Character of Jesus

Rejection of this Gift is No Small Sin

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God, The Father, the unbelieving life Leave a comment

…he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. – John 3:36

What is this peculiar sin which entails the wrath of God upon these people? It is that they have not believed the Son of God. What does that amount to? It amounts to this, first of all, that they refuse to accept the mercy of God. God made a law, and His creatures were bound to respect and obey it. We rejected it and turned aside from it. It was a great display of the heart’s hatred, but it was not in some respects so thoroughly and intensely wicked a manifestation of enmity to God as when we reject the Gospel of grace.

God has now presented not the law, but the Gospel to us. He has said, “My creatures, you have broken My law, you have acted very vilely towards Me. I must punish your sin, else I were not God, and I cannot lay aside My justice, but I have devised a way by which, without any injury to any of My attributes, I can have mercy upon you. I am ready to forgive the past, and to restore you to more than your lost position, so that you shall be My sons and My daughters. My only command to you is, believe in My Son. If this command be obeyed, all the blessings of My new covenant shall be yours. Trust Him and follow Him, for behold, I give Him as leader and commander to the people. Accept Him as making atonement by His substitution and obey Him.”

Now, to reject the law of God shows an evil heart of unbelief, but who shall say what a depth of rebellion must dwell in that heart which refuses not only the yoke of God, but even the gift of God? The provision of a Savior for lost men is the free gift of God, by it all our wants are supplied, all our evils are removed, peace on earth is secured to us, and glory forever with God—the rejection of this gift cannot be a small sin.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1012.cfm

The One Thing Needful

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, Sovereignty of God, the unbelieving life Leave a comment

…he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. – John 3:36

It must be admitted that not a few of these (unbelieving) persons are blameless as to their morals. You could not, with close observation, find either dishonesty, falsehood, uncleanness, or malice in their outward life. They are not only free from these blots, but they manifest positive excellences. Much of their character is commendable. They frequently are courteous and compassionate, generous and gentle-minded. Often times they are so amiable and admirable, that while looking upon them, we understand how our Lord, in a similar case, loved the young man who asked, “What lack I yet?” The one thing needful they are destitute of is they have not believed in Christ Jesus, and loath as the Savior was to see them perish, yet it cannot be helped, one doom is common to all who believe not. They shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on them. “God is angry with the wicked every day.”

In many cases these persons are, in addition to their morality, religious persons after a fashion. They would not absent themselves from the usual service of the place of worship. They are most careful to respect the Sabbath, they venerate the Book of God, they use a form of prayer, they join in the songs of the Sanctuary, they sit as God’s people sit and stand as God’s people stand. But alas, there is a worm in the center of that fair fruit, they have missed the one essential thing, which, being omitted, brings certain ruin. They have not believed on the Son of God. Ah, how far a man may go, and yet, for lack of this one thing, the wrath of God may still abide upon him. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1012.cfm

Who is the Unhappy Man?

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

…he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. – John 3:36

Who is the unhappy man spoken of here? Is he a person to be met with only once in a century? Must we search the crowds through and through to find an individual in this miserable plight? Ah! no, the persons who are here spoken of are common. They abound even in our holy assemblies. They are to be met with by thousands in our streets. Alas, alas! they form the vast majority of the world’s population. Jesus Christ, out of infinite mercy, has come into the world, has taken upon Himself our nature, and in that nature has suffered the just for the unjust, to bring us to God. By reason of His sufferings, the Gospel message is now proclaimed to all men, and they are honestly assured that, “Whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Jesus has come unto His own, and His own have not received Him, the Jewish race remains unbelieving. While the Gentiles, to whom He was to be a light, prefer to sit in darkness and reject His brightness. The persons here spoken of are those who believe not the Son of God. They hear the Gospel but refuse obedience to its command. Let it not be imagined that these individuals are necessarily avowed skeptics, for many of them believe much of the revealed truth. They believe the Bible to be the Word of God. They believe there is a God. They believe that Jesus Christ is come into the world as a Savior. They believe the doctrine of election, but they have not the faith of God’s elect. They swear by final perseverance but persevere in unbelief. They believe most of the doctrines which cluster around the cross. They accept in creed the truths that are assuredly believed among us, but they have not received that faithful saying, worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. At any rate, they have not received it personally and practically for their souls’ salvation. Alas! they may do this, but yet the wrath of God abides on them, if they believe not the Son of God. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1012.cfm

The Discriminator John the Baptist

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

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. – John 3:36.

John the Baptist was evidently a preacher who knew how to discriminate—a point in which so many fail—he separated between the precious and the vile, and therefore he was as God’s mouth to the people. He does not address them as all lost nor as all saved, but he shows the two classes. He keeps up the line of demarcation between him that fears God and him that fears Him not. We have not many sermons by that mighty preacher, but we have just sufficient to prove that he knew how to lay the axe at the root of the tree by preaching the law of God most unflinchingly; and also that he knew how to declare the gospel, for no one could have uttered sentences which more clearly contain the way of salvation than those in the text before us.

He plainly declares the privileges of the believer, he says he has even now eternal life, and with equal decision he testifies to the sad state of the unbeliever, “He shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John the Baptist might usefully instruct many professedly Christian preachers. Although he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John the Baptist, and ought, therefore, more clearly to bear witness to the truth, yet there are many who muddle the Gospel, who teach philosophy, who preach a mingle-mangle, which is neither law nor Gospel, and these might well go to the school of this rough preacher of the wilderness, and learn from him how to cry, “Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world.” ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1012.cfm

We Must Continue Marching

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

I delight to do Thy will, O my God. – Psalm 40:8

Brethren, I believe it is the duty of the Christian church to go on working quite as earnestly and zealously and believingly, if there be no conversions, as if half the world were transformed in a twelve month. Our business is not to create a harvest but to sow the seed; if the wheat does not come up, if we have sown it aright, our Master does not hold us responsible. If missions had been an utter failure it would be no sort of reason why we should give them up. There was a great failure when the hosts of Israel, on the first occasion, went round Jericho; a dreadful failure when they marched round the city twice, and the walls shook not; it was an aggravated failure when they had compassed it four times; it was a most discouraging defeat when they had tramped round it five times; and, on the whole, a breakdown, almost enough to drive them to despair, when they had performed the circuit six times and not a single brick had stirred in the wall. Yes; but then the seventh day made amends, when the people shouted and all the walls fell flat to the ground. Brethren, it is not yet time to shout, but we must continue marching and say, “Let God be magnified.” The longer the walls stand, and the longer we wait, the louder will be our shout when they lie prostrate before us, as they shall; for, “Verily, verily, I say unto you there shall not be one stone left upon another that shall not be cast down.”

Let us still continue to attack the adversary. We are few, but strength lies not in numbers. The Eternal One has used the few where He has put aside the many. In our weakness lies part of our adaptation to the divine work; only let us gather up fresh faith, and renew our courage and industry, and we shall see greater things than these. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1013.cfm

Let His Praise Be Great and Endless

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

Let all those that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee: let such as love Thy salvation say continually, “The LORD be magnified.” – Psalm 40:16

The world is dull and sleepy, and utterly indifferent to the glory of God in the work of redemption. We need to tell it over and over and over again, that God is great in the salvation of His people. There are many, who will rise up and deny God’s Glory; revilers of all sorts abound in rage; but over and above their clamor, let the voice of truth be heard, “Let God be magnified.” They cry, “the Bible is worn out.” They doubt its inspiration, they question the deity of Christ, they set up new gods that have lately come up, that our fathers knew not. Let us confront them with the truth, let us oppose them with the gospel, let us overcome them through the blood of the Lamb, using this one only war-cry, “Let God be magnified.” Everywhere in answer to all blasphemy, in direct conflict with profanity, let us lift up this voice with heart and soul. “Let God be magnified.”

It is only right, and according to the fitness of things, that God should be magnified in the world which He Himself created. Such a handiwork deserves admiration from all who behold it. But when He new-made the world, and especially when He laid the foundation of His new palace in the fair colors of Jesus’ blood and adorned it with the sapphires of grace and truth; He had a double claim upon our praise. He gave His Son to redeem us, and for this let His praise be great and endless. Things are out of joint if God the Redeemer be not glorified. Surely the wheels of nature revolve amiss, if God, the loving and gracious, be not greatly magnified. As every right-hearted man desires to see right and justice done, therefore does he wish that those who love God’s salvation may say continually, “Let God be magnified.”… He who blesses God blesses himself. We cannot serve God with the heart without serving ourselves most practically. Nothing, brethren, is more for your benefit than to spend and be spent for the promotion of the divine honor. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1013.cfm

May God Be Glorified in Me

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

Let all those that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee: let such as love Thy salvation say continually, “The LORD be magnified.” – Psalm 70:4

Brethren, the text tells us this must be continual. How earnest you feel about the cause of Christ when you have heard an inspiriting sermon, but how long does it last? Ah, those old days of mission enterprise, when Exeter Hall used to be crowded because missionaries had interesting stories to tell of what God was doing-what enthusiasm there used to be-where is it now? Where is it now? Echo might well answer “where is it now?” To a great degree it has departed. The zeal of many rises and falls like a barometer. They are hot as fire, and cold as ice, in the shortest space; their fervor is as transient as the flame of thorns, and hence it is very hard to turn it to any practical account. Oh, for more of the deep-seated principle of intense love to God’s salvation, steady and abiding, which shall make a man say continually, “Let God be magnified.” We would desire to wake up in the morning with this on our lips. We would begin with the enquiry, “What can I do to magnify God this day?” We would be in business in the middle of the day, and yet never lose the one desire to magnify God. We would return to our family at night, urged by the same impulse, “How can I magnify God in my household?” If I lie sick, I would feel that I must magnify God by patience; if I rise from that bed, I would feel the sweet obligation to magnify Him by gratitude; if I take a prominent position, I am doubly bound to magnify Him who makes me a leader to His dock, and, if I be unknown and obscure in the church, I must with equal zeal magnify Him by a conscientious discharge of the duties of my position. Oh, to have one end always before us, and to press forward towards it, neither turning to the right hand nor to the left. As though we were balls shot out of a rifled cannon we would rush on, never hesitating or turning aside, but flying with all speed towards the center of the target. May our spirits be impelled by a divine energy towards this one only thing. The Lord be magnified! whether I live or die, may God be glorified in me! All of us, women as well as men, illiterate as well as learned, poor as well as rich, silent as well as eloquent, should after our own ability say, “Let God be magnified.” Oh, would to God we were all stirred up to this! ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1013.cfm