Character of Jesus

God’s Church: Favoured and Comforted

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises 3 Comments

For the LORD shall comfort Zion…Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. -Isaiah 51:3, 11

What can ye conceive of weeping and lamenting in the house where Jehovah dwelleth? It was a rule with one of the old monarchs that no one should come into his presence sad. In all our afflictions we may draw near to the Lord, but His presence should dispel our sorrow and sighing; for the children of Zion should be joyful in their King. If the Lord dwelleth in the midst of His people, there ought to be shoutings of joy. The presence of the King of Heaven is the heaven of their delight. Moreover, Zion enjoys her Monarch’s love, and therefore, He would have her comforted. We know not how dear to the heart of Christ His Church is, but we do know this: that for His Church He left His Father’s house and came down to earth, and was poor, that she, through His poverty, might be made rich. A man leaveth father and mother, and cleaveth to his wife, and they become one flesh; but what shall I say of the great mystery of this glorious Lover, who left His Father’s house, and did cleave unto His Church, and became one flesh with her that He might lift her up and set her upon His own throne, that she might reign with Him as the Bride, the Lamb’s Wife? Well may, therefore, the Lord desire His Church to be happy. Eternal love has fixed itself upon her. Eternal purposes cluster around her. Eternal power is sworn to protect her. Eternal faithfulness has guaranteed eternal life to all her citizens. Why should she not be comforted? I do not wonder that the text says the Lord will comfort the people whom He has thus favoured. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/3514.cfm

God’s Church: Cleansed and Comforted

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, The Holy Spirit 3 Comments

“For the Lord shall comfort Zion: He will comfort all her waste places and He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.”- Isaiah 51:3

The pedigree of God’s chosen nation Israel may be traced back to one man and one woman-to Abraham and Sarah. Both of them were well stricken in years when the Lord called them, yet, in the fulfillment of His promise, He built up of their seed a great nation, which, for number, was comparable to the stars of heaven. Take heart, brethren; these things are written for our example and for our encouragement. His Church can never sink to so low an ebb that He cannot soon build her up again, nor in our own hearts can the work of grace ever decline so grievously that the same mighty power which once quickened cannot revive and restore us. Think of Abraham and Sarah, childless till they were old, then rejoicing in one son, who became their heir. Hence sprang the great multitude that peopled Palestine. With such a panorama unfolding before you, there is no excuse for despair; but you may find ten thousand reasons for confidence in God.

“The Lord will comfort Zion.” Well He may, for she is His chosen. “The Lord hath chosen Zion.” He would have those upon whom His choice is fixed be glad and happy…He would have His Church rejoice because He has not only chosen her, but He has cleansed her. Jesus has put away the sin of His people by His blood, and by His Spirit He is daily renewing the nature of His children. Sin is the cause of sorrow, and when sin is put away sorrow shall be put away too. The sanctified should be happy. The Lord will, therefore, comfort them:, because He cleansed them. The Church of God is placed where God dwells:-

“Where God doth dwell sure heaven is there;
And singing there should be.”

~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/3514.cfm

Salvation is God’s Greatest Work

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation 2 Comments

“Look unto Me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”- Isaiah 45:22

Salvation is God’s greatest work; and, therefore, in His greatest work, He specially teaches us this lesson, that He is God, and that beside Him there is none else…O, does it not lower the pride of man, when we hear the Lord say, “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth?” It is not. “Look to your priest, and be ye saved:” if you did, there would be another god, and beside Him there would be some one else. It is not “Look to yourself;” if so, then there would be a being who might arrogate some of the praise of salvation. But it is “Look unto Me.” How frequently you who are coming to Christ look to yourselves. “O!” you say, “I do not repent enough.” That is looking to yourself. “I do not believe enough.” That is looking to yourself. “I am too unworthy.” That is looking to yourself. “I cannot discover,” says another, “that I have any righteousness.” It is quite right to say that you have not any righteousness; but it is quite wrong to look for any. It is, “Look unto Me.” God will have you turn your eye off yourself and look unto Him.

From the cross of Calvary, where the bleeding hands of Jesus drop mercy; from the Garden of Gethsemane, where the bleeding pores of the Saviour sweat pardons, the cry comes, “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.” From Calvary’s summit, where Jesus cries, “It is finished,” I hear a shout, “Look, and be saved.” ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0060.cfm

Always and Eternally Rejoicing

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises 3 Comments

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness -Isaiah 61:10

(W)e shall never grow weary of Christ. If we are His people, we shall never have any cause to part from Him; “I will rejoice in Thy salvation.” I could bring up to this platform an aged brother whom all of you would know, who has infirmities and has age creeping upon him, but there is not a happier soul in this house than he; and when I had made him speak to you, I could bring you many more aged women too, and I would ask them what they think of Christ, and I am sure they would say with greater emphasis than I can, “I will rejoice in Thy salvation.” I almost wish my grandfather were alive and behind me to-night, for on one occasion I preached with him in the pulpit, and when I came to speak of experience he pulled my coat-tail and came to the front, and said,”My grandson can tell you that he believes it, but I can tell you experimentally,” and on the old gentleman went with it. Well, many an aged Christian can tell you he has rejoiced in God’s salvation. He does rejoice, and, instead of age making the joy of his youth to become dim, it has mellowed and sweetened the fruit, which was sweet even at the first. Oh! that we may, when these hairs grow hoary with years, and the snows of many winters lie white upon our head, may we still rejoice in God’s salvation.

Millions of ages, throughout all the cycles of years that interpose ere Christ delivers up the kingdom to God, even the Father, and then onward, even through eternity, this always shall be our own ground of rejoicing, “I will rejoice in Thy salvation.” ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/3503.cfm

“I Give Unto My Sheep Eternal Life”

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation 3 Comments

Let all those that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee: and let such as love Thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified. -Psalm 70:4

When the Lord pardoned our sins, He did not pardon half of them, and leave some of them on the book, but with one stroke of the pen He gave a full receipt for all our debts. When we went down into the fountain filled with blood, and washed, we did not come up half-clean, but there was no spot nor wrinkle upon us-we were white as driven snow. Glory be to God for such a rich salvation as this. And He did not in that day save us with a perhaps and a chance salvation that set us on a rock, and say, “Keep yourself there-you must depend upon yourselves”, but this was the covenant He made with us, “A new heart also will I give thee, and a right spirit will I put within thee.” It was a complete salvation, which would not permit a failure. The salvation, which is given to the soul that believes is on this wise, “I give unto My sheep eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of My hand.” “The water that I shall give him shall be a well of water springing up unto everlasting life.” I believe the perseverance of the saints to be the very gem of the gospel. I could not hold the truth of Scripture if this could be disproved to me, for every page seems to have this upon it, if nothing else, that “the righteous shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall wax stronger and stronger.” In this my soul rejoices, that I have a salvation to preach to you which, if you receive it, will effectually save you if your hearts are given to Christ, and will keep you, and preserve you, and bring you into the eternal kingdom of His glory. I will rejoice in the certain and abiding character of that salvation. Oh! there is enough in the salvation of Christ to make heaven full of bliss; there is enough to make us full of praise. Let us take up the theme; let us talk by the way to one another about it; let us talk to sinners about it; let us recommend religion by our cheerfulness. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/3503.cfm

All Joy and All Rejoicing

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation 3 Comments

And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in His salvation. -Psalm 35:9

It is an unfortunate thing that Christianity gets associated with melancholy…It is a good thing for the melancholy to become a Christian; it is an unfortunate thing for the Christian to become melancholy. If there is any man in the world that has a right to have a bright, clear face and a flashing eye, it is the man whose sins are forgiven him, and who is saved with God’s salvation. In order for any man, however, to rejoice in God’s salvation, he must, first of all, know it. There must be an intelligent apprehension of what it is. Next, he must grasp it by an act of faith as his own. Then, having grasped it, he must study it to know the price at which it was bought, and all the qualities-the divine qualities- that follow from it. Then he must hold it fast, and seek to get out the sweetness from it. What is there in God’s salvation that should make us rejoice? I do not know what to select, for it is all joy and all rejoicing. It is enough to make our heart to ring with joy to think that there should be a salvation at all for such poor souls as we are. We may well hang out all the streamers of our spirits, and strew the streets of our soul with flowers, for King Jesus has come to dwell there. Ring every bell; give Him a glorious welcome. Let all the souls be glad when Jesus enters and brings salvation with Him, for the salvation of Christ is so suitable that we may well rejoice in it. Dear brother, if you are saved, I know the salvation of Christ suited you. It did me-exactly-it was made on purpose for me. I am as sure of it as if there were no other sinner to be saved. It was the gospel that brought power to the weak, nay, it brought life to the dead; it brought everything to those that had nothing; it is just the sort of gospel for a penniless, bankrupt sinner like myself. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/3503.cfm

Beware of a Sunny-Weather Religion

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, prayer, promises, salvation, The Holy Spirit 4 Comments

But I have trusted in Thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation. -Psalm 13:5

“If on my face for Thy dear name,
Shame and reproach may be;
I’ll hail reproach and welcome shame,
For Thou (shalt) remember me.”

It takes some pluck, but we ought to have it in the cause of Christ. Your mean, miserable wretches that will only go out to follow Christ in sunny weather, and get them gone again when a cloud darkens the sky, deserve well the wrath that comes upon them. They are like the Nautilus, very well on the placid sea, but the first billow that arises they furl their sails and drop into the deep, and are seen no more. Oh! beware, beware, beware of a sunny-weather religion; beware of a religion that will not stand the fire; but be you such that, if all the world forsook Christ, you would say, “I will rejoice in His salvation”; and if you were turned out of doors, if you were turned out of the world itself, and thought not fit to live, you would yet be content to have it so, if you might be numbered with the people of God, and be permitted to rejoice in His salvation.

I cannot forget, when I sat as a young lad under the gallery of a little place of worship, hearing the gospel simply preached-the blessed moment when I was led to resolve to follow Christ. I have never been ashamed of having done so. I have never had to regret it. He is a blessed Master. He has handled me roughly lately, but He is a blessed Master. I would follow at His heels if only like a dog, for it is better to be His dog than to be the devil’s darling. He is a blessed Master…O eternal Spirit, come and touch some heart, and make this, their spiritual birthright, that they may say, “I will rejoice in Thy salvation.” ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/3503.cfm