promises

Remorse! Remorse!! Remorse!!!

Sherry Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, the unbelieving life Leave a comment

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? – Mark 8:36

When an American doctor, who had led a loose life, came to die, he seemed to wake up from a sort of stupor, and he said, “Find that word, find that word.” “What word?” they asked. “Why,” he said, “that awful word, remorse!” He said it again,-” Remorse!” and then, gathering up his full strength, he fairly seemed to shriek it out,-“Remorse!” “Write it,” said he, “write it.” It was written. “Write it with larger letters, and let me gaze at it; underline it. And now,” said he, “none of you know the meaning of that word, and may you never know it; it has an awful meaning in it, and I feel it now. Remorse! Remorse!! Remorse!!!”

What, I ask, is the pleasure of sin contrasted with the results it brings in this life? and what, I ask, is this pleasure’ compared with the joys of godliness? Little as you may think I know of the joys of the world, yet so far as I can form a judgment, I can say that I would not take all the joys that earth can ever afford in a hundred years for one half-hour of what my soul has known in fellowship with Christ. We, who believe in Him, do have our sorrows; but, blessed be God, we do have our joys, and they are such joys -oh, such joys, with such substance in them, and such reality and certainty, that we could not and would not exchange them for anything except heaven in its fruition. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2902.cfm

Pure and Spotless Let Us Be

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

I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. – Psalm 101:3

There are many things, in this world, that would be execrated if it were not that Christian men go to them, and the ungodly men say, “Well, if it is not righteous, there is not much harm in it, after all; it is innocent enough if we keep within bounds.” Mind! mind! mind, professor, if thine heart begins to suck in the sweets of another man’s sin, it is unsound in the sight. of God; if thou canst even wink at another man’s lust, depend upon it that thou wilt soon shut thine eye on thine own, for we are always more severe with other men than we are’ with ourselves. There must be an absence of the vital principle of godliness when we can become partakers of other men’s sins by applauding or joining with them in the approval of them. Let us examine ourselves scrupulously, then, whether we be among those who have no evidences of that holiness without which no man can see God. But, beloved, we hope better things of you, and things which accompany salvation. If you and I, as in the sight of God, feel that we would be holy if we could, that there is not a sin we wish to spare, that we would be like Jesus, -O that we could !-that we would sooner suffer affliction than ever run into sin, and displease our God; if our heart be really right in God’s statutes, then, despite all the imperfections we bemoan, we have holiness, wherein we may rejoice, and we pray to our gracious God,-

“Finish, then, Thy new creation,
Pure and spotless let us be.”

~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2902.cfm

Is Your Obedience Uniform?

Sherry Christian Life, promises, repentance Leave a comment

But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation…- 1 Peter 1:15

O sirs, true holiness is a thing that will keep by night and by day, at home and abroad, on the land and on the sea! That man is not right with God who would not do the same in the dark that he would do in the light; who does not feel, “If every eye should look upon me, I would not be different from what I am when no eye gazes upon me; that which keeps me right is not the judgement and opinions of men, but the eye of the Omnipresent, and the heart of the Lord who loves me.” Is your obedience uniform? Some farmers I know, in the country, maintain a creditable profession in the village where they live; they go to a place of worship, and seem to be very good people: but there is a farmer’s dinner once a year, it is only once a year, and we will not say anything about how they get home,-the less that is said, the better for their reputation. “It is only once a year,” they tell us; but holiness does not allow of dissipation even “once a year.” And we know some who, when they go on the Continent, for instance, say, “Well, we need not be quite so exact there;” and therefore the Sabbath is utterly disregarded, and the sanctities of daily life are neglected, so reckless are they in their recreations. Well, sirs, if your religion is not warranted to keep in any climate, it is good for nothing.

You are a stranger to holiness if your heart does not feel that it revolts at the thought of sin. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2902.cfm

Be Alarmed for Fear of a Fall

Sherry Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises Leave a comment

Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy – Jude 1:24

I am quite sure that you know nothing of true holiness if you can look forward to any future indulgence of sensual appetites with a certain degree of delightful anticipation. Have I a man here, a professed Christian, who has formed some design in his mind to indulge the flesh, and to enjoy forbidden dainties when an opportunity occurs? Ah, sir! if thou canst think of those things that may come in thy way without tremor, I suspect thee: I would thou wouldst suspect thyself. Since the day that some of us knew Christ, we have always woke up in the morning with a fear lest we should that day disown our Master. And there is one fear which sometimes haunts me, and I must confess it; and were it not for faith in God, it would be too much for me. I cannot read the life of David without some painful emotions. All the time he was a young man, his life was pure before God, and in the light of the living it shone with a glorious lustre; but when grey hairs began to be scattered on his head, the man after God’s heart sinned. I have sometimes felt inclined to pray that my life may come to a speedy end, lest haply in some evil hour, some temptation should come upon me, and I should fall. And do you not feel the same? Can you look forward to the future without any fear? Does not the thought ever cross your mind,-” He that thinketh he standeth may yet fall.” And the very possibility of such a thing,-does it not drive you to God’s mercy-seat, and do you not cry, “Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe”? There is no doxology in Scripture which I enjoy more than that one at the end of the Epistle of Jude: “Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to Him be glory.” I say to you, you are a stranger to holiness of heart if you can look forward to a future fall without great alarm. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2902.cfm

Heart-work Carried Out Into Life-work

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

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. -Hebrews 12:28

Sirs, you may say what you will about what you dream you have felt, you may write what you please about what you fancy you have experienced; but if your own outward life be unjust, unholy, ungenerous, and unloving, you shall find no credit among us as to your being in Christ: “Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord.” The moment you know a man who is drunk on a Saturday night, and then enjoys So-and-so’s preaching on a Sunday; the moment you know a man who can tell you what a child of God should be, and then appears himself exactly what he should not be, just quit his company, and let him go to his own place, and where that is, Judas can tell you. Oh, beware of such high-fliers, with their waxen wings, mounting up to the very sun,-how great shall be their fall when He that searches all hearts shall open the book, and say, “I was an hungred, and ye gave Me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink. Inasmuch as ye did it not. to one of the least of these My brethren, ye did it not to Me.”

Heart-work, carried out afterwards into life-work,-this is what the Lord wants. You may perish as well with true doctrines as with false, if you pervert the true doctrine into licentiousness. You may to go to hell by the cross as surely as you may by the theatre, or by the vilest of sin. You may perish with the name of Jesus on you lips, and with a sound creed sealed on your very bosom, for “except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” “Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2902.cfm

Holiness vs. Morality

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

For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. – 1 Thessalonians 4:7

Holiness excludes immorality, but morality does not amount to holiness; for morality may be but the cleaning of the outside of the cup and the platter, while the heart may be full of wickedness. Holiness deals with the thoughts and intents, the purposes, the aims, the objects, the motives of men. Morality does but skim the surface, holiness goes into the very caverns of the great deep; holiness requires that the heart shall be set on God, and that it shall beat with love to Him. The moral man may be complete in his morality without that. Methinks I might draw such a parallel as this: Morality is a sweet, fair corpse, well washed and robed, and even embalmed with spices; but holiness is the living man, as fair and as lovely as the other, but having life. Morality lies there, of the earth, earthy, soon to be food for corruption and worms; holiness waits and pants with heavenly aspirations, prepared to mount and dwell in immortality beyond the stars. These twains are of opposite nature: the one belongs to this world, the other belongs to that world beyond the skies. It is not said in heaven, “Moral, moral, moral art Thou, O God!” but “Holy, holy. holy art Thou. O Lord!” You note the difference between the two words at once. The one, how icy cold; the other, oh, how animated! Such is mere morality, and such is holiness! Moralist! -I know I speak to many such, -remember that your best morality will not save you; you must have more than this, for without holiness, -and that not of yourself, it must be given you of the Spirit of God, -without holiness, no man shall see the Lord. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2902.cfm

Pursue Holiness

Sherry Christian Life, promises, repentance, salvation, Sovereignty of God, The Holy Spirit 1 Comment

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord – Hebrews 12:14

There has been a desperate attempt made by certain Antinomians to get rid of the injunction which the Holy Spirit here means to enforce. They have said that this is the imputed holiness of Christ. Do they not know, when they so speak, that, by an open perversion, they utter that which is false? I do not suppose that any man in his senses can apply that interpretation to the context, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness.” Now, the holiness meant is evidently one that can be followed like peace; and it must be transparent to any ingenuous man that it is something which is the act and duty of the person who follows it. We are to follow peace; this is practical peace, not the peace made for us, but “the fruit of righteousness which is sown in peace of them that make peace.” We are to follow holiness,-this must be practical holiness; the opposite of impurity, as it is written, “God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.” The holiness of Christ is not a thing to follow; I mean, if we look at it imputatively. That we have at once; it is given to us the moment we believe. The righteousness of Christ is not to be followed; it is bestowed upon the soul in the instant when it lays hold of Christ Jesus. This is another kind of holiness. It is, in fact, as every one can see who chooses to read the connection, practical, vital holiness which is the purport of this admonition. It is conformity to the will of God, and obedience to the Lord’s command. It is, in fine, the Spirit’s work in the soul, by which a man is made like God, and becomes a partaker of the divine nature, being delivered from the corruption which is in the world through lust. No straining, no hacking at the text can alter it. There it stands, whether men like it or not… and it means no other than what it says: “Without holiness,”-practical, personal, active, vital holiness,-“no man shall see the Lord.” ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2902.cfm