Confidence explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Faith and Trust in Christ

  The speaker's confidence is rooted in God's promise and Christ's intercession, despite personal sin and doubt.

• Spiritual Warfare

  Doubts are portrayed as Satan's sly suggestions, which the believer must resist by relying on God's promise.

Characters to notice

• God

  The speaker relies on God's promise and character, acknowledging His strength and truthfulness.

• Satan

  Satan is identified as the source of sly suggestions and doubts that assault the believer's hope.

• Jesus Christ

  The speaker confides in Christ's intercession and death as the basis for forgiveness and plea.

• The Narrator

  The speaker expresses personal confidence, acknowledges past sin, and resolves to trust in God's promise.

Key passages

• “Yes! since God himself has said it, On the promise I rely; His good word demands my credit, What can unbelief reply; He is strong, and can fulfill; He is truth, and therefore will.”

  Because God has spoken, I trust His promise; His character guarantees He will do what He says, so unbelief has no answer.

  The speaker grounds confidence in God's veracity and power.

• “As to all the doubts and questions Which my spirit often grieve, These are Satan’s sly suggestions, And I need no answer give.”

  The doubts that trouble me are from Satan, and I don't need to engage with them; the promise upholds my hope.

  Doubts are external attacks, not truths to be entertained.

• “Sure the Lord thus far has brought me By his watchful tender care; Sure ’tis he himself has taught me How to seek his face by pray’r: After so much mercy past, Will he give me up at last?”

  God has guided me and taught me to pray; after all His past mercy, He will not abandon me now.

  Past faithfulness is evidence of future perseverance.

• “True, I’ve been a foolish creature, And have sinn’d against his grace! But forgiveness is his nature, Though he justly hides his face; Ere he call’d me, well he knew What a heart like mine would do.”

  I admit my sin, but God's nature is to forgive; He knew my weakness before He called me.

  Sin does not negate God's forgiving character.

• “In my Saviour’s intercession Therefore I will still confide; Lord, accept my free confession, I have sinn’d but thou hast died: This is all I have to plead, This is all the plea I need.”

  I trust in Christ's intercession; I confess my sin, but His death is my only and sufficient plea.

  Christ's atonement is the sole basis for acceptance.