Character of Jesus

Our Faith is God’s Work

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, prayer, promises 1 Comment

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith -Hebrews 12:2

It is God’s work to feed faith, as well as to give it life at first; and if any of you desire to have a growing faith, go and take your burden this morning to God’s throne, crying “Lord, increase our faith!” If you feel that your troubles have been increased, go to the Lord, and say, “increase our faith!” If your money is accumulating, go to the Lord, and say, “Increase our faith;” for you will want more faith as you get more prosperity. If your property is diminishing, go to Him, and say, “increase our faith,” so that what you lose in one scale you may gain in the other. Are you sickly and full of pain this morning? Go to your Master, and say, “increase my faith,’ so that you may not be impatient, but be able to bear it well.” Are you tired and weary? Go and supplicate, “Increase our faith!” Have you little faith? Take it to God, and He will turn it into great faith. There is no hot-house for growing tender plants in, like a house that is within the curtains-the tabernacle of God, where the Shekinah dwelleth.

Let each one ask himself, Do I not want more faith? My brethren and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ, rest assured, you will never get too much of this precious grace. If you pay all the way to heaven, you will never have a penny to spare when you get to heaven’s gate, if you live on faith all your journey through, you will not have a pot of manna left. Pray, then, for an increase of faith. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0032.cfm

Intense Faith

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

Jesus said unto her, Said I not unto you, that, if you would believe, you should see the glory of God?  -John 11:40

The young Christian, at first, is not constant in his faith- a little wind comes, and he shakes, when he gets to be an old Christian it will take old Boreas, with fifty of his winds, to move him. Do you not feel, my dear friends, that you want faith to be increased in its intensity? Would you not sing with Watts:

“Oh! that I had a stronger faith,
To look within the veil;
To credit what my Saviour saith,
Whose word can never fail?”

Your poor little faith cannot see many yards before it, for there are clouds of darkness all around; but strong faith can climb the hill that is called “Clear,” and from the top thereof can see the celestial city, and the land that is very far off. Oh! may God increase your faith to such a degree, that you may often have visions of heaven”-that you may sweetly sing, as Moses might have done at the top of Pisgah,-

“Oh! the transporting rapturous scene
That rises to my sight.
Sweet fields arrayed in living green,
And rivers of delight.”

That you may climb up there, bathe your eyes in splendor, plunge your soul in rivers of bliss, and be thoroughly transported and carried away by visions of that state of beatitude which shortly shall be yours, let me exhort you to cry to the Lord, “Increase my faith” in its power of realizing heaven and in every other way. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0032.cfm

Faith to Console Us in Our Troubles

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

And He said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace. -Luke 8:48

Now faith is the best cordial to the soul. O, how faith will realize a promise at a time when there is great trouble coming! “Ah!” says faith, “God says, ‘As thy days so shall thy strength be.’ “Ah!” says faith, “it is a rough road; the thorns are sharp; the flints are strewn about it, but then; thy shoes shall be iron and brass,'” and faith looks at the strong old shoes, and say, “I will even venture,” and off she goes. Little faith sits murmuring in a corner; great faith is singing in the fire. “They shall praise Him aloud in their beds, they shall sing His high praise in the fire.” Little faith stands desponding, mingling her tears with the flood. Great faith says, “When thou passest through the river, I will be with thee, the flood shall not overflow thee; when thou passest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flames kindle upon thee.” Would you be comfortable and happy? Would you enjoy religion? Would you have the religion of cheerfulness and not that of gloom? Then seek more faith. You will be saved with ever so little faith, but you will not be saved happily. You will be happy hereafter if you believe in the slightest degree; but you will not be happy here unless you fully, habitually, and earnestly believe-believe strongly in the faithful promises of Jehovah, in all the glorious dignity of His person, and in all the faithfulness and immutability of His grace. If ye would be Christian larks, and not Christian owls, seek to have more faith. If ye love darkness, and would fly about in it in gloom and misery, then be content with little faith. But if ye would mount in sunshine, and carol like the bird of day, then seek strong confidence.~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0032.cfm

Great Faith

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

But we hope that, as your faith increases, our area of influence among you will greatly increase as well -2 Corinthians 10:15

Faith is the foot of the soul by which it can march along the road of the commandments. Love can make the feet move more swiftly; but faith is the foot which carries the soul. Faith is the oil enabling the wheels of holy devotion and of earnest piety to move well; but without faith the wheels are taken from the chariot and we drag along heavily. With faith I can do all things; without faith I shall neither have the inclination nor the power to do anything in the service of God. If you would find the men who serve God the best, you will find them the men of the most faith. Little faith will save a man, but little faith cannot do great things… Little faith can get to heaven very surely, but it often has to run and hide itself in a nutshell; and to lose all but its jewels. If there are great battles and great works to do, there must be great faith. Assurance can carry mountains on its back; little faith stumbles at a mole-hill. Great faith, like Behemoth, can “snuff’ up Jordan at a draught:” little faith is drowned in a drop of rain: it beginneth to think of going back at the slightest trouble. Great faith can build temples; she can pile castles; she can preach the gospel; she can proclaim Christ’s name before enemies; she can do all things; and if you would be great indeed, and serve your Master much, as I trust you will, you will seek increased faith! for by so doing you will be more diligent in duty. O ye active Christians, be full of faith! ye busy Christians, be sure to guard that (faith) for once let that fall, what will ye do? As Sabbath-school teachers, as preachers, as visitors of the sick, or whatever ye have to do, rest assured that faith must be your strength and confidence. If that fails, where are you then?~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0032.cfm

Faith Makes Mighty

Sherry Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises 1 Comment

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. -Ephesians 6:16

That good old warrior, Paul, once led the Ephesians into the armoury and after he had shown them the shoes they were to wear, the girdle, the breast plate, the helmet, and the sword, he solemnly said, “Above all take the shield of faith.” Even if you forget the helmet, be quite sure of the shield, for if your helmet should be off you may ward off a blow with the shield, and save it from your head. You had better put on the “shoes of peace and the breast-plate of righteousness,” but if you omit one of them, take care that you have “the shield of faith, where with you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” Well, now, faith makes a man very mighty when he deals with enemies. If a man believes he is right, only taking it in a natural point of view-bring that man before princes and kings, for the sake of truth, how lion-like will he be! He will say, “I cannot yield, I must not, for I have the truth on my side.” Ay, though others may style it dogged obstinacy, it is a true nobility of soul which bids a man declare, “I will not yield.” Much more strong is true spiritual faith; it has taken the martyr to the stake, and enabled him to sing when the flames have girdled him. It has led another to the sea; and like him of whom we read in the old martyrologies, it has helped even the aged matron to cry, “Christ is all yet.” Faith has quenched the violence of the flames, shut the mouth of lions, and out of weakness it has made us strong. It has overcome more enemies than the whole host of conquerors. Tell me not of the victories of Wellington; mention not the battles of Napoleon; tell me of what faith has done! Oh! if we should erect a monument to the honor of faith, what various names should we carve upon the mighty pedestal! ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0032.cfm

Watch Well Thy Faith

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, prayer, promises, The Father 2 Comments

Have faith that you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. -Matthew 21:22

If we want blessings from God, nothing can fetch them down except faith. Prayer cannot draw down answers from God’s throne except it is the earnest prayer of the man who believes. Faith is the ladder on which my soul must walk to ascend to heaven. If I break that ladder how can I ever approach my God? Faith is the angelic messenger between the soul and heaven. Let that angel be withdrawn, I can neither send prayer up nor receive the answers down. Faith is the telegraphic wire which links earth and heaven-on which God’s blessings move so fast that before we call He answers, and while we are yet speaking He hears us. But if that telegraphic wire of faith be snapped, how can we receive the promise? Am I in trouble: I can obtain help for trouble by faith. Am I beaten about by the enemy: my soul on that dear refuge leans by faith. But, take faith away-in vain I call to God. There is no road betwixt my soul and heaven. In the deepest winter time faith is a road on which the horses of prayer may travel-ay, and all the better for the biting frost! But blockade the road, and how can we communicate with our great king? Faith links me with divinity. Faith clothes me with the robes of deity. Faith engages on my side the omnipotence of Jehovah. Faith gives me the might of God; for it ensures that power on my behalf. It gives me to defy the hosts of hell. It makes me march triumphant over the necks of my enemies. But without faith how can I receive anything of the Lord? Let not him that wavereth-who is like a wave of the sea-expect that he will receive anything of God! O then, Christians watch well thy faith; for with it thou canst win all things, however poor thou art, but without it thou canst obtain nothing. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0032.cfm

Like Precious Faith

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

(T)o them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: -2 Peter 1:1

To them that have obtained like precious faith. There are three things in the New Testament which are called precious: One of them, you know, is the precious blood of Christ; another is the exceeding great and precious promises; and faith has the honor of being the third thing. “To them that have obtained like precious faith.” So that faith is one of God’s three precious things, it is one of the things which He values above all others. I was astonished yesterday, when I met with an idea in an old divine, concerning the honor which God puts on faith. Says he, “Christ takes the crown off His own head to put it on to faith’s head.” Mark you how often He says, “Thy faith hath saved thee.” Now it is not faith that saves, it is Christ that saves. “Thy faith hath healed thee,” says Christ. Now faith did not heal, it was Christ that healed, but Christ did uncrown Himself to crown faith. He took the royal diadem of salvation from His own head and placed it on the brow of faith, and therein He made faith “the King of kings” for it wears the crown which the King of kings alone can wear, “the crown of salvation.” Do you not know that we read, “We are justified by faith.” Now, in one sense this is not the fact, for the matter of justification is the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. We are justified by Christ, but Christ arrays faith in His own royal garments, and renders it truly illustrious. Jesus Christ always puts faith in the seat of honor. If He sets faith in the forefront of the forehead of virtue, and if He regards it as the choicest gem in the crown of the Christian, oh! will it not awaken us to see whether we have it or not? For if we have it, we are rich in faith and promises; but if we possess it not, whatever we have, we are poor in this world, and poor in the next.~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0032.cfm