Amusing the world to Heaven?

Decisions or Disciples?

"It is a serious injury to a person to receive him into the number of the faithful unless there is good reason to believe that he is really regenerate. I am sure it is so, for I speak after careful observation. Some of the most glaring sinners known to me were once members of a church; and were, as I believe, led to make a profession by undue pressure, well-meant but ill-judged. Do not, therefore, consider that soul-winning is or can be secured by the multiplication of baptisms, and the swelling of the size of your church. What mean these despatches from the battle-field? "Last night, fourteen souls were under conviction, fifteen were justified, and eight received full sanctification." I am weary of this public bragging, this counting of unhatched chickens, this exhibition of doubtful spoils. Lay aside such numberings of the people, such idle pretence of certifying in half a minute that which will need the testing of a lifetime. Hope for the best, but in your highest excitements be reasonable. Enquiry-rooms are all very well; but if they lead to idle boastings, they will grieve the Holy Spirit, and work abounding evil" ~ Charles Spurgeon

How are you looking at your trial?

Are you trusting in your morality?

"Morality may keep you out of jail,

but it takes the blood of Jesus to keep you out of hell."

~ Charles Spurgeon

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood,

to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past,

through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness:

that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Where is boasting then? It is excluded.

By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith

without the deeds of the law. ~ Rom 3:23-28

Wise Counsel from Pastor Charles Spurgeon

"Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins." ~ Psalm 19:13

Such was the prayer of the "man after God’s own heart." Did holy David need to pray thus? How needful, then, must such a prayer be for us babes in Grace! It is as if he said, "Keep me back, or I shall rush headlong over the precipice of sin." Our evil nature, like an ill-tempered horse, is apt to run away. May the Grace of God put the bridle upon it and hold it in, that it rush not into mischief. What might not the best of us do if it were not for the checks which the Lord sets upon us both in Providence and in Grace?

The Psalmist’s prayer is directed against the worst form of sin—that which is done with deliberation and willfulness. Even the holiest need to be "kept back" from the vilest transgressions. It is a solemn thing to find the Apostle Paul warning saints against the most loathsome sins. "Mortify, therefore, your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry." What? Do saints need warning against such sins as these? Yes, they do. The whitest robes, unless their purity be preserved by Divine Grace, will be defiled by the blackest spots.

Experienced Christian, boast not in your experience! You will yet trip if you look away from Him who is able to keep you from falling. You whose love is fervent, whose faith is constant, whose hopes are bright, say not, "We shall never sin," but rather cry, "Lead us not into temptation." There is enough tinder in the heart of the best of men to light a fire that shall burn to the lowest Hell unless God shall quench the sparks as they fall! Who would have dreamed that righteous Lot could be found drunk and committing uncleanness? Hazael said, "Is Your servant a dog, that he should do this thing?" And we are very apt to use the same self-righteous question. May infinite wisdom cure us of the madness of self-confidence!

Charles Spurgeon explains Prevailing Faith

"And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master’s table."—Matthew 15:27

This woman gained comfort in her misery by thinking GREAT THOUGHTS OF CHRIST. The Master had talked about the children’s bread: "Now," she argued, "since You are the Master of the table of Grace, I know that You are a generous housekeeper and there is sure to be abundance of bread on Your table. There will be such an abundance for the children that there will be crumbs to throw on the floor for the dogs, and the children will fare none the worse because the dogs are fed."

She thought Him one who kept so good a table that all that she needed would only be a crumb in comparison! But remember, what she wanted was to have the devil cast out of her daughter. It was a very great thing to her, but she had such a high esteem of Christ, that she said, "It is nothing to Him, it is but a crumb for Christ to give." This is the royal road to comfort. Great thoughts of your sin alone will drive you to despair—but great thoughts of Christ will pilot you into the haven of peace. "My sins are many, but oh, it is nothing to Jesus to take them all away. The weight of my guilt presses me down as a giant’s foot would crush a worm, but it is no more than a grain of dust to Him, because He has already borne its curse in His own body on the tree. It will be but a small thing for Him to give me full remission, although it will be an infinite blessing for me to receive it."

The woman opens her soul’s mouth very wide, expecting great things of Jesus, and He fills it with His love. Dear Reader, do the same! She confessed what Christ laid at her door, but she laid fast hold upon Him and drew arguments even out of His hard words! She believed great things of Him, and she thus overcame Him. SHE WON THE VICTORY BY BELIEVING IN HIM. Her case is an instance of prevailing faith—and if we would conquer like her—we must imitate her tactics.

Why shall ye return to sin and bondage?

"Christian, what hast thou to do with sin? Hath it not cost thee enough already? Burnt child, wilt thou play with the fire? What! when thou hast already been between the jaws of the lion, wilt thou step a second time into his den? Hast thou not had enough of the old serpent? Did he not poison all thy veins once, and wilt thou play upon the hole of the asp, and put thy hand upon the cockatrice’s den a second time? Oh, be not so mad! so foolish! Did sin ever yield thee real pleasure? Didst thou find solid satisfaction in it? If so, go back to thine old drudgery, and wear the chain again, if it delight thee. But inasmuch as sin did never give thee what it promised to bestow, but deluded thee with lies, be not a second time snared by the old fowler-be free, and let the remembrance of thy ancient bondage forbid thee to enter the net again!" ~ Charles Spurgeon

"...For of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." ~ 2 Pe 2:19-22

Quote for the Day

"If sinners will be dammed, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for." ~ Charles Spurgeon

"Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;" 2 Cor 5:11