Some time ago, I was a good church member, and
boy, I sang on the choir. And I thought this
was enough to get me to heaven. Until one day,
a college lad talked to me about Jesus Christ.
And he said, Jimmy, in all the good that you
do, account for naught, except you know Jesus
Christ. And so it was on August 23rd, 1954, at
10 .30 a .m., I bowed my head and asked Jesus
Christ to come into my heart and to save me.
And I prayed from that day on that my singing,
my life, would be for him. You see, I know that
it's real. I did not know for certain that my
sins were washed away. When the spirit tried
to tell me, I would not the truth receive. I
endeavor to be happy and to make myself believe.
But it's real, it's real. living such a life
of fear and doubt for I wanted God to give me
something that I would know about so the truth
would make me happy and the light would clearly
shine and the spirit gave assurance that I'm
his and he is mine but it's really I touched
him and I sparred from smitten steel. Jimmy McDonald.
And I want you to know it is real. And there
are literally thousands upon thousands who have
had that wonderful experience of being born again.
Salvation is as real as God himself. Salvation
is as real as the person of Jesus Christ. Salvation
is the most real thing that can happen to any
individual. Do you know what I'm talking about?
Do you know what Jimmy's been singing about?
And remember something. Salvation is not based
on feeling. Salvation is based on facts. I'm
going to pause for just a few minutes and explain
something to you because sometimes I... think
that there are those who do not realize that
one's feelings, the ecstasy, the thrill of a
wonderful experience with the Lord Jesus Christ
has nothing to do with the facts. You and I are
saved on facts, on the Word of God. on what Jesus
did for us on the cross. We accept the pardon.
We accept what Jesus did for us by faith and
faith alone. The fact is that you and I were
born in sin. But Jesus came and died on the cross.
He paid the price in full by his... death. And
we reach out and accept that for ourselves personally,
what Jesus did for us. He bought and paid for
the whole thing. All we have to do is to reach
out and personally accept what has already been
bought and paid for, for us. There may not always
be feelings. Not always. In many instances, yes.
Oh, I've seen folk over and time again. Whenever
there's an altar call, respond to that altar
call. And how often I have said to that one,
Didn't you come before? Why do you come again?
Well... We didn't feel we were saved. We didn't
feel that our sins were forgiven. Feeling has
nothing to do with it whatsoever. You are saved
on facts. And the moment, by faith, you accept
what Jesus did for you, you accept the pardon,
it's done. If we confess our sins, he is able
and just to forgive us our sins. The very minute
that you confess, that moment it's done. Whether
there are any feelings involved or not. But the
feelings will come. The ecstasy, the joy will
come. When you realize that you passed from death
unto life. When you realize that... God is your
Heavenly Father now. When you realize that your
sins are forgiven and that you do not have to
stand in judgment before God and give an account
of those sins that after that moment of your
new birth experience were all forgiven. If that
doesn't make you happy, if that doesn't bring
you real joy and ecstasy, nothing will. But you're
saved on facts and not... Of course, there's
some people who had their entire life governed
by feelings. If when they awaken in the morning,
they don't feel good, then it's a hectic world.
Oh, I tell you, they make life miserable for
their family, for their neighbors, for everything
with whom they come in contact with. If they
awaken and they feel good, it's a wonderful world.
Everything hinges on how they feel. They have
victory if they feel good. If they have hit the
bottom of depression, God's forsaken them. Everything.
Everything depends on whether they've had a good
night's sleep. Well, now, God doesn't change.
whether or not you've stepped well the night
before. You know, it's kind of like that. And
it often happens that when a believer enters
upon a life of victory over voluntary sin, that
he experiences a joy and an ecstasy and a thrill
which make him feel as if he were treading on
air. But this is not always the case. And we
must not suppose that an absence of thrills is
a proof that Christ has not come into his fullness.
God wants us to trust him. He wants us to trust
his word and not to rely upon feelings. I beg
of you today, do not rely upon feelings. Rely
upon facts. Folks, I beg of you. Think less of
feelings. Think less of the victory. Less of
the blessing. And more of the blesser. More of
the person of Jesus. More of the person of God
the Father. More of the person of the Holy Spirit.
And less of your own feelings. It's just like
that. Do not then be examining or testing your
victory or testing your faith. Faith isn't something
that you can just reach down your pocket and
take it out and look at it and examine it and
then put it back in your pocket again. You know,
it's kind of like that. Your salvation isn't
something that you just open a little bag and
take it out and look at it and then... Put it
back in again. No. It's a life. Literally, definitely
a life. Salvation is a life. Victory over sin
is a life. Being filled with the Holy Spirit
is something more than just one definite experience
for 5 or 10 or 15 minutes. It's... a life. Therefore,
do not examine or test your victory, but just
simply maintain a simple and constant trust in
God. A day by day, an hour by hour, a moment
by moment, living in Him, knowing that He cannot
He will not fail. Sometimes I think it's really
better to enter into the victorious life by simple
faith, unaccompanied by ecstasy or by thrill.
Sometimes I know we hear people talk about that
wonderful experience. Mine was like that. I had
feeling with my experience when I was born again.
But there are thousands who are born again without
any feeling. Feeling has nothing to do with it.
And sometimes I think it's better to have the
experience without feeling and let the feeling
come later. Then you will not live so much by
feeling, you know. Whether you have any feeling
or not. It doesn't change the fact that if you've
been born again, God is your heavenly father
and he's right there. Jesus Christ does not change
feeling or no feeling. He's still your great
high priest. He's still right there to pray you
through. The Holy Spirit is still the wonderful
power of the... Whether you feel his presence
or you don't feel his presence, he's still there.
For when the thrill and the feeling subsides
and life seems humdrum and commonplace, we may
be tempted to think that the victory has vanished
with the thrill. Again I read... Repeat what
I say so often. Remember. Fact comes first. Faith
is second. And feeling is third. And that should
always remain the order. Now continue with me
a little further. Do not be surprised if... Others
failed to see our victory. I can always remember
what Julia, our precious Jewish lady, said when
she gave her testimony. My, she said, when I
found Christ as my Savior in Carnegie Auditorium
in Pittsburgh. It was such a glorious experience.
I thought that when I would go home, my husband,
my whole family, when I told them about it, they
would all do the same thing and have the same
experience that I had. But she said they just
looked at me. They thought that I was just a
little nuts. Well, then I was just sure, knowing
my family, and families are kind of funny, that
my friends, when I would tell them about it,
They would, oh, surely they were intelligent.
They had confidence in me. I was sure that they
would understand. And they'd all rush down to
Carnet Auditorium the next time there was a service
and get the same thing that I had. But she said,
lo and behold, they weren't moved at all. And
then, of course, I... was almost critical. Regarding
my family, my husband, my friends, I almost felt
they were stupid, you know. Remember something.
Only one man ever lived a sinless life, a really
victorious life all through, and that's the man
Christ Jesus. But the leaders of religion his
days on earth were so blinded that they failed
to see the victorious life in him. And so they
called him a wine -bibber. That's right. They
had no understanding whatsoever of the perfection
in the life of Jesus Christ. They were so blinded,
they did not even recognize that he was the very
son of the living God. And they called his perfection.
They called that sinless life for the son of
God. They called him a wine -bibber. And they
may call you something worse than that. Just
smile. Never fight back. This is what they said
of Jesus. We know that this man is a sinner.
Think of it. We know this man is a sinner, they
said of Christ. And so we must not be surprised
if men fail to recognize the victorious life
in us. Continue to be humble. I tell you that's
the most convincing thing in the world of...
A life that is victorious in Christ Jesus. There's
nothing greater. Humility is the greatest of
all Christian graces. Humility. The greatest
of all Christian graces. There's nothing more
convincing to an unbeliever than humility in
the life of one who's following Jesus. We must
be humble. And when... Others oppress us when
they deny our sincerity or they say we're not
orthodox. No spirit of unlove, no root of bitterness
must come in. Whatever you do, do not show a
spirit of bitterness. Whatever you do. Do not
show a holier -than -thou feeling. Do not entertain
the feeling I've got for one minute or our victory
is broken and your influence will be lost. There's
nothing in the world that is more disgusting
than one who professes to be a Christian and
manifests a spirit of holier -than -thou. It's
disgusting. It's nauseating. And I'm going to
go a little further while we're discussing this.
And that is regarding those who've been filled
with the Holy Spirit, who have received the baptism
with the Holy Spirit. I would doubt your experience
filled with the spirit, that you manifest a spirit
of spiritual bigotry. And you're smug in your
attitude. And you display a holier -than -thou
attitude. that has nothing to do whatsoever with
the Holy Spirit. That is not a part of his personality.
But humility is. If Jesus, the very Son of the
Living God, could become a servant, he who did
gird himself with a towel, And wash the feet,
the dusty feet of his disciples. Setting an example
for you and for me. As a servant. Then surely
those of us who have been filled with the Holy
Spirit. Must live to serve. And we will manifest.
the humility of our Lord and our Savior, and
the one, the Holy Spirit, who equips us with
power for service.