prayer

Thy Sufferings Were for Me

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

Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. -Romans 3:24

Jesus, I believe that Thy sufferings were for me; and I believe that they are more than enough to satisfy for all my sins. By faith I cast myself at the foot of Thy cross and cling to it.

This is my only hope, my shelter, and my shield. It cannot be, that God can smite me now. Justice itself prevents, for when Justice once is satisfied it were injustice if it should ask for more. Now, is it not clear enough to the eye of every one, whose soul has been aroused, that Justice stands no longer in the way of the sinner’s pardon? God can be just, and yet the justifier. He has punished Christ, why should He punish twice for one offense? Christ has died for all His people’s sins, and if thou art in the covenant, thou art one of Christ’s people. Damned thou canst not be. Suffer for thy sins thou canst not. Until God can be unjust, and demand two payments for one debt, He cannot destroy the soul for whom Jesus died. “Away goes universal redemption,” says one. Yes, away it goes, indeed. I am sure there is nothing about that in the Word of God. A redemption that does not redeem is not worth my preaching, or your hearing. Christ redeemed every soul that is saved; no more, and no less. Every spirit that shall be seen in heaven Christ bought. If He had redeemed those in hell, they never could have come there. He has bought His people with His blood, and they alone shall He bring with Him. “But who are they?” says one. Thou art one, if thou believest. Thou art one if thou repentest of thy sin. If thou wilt now take Christ to be thy all in all, then thou art one of His.~C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0255.cfm

 

Our Numbered Days

Sherry Attributes of God, Christian Life, prayer, promises, salvation 1 Comment

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. -Psalm 90:12

Listen for one moment to the ticking of that clock!…It is the beating of the pulse of eternity. You hear the ticking of that clock!-it is the footstep of death pursuing you. Each time the clock ticks, death’s footsteps are falling on the ground close behind you. You will soon enter another year. This year will have gone in a few seconds…where will the next year be spent, my friends? One has been spent on earth; where will you spend the next? “In heaven!” says one, “I trust.” Another murmurs, “Perhaps I shall spend mine in hell!” Ah! solemn is the thought, but before that clock strikes 12, some here may be in hell; and blessed be the name of God! some of us may be in heaven! But O, do you know how to estimate your time, my hearers? do you know how to measure your days? Oh! I have not words to speak to-night. Do you know that every hour you are nearing the tomb? that every hour you are nearing judgment?…Do you know where the stream of life is hastening some of you? To the rapids-to the rapids of woe and destruction! What shall the end of those be who obey not the gospel of God?…O take care! take care! time is precious! and whenever we have little of it, it is more precious; yea, it is most precious. May God help you to escape from hell and fly to heaven! I feel like the angel, to-night, who put his hand upon Lot, and cried-“Escape! look not behind thee! stay not in all the plain; flee to the mountain, lest thou be consumed!”

“Ye virgin souls, arise!
With all the dead awake;
Unto salvation wise;
Oil in your vessels take:
Upstarting at the midnight cry,
Behold Your heavenly bridegroom nigh.”

~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0059.cfm

Learned By Trouble

Sherry Attributes of God, prayer, promises, salvation 3 Comments

When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD; and my prayer went up to You, into Your holy temple…Salvation is of the Lord.- Jonah 2:7,9

Jonah learned this sentence of good theology in a strange college. He learned it in the whale’s belly, at the bottom of the mountains, with the weeds wrapped about his head, when he supposed that the earth with her bars was about him for ever. Most of the grand truths of God have to be learned by trouble; they must be burned into us with the hot iron of affliction, otherwise we shall not truly receive them. No man is competent to judge in matters of the kingdom, until first he has been tried; since there are many things to be learned in the depths which we can never know in the heights. We discover many secrets in the caverns of the ocean, which, though we had soared to heaven, we never could have known. He shall best meet the wants of God’s people as a preacher who has had those wants himself; he shall best comfort God’s Israel who has needed comfort; and he shall best preach salvation who has felt his own need of it. Jonah, when he was delivered from his great danger, when, by the command of God the fish had obediently left its great deeps and delivered its cargo upon dry land, was then capable of judging; and this was the result of his experience under his trouble-“Salvation is of the Lord.”~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0131.cfm

Thou Art a True God

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

That by two immutable things, in that it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: -Hebrews 6:18

If you should say to faith, “Faith, why do you expect God to do as He has said it, why do you expect it?” Faith would answer, “I have a whole bundle of reasons that justify the act. And in the first place, I have a right to expect Him to do as He has said, because He is a true God; I know He cannot lie. He has said He will give me such-and-such a thing; if He was not a truthful God, I would not say, ‘do as Thou hast said!’ but since He is a true God, and never was known to break His promise, and since, moreover, by two immutable things, wherein it is impossible for God to lie-His oath and His promise-He has made the thing secure; and since I know that in Christ all the promises are yea and amen, I think I have good reason enough for going to Him and saying, ‘do as Thou hast said.’ If He were some fallible being who promised and would not perform, I might hesitate somewhat; but since He is always true and constantly precious, I will go and say to Him, ‘Lord, do as Thou hast said.'” Poor sinner! God has said, “He that confesseth his sin shall find mercy.” Now, if you go to God, you want no other plea than this,-“Lord, do as Thou hast said;’ ‘I have confessed my sins;’ ‘do as Thou hast said.'” “But, sinner, why should I do as I have said? you do not deserve it.” “Lord, Thou art a true God.”

“Thou hast promised to forgive,
All who on Thy Son believe;
Lord I know Thou canst not lie,
Give me Christ or else I die.”

Go, poor sinner, tell the Lord that, and as truly as He is God, He will never send you empty away. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0088.cfm

God Knows

Sherry Attributes of God, Christian Life, prayer, promises 3 Comments

You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it all.…-Psalm 139:3-4

Prayerful man, prayerful woman, here is a consolation-God sees you: and if He can see you, surely He can hear you. Why, we can often hear people, when we cannot see them. If God is so near to us, and if His voice is like the thunder, surely His ears are as good as His eyes, and He will be sure to answer us. Perhaps you cannot say a word when you pray. Never mind, God does not want to hear; He can tell what you mean even by seeing you. “There,” says the Lord, “is a child of Mine in prayer. He says not a word; but do you see that tear rolling down his cheek? do you hear that sigh?” Oh! mighty God, Thou canst see both tear and sigh; Thou canst read desire when desire hath not clothed itself in words…Ah, God, when I cannot pray with words, I will throw myself flat on my face, and I will groan my prayer; and if I cannot groan it I will sigh it; and if I cannot sigh it I will wish it: and when these eye-strings break, and when death has sealed these lips, I will enter heaven with a prayer, which Thou wilt not hear but which Thou wilt see-the prayer of my inmost spirit, when my heart and my flesh fail me, that God may be the strength of my life and portion for ever. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0085.cfm

The Faith That Delights God

Sherry Character of Jesus, Christian Life, prayer, promises, salvation, The Holy Spirit 1 Comment

So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. -Galatians 3:9

(T)he crown of Christian experience is to be delivered from all trust in self or man, and to be brought to rely wholly and simply on Jesus Christ. I say, Christian, thy highest and noblest experience is not to be groaning about thy corruption, is not to be crying about thy wanderings, but is to say-

“With all my sin, and care, and woe,
His Spirit will not let me go.”

“Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief.” I like what Luther says: “I would run into Christ’s arms if He had a drawn sword in His hands.” Trust is called venturesome believing; but as an old divine says, there is no such thing as venturesome believing; we cannot venture on Christ; it is no venture at all; there is no hap-hazard in the least degree. It is a holy and heavenly experience, when we can go to Christ, amid the storm, and say, “Oh! Jesus, I believe I am covered by Thy blood;” …”Lord, I believe that through Christ Jesus, ragged though I am, I am fully absolved.” A saint’s faith is little faith when he believes as a saint; but a sinner’s faith is true faith when he believes as a sinner. The faith, not of a sinless being, but the faith of a sinful creature-that is the faith which delights God. Go, then, Christian: ask that this may be thy experience, to learn each day, “He only is my rock and my salvation.” ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0080.cfm

The Noticed Pray-er

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

And the Lord said to (Ananias), Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth. – Acts 8:11

God bore witness that Saul did pray. He was about to answer the prayer. He had Ananias in readiness to go and comfort the poor blinded penitent. God is about to answer your prayer if you have cried to Him. Perhaps the man is present who will speak to you.

He called attention to it by a “Behold.” We have heard of many marvels concerning which men cry, “Behold”; but that which strikes God most is a sinner praying. God does not say, “Behold Herod on his throne,” or “Behold Caesar in his palace.” I am afraid there are many of whom it would have to be said, “Behold, he never prays!” What a sight — a man created by his Maker, and daily fed by His bounty, who never worships Him! And yet when he does pray, God makes a wonder of it. It is his first prayer this morning. He has reached home and is kneeling by the side of that bed on which he has slept so often without prayer, and he cries, “O God, I do not know what to say, but be merciful to me a sinner, and forgive my sins.” I hear the rustling wings of angels as they gather around the sacred spot. Anon they fly upward, crying, “Behold he prayeth.”…You remember that day when you first prayed; and you go upstairs, and say, “Lord, many days have passed since, and I have not ceased to cry; but now I am in special trouble. I beseech Thee, deliver me!” And angels sing and the devils mutter, “Behold, he prayeth.” The young man has grown old, and has gone up to the same room for the last time. “Behold, he prayeth.” Prayer, which has long been his vital breath and native air, is now “His watchword at the gates of death.” The shining ones gladly meet the soul that is on Jordan’s bank when they hear the voice, “Behold, he prayeth.” ~ C.H. Spurgeon

http://biblehub.com/sermons/auth/spurgeon/behold_he_prayeth.htm