The Father

Our Redeemer’s Prayer

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, prayer, promises, The Father 4 Comments

“Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me: for Thou lovedst Me before the foundations of the world.”- John 17:24

When the High Priest of old entered into the most holy place, he kindled the incense in his censer, and waving it before him, he perfumed the air with its sweet fragrance, and veiled the mercy seat with the denseness of its smoke. Thus was it written concerning him, “He shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail: and he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not.” Even so our Lord Jesus Christ, when He would once for all enter within the vail with His own blood to make an atonement for sin, did first offer strong crying and prayers…He prayed for the people for whom He was about to die, and ere He sprinkled them with His blood, He did sanctify them with His supplications. This prayer therefore stands pre-eminent in Holy Writ as the Lord’s Prayer-the special and peculiar prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ; and “if,” as an old divine hath it, “it be lawful to prefer one Scripture above another, we may say, though all be gold, yet this is a pearl in the gold; though all be like the heavens, this is as the sun and stars.” …How sweet it is to see that not Himself, but His people, constituted the staple of His prayer! He did pray for Himself- He said, “Father, glorify Thou Me!” but while He had one prayer for Himself, He had many for His people. Continually did He pray for them-“Father, sanctify them!” “Father, keep them!” “Father, make them one!” And then He concluded His supplication with, “Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am.” Melancthon well said there was never a more excellent, more holy, more fruitful, and more affectionate voice ever heard in heaven or in earth, than this prayer.~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0188.cfm

Partakers of Divine Grace

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God, The Father, The Holy Spirit 3 Comments

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: – Ephesians 2:8

I cannot understand the reason why I am saved, except upon the ground that God would have it so. I cannot, if I look ever so earnestly, discover any kind of reason in myself why I should be a partaker of divine grace. If I am not, tonight, without Christ, it is only because Christ Jesus would have His will with me, and that will was that I should be with Him where He is, and should share His glory. I can put the crown nowhere but upon the head of Him whose mighty grace has saved me from going down into the pit.

If you have Christ, then you have God the Father to be your protector, and God the Spirit to be your comforter. You have present things working together for your good, and future things to unravel your happier portion; you have angels to be your servitors both on earth and in heaven. You have all the wheels of Providence revolving for your benefit; you have the stones of the field in league with you; you have your daily trials sanctified to your benefit; and you have your earthly joys hinged from their doors and hallowed with a blessing; your gains and your losses are alike profitable to you; your additions and your diminutions shall alike swell the tide of your soul’s satisfaction; you have more than any other creatures can boast as their portion; you have more than all the world beside could yield to regale your pure taste, and ravish your happy spirits. And now, will you not be glad? ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/3472.cfm

Sinners, Come to Christ for Life!

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, The Father, The Holy Spirit 5 Comments

And they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” – Acts 16:31

I feel that I could freely give my life if it would avail for the saving of your souls. Fain would I meet a martyr’s death, if you would be persuaded thereby to come to Christ for life. But oh! sinners, no pleading of mine will ever prevail if the pleading of Christ prove ineffectual with you. To each one of you, a distinct proclamation of salvation is addressed. Whosoever among you will believe that Christ died, and that He is able to save you, and will trust your soul upon what He did, shall be saved. Oh! why reject Him? He will not hurt nor harm you. Do lay hold of this good hope, for your time is short! Death is hastening on; eternity is near! Do lay hold of it, for hell is hot, the, flames thereof are terrible! Lay hold of it, for heaven is bright, and the harps of angels are sweet beyond compare! Lay hold of it. It shall make your heart glad on earth, it shall charm away your fears and remove your griefs! Lay hold of it! It shall bear you through Jordan’s billows, and land you safe on Canaan’s side. Oh! by the love of the Father, by the, blood of Jesus, by the love of the Spirit, I beseech you, sinner, believe and live! By the cross and the five wounds, by the agony and bloody sweat, by the resurrection, and by the ascension, sinner, believe and live! By every argument that would touch your nature, by every motive that can sway your reason or stir your passions, in the name of God that sent me, by the Almighty that made you, by the Eternal Son that redeemed you, by the gift of the Holy Spirit, sinner, I command you, with divine authority to sanction my vehemence, that ye be reconciled to God through the death of His Son! ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/3497.cfm

Courage from the “Hereafter.”

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

Nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Matthew 26:64

Ah, LORD, You were in Your lowest state when before Your persecutors You were made to stand like a criminal! Yet the eyes of Your faith could see beyond Your present humiliation into Your future glory. What words are these, “Nevertheless – hereafter!” I would imitate Your holy foresight, and in the midst of poverty, or sickness, or slander, I also would say, “Nevertheless – hereafter.” Instead of weakness, You have all power; instead of shame, all glory; instead of derision, all worship, Your cross has not dimmed the splendor of Thy crown, neither has the spit marred the beauty of Your face. Rather, You are more exalted and honored because of Your sufferings.
So, LORD, I also would take courage from the “hereafter.” I would forget the present tribulation in the future triumph. Help me by directing me into the Father’s love and into Your own patience, so that when I am derided for Your name I may not be staggered but think more and more of the hereafter, and, therefore, all the less of today. I shall be with You soon and behold Thy glory. Wherefore, I am not ashamed but say in my inmost soul, “Nevertheless – hereafter.” ~ Charles Spurgeon | Faith’s Checkbook

He Repulses No One

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

All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.  – John 6:37

Is there any instance of our LORD’s casting out a coming one? If there be so, we would like to know of it; but there has been none, and there never will be. Among the lost souls in hell there is not one that can say, “I went to Jesus, and He refused me.” It is not possible that you or I should be the first to whom Jesus shall break His word. Let us not entertain so dark a suspicion.

Suppose we go to Jesus now about the evils of today. Oh, this we may be sure. He will not refuse us audience or cast us out. Those of us who have often been and those who have never gone before, let us go together, and we shall see that He will not shut the door of His grace in the face of any one of us. “This man receives sinners,” but He repulses no one. We come to Him in weakness and sin, with trembling faith, and small knowledge, and slender hope; but He does not cast us out. We come by prayer, and that prayer broken; with confession, and that confession faulty; with praise, and that praise far short of His merits; but yet He receives us. We come diseased, polluted, worn out, and worthless; but He does in no wise cast us out. Let us come again today to Him who never casts us out. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

Faiths Checkbook

Keep to the Truth

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, The Father 5 Comments

Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. – 2 John 1:9

Alas! we have, in some quarters, too much of faith trusted in which is not practical. Men say they believe, but they do not prove it by their lives. They remain in sin, and yet wrap themselves up in the belief that they are God’s chosen ones. From such turn away, and remember that a faith without works is dead, and only the faith that changes the character, sanctifies the life, and leads the man to God, is the faith which will save the soul. We must see to it that in our doctrine we bow our judgment to the teachings of Scripture, and try to be conformed to all the revelation of God, and especially to all the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. Scylla is there and Charybdis is there, and he is a happy helmsman who can steer between the two. You shall fall into this ism or into that, unless you keep to the truth. Never mind whether you can make the truth always consistent to your own judgment or not. If it is the truth, believe it; and though it should seem to contradict another truth, yet hold to it, if it is in the Word, waiting till clearer light shall reveal to you that all these truths stood in a wonderful harmony and consistency which, at first, you could not perceive. In doctrine, buy the truth.~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/3449.cfm

Our God Singing!

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

The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing. – Zephaniah 3:17

Did you ever get into your hearts the idea of the Lord God singing? God singing over His church, over His Jerusalem, over His new creation! God singing! I can understand the angels singing for joy over God’s work, but here is God singing over His own work. I will tell you something more wonderful than that: it is that you should be a part of that work, and that God should sing over you. And yet it is not so very wonderful, for is He not the Father, and doth not the Father sing over His prodigal son that wandered and is come back? is He not the Savior, and will not the Savior, who bought us with His blood, sing over us who are the purchase of His agonies? He is the Spirit, and shall not the Spirit, who has striven with us, and wrought all our works in us, sing when His work is done, and we are sanctified? Father, when Thy eternal purposes are all fulfilled, Thou wilt joy over Thy people! Son of God, Redeemer, when all Thy agonies shall have received their recompense in the salvation of Thy redeemed, Thou wilt rejoice over Thy chosen! Holy Ghost, when all Thy condescending indwelling within us shall have accomplished Thy design, Thou wilt rejoice in Thy people! Come now, beloved, rejoice in sympathy with the divine heart! ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2211.cfm