Christian Life

The True Christ Jesus Revealed

Sherry Christian Life Leave a comment

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: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. – Galatians 1:4,5

The apostle Paul, in his writings, is notable for the fact that he scarcely ever mentions the name of the Lord Jesus Christ without pausing to praise and bless Him. There are many benedictions and hallelujahs in Paul’s Epistles, which might have been omitted so far as the run of the sense is concerned, but not one of them could be omitted because his heart was so aglow with love to his Divine Master that he only needed to mention that dear name and out burst his praises in a moment. I can see the great wisdom of the apostle in acting in such a fashion as this. He is about to write to these Galatians concerning their leaving the gospel; what is the best way to make them sorry for turning aside from the faith? Why, to set before them Jesus Christ Himself, who is the very essence and glory of the gospel.

I have heard of one who preached much against certain errors, but there was another servant of the Lord who never preached against those errors, but who always proclaimed the gospel right out straight; and when one asked him why he did not attack the errors, he said, “I do preach against them most effectually. If there is a crooked stick about, and you want to show how many crooks there are in it, you need not do anything except lay a straight one down by the side of it, and the crookedness of the other stick will be detected at once.” So, the apostle admires, extols, and adores the Lord Jesus Christ, and thus, in the best possible manner, introduces what he has to say concerning the errors of the Galatians. Oh, for a burst of sunlight from the face of Christ! Then would the shadows of to-day soon fly away. They who have never seen Him may love modern novelties and falsehoods; but if they have beheld His face, and have been won by His charms, they will hold that He who is the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever, is infinitely to be preferred to all the inventions of men. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2483.cfm

Pause a While and Praise Him

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

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: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. – Galatians 1:4-5.

I am quite sure that, when Paul was writing the Epistle to the Galatians, he was eager to get at his task. The Galatians had turned aside from the gospel of God’s grace, and Paul was in dead earnest to bring them back to the grand truth of the doctrine of salvation and justification by faith in Christ. He was burning to get at his work of trying to win them back to the old paths; but it seemed needful and courteous to begin with a salutation. In that salutation occurred the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, so off went the apostle directly. Earnest as he was to get to the special subject on which he was about to write, he felt that he must tarry a while and write a little to the honor of his Divine Master. So, we read, “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, 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: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Then he gets at the business he has in hand: “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ,” and so on. He is red-hot upon that subject, yet he must stop a minute or two to pen some few words of praise to his glorious Lord and Savior. The old proverb says, “Prayer and provender hinder no man’s journey:” and to stop a little while, to praise and bless the name of Jesus Christ, hinders no man’s argument. Whatever it is that thou hast to do, if thy Master shall cross thy path, pause a while, and praise Him as best thou canst. When Mary sat at Christ’s feet, she was not wasting her time, she was employing it then to the highest possible profit; and when you and I get away even from the Master’s work, to think of our Lord Himself, and to praise Him, and commune with Him, we are by no means wasting our time; but we are gathering strength, and laying it out to the best possible purpose with regard to our future work and warfare. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2483.cfm

You Have Heard the Gospel

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

See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh. – Hebrews 12:25

If you had never heard the gospel, you could not have refused it, but now that you have heard the message, it lies within your power, and it is an awfully dangerous power, to refuse Him that speaks. Oh, can you, will you, dare you refuse my bleeding Savior—refuse the Lord of love? I see Him now. The crown of thorns is about His brow. He is hanging on His cross expiring in unutterable agony! Can you refuse Him while He presents such a spectacle of sacrifice? His eyes are red with weeping; have you no tears for such sorrow? His cheeks are all stained with the brutal soldiers’ spit; have you no love and homage for Him? His hands are fastened to the wood—His feet the same, and there He hangs to suffer in the sinner’s stead. Will you not yield yourselves to Him? I could joyfully bow before the foot of the cross to kiss His dear feet stained with blood. What a charm He has for me! And you—do you refuse Him?

He is no mere man. It is God Himself who hangs upon the cross. His body is that of a man, but it is in union with the Godhead. He who died at Calvary is God over all, and this makes His death so effectual. He, whom you have offended, in order to be justly able to pardon you, hangs there and dies for you, and do you turn your back on Him? O sirs, if you are wise you will come, as I said I gladly would come, and kiss those bleeding feet, and look up and say, “My Lord, I am reconciled to You— how could I be otherwise?” My enmity is dead. How can I be an enemy to Him that died for me? In shame, and scorn, and misery, Jesus dies that I may live. “O Lord Jesus, You have worked in me, not merely reconciliation, but full submission and hearty love. I joy to sink myself in You, and to be Yours forever.” See that you refuse not my Lord. May the sweet Spirit who loves the cross, and like a dove, hovers round it now, descend upon you all who hear my message! May the Holy Spirit apply the blood of sprinkling to you, and may you feel that, instead of refusing Him that speaks, you will rejoice in His name! ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1889.cfm

Hear and Live, or Quibble and Die

Sherry Christian Life Leave a comment

See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused Him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven… – Hebrews 12:25

The Lord has made a law which is perfect, and just, and good. Would you rather be without law? What reasonable person desires anarchy? God has backed up that law with a threat. What is the use of a law if to break it involves no consequences? A government that never punishes offenders is no government at all. God, therefore, as moral ruler, must be just, and must display His indignation against wrong and evil of every kind. It is written on the conscience of men that sin must be punished. Would you have it go unpunished? If you are a just man, you would not. To meet the case, therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ, by Himself bearing the penalty of death, has honored the divine law. He has shown to all intelligences that God will not wink at sin that even His infinite mercy must not come in the way of His justice. This is the doctrine; do not listen to those who twist and pervert it. It is the love of God which has provided the great atonement by which, in a judgment better than ours, the law finds a glorious vindication, and the foundation of moral government is strengthened. Do consider this matter, and judge it fairly, with candid minds. We assure you from God’s Word that apart from the atonement of our Lord Jesus you can never be saved either from the guilt or power of evil. You will find no peace for your conscience that is worth having, no thorough and deep peace, except by believing in this atoning sacrifice, neither will you meet with a motive strong enough to rescue you from the bonds of iniquity. Therefore, “See that you refuse not Him that speaks.” Hear, and your soul shall live. Quibble and you will die in your sins. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1889.cfm

Of First Concern

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

See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused Him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven… – Hebrews 12:25

Do not refuse the voice of Jesus by cold indifference. God was made flesh, and dwelt among men, and in due time He took upon Himself our sin and suffered for it in His own body on the tree, that sin might be put away by the sacrifice of Himself. By His death upon the cross our Lord made atonement for the sin of man, and those who believe in Him are delivered from evil and its consequences. The main point is that Jesus died for us, the just for the unjust. His atoning blood has a voice, “See that you refuse not Him that speaks.” The text says, see to it; look to it; make sure of it; be careful about it. Do not miss the salvation of your Lord through neglect, for he who dies by neglecting the healing medicine will as surely perish as he who stabs himself. Be in earnest to accept the Savior, I beseech you so to do, for I am afraid that many refuse Him that speaks, because they never think of Him, or of His sacrifice. It seems to me that if I were a young man I would give this matter very early notice. However deeply I might be engaged in business, I would feel that my first concern ought to be to set myself right with God. Other matters would be sure to drop into order if I could be right with the Lord of all. If I heard it said that salvation came by the blood of Christ, I think I would pull myself together and resolve to understand this singular statement. I would not let it go by me, but would endeavor to reach the bottom of it, and understand it practically. I would meditate much upon teaching as wonderful as this—that the Son of God, in man’s stead, honored the justice of God by death, and so put away sin. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1889.cfm

The Fruitful Source of Virtue

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

For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again. – 2 Corinthians 5:14,15

The man who knows that Jesus shed His blood for him, and has had that blood applied to his conscience, becomes a sin-hating man, consecrated to Him who has cleansed him…I believe that there is no fruitful source of virtue like faith in the precious blood of Jesus…The man who knows that his many sins are all washed away through the blood of Jesus and that thus he is saved, he is the man who will serve the Lord with all his heart. He who has received a finished righteousness and complete salvation is under boundless obligations of gratitude, and the force of these obligations will urge him to a consecrated life. Over him the supreme power of gratitude will exert its sacred influence, and he will be not only carefully obedient, but ardently zealous in the service of his Redeemer. We know it is so, and we mean to prove it by our daily conduct. Brethren, I would have you exhibit more and more of the influence of the precious blood in sanctifying your lives. Are there not Christians who hold the doctrine of the atoning blood, and yet are no better than others? Alas, it is so! But it is one thing to hold to a doctrine, and another thing for that doctrine to take hold upon your heart and influence your life. Oh, if we believed practically what we profess to believe, what manner of persons we should be in all holy conversation and godliness! Hear me, my brother, and answer the appeals I make to you as in the presence of the Lord. Blood-bought, can you live for yourself? Bloodwashed, can you defile your garments? Marked with the King’s own name, in the King’s own blood, how can you yield yourself to other rulers? God grant that we may come unto the blood of sprinkling till it shall purify our nature and fill us with an all-consuming enthusiasm for Him whose heart was pierced for us! ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1889.cfm

The Blessings of the Pardon of God

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

But ye are come unto mount Sion…And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling… – Hebrews 12: 22-24

Brothers and sisters, if you have come to the blood of sprinkling, believe in the full pardon which God has given you, and in your consequent peace with God. It is a blessed word in the Creed, “I believe in the forgiveness of sins.” Do you believe in the forgiveness of sins? I have seen some of the children of God who have believed in Jesus, but it has been with a faith which did not realize the full blessing promised to it, for they were as troubled about their sins as if they had never been forgiven. Now, a man who receives a free pardon from the Queen, and goes his way out of prison, rejoices in that pardon as a reality, and therefore walks abroad without fear. You must believe in the pardon of God as a reality, and act accordingly. If He has absolved you for Jesus’ sake, then you are absolved. Why tremble like a guilty wretch waiting for the verdict? Why talk about fearing divine wrath? If you are pardoned, the deed of grace is done, and can never be undone, for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance on His part.

I want every child of God in his inmost soul to come to the blood of sprinkling by full assurance of his justification, and then to go on to enjoy constant access to the mercy seat, and communion with the Lord God. We may now with holy boldness speak with God in prayer, for the mercy seat is sprinkled with the blood. O pardoned one, be not backward to enjoy your liberty of fellowship! You are clean through the blood, and therefore you may enter into the closest communion with the divine Father, you are consecrated by the blood, and therefore you may abound in the service of your God. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1889.cfm