Christian Life

Helped by His Spirit

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, The Holy Spirit 2 Comments

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. – Romans 8:26

Brethren, the Lord Jesus knew that after we were saved from the damning power of sin, we should always be full of wants, and therefore He was moved with compassion, and He sets up the throne of grace, the mercy-seat, to which we may always come, and from which we may always obtain grace to help in time of need. Helped by His Spirit, we can bring what petitions we will, and they shall be heard. And then, since He knew we could not pray as we ought, He was moved with compassion when He sent the Holy Spirit to help our infirmities, to teach us how to pray. Now I do not know a single infirmity that I have or that you have, my Christian brother, but what Christ Jesus has been moved with compassion about it, and has provided for it. He has not left one single weak point of which we have to say, “There I shall fail, because He will not help there”; but He has looked us over and over from head to foot, and said, “You will have an infirmity there: I will provide for it. You will have a weakness there: I will provide for it.” And oh! how His promises meet every case! Did you ever get into a corner where there was not a promise in the corner too? Had you ever to pass through a river but there was a promise about His being in the river with you? Were you ever on the sick bed without a promise like this, “I will make thy bed in thy sickness?” In the midst of pestilence have not you found a promise that “He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust?” The Lord’s great compassion has met the wants of all His servants to the end.

Oh! what a guardian Saviour is the Lord Jesus Christ to us, and how we ought to bless His name at all times, and how His praise should be continually in our mouth. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/3438.cfm

The Old Book and His Ministers

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

He sent His word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. – Psalm 107:20

The Lord has gone from us, but as He knew what would happen while He was away, He has, with blessed forethought, provided for our wants. Well He knew that we should never be able to preserve the truth pure by tradition. That is a stream that always muddies and defiles everything. So in tender forethought He has given us the consolidated testimony, the unchangeable truth in His own Book; for He was moved with compassion. He knew the priests would not preach the gospel; He knew that no order of men could be trusted to hold fast sound doctrine from generation to generation; He knew there would be hirelings that dare not be faithful to their conscience lest they should lose their pay; while there would be others who love to tickle men’s ears and flatter their vanity rather than to tell out plainly and distinctly the whole counsel of God. Therefore, He has put it here, so that if you live where there is no preacher of the gospel, you have the old Book to go to. He is moved with compassion for you. For where a man cannot go, the Book can go, and where in silence no voice is heard, the still clear voice of this blessed Book can reach the heart.

But then, since He knew that some would not read the Bible, and others might read and not understand it, He has sent His ministers forth to do the work of evangelists. He raises up men, saved themselves from great sin, trophies of redeeming grace, who feel a sympathy with their fellow-men who are revelling in sin, reckless of their danger. These servants of His the Lord enables to preach His truth, some with more, some with less ability than others; still, there are, thank God, throughout this happy realm, and in other favoured lands, men everywhere, who, because sinners will not come to Christ of themselves, go after them and persuade them, plead with them, and intreat them to believe and turn to the Lord. This cometh of Christ’s tender gentleness. He was moved with compassion, and therefore He sent His servants to call sinners to repentance. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/3438.cfm

Look for Opportunities to Do Good in His Name

Sherry Character of Jesus, Christian Life 1 Comment

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion… – Matthew 9:36

At the sight of the great congregations that gathered to hear Him, our Lord was often moved with compassion. Sometimes it was because they were hungry and faint, and in the fulness of His sympathy He multiplied the loaves and fishes to feed them. At the same time He showed His disciples that it is a good work to feed the poor. He would not have them so spiritually-minded as to forget that the poor have flesh and blood that require sustenance, and they need to eat and to drink, to be housed and clothed: the Christian’s charity must not lie in words only, but in deeds. Our Lord was moved with compassion, it is said, when He saw the number of sick people in the throng, for they made a hospital of His preaching place. Wherever He paused or even passed by, they laid the sick in the streets; He could not stand or walk without the spectacle of their pallets to harrow His feelings. And He healed their impotent folk, as if to show that the Christian does well to minister to the sick-that the patient watcher by the bedside may be serving the Lord, and following His example, as well as the most diligent teacher or the most earnest preacher of the glorious gospel. All means that can be used to mitigate human suffering are Christlike, and they ought to be carried out in His name, and carried to the utmost perfection possible…If you have any bowels of mercy, you should be looking out for opportunities to do good. Oh! never let a poor wounded soul faint for want of the balm. You know the balm. It has healed yourselves. Use it wherever the arrows of God have smitten a soul. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/3438.cfm

Believe on Christ and Trust in Him to Save Thee

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

…but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, Thou Son of David. – Matthew 20:31

“Two blind men sat by the wayside begging, and when they heard that Jesus passed by, they said, ‘O Lord, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.'” Jesus stood still, called them, questioned them, and they seem to have had full conviction that He both could and would restore their sight, so Jesus had compassion on them, touched their eyes, and immediately they received sight.

Yes, and what a lesson this is for any here present who have a like conviction. Do you believe that Christ can heal you? Do you believe that He is willing to heal you? Then let me assure you that a channel of communication is opened between Him and you, for He is moved with compassion towards you, and already I hear Him command you to come to Him. He is ready to heal you now. The sad condition of a blind man should always move pity in the breast of the humane, but a glance at these two poor men-I do not know that there was anything strange or uncommon about their appearance-touched the Saviour’s sensibility. And when He heard them say that they did believe He could heal them, He seemed to perceive that they had inward sight, and to account it a pity that they should not have outward sight too. So at once He put His fingers upon their eyes, and they received the power of seeing. O soul, if thou believest Christ can save thee, and if you wilt now trust in Him to save thee, be of good cheer, thou art saved; that faith of thine hath saved thee. The very fact that thou believest that Jesus is the Christ, and doth rely upon Him, may stand as evidence to thee that thou art forgiven, that thou art saved. There is no let or bar to thy full redemption. Go thy way and rejoice in thy Lord. He hath compassion on thee. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/3438.cfm

The Flame of His Ardent Love

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

He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. – Micah 7:19

Are ye asked what means the crucifixion of a perfect man upon a felon’s cross, ye may reply, “He was moved with compassion.” “He saved others; Himself He could not save.” He was so moved with compassion, that compassion, as it were, did eat Him up. He could save nothing from the general conflagration: He was utterly consumed with love, and died in the flame of ardent love towards the sons of men. And after He had died and slept a little while in the grave, He rose again. He has gone into His glory; He is living at the right hand of the Father; but this is just as true of Him, “He is moved with compassion.” Is proof wanted? Let faith pass within the veil, and let your spirits for a moment stand upon that sea of glass mingled with fire where stand the harpers tuning their never-ceasing melodies. What see you there conspicuous in the very midst of heaven but One who looks like a lamb that has been slain, and wears His priesthood still? What is His occupation there in heaven? He has no bloody sacrifice to offer, for He has perfected for ever those that were set apart. That work is done, but what is He doing now? He is pleading for His people; He is their perpetual Advocate, their continual Intercessor; He never rests until they come to their rest; He never holds His peace for them, but pleads the merit of His blood, and will do so till all whom the Father gave Him shall be with Him where He is.

His tender heart pities all the griefs of His dear people. There is not a pang they have but the Head feels it, feels it for all the members. Still doth He look upon their imperfections and their infirmities, yet not with anger, not with loss of patience, but with gentleness and sympathy. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/3438.cfm

He Was Moved with Compassion in His Terrible Death

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, prophecy, salvation, Sovereignty of God, The Father 4 Comments

And He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore His arm brought salvation unto Him; and His own righteousness, it sustained Him. – Isaiah 59:16

While He tarried in the world, a man among men, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, He was constantly moved with compassion; for He felt all the griefs of mankind in Himself. He took our sicknesses and carried our sorrows: He proved Himself a true brother, with quick, human sensibilities. A tear brought a tear into His eye; a cry made Him pause to ask what help He could render. So generous was His soul, that He gave all He had for the help of those that had not. The fox had its hole, and the bird its nest, but He had no dwelling-place. Stripped even of His garments, He hung upon the cross to die. Never one so indigent in death as He, without a friend, without even a tomb, except such as a loan could find Him. He gave up all the comforts of life-He gave His life itself; He gave His very self to prove that He was moved with compassion. Most of all do we see how He was moved with compassion in His terrible death…Must the elect of God be condemned for their sins? No; Jesus is moved with compassion. He steps in, He takes upon Himself the uplifted lash, and His shoulders run with gore; He bares His bosom to the furbished sword, and it smites the Shepherd that the sheep may escape. “He looked, and there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore, His arm brought salvation.” He trod the wine- press alone, and “bore, that we might never bear, His Father’s righteous ire.”~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/3438.cfm

The Incarnation: Matchless Pity Indeed

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

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. – Luke 2:11

It was purposed, in the eternal plan, ere the stream of time had commenced its course, or ages had began to accumulate their voluminous records, that there should be an interposer-one ordained to come and re-head the race, to be a second Adam, a federal Chief; to restore the breach, and repair the mischief of the first Adam; to be a Surety to answer for the sons of men on whom God’s love did light; that their sins should be laid upon Him, and that He should save them with an everlasting salvation… He it is of whom the Apostle John speaks as the Word who was God, and was in the beginning with God. Was He not moved with compassion when He entered into a covenant with His Father on our behalf, even on the behalf of all His chosen-a covenant in which He was to be the sufferer, and they the gainers-in which He was to bear the shame that He might bring them into His own glory? …He saw the fall of man; He marked the subtle serpent’s mortal sting; He watched the trail as the slime of the serpent passed over the fair glades of Eden; He observed man in his evil progress, adding sin to sin through generation after generation, fouling every page of history until God’s patience had been tried to the uttermost; and then, according as it was written in the volume of the Book that He must appear, Jesus Christ came Himself into this stricken world. Came how? O, be astonished, ye angels, that ye were witnesses of it, and ye men that ye beheld it. The Infinite came down to earth in the form of an infant; He who spans the heavens and holds the ocean in the hollow of His hand, condescended to hang upon a woman’s breast-the King eternal became a little child. Let Bethlehem tell that He had compassion. There was no way of saving us but by stooping to us. To bring earth up to heaven, He must bring heaven down to earth…Therefore, in the incarnation, He had compassion, for He took upon Himself our infirmities, and was made like unto ourselves. Matchless pity, indeed, was this! ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/3438.cfm