled to you.

You that can call God yours, God help you from this moment to glorify Him more and more; and I am persuaded that if God be your God and your glory, if the love of God abounds in your hearts, you will be willing on every occasion to do everything to promote His honor and glory. O God, be Thou their God! And grant that their God may be their glory. Even so, Lord Jesus! Amen.


Taken from Memoirs of Rev. George Whitefield, compiled by Dr. John Gillies and published in 1834.