promises

The Food of Love to God

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

The food of love to God- what is it? It is knowledge:

“I have made known unto them Thy name, and will make it known.”- John 17:26

We cannot love a God whom we do not know: a measure of knowledge is needful to affection. However lovely God may be, a man blind of soul cannot perceive Him, and therefore is not touched by His loveliness. Only when the eyes are opened to behold the loveliness of God will the heart go out towards God who is so desirable an object for the affections. Brethren, we must know in order to believe; we must know in order to hope; and we must especially know in order to love. Hence the great desirableness that you should know the Lord, and His great love which passeth knowledge. You cannot reciprocate love which you have never known, even as a man cannot derive strength from food which he has not eaten. Till first of all the love of God has come into your heart, and you have been made a partaker of it, you cannot rejoice in it or return it. Therefore our Lord took care to feed His disciples’ hearts upon the Father’s name. He laboured to make the Father known to them. This is one of His great efforts with them, and He is grieved when He sees their ignorance, and has to say to one of them, “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?” Study much, then, the word of God: be diligent in turning the pages of Scripture and in hearing God’s true ministers, that the flame of love within your hearts may be revived by the fuel of holy knowledge which you place upon it. Pile on the logs of sandal wood, and let the perfumed fires burn before the Lord. Heap on the handfuls of frankincense and sweet odours of sacred knowledge, that on the altar of your heart there may always be burning the sacred flame of love to God in Christ Jesus.~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1667.cfm

 

Our Lord’s Last Prayer

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, prayer, promises, The Father, The Holy Spirit 4 Comments

“I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”- John 17:26

This text is taken out of our Lord’s last prayer with His disciples. He did as good as say, “I am about to leave you, I am about to die for you; and for a while you will not see Me; but now, before we separate, let us pray.” …Now, a prayer from such a one as Jesus, our Lord and Master; a prayer in such a company, with the eleven whom He had chosen, and who had consorted with Him from the beginning; a prayer under such circumstances, when He was just on the brink of the brook of Cedron, and was about to cross that gloomy stream and go up to Calvary, and there lay down His life-such a prayer as this, so living, earnest, loving and divine, deserves the most studious meditations of all believers.

You will observe that the last word of our Lord’s prayer is concerning love. This is the last petition which He offers, “That the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” He reaches no greater height than this, namely, that His people be filled with the Father’s love. How could He rise higher? For this is to be filled with all the fulness of God, since God is love, and He that loveth dwelleth in God and God in him. What importance ought you and I to attach to the grace of love! How highly we should esteem that which Jesus makes the crown jewel of all. If we have faith, let us not be satisfied unless our faith worketh by love and purifieth the soul. Let us not be content indeed until the love of Christ is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1667.cfm

From Death to Life in an Instant

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation 6 Comments

“…let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” – Revelation 22:17

It does not take so long to save a soul as it does for a lightening flash to become visible. You pass from death to life in an instant. When lost, ruined, condemned, the man casts himself at Christ’s feet, immediately he is saved. It is not the work of hours or weeks or years when you trust to the finished work of Christ. All that required time Christ has accomplished. All that now has to be done can be done in a moment. When a man is thirsty it does not take him long to drink when the water is there. Remember the invitation with which the Scriptures must conclude, “Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” The water of life is there, take it. When a man is hungry it does not take him long to eat when the bread is on the table. God can now give you, who came to this Tabernacle afar off from Him, grace which shall enable you to be made nigh at once. He can bring you immediately out of the blackness of sin, and make you on the instant “whiter than snow.”

Believe my Lord and Master. Oh, why do you not believe Him? Artful doubts and reasonings cease! I would now take the hammer and the nails, and fasten my unbelief and fear to Christ’s cross. Hang there, ye thieves, and die! You destroy men’s souls, ye doubts and reasonings! Come here, simple faith, thou who hast no wisdom! A mere child thou art, but; O simple faith, thou hast the key of the kingdom! Come, and welcome, into my heart. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2253.cfm

It Is Christ’s Nature to Bless You

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

Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. – Matthew 11:28

Consider well that it is contrary to His nature to refuse to bless. He is brimful of love; and if He does put a sinner back for a while, it is only because it is right and kind and wise to do so. But His heart yearns over every seeking sinner. He wants you more than you want Him. He longs after you. He desires to bless you. He must do so; it is His nature to do so.

He must give you a comfortable reply before long, again, for it is contrary to His glory to refuse. If He allowed a seeking sinner to die, where would His troubles be? Has He not said, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out”? Our friend, Dr. Barnardo, announces that in his refuges no homeless boy will ever be rejected: that no destitute child shall ever be turned away. Suppose somebody could prove-which, of course they cannot do-that scores of destitute children were turned away, all confidence in him would be destroyed. And if it could be proved that Christ ever cast out a single soul that came to Him, it would take away His honor and glory. We could never believe Him any more. Perish the thought of such a thing!

It is contrary to His word to refuse any seeker, and Christ will keep His word. “Come unto Me,” saith He, “all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” If Christ will not give you rest when you come to Him, what is His promise worth? ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2253.cfm

Believe Still

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

But He answered her not a word. – Matthew 15:23

Christ delays in order to increase the blessing itself. While we wait, the blessing becomes bigger, and our hands become stronger to hold it when it does come. You may be sure that our blessed Lord will give you a comfortable answer; for you do not know that He has been sustaining you while you have been pleading, and as yet have received no answer? Did you ever notice, when Joseph’s brethren went down into Egypt, that he made himself strange to them, and spoke to them roughly, and put them in prison? But in spite of that, there was one thing he did: when they went back to Jacob, he filled their sacks for them. He would not smile upon them, but he would not starve them; and at last, it is said, “Joseph could not refrain himself,” and he “made himself known unto his brethren. He was obliged to show his love at last; but even before he did that, he always filled their sacks for them. Christ will deal with you in like manner; while you are waiting, He will not let you die. Oh, in what wonderful ways did the Lord support me when, through weary years, I was seeking His face! I could not say that I had any comfort that I dared to call my own, and yet there flowed into my soul, somehow, a secret power that enabled me still to hope, and still to hold on; for that I now desire to bless His name, and I tell it for the encouragement of any who may be in soul-trouble as I was. Keep on seeking His grace, dear friend. Believe still; for He must give you a comfortable answer one of these days.~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2253.cfm

Why Does Christ Think So Much of Faith?

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

When Jesus saw their faith… – Mark 2:5

Why does Christ think so much of faith?

One reason is, because faith glorifies Him. He thinks much of it, because it thinks so much of Him. Faith believes Him, faith trusts Him, faith lives upon Him…Therefore, because faith highly esteems Christ, Christ highly esteems faith.

Next, He loves faith because it is God’s appointed way in which we are to receive blessings. God might have appointed ordinances as the vehicle of grace; but, instead thereof, He has made faith to be the medium of salvation. If thou believest, thou shalt be saved…Since God has put faith into so eminent a place, our Lord Jesus Christ loves to see it; He takes delight in that which pleases His Father.

Another reason why He loves it is, because faith is the signal which permits the train of mercy to come to us. Whenever unbelief holds up its arms, the train of almighty grace stands still. Of a certain place it is said, “He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” Their doubt blocked the way. But when faith lowers the signal, the great Driver of heaven’s express says, “That road is clear,” and He delights to see it, and drives right ahead…He is glad to come wherever He can bring a blessing, and He rejoices when faith reveals to Him a clear road. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2253.cfm

Our Faith Delights Christ

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

When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to them that followed, “Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” – Matthew 8:10

“O woman, great is thy faith…” – Matthew 15:28

Faith is exceedingly delightful to Christ. What He said to this woman began with an exclamation, as if He were struck with something in her that delighted Him. He said, “O woman, great is thy faith!” Notice that He spoke of her faith, and of that alone. He knew about her love; He knew about her earnestness; He knew about her humility; but He said nothing at all about them; His one word of commendation was for her faith. “O woman, great is thy faith!” That is what my Lord is looking for now. He comes round and looks at you to see whether you have faith in Him…He will see it, and He will accept it. If thou hast only now begun to believe that Jesus is the Christ, and to trust Him, though thy faith be feeble as a babe that cannot stand, but can only cling to its mother’s breast, Jesus will see the beginnings of it. He is the “Author” as well as “the Finisher” of our faith. Be thou comforted, then, concerning that tiny trust thou hast in Him. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2253.cfm