Character of Jesus

Manifested Mystery of God

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, promises, salvation Leave a comment

The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. -Nahum 1:3

The ways of God are hidden ones. Cowper did not say amiss when he sang,-

“He plants His footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.”

His footsteps cannot be seen, for, planted on the sea, the next wave washes them out; and placed in the storm, rioting as the air then is, every impression of His chariot wheels is soon erased. Look at God, and at whatever He has deigned to do, and you will always see Him to have been a hidden God. He has concealed Himself, and all His ways have been veiled in the strictest mystery. Consider His works of salvation. How did He hide Himself when He determined to save mankind? He did not manifestly reveal Himself to our forefathers. He gave them simply one dim lamp of prophecy which shone in words like these “The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent’s head;” and for four thousand years God concealed His Son in mystery, and no one understood what the Son of God was to be. The smoking incense beclouded their eyes, and while it showed something of Jesus, it did hide far more. The burning victim sent its smoke up towards the sky, and it was only through the dim mists of the sacrifice that the pious Jew could see the Saviour. Angels themselves, we are told, desired to look into the mysteries of redemption, yet though they stood with their eyes intently fixed upon it, until the hour when redemption developed itself on Cavalry, not a single angel could understand it. The profoundest sage might have sought to find out how God could be just and yet the justifier of the ungodly; but he would have failed in his investigations. The most intensely pious man might meditate, with the help of that portion of God’s Spirit which was then given to the prophets, on this mighty subject, and he could not have discovered what the mystery of godliness was- “God manifest in the flesh.” God marched in clouds, “He walked in the whirlwinds;” He did not deign to tell the world what He was about to do; for it is His plan to gird Himself in darkness, and “the clouds are the dust of His feet.” Ah! and so it always has been in Providence as well as grace. God never condescends to make things very plain to His creatures. He always does rightly; and therefore, He wants His people always to believe that He does rightly. But if He showed them that He did so, there would be no room for their faith.~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0036.cfm

The God of Nature

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, promises, The Father, The Holy Spirit Leave a comment

The LORD hath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. -Nahum 1:3

Wherever I look abroad in nature I love to discern my Father’s name spelled out in living characters; and if we had any fields a little greener than Moorfields, Smithfield, and Spafields, I would do as Isaac did, go into the fields at eventide and muse and meditate upon the God of nature. I thought in the cool of last evening I would muse with my God, by His Holy Spirit, and see what message He would give me. There I sat and watched the clouds, and learned a lesson in the great hall of Nature’s college. The first thought that struck me was this, as I saw the white clouds rolling in the sky, soon shall I see my Saviour mounted on a great white throne, riding on the clouds of heaven, to call men to judgment. My imagination could easily picture the scene, when the quick and the dead should stand before His great white throne, and should hear His voice pronounce their changeless destiny. I remembered, moreover, that text in the Proverbs, “He that observeth the wind shall not sow and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.” I thought how many a time myself and my brother ministers have regarded the clouds. We have listened to the voice of prudence and of caution we have regarded the clouds, we have stops when we ought to have been sowing because we were afraid of the multitude, or we refused to reap and take in the people into our churches, because some good brother thought we were too hasty about the matter. I rose up and thought to myself, I will regard neither the clouds nor the winds, but when the wind blows a hurricane I will throw the seed with my hands, if peradventure the tempest may waft it further still; and when the clouds are thick, still I will reap, and rest assured that God will preserve His own wheat, whether I gather it under clouds or in the sunshine. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0036.cfm

May Ye, Sinner, Never Know It!

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, promises, salvation Leave a comment

And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. -Matthew 13:50

Should ye die Godless and Christless, a strong hand will seize you on your death-bed, and irresistibly you will be borne along through the vast expanse of ether, unknowing whither you are tending, but with the dread thought that you are in the hand of a demon, who with an iron hand is bearing you most swiftly on. Down he plungeth thee! Ah! what a fall were that my friends! to find yourselves there in that desperate land of torments! May you never know it! Words cannot tell you of it now. I can but just call up a few dread horrible emotions; I can but picture it in a few short rough words: may you never know it! Would ye wish to escape: there is but one door. Would ye be saved: there is but one way. Would ye find entrance into heaven and escape from hell: there is but one road. The road is this-“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned.” To believe is to trust in Jesus. As an old divine used to say, “Faith is recumbency on Christ.” But it is too hard a word. He meant, faith is lying down on Christ. As a child lieth on its mother’s arms, so is faith; as the seaman trusteth to his bark, so is faith; as the old man leaneth on his staff, so is faith; as I may trust, there is faith. Faith is to trust. Trust in Jesus, He will ne’er deceive you:

“Venture on Him, venture wholly,
Let no other trust intrude;
None but Jesus
Can do helpless sinners good.”

Thus may you escape that furnace of fire into which the wicked must be cast. God bless you all, for His name’s sake. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0035.cfm

Comfort for the Tried Ones

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation Leave a comment

Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. -Daniel 3:25

Comfort thyself, thou tried one, with this thought: God saith, “I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.” The fire is hot, but He has chosen me; the furnace burns, but He has chosen me; these coals are hot, the place I love not, but He has chosen me… Whatever (the fiery trial) is, I know that He has chosen me.

The next comfort is that you have the Son of Man with you in the furnace. In that silent bedchamber of yours, there sitteth by your side one whom thou hast not seen, but whom thou lovest; and ofttimes when thou knowest it not, He makes all thy bed in thy affliction, and smoothes thy pillow for thee. Thou art in poverty; but in that lonely house of thine that hath nought to cover its bare walls, where thou sleepest on a miserable pallet, dost thou know that the Lord of life and glory is a frequent visitor; He often treads those bare floors, and putting His hands upon those walls He consecrates them!…He loves to come into these desolate places that He may visit thee. The Son of Man is with thee, Christian. Thou canst not see Him, but thou mayest feel the pressure of His hands. Dost thou not hear His voice? It is the valley of the shadow of death: thou seest nothing; but He says, “Fear not, I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God.” …Fear not, Christian! thou carriest Jesus in the same boat with thee, and all His fortune! He is with thee in the same fire. The same fire that scorches thee, scorches Him. …Wilt thou not take hold of Jesus, then, and say-

“Through floods and flames, if Jesus lead,
I’ll follow where He goes.”

Feeling that you are safe in His hands, will you not laugh even death to scorn, and triumph over the sting of the grave, because Jesus Christ is with you? ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0035.cfm

Benefits of the Fiery Trials

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises Leave a comment

He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. -Titus2:14

What are the benefits of the furnace? Very simply and briefly then, one benefit to be derived from the furnace is, that it purifies us. I was very kindly shown by some of the magistrates of Glasgow over one of the largest ship-building works I had ever seen. I saw them cast certain articles while I was present. I noticed them put the metal in the crucible, and after subjecting it to an intense heat, I saw them pour it out like water into the moulds, but first they removed the impurities from the top; but the scum would never have come on the top had it not been for the fire. They could not extract the dross if it had not been put in the furnace and melted. That is the benefit of the furnace to God’s people; it melts, tries, and purifies them. They get rid of their dross; and if we can but get rid of that, we may be willing to suffer all the misery in the world. The man who is very badly diseased, may stop a long while before he is willing that the doctor’s knife shall be used upon him; but when death comes to his bedside, he will say at last. “Anything, physician; anything, surgeon; if you can but get this disease away-cut as deep as you please.” I confess I have the greatest antipathy to pain; but nevertheless, a greater pain will make one bear a less one to relieve it. And as sin is pain to God’s people; as it is a weary torment, they will be willing, if necessary, to have their right hand cut off, or their right eye plucked out, rather than having two eyes or two hands, to be cast into hell-fire. The furnace is a good place for you, Christian; it benefits you; it helps you to become more like Christ, and it is fitting you for heaven. The more furnace-work you have the sooner you will get home; for God will not keep you long out of heaven when you are fit for it. When all the dross is burned, and the tin is gone, He will say, “Bring hither that wedge of gold; I do not keep my pure gold on earth. I will put it away with my crown jewels in the secret place of my tabernacle of heaven.”~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0035.cfm

A Living Sacrifice

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

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. -Romans 12:1

Now every sacrifice must be burned with fire… They killed the bullock and laid it on the altar, but it was no sacrifice till they burned it. They slew the lamb, they laid the wood; but there was no sacrifice in the killing of the lamb till it was burned. Know ye not, brethren, we are offerings to God, and that we are a living sacrifice unto Jesus Christ. But how could we be a sacrifice if we were not burned? If we never had the fire of trouble put about us, if we never were kindled, we should lie there without smoke, without flame, unacceptable to God. But because ye are His sacrifice, therefore ye must be burned; fire must penetrate you and you must be offered a whole burnt offering, holy and acceptable unto God.

Another reason why we must be put in the furnace is, because else we should not be at all like Jesus Christ. How can we be like Christ, unless our feet, too, are burned in the furnace? If He walked through the flames, must not we do the same? -that “in all things He might be like unto His brethren.” We are we know, to be like Christ in that august appearance when He shall come to be admired of all His saints; we are to be like Him when we shall see Him as He is; and shall we fear to be like Him here? Will we not tread where our Saviour trod?

Yes! Onward, Christian! the captain of your salvation hath gone through the dark valley before you-therefore, onward! Onward with boldness! Onward with courage! Onward with hope! that ye may be like your Saviour, by participation in His sufferings. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0035.cfm

His Love Changes Not

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises 4 Comments

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? -Romans 8:35

O blessed reflection! let it comfort us: His love does not change; it cannot be made to alter; the furnace cannot scorch us, not a single hair of our head can perish; we are as safe in the fire as we are out of it; He loves us as much in the depths of tribulation as He does in the heights of our joy and exultation. Oh! thou who art beloved of friends, “when thy father and mother forsake thee the Lord will take thee up.” Thou who canst say, “He that ate bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me,” “though all men forsake thee,” saith Jehovah, “yet will not I.” O Zion, say not thou art forgotten of God; hear Him when He speaks-“Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget yet will I never forget thee.” “I have graven thee upon My hands; thy walls are continually before Me.”

Were we not slandered, were we not the butt of’ ridicule, we would not think ourselves the children of God. We glory that we stand prominent in the day of battle; we thank our enemies for all their shafts, for each one bears upon it proofs of our Father’s love. We thank our foemen for every stab, for it only cuts our armour and rattles on our mail, never reaching the heart. We thank them for every slander they have forged, and for every lie they have manufactured, for we know in Whom we have believed, and know that these things cannot separate us from His love; yea, we take this as a mark of our being called, that we, as the sons of God, can suffer persecution for righteousness’ sake.~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0035.cfm