Christian Life

God Over All, Blessed Forever

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God 5 Comments

But though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on Him: that the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which He spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw His glory, and spake of Him.”- John 12:37-41

I pray you, brethren, settle this in your hearts: our Lord is highly exalted as Lord of all. When you see evil occurring, do not imagine that it defeats the eternal purposes of Jehovah: when you hear blasphemy and your blood runs cold, do not think that Christ has lost His glory: when men riot in sin, do not dream that the reins of affairs are out of Jesus’ hands; for still He is “God over all, blessed for ever.” My heart exalts this day, as, by undoubting faith, I am assured that He who died on Calvary is now exalted on high, far above all principalities and powers. “Thou art the King of glory, O Christ!” To Thee our spirits ascribe infinite honour, world without end. Though the earth be removed, and the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, yet the Lord reigneth. He that died upon the tree is crowned with majesty, and all the angels of God worship Him. “He must reign till He hath put all enemies under His feet.” Let us have no question about this; for if we have, we shall not be prepared to speak in the Lord’s name with this evil generation. Amid the anarchy of the ages we see the glorious high throne of our redeeming Lord unmoved, unmovable: this is the rock of our refuge when the unsettled times rage about us like the waters of the troubled sea. We cannot be afraid, for Christ is on the throne.~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1844.cfm

The Witness of His Wounds

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

Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead… I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen – Revelation 1:5, 18

In these times, when the foundations of our faith are constantly being undermined, one is sometimes driven to say to himself, “Suppose it is not true.” As I stood, the other night, beneath the sky, and watched the stars, I felt my heart going up to the great Maker with all the love that I was capable of. I said to myself, “What made me love God as I know I do? What made me feel an anxiety to be like Him in purity? Whatever made me long to obey my God cannot be a lie.” I know that it was the love of Jesus for me that changed my heart, and made me, though once careless and indifferent to Him, now to pant with strong desires to honour Him. What has done this? Not a lie, surely. A truth, then, has done it. I know it by its fruits. If this Bible were to turn out untrue, and if I died and went before my Maker, could I not say to Him, “I believed great things of Thee, great God; if it be not so, yet did I honour Thee by the faith I had concerning Thy wondrous goodness, and Thy power to forgive”? and I would cast myself upon His mercy without fear. But we do not entertain such doubts; for those dear wounds continually prove the truth of the gospel, and the truth of our salvation by it. Incarnate Deity is a thought that was never invented by poet’s mind, nor reasoned out by philosopher’s skill. Incarnate Deity, the notion of the God that lived, and bled, and died in human form, instead of guilty man, it is itself its own best witness. The wounds are the infallible witness of the gospel of Christ.~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2061.cfm

The Keystone of the Gospel Arch

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

Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. – Revelation 5:12

The very Christ that died has risen again. There is no illusion: there could be no mistake. It is not somebody else foisted upon us in His place; but Jesus who died has left the dead, for there are the marks of the crucifixion in His hands and in His feet, and there is the spear-thrust still. It is Jesus: this same Jesus. This is a matter of great comfort to a Christian-this indisputably proven doctrine of the resurrection of our Lord. It is the keystone of the gospel arch. Take that away, or doubt it, and there remains nothing to console you. But because Jesus died and in the selfsame person rose again, and ever lives, therefore does our heart sweetly rest, believing that “them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him”; and also that the whole of the work of Jesus is true, is completed, and is accepted of God.

Centuries have gone by, and yet He looks like a Lamb that has been slain. Our first glance will assure us that this is He of whom they said, “Crucify Him; crucify Him.” Steadily look with the eyes of your faith into the glory, and see your Master’s wounds, and say within yourself, “He has compassion upon us still: He bears the marks of His passion.” Look up, poor sufferer! Jesus knows what physical pain means. Look up, poor depressed one! He knows what a broken heart means. Canst thou not perceive this? Those prints upon His hands, these sacred stigmata, declare that He has not forgotten what He underwent for us, but still has a fellow-feeling for us.~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2061.cfm

This is Our Comfort

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation 50 Comments

Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: – Galatians 1:4

O Lord Jesus, what are those wounds in Thy side, and in Thy hands? He answers, “These I endured when suffering for thee. How can I forget thee? I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands. How can I ever fail to remember thee? On My very heart the spear has written thy name.” Look at Jesus, dead, buried, risen, and then say, “He loved me, and gave Himself for me”! There is no restorative for a sinking faith like a sight of the wounded Saviour. Look, soul, and live by the proofs of His death! Come and put thy finger, by faith, into the print of the nails, and these wounds shall heal thee of unbelief. The wounds of our Lord are the tokens of His love.

He must have died; for “one of the soldiers, with a spear, pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare witness.” The Son of God did assuredly die. God, who made the heavens and the earth, took to Himself our nature, and in one wondrous person He was both God and man; and lo! this wondrous Son of God bore sufferings unutterable, and consummated all by His death. This is our comfort, for if He died in our stead, then we shall not die for our sins; our transgression is put away, and our iniquity is pardoned. If the sacrifice had never been slain we might despair; but since the spear-wound proves that the great Sacrifice really died, despair is slain, hope revives, and confidence rejoices.~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2061.cfm

Simply Trust Him

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

Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe. – John 20:25

Dear friends, if you began to seek signs, and if you were to see them, do you know what would happen? Why, you would want more; and when you had these, you would demand still more. Those who live by their feelings judge of the truth of God by their own condition. When they have happy feelings, then they believe; but if their spirits sink, if the weather happens to be a little damp, or if their constitution happens to be a little disordered, down go their spirits, and, straightway, down goes their faith. He that lives by a faith which does not rest on feeling, but is built upon the Word of the Lord, will remain fixed and steadfast as the mount of God.

If you read a story of a person who saw a vision, or if you hear another declare that a voice spake to him-believe those things, or not, as you like; but do not desire them for yourself. These wonders may, or may not, be freaks of the imagination. I will not judge; but we must not rely upon them, for we are not to walk by sight, but by faith. Rely not upon anything that can be seen of the eyes, or heard of the ears; but simply trust Him whom we know to be the Christ of God, the Rock of our salvation.~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2061.cfm

Crave No Signs

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

Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. – John 20:29

If such signs be possible, crave them not. If there be dreams, visions, voices, ask not for them.  Crave not wonders, first, because it is dishonouring to the sacred Word to ask for them. You believe this Bible to be an inspired volume-the Book of God. The apostle Peter calls it “A more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed.” Are you not satisfied with that? When a person, in whose veracity you have the utmost confidence, bears testimony to this or that, if you straightway reply, “I would be glad of further evidence,” you are slighting your friend, and casting unjust suspicion upon him. Will you cast suspicion upon the Holy Ghost, who, by this word, bears witness unto Christ? Oh, no! let us be content with His witness. Let us not wish to see, but remain satisfied to believe. If there be difficulties in believing, is it not natural there should be, when he that believes is finite, and the things to be believed are, in themselves, infinite? Let us accept the difficulties as being in themselves, in some measure, proofs of the correctness of our position, as inevitable attendants of heavenly mysteries, when they are looked at by such poor minds as ours. Let us believe the Word, and crave no signs. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2061.cfm

He Fixes His Eye Upon the Doubter

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life 5 Comments

Then said He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing.” – John 20:27

Among us at this day we have many persons who are like Thomas -dubious, demanding signs and tokens, suspicious, and ofttimes sad. I am not sure that there is not a slight touch of Thomas in most of us. There are times and seasons when the strong man fails, and when the firm believer has to pause a while, and say, “Is it so?”

Admire his Master’s patience with him. He does not say, “If he does not choose to believe he may continue to suffer for his unbelief.” But no; He fixes His eye upon the doubter, and addresses Himself specially to him; yet not in words of reproach or anger. Jesus could bear with Thomas, though Thomas had been a long time with Him, and had not known Him. To put his finger into the print of the nails, and thrust his hand into His side, was much more than any disciple had a right to ask of his divine Master; and yet see the condescension of Jesus! Rather than Thomas should suffer from unbelief, Christ will let him take great liberties. Our Lord does not always act towards us according to His own dignity, but according to our necessity; and if we really are so weak that nothing will do but thrusting a hand into His side, He will let us do it. Nor do I wonder at this if, for our sakes, He suffered a spear to be thrust there, He may well permit a hand to follow. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2061.cfm