Monday, January 5, 2026

D. L. Moody on Christians "Living in Doubting Castle"


"There is another thought I want to bring out, and that is, it is the privilege of every child of God in this vast assembly to know that their names are written in the Book of Life, and believe we can have that assurance that our names have gone on before us, and are registered in heaven. Christ sent out His disciples, seventy of them, and told them to go into the towns and villages, and preach the kingdom of God, and tell the glad tidings to the inhabitants; and when these men came back they had had wonderful success. Why, they said that the very devils were subject to them. All they had to do was to command the devils to leave the men, and the devils fled before them. They were all elated with their wonderful success; revivals had followed everywhere they had been; they were revival preachers; they were evangelists going into the towns and preaching. I have not any doubt but that there was a good deal of prejudice against them, but they went on preaching the glad tidings, and when they came back, Christ says, 'Well now, do not rejoice at that; I will tell you what to rejoice over. Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.' And I would like to ask every one in this audience to-night this question, Is your name there? Can you rejoice to-night that your name is written in heaven, that your name is in the Book of Life? Says Christ to His disciples, 'Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.'

[...]

Yes, every one whose names are written in the Book of Life shall not perish, but shall be saved....Oh, it is the privilege of every child of God to have his name there, and to know that it is there. I find so many people

LIVING IN DOUBTING CASTLE.

Why, it is salvation by doubts nowadays instead of by faith; there are so few that dare to say, 'I know that my Redeemer liveth; I know in whom I have believed.' We find most Christians nowadays shivering and trembling from head to foot, they do not know whether they are saved or not. Yes, Christ never would have told His disciples to have rejoiced unless they had known that their names were there."

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Source: D. L. Moody, The London Discourses of Mr. D. L. Moody (London: 1875), pp. 121-123.
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1 comment:

  1. mark delsignoreJanuary 06, 2026 12:41 PM

    Some in Free Grace teach that "assurance is of the essence of saving faith." Do you agree with that ? Why or why not?

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