promises

The Gospel’s Blessing

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

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. – Romans 4:8

When the law gets thoroughly into a man’s heart, it drives him to despair of himself. “Oh!” says he, “I cannot keep that law.” Once, he thought that he was as good as other people, and a little better than most; and he did not know but that, with a little polishing, and a little help, he might be good enough, to win the favor of God and go to heaven; but when the law entered his heart, it soon smashed his idol to atoms. The Dagon of self-righteousness speedily falls before the ten commands of God, and is so broken that it can never be mended… You must starve the sinner’s self-righteousness to make him willing to feed on Christ; and thus the very depths of his despair, when he thinks that he must be lost for ever, will only lead him, by God’s abundant love, to a fuller appreciation of the heights of God’s grace.

Now the law can do nothing for a sinner but say to him, “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them;” but the gospel comes in, and it replies to the curse of the law with such words as these, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord impuneth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.” Let the law curse as it may, the gospel’s blessing is richer and stronger, for the gospel says, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;” and “there is therefore now no condemnation to them, which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/3115.cfm

Made to See the Blackness of Our Sin

Sherry Attributes of God, Christian Life, promises, repentance, Sovereignty of God, the unbelieving life 5 Comments

…the law entered, that the offence might abound. _ Romans 5:20

When the law enters a man’s heart, it brings his sin out in very strong relief. He never saw his sin to be so black as he now sees it to be. A stick is crooked, but you do not notice how crooked it is until you place a straight rule by the side of it. You have a handkerchief, and it seems to be quite white; you could hardly wish it to be whiter; but you lay it down on the newly-fallen snow, and you wonder how you could ever have thought it to be white at all. So the pure and holy law of God, when our eyes are opened to see its purity, shows up our sin in its true blackness, and in that way it makes sin to abound; but this is for our good, for that sight of our sin awakens us to a sense of our true condition, leads us to repentance, drives us by faith to the precious blood of Jesus, and no longer permits us to rest in our self-righteousness.

A little while ago, I met with a brother who said to me, “You cannot too forcibly describe the anguish of a convicted conscience; for,” said he, “I remember when I reckoned how long it would be before I must, in the ordinary course of nature, be in hell. I said to myself, ‘Suppose I live to be eighty years of age, yet how short a time it will be before I must be enduring the infinite wrath of God.'” Yes, that is the effect that the law of the Lord often produces upon a man when it enters his heart. It brings a mirror before him, and says to him “Look in there, and see not only what you have done, but also what is the just consequence of your evil deeds.” A man no longer cavils at God’s justice when the law once gets inside his heart; it shuts his mouth except for groans and sighs, and he has plenty of them…Let us thank God if ever we have experienced the entrance of His law into our hearts: for, although it makes sin to abound, is makes grace much more abound. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/3115.cfm

The Law Enters

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, repentance, Sovereignty of God, the unbelieving life 1 Comment

“Moreover, the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”- Romans 5:20

Paul writes, “I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.” But, as soon as he found that there was a law against a certain sin, by some unhallowed instinct of his unrenewed nature, he wanted to do the very thing that he was forbidden to do. It was like that with us, the first effect of the entrance of the law of God into our hearts was to develop the sin that was already within us. “That is a dreadful thing,” says one. Yes, it is; but look at the matter from another aspect. Here is a man who has within him a dire disease which will be fatal if it is allowed to remain, so the physician gives him some medicine which throws the disease out. The man used to have a beautiful complexion, but after he has taken that medicine, his face is covered with blotches. Is that a bad thing? Yes, the blotches are bad, but the hidden disease was worse. While that disease was concealed within his system, and was killing him, he probably did not even know that is was there. He knew that he was not well, and perhaps thought that he was dying as the result of some other complaint; but now he sees what the disease is, and everybody sees it, and now that which looked like an evil thing may turn out to be for real good to the man. So does it often happen mentally, morally, and spiritually. A man’s wicked heart is full of enmity against God, yet he thinks-and perhaps he is right in thinking-that he is outwardly a strictly moral man; but, lo! the law of God, with its requirements of perfect purity and absolute obedience, enters his heart, and he rebels against it, and now the sin is apparent, even to himself. It is likely now that this man will repent of sin, it is highly probable that this development of his latent sin will lead him to form a different opinion of himself from any that he ever had before; and therefore, though the sin is evil, and the development of it is evil, yet, where sin abounded, grace shall much more abound, and so good shall come out of the evil after all. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/3115.cfm

The Forces of Sin and Grace

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God, The Father, The Holy Spirit 1 Comment

“Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”-Romans 5:20

There are two very powerful forces in the world, which have been here ever since the time when Eve partook of the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden. Those two forces are sin and grace. A very great power is sin, a power dark, mysterious, baleful, but full of force. The sorrows of mankind, whence came they but from sin? We should have known no war, nor pestilence, nor famine, nor would aught of sickness or sorrow ever have smitten the human race had not sin sown its evil seed in this earth. Sin is the Pandora’s box from which all evil has come to mankind.

The only counter force against sin is grace… Grace is the free favor of God, the undeserved bounty of the ever-gracious Creator against whom we have offended, the generous pardon, the infinite, spontaneous lovingkindness of the God who has been provoked and angered by our sin, but who, delighting in mercy, and grieving to smite the creatures whom He has made, is ever ready to pass by transgression, iniquity, and sin, and to save His people from all the evil consequences of their guilt. Here, my brethren and sisters in Christ, is a force that is fully equal to the requirements of the duel with sin; for this grace is divine grace, and hence it is omnipotent, immortal, and immutable… The gracious purpose of God’s free favor to an undeserving man is more than a match for that man’s sin, for it brings to bear, upon his sin, the blood of the incarnate Son of God, and the majestic and mysterious fire of the eternal Spirit, who burns up evil and utterly consumes it. With God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost united against sin, the everlasting purposes of grace are bound to be accomplished, sin must be overcome. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/3115.cfm

“Come, Poor Soul, Follow Me!”

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

The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow Me. – John 1:43

“The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip.” O my blessed Lord, how He will go forth to find a soul! A journey is never too long for Him, and He never wastes a day. “The day following Jesus would go forth, and findeth Philip.” Oh, may my Lord delight to come forth, and find some of you! I pray that He may find some of you. Perhaps you do not know how it was that you came here…O my Master, find some more of Thy jewels! Lord Jesus, come and find Philip, and find Mary, and then let Philip and Mary declare that they have found Thee!

When our dear Master goes forth to find a soul, it is very effectual work. He said to Philip, “Follow Me.” “Follow Me,” “FOLLOW ME.” “Come, poor soul, you do not know the way! ‘Follow Me.’ You want some one to go before you, to be your leader. ‘Follow Me.’ You want some one to be your shelter, your companion, your all. ‘Follow Me.'” That is what you have to do, good woman. You have been worrying about what you have heard from different preachers; Christ says to you, “Follow Me.” That is what you have to do, young man. You have been reading those rubbishing modern thought books till you do not know whether you are on your head or on your heels. Burn them. Jesus says, “Follow Me.” I know that some of you have been distracted with all sorts of silly talk; let that go to the dogs. Jesus says, “Follow Me.” The crucified Saviour says, “Follow Me.” Take Him for your atonement. The risen Saviour says, “Follow Me.” Take Him for your life. The Saviour on the throne says, “Follow Me.” Take Him for your joy. The Saviour coming in glory hereafter says, “Follow Me.” Take Him to be your hope. “Follow Me,” …Jesus said to Philip, “Follow Me,” and Philip followed Him directly; and he not only followed Christ himself, but he began immediately to try to get others to follow Him. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2375.cfm

All This is the Work of God

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

“The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip.” – John 1:43

I was sitting down, one day, gratefully reflecting on what God had done for me. I knew that my sins were pardoned, I knew that I was accepted in Christ Jesus, and I knew that I was renewed in heart, and in one moment the revelation came to me: “All this is the work of God.” The instant I saw that truth, I said to myself, “Yes, that is the fact, and God be glorified for it! But why has this great work been wrought in me?” I knew that there was no merit in me before the Lord had dealt in mercy with my soul, so I said to myself, “This is the effect of sovereign distinguishing grace.” Then I understood in a moment how it is that God begins with us, and that it is God’s will and God’s eternal purpose, which, after all, lie deeper down than our will or our purpose; and God’s will and God’s eternal purpose must have the glory. What a revelation it was to me! I saw the doctrines of grace immediately; and I think that anybody who has been brought to find the Saviour, and who prayerfully studies the reasons for his salvation, can see the same truth that the Lord revealed to me. Because first of all, you began to be thoughtful, did you not? Who made you thoughtful? You would never have found the Savour if you had not become thoughtful instead of careless and indifferent. Who made you think of divine things? What influence was it which wrought upon you, and caused you to feel that you must think about eternity, and heaven, and hell? Then you had a sense of your need and of your sinfulness. There was a time when you had no such sense; then, who gave it to you? Where do you think that repentance, that sorrow for sin, that desire after Christ, came from? Did all that grow in your own fallen human nature? Ah, believe me, that dunghill never brought forth such fair flowers as these! No, it was Christ who sowed the good seed in your soul; it was He who made you feel your need of Him. Surely it was God the Holy Ghost going forth, in the name of Jesus Christ, and dealing with you in mercy. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2375.cfm

Will You Have Christ?

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

…and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out. – John 6:37

One of the things that every man, who would find the Saviour, must do, is to make sure of his right to come and take the Saviour. The question that puzzles many is, “May I have the Saviour?” My dear friends, every sinner in the world is permitted to come and trust the Saviour, if he wills to do so. “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” “But,” asks some troubled soul, “will Christ have me?” That is not the question; the question is, “Will you have Christ?” He says, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.”

Do you ask, “What am I to do that I may find the Saviour?” Well, what you have to do is practically this, accept Him. If you were sick, and the doctor stood before you, with the medicine ready prepared, you would not say, “What am I to do with this medicine, sir? Am I to rub my hand on the outside of the bottle?” You know very well that there are certain directions as to how much is to be taken, and how often. What you have to do with the medicine is to take it. “But I cannot make that medicine work for my restoration.” Who said you could? All you have to do is to take it. It is just this that you have to do with Christ; take Him, accept Him, receive Him. “As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” That is it, you see, receive Him, believe on His name… He will change you, He will renew you, He will make you a new creature in Himself. What you have to do is to receive Him, and to believe on His name. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2375.cfm