promises

For Your Sake

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

Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him”- John 11:14-15

There lived in the little village of Bethany a very happy family. There was neither father nor mother in it: the household consisted of the unmarried brother, Lazarus, and his sisters, Martha and Mary, who dwelt together in unity so good and pleasant that there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore. This affectionate trio were all lovers of the Lord Jesus Christ, and were frequently favoured with His company….But, alas! affliction cometh everywhere; virtue may sentinel the door, but grief is not to be excluded from the homestead…Lazarus sickens. It is a mortal sickness beyond the power of physicians. What is the first thought of the sisters but to send for their friend Jesus?…”I am glad,” saith He, “for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe.” Ah! we see it now: Christ is not glad because of sorrow, but only on account of the result of it. He knew that this temporary trial would help His disciples to a greater faith, and He so prizes their growth in faith that He is even glad of the sorrow which occasions it. He does as good as say, “I am glad for your sakes that I was not there to prevent the trouble, for now that it is come, it will teach you to believe in Me, and this shall be much better for you than to have been spared the affliction.”

We have thus plainly before us the principle, that our Lord in His infinite wisdom and superabundant love, sets so high a value upon His people’s faith, that He will not screen them from those trials by which faith is strengthened.~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0585.cfm

Faith’s Plea: Do As Thou Hast Said

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

Confirm to Your servant Your promise, that You may be feared. -Psalm 119:38

(M)y dear friends…there is always some special promise to you; and you have only to turn your Bible over and find it out, and then go to God with “Do as Thou hast said.” Let me just select a few characters. There is one here, exceeding faint in the ways of the Lord. “Oh!” he says, “I am faint, though I hope I am pursuing.” Now, here is the promise,-“He giveth power unto the faint;” When you get such a promise, stick hard and fast to it; do not let the devil cheat you out of it, but keep on saying, “Lord, Thou hast said, He giveth power unto the faint.” “Do as Thou hast said.”…Are you covered all over with sin, and under a deep sense of your iniquities? Go and tell Him this: “Thou hast said, ‘I will cast their iniquities into the depths of the sea.’ Lord, I know I have these sins; I do not deny it; but Thou hast said, ‘I will pardon them.’ I have no reason why Thou shouldst pardon them; I cannot promise that I shall be better; but, Lord, Thou hast said it, and that is enough; ‘Do as Thou hast said.'” Another one here is afraid lest he should not be able to hold on to the end, and lest after having been a child of God he should be a cast-away. Then, if that be thy state, go and take this to God: “The mountains may depart, and the hills may be removed, but the covenant of My love shall not depart from you;” and when you are thinking that your Saviour is going away, catch hold of His skirts, and say, “Jesus, do as Thou hast said. Thou hast said, ‘I will never leave thee;’ ‘do as Thou hast said.'”…And if Satan says, “He is gone away, and will never come back again,” tell Satan he has nothing to do with it; God has said it, and keep to this, “Do as Thou hast said.” If you do that, you will want no other argument and no other reason.~ C.H. Spurgeon

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

He Abides Faithful

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

If we believe not, yet He abides faithful: He cannot deny Himself. -2 Timothy 2:13

Beloved, to suppose that God could violate His promise, is to suppose Him divested of His Godhead. Take away God’s honour from Him, and He becomes less than man…”Oh! sir,” you say, “but I do not deserve it; I am such a poor worthless creature, He will not keep His promise to me.” I tell you that does not make a whit difference in God’s promise; if He has promised, He is divinely bound to perform His promise, in whatever state you may be…Hear the promise, then, once more, Are you a sinner? “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, even the chief.” And, again: “He is able to save unto the uttermost them that come unto God by Him.” And, again: “Come unto Me, all ye that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” And let me say again, with the profoundest reverence, that if Christ did not give rest to every weary heavy laden sinner that came to Him, He would be un-Christed, He would lose His truthfulness, He would be undeified, He would lose His veracity, and the loss of one poor believing sinner would be the loss of God’s own godhead; it would be the dethroning of the immortal; it would be the pulling down of heaven, the breaking asunder of the universe, and the dissolution of creation’s own earth, and of creation’s self. Faith may well go to God, and say, “Lord, do as Thou hast said; for if Thou dost not, it will be a dishonor to Thyself.” ~ C.H. Spurgeon

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

Cashing In God’s Promises

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

For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. -2 Corinthians 1:20

The Lord always meant, when He said a thing, that we should remind Him of it. God’s promises were never meant to be waste paper; He meant that they should be used. Whenever God gives a promise, if a man does not use that promise, the promise fails in effect to that man, and God’s great intention therein is in some measure frustrated. God sent the promise on purpose to be used. If I see a Bank of England note, it is a promise for a certain amount of money, and I take it and use it. But oh! my friend, do try and use God’s promises; nothing pleases God better than to see His promises put in circulation; He loves to see His children bring them up to Him, and say, “Lord, do as thou hast said.” And let me tell you that it glorifies God to use His promises. Do you think that God will be any the poorer for giving you the riches He has promised? Do you think He will be any the less holy for giving holiness to you? Do you think He will be any the less pure for washing you from your sins? And He has said, “Come now, let us reason together, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as wool; though they be red, they shall be whiter than snow.” Faith gets hold of that promise, and it does not stand saying, “this is a precious promise, I will look at it;” it goes right up to the throne, and says, “Lord, here is the promise, do as Thou hast said.” And God says, “Oh! faith, I am as glad to see the promise brought to Me, as thou art to bring it; I meant My promise to be used, and the using of it glorifies Me.” ~ C.H. Spurgeon

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

Faith’s Only Foothold

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

He that is of God hears God’s words…-John 8:47

The only solid foothold that faith has is, “It is written, God hath said it.” When a sinner comes to God he must have nothing else to rely upon except this, “Do as Thou hast said.” There is a tendency in most men’s minds to bring before God something which He did not say. Many of you, I dare say, will go and ask God in prayer for something for which you cannot prove a positive promise that He will ever give it to you. You go to God and say, “Lord, do as John Bunyan said, do as Whitefield said, let me have an experience like theirs.” Now, that is all wrong. We must, when we come to God, say only, “Lord, do as Thou hast said.” And then, again, I do believe that many of those who are members of our churches have not put their faith simply in what God has said. If I were to go round to some of you and ask you why you believe yourselves to be Christians, it is marvelous what strange reasons many of you would bring. It is very singular what strange views persons often have as to the way of salvation.

Faith can build on a “thou hast said it;” but it cannot build on frames and feelings, on dreams and experiences-it only relies on this-“Thou hast said it.”…The way of salvation is no great mystery, it is very plain; it is “believe and live.” And faith needs no mysteries to hang itself upon; it catches hold of the bare naked promise, and it says, “Lord, do as thou hast said.” ~ C.H. Spurgeon

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

Under the Glass Bee-hive

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

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. -James 4:8

Ah! sinner, remember, thou sinnest with God’s eyes looking on thee. How black must be thy heart! how awful thy sin! for thou sinnest in the very face of justice when God’s eye is fixed on thee. I was looking the other day at a glass bee-hive, and it was very singular to observe the motions of the creature inside. Well, now this world is nothing but a huge glass bee-hive. God looks down on you, and he sees you all. You go into your little cells in the streets of this huge city; you go to your business, your pleasure, your devotions, and your sins; but remember, whenever you go, you are like the bees under a great glass shade, you can never get away from God’s observation. When children disobey before the eyes of their parents it shows that they are hardened. If they do it behind their parents’ back, it proves that there is some shame left. But you, sirs, sin when God is present with you; you sin while God’s eyes are searching you through and through…Therefore, I beseech you, think of it, and repent of your wickedness, that your sins may be blotted out through Jesus Christ.

Hear, then, in a few words, the way of salvation. It is this. Christ said to the Apostles, “Preach the gospel to every creature: he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned.”…Thou asked what thou art to believe. Why, this: that Christ died and rose again; that by His death He did bear the punishment of all believers; and that by His resurrection He did wipe out the faults of all His children. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

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