promises

His Anger is Turned Away

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

In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins… – Ephesians 1:7

I believe that the great joy of forgiveness, to the believer, is that God has taken away His anger from him. That sweet hymn, which we often sing, is a paraphrase of a passage in Isaiah-

“I will praise Thee every day,
Now Thine anger’s turned away;
Comfortable thoughts arise
From the bleeding Sacrifice.”

A person has grieved and wronged me. I feel hurt in my mind about it. When I forgive him, I no longer feel grieved or angry with him: I think of him as aforetime, and we are on good terms. If my forgiveness is genuine-and in God’s case it is emphatically so-then there is no resentment left. The offense is as though it had never been committed. I say to the person who did me wrong, “I take a sponge, and I wipe it all off the slate: give me your hand, let us stand as we stood before.” The pardon of sin by God is after such a fashion. He blots out the sin as the Oriental erases with his pencil the record made upon his waxen tablet, so that no trace of it remains. He smiles where else He must have frowned; He gives complacent love where else there must have been indignation and wrath. Do you not think that this is the sweetest way of looking at the forgiveness of sin? In the case of the poor penitent prodigal, it was the kiss of his father’s lip; it was his restoration to his father’s heart; it was the cheering words of his father’s love that constituted to him the sweetest fragrance of the rose of forgiveness. Yes, the Lord Jesus Christ has come, that we poor guilty ones may be restored to the favor of God, and walk consciously in the light of His countenance, because sin is removed. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2207.cfm

In Whom We Have Redemption

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

In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace… – Ephesians 1:7

Read the chapter (Ephesians 1), and carefully note how the apostle goes to the back of everything and commences with those primeval blessings which were ours before time began. He dwells on the divine love of old, and the predestination which came out of it; and all that blessed purpose of making us holy and without blame before Him in love, which was comprehended in the covenant of grace. It does us good to get back to these antiquities-to these eternal things…”In whom we have redemption.” Whether others have it or not, we have “redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” We do not hope for it, but we have it. We do not merely think so, but we know that we have it. We are redeemed; we are free from bondage; we are forgiven and are no longer under condemnation. The apostle has mentioned it, if you notice, amongst the great things of God-His electing love, His adoption of us by Jesus Christ, His acceptance of us in the Beloved. Side by side with these colossal mercies He puts this one, that we have “the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” This is a blessing of no mean stature, for it marches with the giants of election and adoption…It would not be possible for God to forgive, and yet to punish. That would be a forgiveness quite unworthy of God. It would, indeed, be no forgiveness at all. We are certain that the everlasting punishment of sin declared in Scripture, will never happen to the man who is forgiven. When transgression is removed the soul stands clear at the bar of God, and there can be no further penalty. “I absolve thee,” says the great Judge; and that carries with it weight, so that a man that is forgiven is cleared of the punishment which he must otherwise have borne. “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2207.cfm

The Most Important Question for Each of Us

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

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”-Ephesians 1:7

Salvation is a present thing, in price, in promise, in principles, and in pledge; but the important question for each of you to answer is, -Have you obtained that salvation? If you have not, you are in a truly terrible condition, for you are “condemned already” because you have “not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” But if you have obtained this salvation, then you are indeed rich to all eternity. Perhaps you live in one poor room, and have to work very hard for a livelihood, yet you are much richer than those emperors and kings, who have much earthly pomp and state, but who are not the subjects of God’s grace, for you are saved; the Lord has given you that salvation which can never be taken away from you. So, rejoice in this salvation; and, if you have little else to cover you, let this salvation be your royal apparel; let this salvation load your table with heavenly dainties; let this salvation smooth your path, however rough it may be, and cheer your heart, however great your trials may be.

You know the story of the poor bricklayer, who fell from a scaffold, and when they took him up, he was so much injured that they fetched a minister to him, who, stooping over him, said, “My dear man, you have a very short time to live. I entreat you to make your peace with God.” To the surprise of the minister, the man opened his eyes, and said, “Make my peace with God, sir? It was made for me nearly nineteen hundred years ago, upon the cross of Calvary, by Him that loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Oh, the joy which this creates in the heart! Yes, it is in Jesus that the peace is made-effectually made, made for me, made for you, made for all believers. In Jesus is perfect redemption. In Jesus pardon is provided, proclaimed, presented, and sealed upon the conscience. Go and live on Jesus; live with Jesus; live in Jesus; never go away from Jesus; and may He be dearer to you every day of your lives! ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2770.cfm

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2207.cfm

Matchless Security

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

Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth; who is he that condemneth? It is Christ Jesus that died, yea rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. – Romans 8:33,34

I look at the attributes of God, and though to me, as a sinner, they all seem bristling as with sharp points, thrusting themselves upon me; yet when I know that Jesus died for me, and did literally take my sin, what fear I the attributes of God? There is justice, sharp and bright, like a lance; but justice is my friend. If God be just, He cannot punish me for sin for which Jesus has offered satisfaction. As long as there is justice in the heart of Deity, it cannot be that a soul justly claiming Christ as his substitute can himself be punished. As for mercy, love, truth, honor, everything matchless, Godlike and divine about Deity, I say of all these, “You are my friends; you are all guarantees that Jesus died for me, I cannot die.” How grandly does the apostle put it! It seems to me as if he never was worked up by the Holy Spirit to such a pitch of eloquence as when speaking about the death and resurrection of the Savior. He propounds that splendid question, “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?” There, where eternal justice sits upon a flaming throne, the apostle gazes with eye undimmed into the ineffable splendor, and though some one seems to say, “The Judge will condemn,” he replies, “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.” Can He justify and then condemn us? He justifies those for whom Christ died, for we are justified by His resurrection. How then shall He condemn? And then he lifts up his voice yet again-“Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again, who sitteth at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” On other grounds a man must feel unsafe, but here he may know himself sure. I know that I have no cause for fear since Jesus died for me. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0694.cfm

What Jesus Saw in Us

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

Scarcely for a righteous man will one die; peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die; but God commendeth His love towards us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:7,8

When Christ has renewed us by His Spirit, there may be a temptation to imagine that some excellency in us won the Savior’s heart; but, my brethren, you must understand that Christ died for us while we were yet sinners. Not that infant washed and swaddled, not that fair maiden with the jewel in her ear, and with the pure golden crown upon her head, not that lovely princess, presented like a chaste virgin to her husband; no, that was not what Jesus saw when He died. He saw all that in the glass of His prescience, but the actual condition of that fair maid was very different when He died for her; she was cast out, unwashed, unsalted, unswaddled, in her blood, a foul, filthy thing. Ah! my brethren, there is no filthy thing under heaven so filthy as a filthy sinner. When there was not a ray of beauty to be discovered in us, when neither without nor within a single thing could be found to commend us, but we were morally altogether abhorrent to the Holy nature of Christ, then-oh wondrous grace! -He came from the highest heaven that the mass of our sin might meet on Him… Such a wonderful union is there between Christ and the sinner that I venture to say there are some expressions in the New Testament and in the Old with regard to Christ’s connection with the sin of man that I would not dare to use except as direct quotations from Holy Writ; but being there you shall see how wondrously the love of Jesus Christ induced Him to take upon Himself our sad condition and plight. But, oh the love! oh the love! God over all, blessed for ever, should have laid on Him the iniquity of us all! ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0694.cfm

Trust in Jesus’ Righteousness

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

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us… – Titus 3:5

Have you an imagination that your own merits may make atonement for sin? I pray you think what Christ had to do before He could cast sin off from Himself, what griefs He bore, through what an ocean of wrath He passed; and do you think that your poor merits, if they be merits, can ever avail to do what the Savior suffered so much to accomplish? Do you hope to escape without a punishment? If you do, let me pray you to think the matter over; for if God smote His own Son, do you think He will permit you to go scot-free? …Sinner, bow the knee to this plan of salvation, for be it known to you -and I speak now, knowing what I say, and coolly too-there is none other plan of salvation under heaven. There may be other ways of salvation preached, but other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, Jesus Christ the Righteous…If thou shalt be going about to establish thine own righteousness, but not submitting thyself to the righteousness of Christ, thou shalt perish. But let me ask thee, does not this plan commend itself to thee? If I trust Jesus, this is to me the evidence that He took my sins and suffered in my stead. Oh, the joy it gives me! I speak to you honestly of my own experience now; there is no doctrine that fires my soul with such delight as that of substitution…when I know that Christ was literally and positively, not metaphorically and by way of figure, but literally and positively the substitute for His own people, and when I know that trusting in Him I have the evidence of being one of His people, why my soul begins to say, Now let me live! I’m clean, through Jesus’ blood I’m clean. Now let me die! for I shall boldly stand in the day of resurrection, through Jesus, my Lord. Why, soul, it seems to me as if it were enough to make you leap into the arms of Christ, crucified! covered with blood for you! disinterestedly suffering for His own enemies that they might live! Oh, stay not away! ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0694.cfm

Did Christ Bear Your Sins?

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

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. – Isaiah 53:6

There is a countless company whose sins the Lord Jesus bore; did He bear yours? Do you wish to have an answer? Are you unable to give one? Let me read this verse to you and see if you can join in it. I do not mean join in it saying, “That is true,” but feeling that it is true in your own souls. “All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” If there be in you a penitential confession which leads you to acknowledge that you have erred and strayed like a lost sheep, if there be in you a personal sense of sin which makes you feel that you have turned to your own way, and if now you can trust in Jesus, then a second question is not wanted; the Lord hath laid on Him your iniquity, and the iniquity of all such as confess their sin and look alone to Christ. But if you will not trust to Christ, I cannot say to you that the Lord hath taken the sin from you and laid it upon Christ, for in my soul I know that living and dying as you now are, that sin of yours will rise up in judgment against you to condemn you…Let me ask you, do you mean to bear your sin yourself? Do you know what that means? Jesus smarted when He bore the sin of His people, but what a smart shall yours be when you bear your own! “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” There are some now-a-days who are mightily angry at the doctrine of everlasting punishment; I, too, might be angry at it if it were an invention of man; but when it is most certainly threatened in God’s Book, it is vain for me to kick against the pricks; my question should not be, “How can I dispute against it?” but “How can I escape from it?” Dear hearer, do not venture into God’s presence with your sins upon yourself; even our God is a consuming fire, and His fury will break forth against you when you come to stand there. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0694.cfm