REBORN AND REFORMING

2010-03-23T23:16:00.000-07:00

Spurgeon Quotes on the Gospel

"When we preach Christ crucified, we have no reason to stammer, or stutter, or hesitate, or apologize; there is nothing in the gospel of which we have any cause to be ashamed."

"The hearing of the gospel involves the hearer in responsibility. It is a great privilege to hear the gospel. You may smile and think there is nothing very great in it. The damned in hell know. Oh, what would they give if they could hear the gospel now? If they could come back and entertain but the shadow of a hope that they might escape from the wrath to come? The saved in heaven estimate this privilege at a high rate, for, having obtained salvation through the preaching of this gospel, they can never cease to bless their God for calling them by his word of truth. O that you knew it! On your dying beds the listening to a gospel sermon will seem another thing than it seems now." CHS

"Do you know, my dear unsaved hearer, what God’s estimate of the gospel is? Do you not know that it has been the chief subject of his thoughts and acts from all eternity? He looks on it as the grandest of all his works. You cannot imagine that he has sent his gospel into the world to be a football for you to play with–that you may give it a kick, as Felix did when he said to Paul, "Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee" (Acts 24:25). You surely cannot believe that God sent his gospel into the world for you to make a toy of it, and to say, as Agrippa said to Paul, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian" (Acts 26:28), and then put away all thought of it out of your souls. You cannot even speak of it irreverently without committing a great sin." CHS

"Avoid a sugared gospel as you would shun sugar of lead. Seek the gospel which rips up and tears and cuts and wounds and hacks and even kills, for that is the gospel that makes alive again. And when you have found it, give good heed to it. Let it enter into your inmost being. As the rain soaks into the ground, so pray the Lord to let his gospel soak into your soul." CHS

"Never lose heart in the power of the gospel. Do not believe that there exists any man, much less any race of men, for whom the gospel is not fitted." (CHS)

"Let this be to you the mark of true gospel preaching - where Christ is everything, and the creature is nothing; where it is salvation all of grace, through the work of the Holy Spirit applying to the soul the precious blood of Jesus." (CHS)

"If God does not save men by truth, he certainly will not save them by lies. And if the old gospel is not competent to work a revival, then we will do without the revival." (CHS)

"On Christ, and what he has done, my soul hangs for time and eternity. And if your soul also hangs there, it will be saved as surely as mine shall be. And if you are lost trusting in Christ, I will be lost with you and will go to hell with you. I must do so, for I have nothing else to rely upon but the fact that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, lived, died, was buried, rose again, went to heaven, and still lives and pleads for sinners at the right hand of God." (CHS)

"We have an unchanging gospel, which is not today green grass and tomorrow dry hay; but always the abiding truth of the immutable Jehovah." (C.H. Spurgeon)

"If the Lord's bearing our sin for us is not the gospel, I have no gospel to preach." (C.H. Spurgeon)

"The heart of the gospel is redemption, and the essence of redemption is the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ." (C.H. Spurgeon)

Are you sure you like Spurgeon? (Banner of Truth article)

2010-03-19T19:30:00.000-07:00

ARE YOU SURE YOU LIKE SPURGEON?

"The doctrine of justification itself, as preached by an Arminian, is nothing but the doctrine of salvation by works..." -- C.H. Spurgeon

Praised by many evangelicals as a great preacher, Charles H. Spurgeon is considered a successful and "safe" example of a "non-theological" ministry. His works are recommended as a means to lead many aspiring pastors into developing their own successful ministries. His Lectures to My Students are often used for this purpose, emphasizing the "practical" aspects of evangelism. But while the form of Spurgeon's successful preaching is often studied by would-be pastors, the content of this Christian giant's preaching and teaching is often ignored. Rather Spurgeon is popularly thought to have heartily approved of the same theology that is presently dominating American culture: Arminianism.

Many Christian leaders, for instance, like to point out Spurgeon as one who also had no formal college training. They ignore the fact that he had a personal library containing more that 10,000 books.1 It is further argued that the success of his ministry in the mid-to-late 19th century was due to his anti-intellectual piety, "his yieldedness to the Spirit," and his Arminianism. The fact is, Spurgeon was not anti-intellectual, nor did he entertain delusions of being so holy that he could allow God to work only if he was "yielded." Most importantly, he was not an Arminian. He was a staunch Calvinist who opposed the dominant religious view of his day (and of ours), Arminianism.2 Even toward the end of his life he could write, "From this doctrine I have not departed to this day." 3 He was grateful that he never wavered from his Calvinism.4 "There is no soul living who holds more firmly to the doctrine of grace than do I..."5 Reading Spurgeon's beliefs, one will see that this tremendously fruitful ministry was built upon the preaching of the biblical gospel.

In his work, "A Defence of Calvinism," he states unequivocally: [T]here is no such thing as preaching Christ and Him crucified, unless we preach what nowadays is called Calvinism. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else. I do not believe we can preach the gospel, if we do not preach justification by faith, without works; nor unless we preach the sovereignty of God in His dispensation of grace; nor unless we exalt the electing, unchangeable, eternal, immutable, conquering love of Jehovah; nor do I think we can preach the gospel, unless we base it upon the special and particular redemption of His elect and chosen people which Christ wrought out upon the cross; nor can I comprehend a gospel which lets saints fall away after they are called, and suffers the children of God to be burned in the fires of damnation

Here Spurgeon affirms his agreement with what are usually called "The Five Points of Calvinism." Spurgeon's own summation was much shorter: A Calvinist believes that salvation is of the Lord.7 Selections from his sermons and writings on these subjects make his position clear.

Regarding Total Depravity and Irresistible Grace:

When you say, "Can God make me become a Christian?" I tell you yes, for herein rests the power of the gospel. It does not ask your consent; but it gets it. It does not say, "Will you have it?" but it makes you willing in the day of God's power....The gospel wants not your consent, it gets it. It knocks the enmity out of your heart. You say, I do not want to be saved; Christ says you shall be. He makes our will turn round, and then you cry,"'Lord save, or I perish!"8

Regarding Unconditional Election:

I do not hesitate to say, that next to the doctrine of the crucifixion and the resurrection of our blessed Lord--no doctrine had such prominence in the early Christian Church as the doctrine of the election of grace.9 And when confronted with the discomfort this doctrine would bring, he responded with little sympathy: "'I do not like it [divine election],' saith one. Well, I thought you would not; whoever dreamed you would?"10

Regarding Particular Atonement:

[I]f it was Christ's intention to save all men, how deplorably has he been disappointed, for we have His own testimony that there is a lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, and into that pit of woe have been cast some of the very persons who, according to the theory of universal redemption, were bought with His blood.11

He has punished Christ, why should He punish twice for one offence? Christ has died for all His people's sins, and if thou art in the covenant, thou art one of Christ's people. Damned thou canst not be. Suffer for thy sins thou canst not. Until God can be unjust, and demand two payments for one debt, He cannot destroy the soul for whom Jesus died.12

Regarding the Perseverance of the Saints:

I do not know how some people, who believe that a Christian can fall from grace, manage to be happy. It must be a very commendable thing in them to be able to get through a day without despair. If I did not believe in the doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints, I think I should be of all men most miserable, because I should lack any ground of comfort.13

The selections above indicate that C. H. Spurgeon was without a doubt an affirmed, self-professing Calvinist who made his ministry's success dependent upon truth, unwilling to consider the "Five Points of Calvinism" as separate, sterile categories to be memorized and believed in isolation from each other or Scripture. He often blended the truths represented by the Five Points, because they actually are mutually supportive parts of a whole, and not five little sections of faith added to one's collection of Christian beliefs. Spurgeon never presented them as independent oddities to be believed as the sum of Christianity. Rather, he preached a positive gospel, ever mindful that these beliefs were only part of the whole counsel of God and not the sum total. These points were helpful, defensive summaries, but they did not take the place of the vast theater of redemption within which God's complete and eternal plan was worked out in the Old and New Testaments.

Certain that the Cross was an offense and stumbling block, Spurgeon was unwilling to make the gospel more acceptable to the lost. "The old truth that Calvin preached, that Augustine preached, is the truth that I must preach today, or else be false to my conscience and to God. I cannot shape the truth; I know of no such thing as paring off the rough edges of a doctrine."14 Elsewhere he challenged "I cannot find in Scripture any other doctrine than this. It is the essence of the Bible....Tell me anything contrary to this truth, and it will be heresy..."15 Spurgeon believed that the price of ridicule and rejection was not counted so high that he should refuse to preach this gospel: "[W]e are reckoned the scum of creation; scarcely a minister looks on us or speaks favorable of us, because we hold strong vies upon the divine sovereignty of God, and his divine electings and special love towards His own people."16

Then, as now, the dominant objection to such preaching was that it would lead to licentious living. Since Christ "did it all," there was no need for them to obey the commands of Scripture. Aside from the fact that we should not let sinful people decide what kind of gospel we will preach, Spurgeon had his own rebuttals to this confusion:

[I]t is often said that the doctrines we believe have a tendency to lead us to sin....I ask the man who dares to say that Calvinism is a licentious religion, what he thinks of the character of Augustine, or Calvin, or Whitefield, who in successive ages were the great exponents of the systems of grace; or what will he say of the Puritans, whose works are full of them? Had a man been an Arminian in those days, he would have been accounted the vilest heretic breathing, but now we are looked upon as the heretics, and they as orthodox. We have gone back to the old school; we can trace our descent from the apostles....We can run a golden line up to Jesus Christ Himself, through a holy succession of mighty fathers, who all held these glorious truths; and we can ask concerning them, "Where will you find holier and better men in the world?"17

His attitude toward those who would distort the gospel for their own ideas of "holiness" is clear from the following: No doctrine is so calculated to preserve a man from sin as the doctrine of the grace of God. Those who have called it 'a licentious doctrine' did not know anything at all about it. Poor ignorant things, they little knew that their own vile stuff was the most licentious doctrine under Heaven.18

According to Spurgeon (and Scripture as well), the response of gratitude is the motive for holy living, not the uncertain status of the believer under the influence of Arminianism and its accompanying legalism. "The tendency of Arminianism is towards legality; it is nothing but legality which lays at the root of Arminianism."19 He was very clear on the dangerous relationship of Arminianism to legalism: "Do you not see at once that this is legality--that this is hanging our salvation upon our work--that this is making our eternal life to depend upon something we do? Nay, the doctrine of justification itself, as preached by an Arminianism, is nothing but the doctrine of salvation by works...."20

A status before God based upon how we "use" Christ and the Spirit to feign righteousness was a legalism hated by Spurgeon. As in our day, Spurgeon saw that one of the strongholds of Arminianism included the independent churches.21 Arminianism was a natural, God-rejecting, self-exalting religion and heresy.22 As Spurgeon believed, we are born Arminians by nature.23 He saw this natural aversion to God as encouraged by believing self-centered, self-exalting fancies. "If you believe that everything turns upon the free-will of man, you will naturally have man as its principal figure in your landscape."24 And again he affirms the remedy for this confusion to be true doctrine. "I believe that very much of current Arminianism is simply ignorance of gospel doctrine."25 Further, "I do not serve the god of the Arminians at all; I have nothing to do with him, and I do not bow down before the Baal they have set up; he is not my God, nor shall he ever be; I fear him not, nor tremble at his presence...The God that saith today and denieth tomorrow, that justifieth today and condemns the next...is no relation to my God in the least degree. He may be a relation of Ashtaroth or Baal, but Jehovah never was or can be his name."26 Refusing to compromise the gospel in any way, he soundly refuted and rejected common attempts to unite Calvinism and Arminianism into a synthesized belief. Nor would he downplay the importance of the differences between the two systems:

This may seem to you to be of little consequence, but it really is a matter of life and death. I would plead with every Christian--think it over, my dear brother. When some of us preach Calvinism, and some Arminianism, we cannot both be right; it is of not use trying to think we can be--'Yes,' and 'no,' cannot both be true.Truth does not vacillate like the pendulum which shakes backwards and forwards....One must be right; the other wrong.27

Alan Maben

Notes

1. Walter A. Elwell, ed. Evangelical Dictonary of Theology (Grand Rapids,

Michigan: Baker Book House, 1984), s.v. "Spurgeon, Charles Haddon," by J. E. Johnson. 2. From sermon cited in Iain Murray, The Forgotten Spurgeon, 2d ed., (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1986), 52. 3. "A Defense of Calvinism," by C. H. Spurgeon, in C. H. Spurgeon Autobiography, eds. S. Spurgeon and J. Harrold, Rev ed., vol I, The Early Years 1834-1859 (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1976: reprint), 165. 4. J. E. Johnson, 1051 5. Spurgeon, "A Defense of Calvinism," 173. 6. Ibid. 168. 7. Ibid., 168. 8. As cited in Murray, 93. 9. From a sermon cited in Murray, Ibid., 44. 10. Ibid., 60. 11. Spurgeon, 172. 12. From a sermon cited in Murray, 245. 13. Spurgeon, 169. 14. Ibid., 162. 15. Ibid., 168. 16. Murray, 168. 17. Spurgeon, 174. 18. Ibid. 19. Murray, 79. 20. Ibid., 81. 21. Murray, 53. 22. spurgeon, 168. 23. Ibid., 164. 24. Murray, 111. 25. Ibid., 68. 26. Spurgeon's Sermons, vol. 6 (Baker, 1989), p.241 27. Murray, op. cit., 57.

2010-03-18T23:01:00.000-07:00

“Question: How shall we know that we love the reproofs of the Word? (1) When we desire to sit under a heart-searching ministry. Who cares for medicines that will not work? A godly man does not choose to sit under a ministry that will not work upon his conscience. (2) When we pray that the Word may meet with our sins. If there is any traitorous lust in our heart, we would have it found out and executed. We do not want sin covered, but cured. We can open our breast to the bullet of the Word and say, ‘Lord, smite this sin.’”

Thomas Watson 1620-1686

2010-03-18T22:43:00.001-07:00

THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGEMENT (Please take the time to listen!)

2010-03-13T21:53:00.000-08:00

"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."
Revelation 20:11-15 (nasb)

ELECTION

2010-03-08T12:18:00.000-08:00

ELECTION

C.H. SPURGEON

“But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:” (II Thess 2:13,14).
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IF THERE WERE NO OTHER TEXT IN THE SACRED word except this one, I think we should all be bound to receive and acknowledge the truthfulness of the great and glorious doctrine of God's ancient choice of his family. But there seems to be an inveterate prejudice in the human mind against this doctrine; and although most other doctrines will be received by professing Christians, some with caution, others with pleasure, yet this one seems to be most frequently disregarded and discarded. In many of our pulpits it would be reckoned a high sin and treason to preach a sermon upon election, because they could not make it what they call a “practical” discourse. I believe they have erred from the truth therein. Whatever God has revealed, he has revealed for a purpose. There is nothing in Scripture which may not, under the influence of God's Spirit, be turned into a practical discourse: for “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable” for some purpose of spiritual usefulness. It is true, it may not be turned into a free-will discourse—that we know right well—but it can be turned into a practical free-grace discourse: and free-grace practice is the best practice, when the true doctrines of God's immutable love are brought to bear upon the hearts of saints and sinners. Now, I trust this morning some of you who are startled at the very sound of this word, will say, “I will give it a fair hearing; I will lay aside my prejudices; I will just hear what this man has to say.” Do not shut your ears and say at once, “It is high doctrine.” Who has authorized you to call it high or low? Why should you oppose yourself to God's doctrine? Remember what became of the children who found fault with God's prophet, and exclaimed, “Go up, thou bald-head; go up, thou bald-head.” Say nothing against God's doctrines, lest haply some evil beast should come out of the forest and devour you also. There are other woes beside the open judgment of heaven—take heed that these fall not on your head. Lay aside your prejudices: listen calmly, listen dispassionately: hear what Scripture says; and when you receive the truth, if God should be pleased to reveal and manifest it to your souls, do not be ashamed to confess it. To confess you were wrong yesterday, is only to acknowledge that you are a little wiser to-day; and instead of being a reflection on yourself, it is an honour to your judgment, and shows that you are improving in the knowledge of the truth. Do not be ashamed to learn, and to cast aside your old doctrines and views, but to take up that which you may more plainly see to be in the Word of God. But if you do not see it to be here in the Bible, whatever I may say, or whatever authorities I may plead, I beseech you, as you love your souls, reject it; and if from this pulpit you ever hear things contrary to this Sacred Word, remember that the Bible must be the first, and God's minister must lie underneath it. We must not stand on the Bible to preach, but we must preach with the Bible above our heads. After all we have preached, we are well aware that the mountain of truth is higher than our eyes can discern; clouds and darkness are round about its summit, and we cannot discern its topmost pinnacle; yet we will try to preach it as well as we can. But since we are mortal, and liable to err, exercise your judgment; “Try the spirits whether they are of God”; and if on mature reflection on your bended knees, you are led to disregard election—a thing which I consider to be utterly impossible—then forsake it; do not hear it preached, but believe and confess whatever you see to be God's Word. I can say no more than that by way of exordium.

Finish Reading this here Election CH Spurgeon

A Farewell Sermon - The last sermon which Whitefield preached in London, on Wednesday, August 30th, 1769, before his final departure to America.

2010-02-28T21:46:00.000-08:00

John 10:27-28, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand."

It is a common, and I believe, generally speaking, my dear hearers, a true saying, that bad manners beget good laws. Whether this will hold good in every particular, in respect to the affairs of this world, I am persuaded the observation is very pertinent in respect to the things of another: I mean bad manners, bad treatment, bad words, have been overruled by the sovereign grace of God, to produce, and to be the cause of, the best sermons that were ever delivered from the mouth of the God-man, Christ Jesus.

One would have imagined, that as he came clothed with divine efficience, as he came with divine credentials, as he speak as never man spake, no one should have been able to have resisted the wisdom with which he spake; one would imagine, they should have been so struck with the demonstration of the Spirit, that with one consent they should all own that he was `that prophet that was to be raised up like unto Moses.' But you seldom find our Lord preaching a sermon, but something or other that he said was cavilled at; nay, their enmity frequently broke through all good manners. They often, therefore, interrupted him whilst he was preaching, which shows the enmity of their hearts long before God permitted it to be in their power to shed his innocent blood. If we look no further than this chapter, where he presents himself as a good shepherd, one that laid down his life for his sheep; we see the best return he had, was to be looked upon as possessed or distracted; for we are told, that there was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings, and many of them said, `He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?' If the master of the house was served so, pray what are the servants to expect? Others, a little more sober-minded, said, `These are not the words of him that hath a devil;' the devil never used to preach or act in this way; `Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?' So he had some friends among these rabble. This did not discourage our Lord; he goes on in his work; and we shall never, never go on with the work of God, till, like our Master, we are willing to go through good and through evil report; and let the devil see we are not so complaisant as to stop one moment for his barking at us as we go along.

We are told, that our Lord was at Jerusalem at the feast of the dedication, and it was winter; the feast of dedication held, I think, seven or eight days, for the commemoration of the restoration of the temple and altar, after its profanation by Antiochus. Now this was certainly a mere human institution, and had no divine image, had no divine superscription upon it; and yet I do not find that our blessed Lord and Master preached against it; I do not find that he spent his time about this; his heart was too big with superior things; and I believe when we, like him, are filled with the Holy Ghost, we shall not entertain our audiences with disputes about rites and ceremonies, but shall treat upon the essentials of the gospel, and then rites and ceremonies will appear with more indifference.

Our Lord does not say, that he would not go up to the feast, for, on the contrary, he did go there, not so much as to keep the feast, as to have an opportunity to spread the gospel-net; and that should be our method, not to follow disputing; and it is the glory of the Methodists, that we have been now forty years, and, I thank God, there has not been one single pamphlet written by any of our preachers, about the non-essentials of religion.

Our Lord always made the best of every opportunity; and we are told, `he walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.' One would have thought the scribes and Pharisees would have put him in one of their stalls, and have complimented him with desiring him to preach: no, they let him walk in Solomon's porch. Some think he walked by himself, no body choosing to keep company with him. Methinks I see him walking and looking at the temple, and foreseeing within himself how soon it would be destroyed; he walked pensive, to see the dreadful calamities that would come upon the land, for not knowing the day of its visitation; and it was to let the world see he was not afraid to appear in public: he walked, as much as to say, Have any of you any thing to say to me? and he put himself in their way, that if they had any things to ask him, he was ready to resolve them; and to show them, that though they had treated him so ill, yet he was ready to preach salvation to them.

In the 24th verse we are told, `Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us doubt?' They came round about him when they saw him walking in Solomon's porch; now, say they, we will have him, now we will attack him. And now was fulfilled that passage in the Psalms, `they compassed me about like bees,' to sting me, or rather like wasps. Now, say they, we will get him in the middle of us, and see what sort of a man he is; we will see whether we cannot conquer him; they came to him, and they say, `How long dost thou make us to doubt?' Now this seems a plausible question, `How long dost thou make us to doubt?' Pray how long, sir, do you intend to keep us in suspense? Some think the words will bear this interpretation; Pray, sir, how long do you intend thus to steal away our hearts? They would represent him to be a designing man, like Absalom, to get the people on his side, and then set up himself for the Messiah; thus carnal minds always interpret good men's actions. But the meaning seems to be this, they were doubting concerning Christ; doubting Christians may think it is God's fault that they doubt, but, God knows, it is all their own. `How long dost thou make us to doubt?' I wish you would speak a little plainer, sir, and not let us have any more of your parables. Pray let us know who you are, let us have it from your own mouth; `if thou be the Christ, tell us plainly;' and I do not doubt, but they put on a very sanctified face, and looked very demure; `if thou be the Christ, tell us plainly,' intending to catch him: if he do not say he is the Christ, we will say he is ashamed of his own cause; if he tells us plainly that he is the Christ, then we will impeach him to the governor, we will go and tell the governor that this man says he is the Messiah; now we know of no Messiah, but what is to jostle Caesar out of his throne. _ The devil always wants to make it believed that God's people, who are the most loyal people in the world, are rebels to the government under which they live; `If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.' Our Lord does not let them wait long for an answer; honesty can soon speak: `I told you, and ye believed not; the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.' Had our Lord said, I am the Messiah, they would have taken him up; he knew that, and therefore he joined `the wisdom of the serpent' with `the innocence of the dove;' says he, I appeal to my works and doctrine, and if you will not infer from them that I am the Messiah, I have no further argument. `But,' he adds, `ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep.' He complains twice; for their unbelief was the greatest grief of heart to Christ: then he goes on in the words of our text, `My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.' My sheep hear my voice; you think to puzzle me, you think to chagrin me with this kind of conduct, but you are mistaken; you do not believe on me, because you are not of my sheep. The great Mr. Stoddard of New England, (and no place under heaven produces greater divines than New England), preached once from these words, `But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep;' a very strange text to preach upon, to convince a congregation! Yet God so blessed it, that two of three hundred souls were awakened by that sermon: God grant such success to attend the labors of all his faithful ministers.

`My sheep hear my voice, and they follow me.' It is very remarkable, there are but two sorts of people mentioned in scripture: it does not say that the Baptists and Independents, nor the Methodists and Presbyterians; no, Jesus Christ divides the whole world into but two classes, sheep and goats: the Lord give us to see this morning to which of these classes we belong.

But it is observable, believers are always compared to something that is good and profitable, and unbelievers are always described by something that is bad, and good for little or nothing.

If you ask me why Christ's people are called sheep, as God shall enable me, I will give you a short, and I hope it will be to you an answer of peace. Sheep, you know, generally love to be together; we say a flock of sheep, we do not say a herd of sheep; sheep are little creatures, and Christ's people may be called sheep, because they are little in the eyes of the world, and they are yet less in their own eyes. O, some people think, if the great men were on our side, if we had king, lords, and commons on our side, I mean if they were all true believers, O if we had all the kings upon the earth on our side! Suppose you had: alas! alas! do you think the church would go on the better? Why, if it were fashionable to be a Methodist at court, if it were fashionable to be a Methodist abroad, they would go with a Bible or a hymn-book, instead of a novel; but religion never thrives under too much sun-shine. `Not many mighty, not many noble, are called, but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.' Dr. Watts says, Here and there I see a king, and here and there a great man, in heaven, but their number is but small.

Sheep are looked upon to be the most harmless, quiet creatures that God hath made: O may God, of his infinite mercy, give us to know that we are his sheep, by our having this blessed temper infused into our hearts by the Holy Ghost. `Learn of me,' saith our blessed Lord; what to do? To work miracles? No; `Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.' A very good man, now living, said once, if there be any particular temper I desire more than another, it is the grace of MEEKNESS, quietly to bear bad treatment, to forget and to forgive: and at the same time that I am sensible I am injured, not to be overcome of evil, but to have grace given me to overcome evil with good. To the honor of Moses, it is declared, that he was the meekest man upon earth. Meekness is necessary for people in power; a man that is passionate is dangerous. Every governor should have a warm temper, but a man of an unrelenting, unforgiving temper, is no more fit for government than Phaethon to drive the chariot of the sun; he only sets the world on fire.

You all know, that sheep of all creatures in the world are the most apt to stray and be lost; Christ's people may justly, in that respect, be compared to sheep; therefore, in the introduction to our morning service, we say, `We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep.' Turn out a horse, or a dog, and they will find their way home, but a sheep wanders about; he bleats here and there, as much as to day, Dear stranger, show me my way home again; thus Christ's sheep are too apt to wander from the fold; having their eye off the great Shepherd, they go into this field and that field, over this hedge and that, and often return home with the loss of their wool.

But at the same time sheep are the most useful creatures in the world; they manure the land, and thereby prepare it for the seed; they clothe our bodies with wool, and there is not the least part of a sheep but is useful to man: O my brethren, God grant that you and I may, in this respect, answer the character of sheep. The world says, because we preach faith we deny good works; this is the usual objection against the doctrine of imputed righteousness, but it is a slander, an impudent slander. It was a maxim in the first reformers' time, that though the ARMINIANS preached up good works, you must go to the CALVINISTS FOR THEM. Christ's sheep study to be useful, and to clothe all they can; we should labor with our hands, that we may have to give to all those that need.

Believers consider Christ's property in them; he says, `my sheep:' O blessed be God for that little, dear, great word MY. We are his eternal election: "the sheep which thou hast given me," says Christ. They were given by God the Father to Christ Jesus, in the covenant made between the Father and the Son from all eternity. They that are not led to see this, I wish them better heads; though, I believe, numbers that are against it have got better hearts: the Lord help us to bear with one another where there is an honest heart.

He calls them `My sheep;' they are his by purchase. O sinner, sinner, you are come this morning to hear a poor creature take `his last farewell:' but I want you to forget the creature that is preaching, I want to lead you further than the Tabernacle: Where do you want to lead us? Why, to mount Calvary, there to see at what an expense of blood Christ purchased those whom he calls his own; he redeemed them with his own blood, so that they are not only his by eternal election, but also by actual redemption in time; and they were given to him by the Father, upon condition that he should redeem them by his heart's blood. It was a hard bargain, but Christ was willing to strike the bargain, that you and I might not be damned for ever.

They are his, because they are enabled in a day of God's power voluntarily to give themselves up unto him; Christ says of these sheep, especially, `that they hear his voice, and that they follow him.' Will you be so good as to mind that! Here is an allusion to a shepherd; now in some places in scripture, the shepherd is represented as going after his sheep; 2 Sam 7:8, Ps 78:71. That is our way in England; but in the Eastern nations, the shepherds generally went before; they held up their crook, and they had a particular call that the sheep understood. Now, says Christ, `My sheep hear my voice.' `This is my beloved Son,' saith God, `hear ye him.' And again, `The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and live:' now the question is, what do we understand by hearing Christ's voice?

First, we hare Moses' voice, we hear the voice of the law; there is no going to Mount Zion but by the way of mount Sinai; that is the right straight road. I know some say, they do not know when they were converted; those are, I believe, very few: generally, nay, I may say almost always, God deals otherwise. Some are, indeed, called sooner by the Lord than others, but before they are made to see the glory of God, they must hear the voice of the law; so you must hear the voice of the law before ever you will be savingly called unto God. You never throw off your cloak in a storm, but you hug it the closer; so the law makes a man hug close his corruptions, (Rom 7:7, 8, 9) but when the gospel of the Son of God shines into your souls, then they throw off the corruptions which they have hugged so closely; they hear his voice saying, Son, daughter, be of good cheer, thy sins, which are many, are all forgiven thee. `They hear his voice;' that bespeaks the habitual temper of their minds: the wicked hear the voice of the devil, the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eye, and the pride of life; and Christ's sheep themselves attended to it before conversion; but when called afterwards by God, they hear the voice of a Redeemer's blood speaking peace unto them, they hear the voice of his word and of his Spirit.

The consequence of hearing his voice, and the proof that we do hear his voice, will be _ to follow him. Jesus said unto his disciples, `If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.' And it is said of the saints in glory, that `they followed the Lamb whithersoever he went.' Wherever the shepherd turns his crook, and the sheep hear his voice, they follow him; they often tread upon one another, and hurt one another, they are in such haste in their way to heaven.

Following Christ means following him through life, following him in every word and gesture, following him out of one clime into another. `Bid me come to thee upon the water,' said Peter: and if we are commanded to go over the water for Christ, God, of his infinite mercy, follow us! We must first be sure that the great Shepherd points his crook for us: but this is the character of a true servant of Christ, that he endeavors to follow Christ in thought, word, and work.

Now, my brethren, before we go further, as this is the last opportunity I shall have of speaking to you for some months, if we live; some of you, I suppose, do not choose, in general, to rise so soon as you have this morning; now I hope the world did not get into your hearts before you left your beds; now you are here, do let me entreat you to inquire whether you belong to Christ's sheep, or no. Man, woman, sinner, put thy hand to thy heart, and answer me. Didst thou ever hear Christ's voice so as to follow him, to give up thyself without reserve to him? I verily do believe from my inmost soul, (and that is my comfort, now I am about to take my leave of you,) that I am preaching to a vast body, a multitude of dear, precious souls, who, if it were proper for you to speak, would say, Thanks be unto God, that we can follow Jesus in the character of sheep, though we are ashamed to think how often we wander from him, and what little fruit we bring unto him; if that is the language of your hearts, I wish you joy; welcome, welcome, dear soul, to Christ. O blessed be God for his rich grace, his distinguishing, sovereign, electing love, by which he as distinguished you and me. And if he has been pleased to let you hear his voice, though the ministration of a poor miserable sinner, a poor, but happy pilgrim, may the Lord Jesus Christ have all the glory.

If you belong to Jesus Christ, he is speaking of you; for, says he, `I know my sheep.' `I know them;' what does that mean? Why, he knows their number, he knows their names, he knows every one for whom he died; and if there were to be one missing for whom Christ died, God the Father would send him down again from heaven to fetch him. `Of all,' saith he, `that thou hast given me, have I lost none.' Christ knows his sheep; he not only knows their number, but the words speak the peculiar knowledge and notice he takes of them; he takes as much care of each of them, as if there were but that one single sheep in the world. To the hypocrite he saith, `Verily, I know you not;' but he knows his saints, he is acquainted with all their sorrows, their trials, and temptations. He bottles up all their tears, he knows their domestic trials, he knows their inward corruptions, he knows all their wanderings, and he takes care to fetch them back again. I remember, I heard good Dr. Marryat, who was a good market-language preacher, once say at Pinner's hall, (I hope that pulpit will be always filled with such preachers), `God has got a great dog to fetch his sheep back,' says he. Do not you know, that when the sheep wander, the shepherd sends his dog after them, to fetch them back again? So when Christ's sheep wander, he lets the devil go after them, and suffers him to bark at them, who, instead of driving them farther off, is made a means to bring them back again to Christ's fold.

There is a precious word I would have you take notice of, `I know them,' that may comfort you under all your trials. We sometimes think that Christ does not hear our prayers, that he does not know us; we are ready to suspect that he has forgotten to be gracious; but what a mercy it is that he does know us. We accuse one another, we turn devils to one another, are accusers of the brethren; and what will support two of God's people when judged by one another but this, Lord, thou knowest my integrity, thou knowest how matters are with me?

But, my brethren, here is something better, here is good news for you; what is that? Say you: why, `I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.' O that the words may come to your hearts with as much warmth and power as they did to mine thirty-five years ago. I never prayed against any corruption I had in my life, so much as I did against going into holy orders so soon as my friends were for having me go: and bishop Benson was pleased to honor me with peculiar friendship, so as to offer me preferment, or do any thing for me. My friends wanted me to mount the church betimes, they wanted me to knock my head against the pulpit too young; but how some young men stand up here and there and preach, I do not know how it may be to them; but God knows how deep a concern entering into the ministry and preaching, was to me; I have prayed a thousand times, till the sweat has dropped from my face like rain, that God, of his infinite mercy, would not let me enter the church before he called me to, and thrust me forth in, his work. I remember once in Gloucester (I know the room, I look up at the window when I am there and walk along the street; I know the window, the bedside, and the floor, upon which I have lain prostrate) I said, Lord, I cannot go, I shall be puffed up with pride, and fall into the condemnation of the devil; Lord, do not let me go yet; I pleaded to be at Oxford two or three years more; I intended to make an hundred and fifty sermons, and thought I would set up with a good stock in trade but I remember praying, wrestling, and striving with God; I said, I am undone, I am unfit to preach in thy great name, send me not, pray, Lord, send me not yet. I wrote to all my friends in town and country, to pray against the bishop's solicitations, but they insisted I should go into orders before I was twenty-two. After all the solicitations, these words came into my mind, `My sheep hear my voice, and none shall pluck them out of my hand.' O may the words be blessed to you, my dear friends, that I am parting with, as they were to me when they came warm upon my heart; then, and not till then, I said, Lord, I will go, send me when thou wilt. I remember when I was in a place called Dover-Island, near Georgia, we put in with bad winds; I had an hundred and fifty in family to maintain, and not a single farthing to do it with, in the dearest part of the king's dominions; I remember, I told a minister of Christ, now in heaven, `I had these words once, sir, "Nothing shall pluck you out of my hand." `O', says he, `take comfort from them, you may be sure God will be as good as his word, if he never tells you so again.' And our Lord knew his poor sheep would be always doubting they should never reach heaven, therefore says he, `I give to them eternal life, and they shall never perish.' Here are in our text three blessed declarations, or promises: First. I KNOW THEM.

Second. THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH; though they often think they shall perish by the hand of their lusts and corruptions; they think they shall perish by the deceitfulness of their hearts; but Christ says, `They shall never perish.' I have brought them out of the world to myself, and do you think I will let them go to hell after that? `I give to them eternal life;' pray mind that; not, I will, but I do. Some talk of being justified at the day of judgment; that is nonsense; if we are not justified here, we shall not be justified there. He gives them eternal life, that is, the earnest, the pledge, and assurance of it. The indwelling of the Spirit of God here, is the earnest of glory hereafter.

Third. NEITHER SHALL ANY PLUCK THEM OUT OF MY HAND. He holds them in his hand, that is, he holds them by his power; none shall pluck them thence. There is always something plucking at Christ's sheep; the devil, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, all try to pluck them out of Christ's hand. O my brethren, they need not pluck us, yet we help all three to pluck ourselves out of the hand of Jesus; but `none shall pluck them out of my hand,' says Christ. `I give to them eternal life. I am going to heaven to prepare a place for them, and there they shall be.' O my brethren, if it were not for keeping you too long, and too much exhausting my own spirits, I could call upon you to leap for you; there is not a more blessed text to support the final perseverance of the saints; and I am astonished any poor souls, and good people I hope too, can fight against the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints: What if a person say they should persevere in wickedness? Ah! That is an abuse of the doctrine; what, because some people spoil good food, are we never to eat it? But, my brethren, upon this text I can leave my cares, and all my friends, and all Christ's sheep, to the protection of Christ Jesus' never- failing love.

I thought this morning, when I came here, riding from the other end of the town, it was to me like coming to be executed publicly; and when the carriage turned just at the end of the walk, and I saw you running here, O, thinks I, it is like a person now coming just to the place where he is to be executed. When I went up to put on my gown, I thought it was just like dressing myself to be made a public spectacle to shed my blood for Christ.

I take all heaven and earth to witness, and God and the holy angels to witness, that though I had preferment enough offered me, that though the bishop took me in his arms, and offered me two parishes before I was two- and-twenty, and always took me to his table; though I had preferment enough offered me when I was ordained, thou, O God, knowest, that when the bishop put his hand upon my head, I looked for no other preferment than publicly to suffer for the Lamb of God: in this spirit I came out, in this spirit I came up to this metropolis. I was thinking, when I read of Jacob's going over the brook with a staff, that I could not say I had so much as a staff, but I came up without a friend, I went to Oxford without a friend, I had not a servant, I had not a single person to introduce me; but God, by his Holy Spirit, was pleased to raise me up to preach for his great name's sake: through his divine Spirit I continue to this day, and feel my affections are as string as ever towards the work and the people of the living God. The congregations at both ends of the town are dear to me: God has honored me to build this and the other place; and, blessed be his name, when he called me to Georgia at first, and I left all London affairs to God's care, when I had most of the churches in London open to me, and had twelve or fourteen constables to keep the doors, that people might not crowd too much; I had offers of hundreds then to settle in London, yet I gave it all up to turn pilgrim for God, to go into a foreign clime; and I hope with that same single intention I am going now _ Now I must come to the hardest part I have to act; I was afraid when I came out from home, that I could not bear the shock, but I hope the Lord Jesus Christ will help me to bear it, and help you to give me up to the blessed God, let him do with me what he will. This is the thirteenth time of my crossing the mighty waters; it is a little difficult at this time of life; and though my spirits are improved in some degree, yet weakness is the best of my strength: but I am clear as light in my call and God fills me with a peace that is unutterable, which a stranger intermeddles not with: into his hands I commend my spirit; and I beg that this may be the language of your hearts: Lord, keep him, let nothing pluck him out of thy hands. I expect many a trial while I am on board, Satan always meets me there; but that God who has kept me, I believe will keep me. I thank God, I have the honor of leaving every thing quite well and easy at both ends of the town; and, my dear hearers, my prayers to God shall be, that nothing may pluck you out of Christ's hands. Witness against me, if I ever set up a party for myself. Did ever any minister, or could any minister in the world say, that I ever spoke against any one going to any dear minister? I thank God, that he has enabled me to be always strengthening the hands of all, though some have afterwards been ashamed to own me. I declare to you, that I believe God will be with me, and will strengthen me; and I believe it is in answer to your prayers that God is pleased to revive my spirits: may the Lord help you to pray on. If I am drowned in the waves, I will say, while I am drowning, Lord, take care of my London, take care of my English friends, let nothing pluck them out of thy hands.

And as Christ has given us eternal life, O my brethren, some of you, I doubt not, will be gone to him before my return; but, my dear brethren, my dear hearers, never mind that; we shall part, but it will be to meet again for ever. I dare not meet you now, I cannot bear your coming to me, to part from me; it cuts me to the heart, and quite overcomes me, but by and by all parting will be over, and all tears shall be wiped away from our eyes. God grant that none that weep now at my parting, may weep at our meeting at the day of judgment; and if you never were among Christ's sheep before, may Christ Jesus bring you now. O come, come, see what it is to have eternal life; do not refuse it; haste, sinner, haste away: may the great, the good Shepherd, draw your souls. Oh! If you never heard his voice before, God grant you may hear it now; that I may have this comfort when I am gone, that I had the last time of my leaving you, that some souls are awakened at the parting sermon. O that it may be a farewell sermon to you; that it may be a means of your taking a farewell of the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. O come! Come! Come! To the Lord Jesus Christ; to him I leave you.

And you, dear sheep, that are already in his hands, O may God keep you from wandering; God keep you near Christ's feet; I do not care what shepherds keep you, so as you are kept near the great Shepherd and Bishop of souls. The Lord God keep you, lift up the light of his countenance upon you, and give you peace. Amen.

"God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day." Psalm 7:11

2010-02-22T08:04:00.000-08:00

The Wrath of God

A.W. Pink

It is sad indeed to find so many professing Christians who appear to regard the wrath of God as something for which they need to make an apology, or who at least wish there were no such thing. While some who would not go so far as to openly admit that they consider it a blemish on the Divine character, yet they are far from regarding it with delight; they like not to think about it, and they rarely hear it mentioned without a secret resentment rising up in their hearts against it.

Even with those who are more sober in their judgment, not a few seem to imagine that there is a severity about the Divine wrath that makes it too terrifying to form a theme for profitable contemplation. Others harbor the delusion that God's wrath is not consistent with his goodness, and so seek to banish it from their thoughts.

Yes, many there are who turn away from a vision of God's wrath as though they were called to look upon some blotch in the Divine character or some blot upon the Divine government. But what saith the Scriptures? As we turn to them we find that God has made no attempt to conceal the facts concerning His wrath. He is not ashamed to make it known that vengeance and fury belong unto Him. His own challenge is:

See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no god with Me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal; neither is there any that can deliver out of My hand. For I lift up My hand to heaven, and say, I live forever. If I whet My glittering sword, and Mine hand take hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to Mine enemies, and will reward them that hate Me (Deut 32:39-41).

A study of the concordance will show that there are more references in Scripture to the anger, fury, and wrath of God, than there are to His love and tenderness. Because God is holy, He hates all sin; and because He hates all sin, His anger burns against the sinner (Psa 7:11).

Now the wrath of God is as much a Divine perfection as is His faithfulness, power, or mercy. It must be so, for there is no blemish whatever, not the slightest defect in the character of God; yet there would be if 'wrath' were absent from Him! Indifference to sin is a moral blemish, and he who hates it not is a moral leper.

How could He who is the Sum of all excellency look with equal satisfaction upon virtue and vice, wisdom and folly? How could He who is infinitely holy disregard sin and refuse to manifest His 'severity' (Rom 9:22) toward it? How could He, who delights only in that which is pure and lovely, not loathe and hate that which is impure and vile? The very nature of God makes Hell as real a necessity, as imperatively and eternally requisite, as Heaven is. Not only is there no imperfection in God, but there is no perfection in Him that is less perfect than another.

The wrath of God is His eternal detestation of all unrighteousness. It is the displeasure and indignation of Divine equity against evil. It is the holiness of God stirred into activity against sin. It is the moving cause of that just sentence which he passes upon evildoers. God is angry against sin because it is a rebelling against His authority, a wrong done to His inviolable sovereignty.

Insurrectionists against God's government shall be made to know that God is the Lord. They shall be made to feel how great that Majesty is which they despise, and how dreadful is that threatened wrath which they so little regarded. Not that God's anger is a malignant and malicious retaliation, inflicting injury for the sake of it, or in return for injury received. No, though God will vindicate His dominion as the Governor of the universe, He will not be vindictive.

That Divine wrath is one of the perfections of God is not only evident from the considerations presented above, but is also clearly established by the express declarations of His own Word. 'For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven' (Rom 1: 18). Robert Haldane comments on this verse as follows:

It was revealed when the sentence of death was first pronounced, the earth cursed, and man driven out of the earthly paradise, and afterwards by such examples of punishment as those of the Deluge, and the destruction of the Cities of the Plain by fire from heaven, but especially by the reign of death throughout the world. It was proclaimed in the curse of the law on every transgression, and was intimated in the institution of sacrifice, and in all the services of the Mosaic dispensation. In the eighth chapter of this epistle, the Apostle calls the attention of believers to the fact that the whole creation has become subject to vanity, and groaneth and travaileth together in pain.

The same creation which declares that there is a God, and publishes His glory, also proves that He is the Enemy of sin and the Avenger of the crimes of men...But above all, the wrath of God came down to manifest the Divine character, and when that wrath was displayed in His sufferings and death, in a manner more awful than by all the tokens God had before given of His displeasure against sin. Besides this, the future and eternal punishment of the wicked is now declared in terms more solemn and explicit than formerly. Under the new dispensation, there are two revelations given from heaven, one of wrath, the other of grace.

Again, that the wrath of God is a Divine perfection is plainly demonstrated by what we read in Psalm 95:11: 'Unto whom I sware in My wrath.' There are two occasions of God's 'swearing': in making promises (Gen 22:16); and in pronouncing judgments (Deut 1:34ff). In the former, He swears in mercy to His children; in the latter, He swears to deprive a wicked generation of its inheritance because of murmuring and unbelief. An oath is for solemn confirmation (Heb 6:16). In Genesis 22:16 God says, 'By Myself have I sworn.'

In Psalm 89:35 He declares, 'Once have I sworn by My holiness.' While in Psalm 95:11 He affirms, 'I swear in My wrath' Thus the great Jehovah Himself appeals to His 'wrath' as a perfection equal to His 'holiness': He swears by the one as much as by the other! Again, as in Christ 'dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily' (sol 2:9), and as all the Divine perfections are illustriously displayed by Him (John 1:18), therefore do we read of 'the wrath of the Lamb' (Rev 6:16).

The wrath of God is a perfection of the Divine character upon which we need to frequently meditate. First, that our hearts may be duly impressed by God's detestation of sin. We are ever prone to regard sin lightly, to gloss over its hideousness, to make excuses for it. But the more we study and ponder God's abhorrence of sin and His frightful vengeance upon it, the more likely are we to realize its heinousness.

Secondly, to beget a true fear in our souls for God: 'Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: for our God is a consuming fire' (Heb 12:28-29). We cannot serve him 'acceptably' unless there is due 'reverence' for His awful Majesty and 'godly fear' of His righteous anger; and these are best promoted by frequently calling to mind that 'our God is a consuming fire.' Thirdly, to draw out our souls in fervent praise for our having been delivered from 'the wrath to come' ( 1 Thess 1: 10).

Our readiness or our reluctancy to meditate upon the wrath of God becomes a sure test of our hearts' true attitude toward Him. If we do not truly rejoice in God, for what He is in Himself, and that because of all the perfections which are eternally resident in Him, then how dwelleth the love of God in us? Each of us needs to be most prayerfully on his guard against devising an image of God in our thoughts which is patterned after our own evil inclinations.

Of old the Lord complained, 'Thou thoughtest that I was altogether as thyself (Psa 50:21 ). If we rejoice not 'at the remembrance of His holiness' (Psa 97:12), if we rejoice not to know that in a soon-coming Day God will make a most glorious display of His wrath by taking vengeance upon all who now oppose Him, it is proof positive that our hearts are not in subjection to Him, that we are yet in our sins, and that we are on the way to the everlasting burnings.

'Rejoice, O ye nations [Gentiles] with His people, for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries' (Deut 32:43). And again we read-

I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are His judgments: for He hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of His servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia (Rev 19:1-3).

Great will be the rejoicing of the saints in that day when the Lord shall vindicate His majesty, exercise His awful dominion, magnify His justice, and overthrow the proud rebels who have dared to defy Him.

'If thou Lord, shouldest mark [impute] iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?' (Psa 130:3). Well may each of us ask this question, for it is written, 'the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment' (Psa 1:5). How sorely was Christ's soul exercised with thoughts of God's marking the iniquities of His people when they were upon Him! He was 'amazed and very heavy' (Mark 14:33).

His awful agony, His bloody sweat, His strong cries and supplications (Heb 5:7), His reiterated prayers ('If it be possible, let this cup pass from Me'), His last dreadful cry ('My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?') all manifest what fearful apprehensions He had of what it was for God to 'mark iniquities.' Well may poor sinners cry out, 'Lord, who shall stand,' when the Son of God Himself so trembled beneath the weight of His wrath! If thou, my reader, hast not 'fled for refuge' to Christ, the only Savior, 'how wilt thou do in the swelling of the Jordan?' (Jer 12:5).

When I consider how the goodness of God is abused by the greatest part of mankind, I cannot but be of his mind that said, The greatest miracle in the world is God's patience and bounty to an ungrateful world. If a prince hath an enemy got into one of his towns, he doth not send them in provision, but lays close siege to the place, and doth what he can to starve them. But the great God, that could wink all His enemies into destruction, bears with them, and it at daily cost to maintain them.

Well may He command us to bless them that curse us, who Himself does good to the evil and unthankful. But think not, sinners, that you shall escape thus; God's mill goes slow, but grinds small, the more admirable His patience and bounty now is, the more dreadful and unsupportable will that fury be which ariseth out of His abused goodness. Nothing smoother than the sea, yet when stirred into a tempest, nothing rageth more. Nothing so sweet as the patience and goodness of God, and nothing so terrible as His wrath when it takes fire (William Gurnall,1660).

Then 'flee,' my reader, flee to Christ; 'flee from the wrath to come' (Matt 3:7) ere it be too late. Do not, we earnestly beseech you, suppose that this message is intended for somebody else. It is to you! Do not be contented by thinking you have already fled to Christ. Make certain! Beg the Lord to search your heart and show you yourself.

A Word to Preachers- Brethren, do we in our oral ministry, preach on this solemn subject as much as we ought? The Old Testament prophets frequently told their hearers that their wicked lives provoked the Holy One of Israel, and that they were treasuring up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath. And conditions in the world are no better now than they were then! Nothing is so calculated to arouse the careless and cause carnal professors to search their hearts, as to enlarge upon the fact that 'God is angry with the wicked every day' (Psa 7:11).

The forerunner of Christ warned his hearers to 'flee from the wrath to come' (Matt 3:7). The Savior bade His auditors, 'Fear Him, which after He hath killed, bath power to cast into Hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear Him' (Luke 12:5). The Apostle Paul said, 'Knowing therefore the terror of the terror of the Lord, we persuade men' (2 Cor 5:11). Faithfulness demands that we speak as plainly about Hell as about Heaven.

Mortification

2010-02-19T19:04:00.000-08:00

My wife and are going through a booklet on mortification . It has been a real blessing as well as convicting to the both of us. Please pray that God would be pleased to give us grace to mortify the sin in our lifes. each chapter is written by diffeent theologians the first chapter is written by A.W. Pink and others like John Flavel and Horatius Bonar are authors of following chapters. I cannot reccomend a better devotion after the very Word of God then this.

Here is a quote from the first chapter The Doctrine Of Mortification by A.W Pink.

"The imperative necessity for this work of mortification arises from the continued presence of the evil nature in the Christian. Upon his believing in Christ unto salvation, he was at once delivered from the condemnation of the Divine Law and freed from the reigning power of sin. But “the flesh” was not eradicated from his being, nor were its vile propensities purged or even modified. That fount of filthiness remains unchanged unto the end of his earthly career. Not only so, but it is ever active in its hostility to God and holiness: “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spiritagainst the flesh” (Gal 5:17). Thus, there is a ceaseless conflict in the saint between indwelling sin and inherent grace.Consequently, there is a perpetual need for him to mortify or put to death not only the actings of indwelling corruption but also the principle itself. He is called upon to engage in ceaseless warfare and not suffer temptation to bring him into captivity to his lusts. The Divine prohibition is “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness [enter into no truce, form no alliance with], but rather reprove them” (Eph. 5:11)…No real communion with God is possible while sinful lusts remain unmortified. Allowed evil draws the heart awayfrom God, tangles the affections, discomposes the soul, and provokes the Holy One to close His ears against our prayers:“Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before theirface: should I be enquired of at all by them?” (Eze 14:3). God cannot in any wise delight in an unmortified soul: for Himto do so would be denying Himself or acting contrary to His own nature. He has no pleasure in wickedness and cannotlook with the slightest approval on evil. Sin is a mire, and the more miry we are the less fit for His eyes (Psa 40:2). Sin isleprosy (Isa 1:6), and the more it spreads the less converse7 will the Lord have with us. Deliberately to keep sin alive isto defend it against the will of God and to challenge combat with the Most High. Unmortified sin is against the whole design of the Gospel—as though Christ’s sacrifice was intended to indulge us in sin, rather than redeem us from it. The very end of Christ’s dying was the death of sin: rather than sin should not die, He laid down His life."

I thought this sermon jam by John Piper was a perfect match for this subject. God be with us all in our War against sin by His Grace alone.

2010-02-18T22:39:00.000-08:00

"Father, I have sinned."—Luke 15:18.

IT is quite certain that those whom Christ has washed in His precious blood need not make a confession of sin, as culprits or criminals, before God the Judge, for Christ has for ever taken away all their sins in a legal sense, so that they no longer stand where they can be condemned, but are once for all accepted in the Beloved; but having become children, and offending as children, ought they not every day to go before their heavenly Father and confess their sin, and acknowledge their iniquity in that character? Nature teaches that it is the duty of erring children to make a confession to their earthly father, and the grace of God in the heart teaches us that we, as Christians, owe the same duty to our heavenly father. We daily offend, and ought not to rest without daily pardon. For, supposing that my trespasses against my Father are not at once taken to Him to be washed away by the cleansing power of the Lord Jesus, what will be the consequence? If I have not sought forgiveness and been washed from these offences against my Father, I shall feel at a distance from Him; I shall doubt His love to me; I shall tremble at Him; I shall be afraid to pray to Him: I shall grow like the prodigal, who, although still a child, was yet far off from his father. But if, with a child's sorrow at offending so gracious and loving a Parent, I go to Him and tell Him all, and rest not till I realize that I am forgiven, then I shall feel a holy love to my Father, and shall go through my Christian career, not only as saved, but as one enjoying present peace in God through Jesus Christ my Lord. There is a wide distinction between confessing sin as a culprit, and confessing sin as a child. The Father's bosom is the place for penitent confessions. We have been cleansed once for all, but our feet still need to be washed from the defilement of our daily walk as children of God.

George Whitefield's Letter to Wesley on Election

2010-02-15T07:41:00.000-08:00

Iain Murray on Whitefield and Wesley

This article first appeared in the 1960 edition of Whitefield's Journals, published by The Banner of Truth Trust.[1] Here Iain Murray discusses the historical background that led to George Whitefield's famous letter to John Wesley in response to Wesley's sermon "Free Grace"

The occasion and background of [Whitefield's letter to Wesley] requires a few words of explanation. From the time of his conversion in 1735, Whitefield had been profoundly conscious of man's entire depravity, his need of the new birth, and the fact that God can save and God alone. Describing an experience which occurred a few weeks after his conversion, he wrote: "About this time God was pleased to enlighten my soul, and bring me into the knowledge of His free grace . . ." Strengthened by his reading of the Scriptures, the Reformers and the Puritans, Whitefield gradually grasped the great related chain of truths revealed in the New Testament—the Father's electing love, Christ's substitutionary death on behalf of those whom the Father had given Him, and the Spirit's infallible work in bringing to salvation those for whom it was appointed. These doctrines of "free grace" were the essential theology of his ministry from the very first and consequently the theology of the movement which began under his preaching in 1737.

When Whitefield returned to England at the end of 1738, after his first visit to America, he found that the awakening in London had been furthered by the conversion and subsequent ministry of the Wesleys. Immediately they began to work together. Under Whitefield's preaching the revival spread to Bristol and the West country in February and March 1739, and when he left that area at the beginning of April 1739, John Wesley was given the oversight of the work. But before three months had elapsed it began to be evident that there had not been the same doctrinal development in the Wesleys on all points mentioned above. The fact is that while John Wesley had at his conversion in May 1738 accepted evangelical views on sin, faith, and the re-birth, he had at the same time retained his pre-conversion opinions on the doctrines of predestination and the extent of the atonement. As the religious influences which had moulded Wesley prior to his conversion were High Anglican, it is not surprising that these opinions were Arminian and not orthodox.[2] His views on these points were not part of his new evangelical experience but arose, as Howell Harris declared to him, "from the prejudices of your education, your books, your companions, and the remains of your carnal reason."[3]

The first hint that this doctrinal difference might lead to serious results occurs in a letter of Whitefield's to Wesley on June 25, 1739: "I hear, honoured sir, you are about to print a sermon on predestination. It shocks me to think of it; what will be the consequences but controversy? If people ask me my opinion, what shall I do? I have a critical part to act, God enable me to behave aright! Silence on both sides will be best. It is noised abroad already, that there is a division between you and me. Oh, my heart within me is grieved I . . . "[4]

On July 2, 1739, Whitefield wrote further to Wesley on this subject, terminating his letter with another appeal:

"Dear, honoured sir, if you have any regard for the peace of the church, keep in your sermon on predestination. But you have cast a lot.[5] Oh! my heart, in the midst of my body, is like melted wax. The Lord direct us all! . . . "[6]

On Whitefield's departure from England in August 1739, Wesley immediately published this sermon. Entitled "Free Grace," it professed to be founded upon Romans 8:32, and was printed as a 12 mo. pamphlet in 24 pages. Annexed to it was a hymn by Charles Wesley on Universal Redemption. It was this sermon which occasioned Whitefield's reply here reprinted. But it is interesting to note that although Wesley's sermon was published in August 1739, Whitefield's reply is dated December 24, 1740, and was not published till early 1741. The reasons for this delay are probably as follows: (1) By the correspondence[7] which passed between Whitefield and Wesley in 1740 it is evident that Whitefield longed to avoid an open breach and still hoped that his friend might be brought to a clearer understanding of the truth. Such sentences as the following are typical of Whitefield's attitude: "How would the cause of our common Master suffer by our raising disputes about particular points of doctrines!" . . . "For Christ's sake, let us not be divided amongst ourselves" . . . "Avoid all disputation. Do not oblige me to preach against you; I had rather die . . ." (2) It is evident that while on his second visit to America, Whitefield developed stronger views on the issues which this controversy involved. Before he left England in August 1739, he had been satisfied to counsel "silence" on these doctrines and they were not at that time conspicuous in his preaching. As late as March 1740, he wrote to Wesley: "Provoke me to it as much as you please, I intend not to enter the lists of controversy with you on the points wherein we differ . . ." But before the year had ended Whitefield went back on this decision, the reason apparently being that he had come to see the seriousness of these questions in a new light. He could thus remain silent no longer. On September 25, 1740, he wrote to Wesley: "What a fond conceit is it to cry up perfection, and yet cry down the doctrine of final perseverance. But this, and many other absurdities, you will run into, because you will not own election. . . . O that you would study the covenant of grace! . . . O that you would not be too rash and precipitant! If you go on thus, honoured sir, how can I concur with you? It is impossible. I must speak what I know. . . ." On February 1, 1741, he says; further:"I must preach the gospel of Christ, and that I cannot now do, without speaking of election. . . . "

The reasons for Whitefield's more decided attitude are not hard to find. Firstly he had, during 1740, made close friendships with such American evangelicals as the Tennents and Jonathan Edwards;[8] through them he was doubtless led into a deeper understanding of Puritan theology and its relevance to evangelism and revivals. He also witnessed the outstanding blessing on their preaching. Secondly, as the year 1740 advanced, the reports that he received from his friends like [John] Cennick and Howell Harris made it increasingly obvious that harm and divisions were being wrought by the Wesleys' insistence on their Arminian views. Wesley's pamphlet "set the nation disputing." As Harris wrote to Wesley: "You grieve God's people by your opposition to electing love; and many poor souls believe your doctrine simply because you hold it." A situation had developed in which it was imperative that Whitefield should declare his mind and do something to arrest the drift from evangelical orthodoxy.

The outcome of Whitefield's return to England in March 1741 and the publication of his reply to Wesley, was an inevitable separation. Henceforth the evangelical forces engaged in the revival movement were divided, and a new party of Arminian evangelicals emerged for the first time in British church history. Due to the eminence of the Wesleys, this new form of evangelical faith has exerted a widespread influence even down to the present day. The contemporary strength of this influence can be judged from the manner in which George Whitefield, with his great predecessors the Reformers and Puritans, have been forgotten; indeed, it would not be too much to say that Whitefield's views, as expressed in [his letter to Wesley], would appear to many to be quite alien to the evangelicalism that is commonly believed in today.

Some evangelical writers have sought to minimize the division between Whitefield and Wesley by referring to their "minor differences." An impression is given that Whitefield abandoned the strong conviction he had about Arminianism in 1741; in proof of this we are referred to the fact that in 1742 their personal friendship was in measure resumed and that ultimately Wesley even preached Whitefield's funeral sermon. But all this is misleading. The truth is that Whitefield rightly made a distinction between a difference in judgement and a difference in affection; it was in the former sense that he differed from the Wesleys, and that difference was such that, as Tyerman writes, it "led them to build separate chapels, form separate societies, and pursue, to the end of life, separate lines of action . . . the gulf between Wesley and Whitefield was immense."[9] But while their public cooperation was thus seriously disturbed, his personal affection for the Wesleys as Christians was preserved to the last.[10] In this respect Whitefield teaches us a needful lesson. Doctrinal differences between believers should never lead to personal antagonism. Error must be opposed even when held by fellow members of Christ, but if that opposition cannot co-exist with a true love for all saints and a longing for their spiritual prosperity then it does not glorify God nor promote the edification of the Church.

IAIN MURRAY

READ THE LETTER FROM WHITEFIELD TO WESLEY HERE

Law and The Gospel

2010-02-15T07:15:00.000-08:00

"When God gives orders and tells us what will happen if we fail to obey those orders perfectly, that is in the category of what the reformers, following the biblical text, called law. When God promises freely, providing for us because of Christ's righteousness the status he demands of us, this is in the category of gospel. It is good news from start to finish. The Bible includes both, and the reformers were agreed that the Scriptures taught clearly that the law, whether Old or New Testament commands, was not eliminated for the believer (those from a Dispensational background may notice a difference here). Nevertheless, they insisted that nothing in this category of law could be a means of justification or acceptance before a holy God ... The law comes, not to reform the sinner nor to show him or her the "narrow way" to life, but to crush the sinner's hopes of escaping God's wrath through personal effort or even cooperation. All of our righteousness must come from someone else-someone who has fulfilled the law's demands. Only after we have been stripped of our "filthy rags" of righteousness (Isa. 64:6)- our fig leaves through which we try in vain to hide our guilt and shame-can we be clothed with Christ's righteousness. First comes the law to proclaim judgment and death, then the gospel to proclaim justification and life. One of the clearest presentations of this motif is found in Paul's Epistle to the Galatians. In the sixteenth century, the issue of law and grace was more clearly dealt with than at almost any other time since the apostles."

Modern Reformation Good News: The Gospel for Christians (May/June 2003)

2010-02-08T08:38:00.000-08:00

2010

August 6 - 9, 2010

Reformed Baptist Young Adults Conference

click above for more info
Please consider coming to this conference you will be edified by the preaching and encouraged by the fellowship of the saints!

May the Lamb that was slain be glorified.

"Building Tomorrow’s Church is a one of a kind movement geared towards Reformed Baptist young adults—singles and married couples—who desire to learn more about the importance of the local church and how to serve Christ through it. It is vital that today’s young adults continue in the building of Christ’s kingdom through evangelizing sinners and edifying the saints. The goal is to see this generation of young people filled with a sincere enthusiasm for strengthening the body of Christ by actively participating in Christian service. "

This conference is founded by my dear brother David Giarrizzo He has a passion for young adults to continue to carry the torch of truths that are taught in scripture and that have been fought for, for centuries Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses 1 Timothy 6:12. I encourage any young adult or young married couple to attend you will be blessed.My wife and I were able to attend 2009 BTC and if the Lord is willing we will never miss another one. I cannot stress enough the encouragement it will be to all who attend. Please pray about joining us at BTC.

2010-02-08T07:51:00.000-08:00

PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL

AUGUST 5, 1855

BY C.H. SPURGEON

The greatest man of Apostolic times was the apostle Paul. He was always great in everything. If you consider him as a sinner, he was the greatest sinner that ever lived; if you regard him as a persecutor, he was the greatest persecutor the Church has ever known, persecuting the Christians from city to city. If you look at him as a convert, his conversion was the most notable one which we have ever read, worked by miraculous power, and by the direct voice of Jesus speaking from heaven-”Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?-If we take him simply as a Christian, he was an extraordinary one, loving his Master more than others, and seeking more than others to exemplify the grace of God in his life. But if you take him as an apostle, and as a preacher of the Word, he stands out preeminent as the prince of preachers, and a preacher to kings-for he preached before Agrippa, he preached before Caesar-he stood before emperors and kings for the sake of the name of Christ.

It was the characteristic of Paul, that whatever he did, he did with all his heart. He was one of those men, who when he set to work, that all of his energies-every nerve, every muscle-were strained in the work to be done, be it evil work before salvation or good work after becoming a Christian. Paul, therefore, could speak from experience concerning his ministry; because he was the chief of ministers. There is no nonsense in what he says; it is all from the depth of his soul. And we can be sure that when he wrote this, he wrote it with a strong hand-”When I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!”

Now, these words of Paul, I trust, are applicable to many ministers today; to all those who are uniquely called, who are directed by the inward impulse of the Holy Spirit to occupy the position of gospel ministers. In trying to consider this verse, we will answer three questions this morning:-First, What is it to preach the gospel? Secondly, Why is it that a minister has nothing to boast of? And thirdly, What is that compelling and that woe, of which it is written, “I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel?”

I. The first question is, WHAT IS IT TO PREACH THE GOSPEL?

There are a variety of opinions concerning this question, and possibly among my own audience-though I believe we are very uniform in our doctrinal sentiments-there might be found two or three very quick answers to this question: What is it to preach the gospel? I will attempt to answer it myself according to my own judgment, if God will help me; and if it does not happen to be the correct answer, you are at liberty to supply a better one yourselves at home.

1. The first answer I will give to the question is this: To preach the gospel is to state every doctrine contained in God's Word, and to give every truth its proper prominence.

Men may preach a part of the gospel; they may preach only one single doctrine of it; and I would not say that a man did not preach the gospel at all if he only preached the doctrine of justification by faith-“By grace you have saved through faith.” I would put him down for a gospel minister, but not for one who preached the whole gospel.

No man can be said to preach the whole gospel of God if he knowingly and intentionally, leaves out one single truth of the blessed God. This remark of mine must be a very cutting one, and ought to strike into the consciences of many who make it almost a matter of principle to keep back certain truths from the people, because they are afraid of them.

In conversation, a week or two ago, with an eminent Christian, he said to me, “Sir, we know that we ought not to preach the doctrine of election, because it is not intended to convert sinners.” “But,” I said to him, “who is the man that dares to find fault with the truth of God? You admit, with me, that it is a truth, and yet you say it must not be preached. I would never dare to say such a thing. I would consider it supreme arrogance to have dared to say that a doctrine ought not to be preached when the all-wise God has seen fit to reveal it. Besides, is the whole gospel intended to convert sinners? There are some truths which God blesses to the conversion of sinners; but are there not other portions which were intended for the comfort of the saint? and ought not these to be a subject of gospel ministry as well as the others? And will I look at one and disregard the other? No: God has said in Isaiah 40:1, ‘Comfort, comfort my people,’ now, if election comforts God's people, then I must preach it.”

But I am not quite so sure, that after all, that doctrine is not designed to convert sinners. For the great Jonathan Edwards tells us, that in the greatest excitement of one of his revivals, he preached the sovereignty of God in the salvation or condemnation of man, and showed that God was infinitely just if he sent men to hell! that he was infinitely merciful if he saved any; and that it was all of his own free grace, and he said, “I found no doctrine caused more thought; nothing entered more deeply into the heart than the proclamation of that truth.”

The same might be said of other doctrines. There are certain truths in God's word which men condemned to silence; indeed they are not to be uttered, because, according to the theories of certain persons, when looking at these doctrines, they are not intended to promote certain ends. But is it for me to judge God's truth? Am I to put his words in the scale, and say, “This is good, and that is evil?” Am I to take God's Bible, and separate it and say, “this is husk, and this is wheat?” Am I to throw away any one truth, and say, “I dare not preach it?” No: God forbid. Whatever is written in God's Word is written for our instruction: and all of it is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. No truth of God's Word ought to be withheld, but every portion of it preached in its own proper order.

Some men purposely confine themselves to four or five topics continually. Should you step into their church, you would naturally expect to hear them preaching, either from this, “children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God,” or else, “Chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.” You know that the moment you step in you are sure to hear nothing but election and deep doctrine that day. Such men also make a mistake, quite as much as others, if they give too great prominence to one truth to the neglect of the others. Whatever is here is to be preached, “the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible, is the standard of the true Christian.

Sadly! sadly! many make an iron ring of their doctrines, and he who dares to step beyond that narrow circle, is not considered orthodox. God bless heretics, then! God send us more of them! Many make theology into a kind of treadmill, consisting of five doctrines, which are eternally rotated; for they never go on to anything else. Every truth ought to be preached. And if God has written in his word that “whoever does not believe stands condemned already,” that is as much to be preached as the truth that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” If I find it written, “O Israel, you have destroyed yourself,” that man's condemnation is his own fault, I am to preach that as well as the next clause, “In me is your help found.” We ought, each one of us who are entrusted with the ministry, to seek to preach every truth. I know it may be impossible to tell you all of it. That high hill of truth has mists on its summit. No mortal eye can see its pinnacle; nor has the foot of man ever walked on it. But yet let us paint the mist, if we cannot paint the summit. Let us depict the difficulty itself if we cannot unravel it. Let us not hide anything, and if the mountain of truth is cloudy at the top, let us say, “Clouds and darkness are around him,” Let us not deny it; and let us not think of cutting down the mountain to our own standard, because we cannot see its summit or cannot reach its pinnacle. He who would preach the gospel must preach all the gospel. He who would have it said he is a faithful minister, must not keep back any part of God’s revelation.

READ COMPLETE SERMON HERE: http://www.biblebb.com/files/spurgeon/0034.htm

GUARDING THE GOSPEL BY DR STEVEN LAWSON

2010-02-06T21:49:00.000-08:00

"NO outward forms can make you clean, The Leprosy lies deep within."

2010-02-01T06:54:00.000-08:00

" I do beseech you to remember that you must have a new heart and a right spirit, and baptism cannot give you these. You must turn from your sins and follow after Christ; you must have such a faith as shall make your life holy and your speech devout, or else you have not the faith of God’s elect, and into God’s kingdom you shall never come. I pray you never rest upon this wretched and rotten foundation, this deceitful invention of antichrist. O, may God save you from it, and bring you to seek the true rock of refuge for weary souls."
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"I come with much brevity, and I hope with much earnestness, in the second place, to say that FAITH IS THE INDISPENSABLE REQUISITE TO SALVATION. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; he that believeth not shall be damned.” Faith is the one indispensable requisite for salvation. This faith is the gift of God. It is the work of the Holy Spirit. Some men believe not on Jesus; they believe not because they are not of Christ’s sheep, as he himself said unto them; but his sheep hear his voice: he knows them and they follow him: he gives to them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of his hand. What is this believing? Believing consists in two things; first there is an accrediting of the testimony of God concerning his Son. God tells you that his Son came into the world and was made flesh, that he lived upon earth for men’s sake, that after having spent his life in holiness he was offered up a propitiation for sin, that upon the cross he there and then made expiation — so made expiation for the sins of the world that “Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you would be saved, you must accredit this testimony which God gives concerning his own Son. Having received this testimony, the next thing is to confide in it — indeed here lies, I think, the essence of saving faith, to rest yourself for eternal salvation upon the atonement and the righteousness of Jesus Christ, to have done once for all with all reliance upon feelings or upon doings, and to trust in Jesus Christ and in what he did for your salvation.
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This is faith, receiving of the truth of Christ: first knowing it to be true, and then acting upon that belief. Such a faith as this — such real faith as this makes the man henceforth hate sin. How can he love the thing which made t he Saviour bleed? It makes him live in holiness. How can he but seek to honour that God who has loved him so much as to give his Son to die for him. This faith is spiritual in its nature and effects; it operates upon the entire man; it changes his heart, enlightens his judgment, and subdues his will; it subjects him to God’s supremacy, and makes him receive God’s Word as a little child, willing to receive the truth upon the ipse dixit of the divine One; it sanctifies his intellect, and makes him willing to be taught God’s Word; it cleanses within; it makes clean the inside of the cup and platter, and it beautifies without; it makes clean the exterior conduct and the inner motive, so that the man, if his faith be true and real, becomes henceforth another man to what he ever was before.
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Now that such a faith as this should save the soul, is, I believe, reasonable; yea, more, it is certain, for we have seen men saved by it in this very house of prayer. We have seen the harlot lifted out of the Stygian ditch of her sin, and made an honest woman; we have seen the thief reclaimed; we have known the drunkard in hundreds of instances to be sobered; we have observed faith to work such a change, that all the neighbours who have seen it have gazed and admired, even though they hated it; we have seen faith deliver men in the hour of temptation, and help them to consecrate themselves and their substance to God; we have seen, and hope still to see yet more widely, deeds of heroic consecration to God and displays of witness-bearing against the common current of the times, which have proved to us that faith does affect the man, does save the soul. My hearers, if you would be saved, you must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me urge you with all my heart to look nowhere but to Christ crucified for your salvation. Oh! If you rest upon any ceremony, though it be not baptism — if you rest upon any other than Jesus Christ, you must perish, as surely as this Book is true. I pray you believe not every spirit, but though I, or an angel from heaven, preach any other doctrine than this, let him be accursed, for this, and this alone, is the soul-saving truth which shall regenerate the world, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” Away from all the tag-rags, wax candles, and millinery of Puseyism! Away from all the gorgeous pomp of Popery! Away from the fonts of Church-of-Englandism! We bid you turn your eyes to that naked cross, where hangs as a bleeding man the Son of God."
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-Charles H. Spurgeon
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I have just got through the famous sermon that was preached by Charles Spurgeon on Baptismal Regeneration on Sunday morning, June 5th,1864. You see above a portion taken from this sermon. if you have the opprotunity please read the complete work of Spurgeon's sermon. What an amazing work of truth on this subject; that many today still struggle with. I find it really interesting to see that in 1864 our brother Spurgeon was fighting a battle that today is still afloat. I should not be surprised however I am, although I praise God for His sovereignty in all of this.
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Again we cannot be surprised. We have churches today that openly say without regret that baptism saves; for instance the Catholic church has and still teaches that infant baptism is what saves the soul.
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The New Catholic Catechism, 1994, # 1263,1257,1265,1267
1263:By Baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin.
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1257 The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation. ... The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are "reborn of water and the Spirit." God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism...
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1265 Baptism not only purifies from all sins, but also makes the neophyte "a new creature," an adopted son of God, who has become a "partaker of the divine nature," member of Christ and co-heir with him, and a temple of the Holy Spirit.
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Spurgeons response to this complete honesty of belief in Baptismal Regeneration he states is a blessing.
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"God forbid that we should censure those who believe that baptism saves the soul, because the adhere to a church which teaches the same doctrine. So far they are most honest men; and in England, where else, let them never lack a full toleration. Let us oppose their teaching by all Scriptural and intelligent means, but let us respect the courage in plainly giving us their views. I hate their doctrine, but I love their honesty; and as they speak but what they believe to be true, let them speak it out, and the more clearly the better. Out with it, sirs, be it what it may, but do let us know that what you mean. For my part, I love to stand foot to foot with and honest foeman."
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Today my brothers and sisters we might be fighting the obvious Catholic or Mormon that is not afraid to stand for the false doctrine of Baptismal Regeneration, but now we are even fighting our "own" with this silly teaching called decisional regeneration which says just ask Jesus into your heart heart and He will come in. It is no different; I know that you have heard it. It is because people who call themself's Christians appear not to have a biblical understanding of the Gospel (the Good News of Jesus Christ). Like Rick Warren (Author of The Purose Driven Life). He teaches a typical decisional regeneration that will surely lead many to believe they have made commitments to Christ when they have not. In His famous book among "Christians" The Purpose Driven Life he leads unbelievers in a short prayer which he says will usher them into God's family. Prior to this he has made no clear presentation of the Gospel. He has not spoken about how our sin has separated us from God and condemned us to a real place called Hell. He has not spoken about the necessity of Christ sacrifice and His substitutionary death for us on the Cross. Yet he leads people to say "Jesus, I believe in you and I receive you"(page 58) and then follows with the astonishing words "Welcome to the family of God" How can people believe in One they do not know? A decision no more makes us part of the family of God than does baptism. We become part of God's family when God regenerates us and adopts us into His family. This may take place at the moment of decision, but a decision does not cause it to happen. By declaring that anyone who said those words and meant them is a believer, he is giving false hope and shows a misunderstanding of conversion and the Gospel.
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Oh how I pray for men who think that they have such an authority to welcome a man into the Family of God would have the fear of God put in them. Brothers and sisters it is no different as saying that baptism saves you. Both teachings put a man's faith in a time of decision and or on baptism and takes away from the sovereign grace of the Lord Jesus Christ's work on that Cross on Calvary. The Bible does NOT teach that baptism saves you, and for those who have put their trust in either their baptism or decision please Repent and believe in the only thing that can save you! Faith and Faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ Mark 16:15-16 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Only when God chooses us and grants us repentance are we truly regenerated.
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Acts 8:22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.
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HERE IS THE lINK TO THE COMPLETE SERMON BY SPURGEON :
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/False%20Doctrines/Baptismal%20Regeneration/baptismal_regeneration_exposed.htm

Mistakes about conversion

2010-01-25T09:04:00.000-08:00

I have just started this book by the Puritan Joseph Alleine called a sure guide to Heaven. This book was first published in 1671. Joseph Alleine was born into a Puritan family at Devizes, in Wiltshire, and baptized on April 8Th,1634 in April 1641 Alleine found himself going up to Oxford to sit at the feet of such divines as John Owen and Thomas Goodwin. In the 148 pages Alleine's book is a clear teaching of what conversion is and is not if you have a chance please pick it up and allow God to bless you through this read.

I thought that I would post some of the points that Alleine makes through his work a sure guide to Heaven. In the first chapter mistakes about conversion Alleine starts off by saying:

"The devil has made many counterfeits of conversion, and cheats one with this, and another with that. He has such craft and artifice in his mystery of deceits that , if it were possible, he would deceive the very elect. ( first paragraph of chapter one page 19).

Conversion is not the taking upon us the profession of Christianity. Christianity is more that a name. If we will hear Paul, it does not lie in word, but in power (1 Cor iv 20). If to cease to be Jews and pagans, and to put on the Christian profession, had been true conversion - as this is all that some would have to be understood by it - who better Christians than they of Sardis and Laodicea? These were all Christians by profession, and had a name to live only; but because they had a name, they are condemned by Christ, and threatened to be rejected (Rev iii 14-16). Are there not many that name the name of the Lord Jesus, that do not depart from iniquity ( 2 Tim ii 19), and confess they know God, but in works deny Him? (Titus i 16). And will God receive these for true converts? WHAT! converts from sin, when they still line in sin? It is a visible contradiction. Surly, if the lamp of profession would have served the turn, the foolish virgins had never been shut out (Mt xxv 12). We find not only professing Christians, but preachers of Christ, and wonder workers, rejected, because they are evil-workers (Mt vii 22-23)."

Many today have a false view of what conversion is because they have "pastors" that have the wrong view of what conversion is. Today we have "pastors" not calling men to repentance but calling men to pray a prayer after them and then go on to promise them that Jesus saved them, "just ask Jesus into your heart" they say. This is all after they preach a sermon without mentioning one word about Gods law and that they have broken it and deserve eternal hell for the crimes that have committed against God, His justice, His hate for sin. And forget to preach that God calls us to Holiness and a life of repentance and sanctification, In result of not preaching these very important subjects they don't preach the true definition of God's love for sinners. The sinner walks out of the service having put his trust in a decision and a false god, and leave there on there own power to start living a better life and being "better", maybe even breaking some bad habits there conscience has been bothering them about, really only being a work of the flesh and not a work of God converting the sinner, they mistake there feelings for conversion and manifest to have a form of godliness, without the power (2 Tim 3:5).

The Bible shows us even when we do preach the true Gospel men will reject it (1 Cor 1:18) and that only God can save them when the Gospel is preached (Acts 13:48). How much more are men not being converted when we preach a false gospel and a false way of how God would have us to live as His children. Alleine goes on to say this about conversion in chapter one:

"Conversion does not consist in illumination or conviction or in a superficial change or partial reformation."

"Many, because they have been troubled in conscience for their sins, think well of their case, miserably mistaking conviction for conversion."

"Others think that because they have given up their riotous ways, and are broken off from evil company or some particular lust, and are reduced to sobriety and civility, they are now real converts. They forget that there is a vast difference between being sanctified and civilized. They forget that many seek to enter the kingdom of heaven, and are not far from it, and arrive to the almost of Christianity, and yet fall short at last."

"So a man may pass through carious transmutations, from ignorance to knowledge, from profanity to civility, then to a form of religion, and all this time he is still carnal and unregenerate, his nature remains unchanged. "

Brothers and sisters continue to do as Paul would tell us in 2 Corinthians 13:5 "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?"

2010-01-19T09:23:00.000-08:00

I Ran across this video and cannot help but notice that the Devil is at work in a new way in the Roman Catholic church. It seems Rome appears to be borrowing from "evangelicalism" the very pragmatic methodologies that are killing evangelicalism. The Roman Catholic church is using"seeker sensitive/pragmatic" method to bring in young adults in decieving them of this lie of Roman Catholicism. As you watch below they are very clear of their worship of Mary. I pray that we would come together as true biblical bleievers and expose this horrible movement for what it is. Roman Catholics are heritics and we should be evangelizing them and not leaving them alone thinking that they are ok. Like some do today.

"I question if hell can find a more fitting instrument within its
infernal lake than the Church of Rome is for the cause of mischief."
- Charles H. Spurgeon

The Preaching of George Whitefield

2010-01-18T19:54:00.000-08:00

Dr Steven Lawson has been given grace to preach and exposit the word of God; he really focuses on the Gospel and it being the center of all things, he also focuses on the importance of church history, he has really been a great blessing in my walk (of course after the word of God). Here he is doing a great summary of the great open air preacher George Whitefield and his sermon called The Conversion of Zaccheus.

Please read the whole sermon that Dr Lawson talks about here by George Whitefield called The Conversion of Zaccheus.
http://www.biblebb.com/files/whitefield/GW035.htm

Defending Definite Atonement By Joel Beeke

2010-01-11T11:27:00.000-08:00

The major objections to limited atonement are based on textual and practical considerations. The textual objections include the following:

Texts in which the word world is used to describe the objects of the death of Christ’s death, as in John 3:16 and 1 John 2:2: 'And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.'

Texts in which the word all is used to describe the objects of Christ’s death, such as 2 Corinthians 5:15, 'He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again'; Romans 8:32, 'He . . . spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all'; and 1 Timothy 2:4–6, which speaks of Christ giving himself as a 'ransom for all.'

Texts that seem to state that some for whom Christ died may perish. One such text is Romans 14:15: 'But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.' Another, 2 Peter 2:1, in which the apostle speaks of false teachers who deny the Lord 'that bought them.'

When these texts are handled carefully and honestly, considering their context and the intent of the author and measuring Scripture against Scripture, apparent problems are nearly always readily resolved.2 For example, the Greek word for world (kosmos) can have several meanings in Scripture. Sometimes it refers to the entire elect world, meaning both the Jews and Gentiles; sometimes it refers to the public who surrounded Christ, especially the Jews; sometimes it refers to all kinds of people, such as kings and subjects; sometimes it refers to humankind under the righteous judgment of God or to the kingdom of evil forces, both angelic and human, as related to the earth; sometimes it refers to creation, or to the earth itself, or in the classical sense, to an orderly universe; and sometimes it simply refers to a great number of people.3

As for specific texts, John 3:16 does not reflect on the atonement’s extent; rather, the key to John 3:16 is in the purpose clause of verse 17: in order that 'the world through him might be saved.' World is referring not to everyone but to the world under judgment and condemnation. B. B. Warfield says kosmos is used in John 3 not to suggest that the world is so big that it takes a great deal of love to embrace it all, but that the world is so bad that it takes a great kind of love to love it at all, and much more to love it as God has loved it when he gave his Son for sinners in it.

In 1 John 2:1–2, the apostle is saying that Christ’s defence before God is so complete that it is sufficient for the sins of the world. He is also saying that the sacrifice Christ made was not only for the Jews or for a small group of first-century believers, but for people of every tribe, tongue, and nation through all time. John Murray speaks about the ethnic universalism of the gospel, meaning that those for whom Christ died are spread among all nations. Abraham Kuyper shows that the Greek word translated 'for' (peri, not hyper) means 'fitting for' or 'with respect to.' Hence, the meaning of the Greek can be that Jesus is a propitiation just like we and the entire world need — or, just as Jesus is our propitiation, so the entire world needs that same propitiation.4

As for the texts that use the word all, 2 Corinthians 5:14–15 uses all in the context of the unity of death and resurrection. Christ rises for those in union with him; therefore, his death must be thought of in those same terms.5 The phrase 'delivered up for us all' in Romans 8:32 is in the context of God’s foreordination of his people (vv. 28–30) and of Christ’s intercession for the elect (vv. 33–39). The words 'ransom for all' in 1 Timothy 2:4–6 are clearly set in the context of prayers being offered for all kinds of people (vv. 1–2). Since the word all does not always mean all individuals in either Greek or English usage, there is no compelling reason to conclude that the all in verses 4 and 6 refers to every single person.

What of texts that seem to speak of believers falling away from faith? The context of Romans 14:15 shows that the apostle is not talking about a brother for whom Christ died apostatizing from the faith altogether, but about one who would feel crushed if a fellow Christian became such a stumbling block in his life of faith that he would begin to traverse the road that leads to destruction. And 2 Peter 2:1 probably refers to false teachers who had been nominal members of the church but who in their actions, were denying the Saviour they once professed but never knew in truth. They may have had historical, even temporary and miraculous, faith, but never possessed true saving faith,6 for they rejected the Saviour and did 'stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed' (1 Pet. 2:8). Certainly, Christ did not redeem those who were ordained to be disobedient!

Most major practical objections to limited atonement can be summarized in two questions:

How can the atonement be glorious if it is limited to some? This question really has two aspects. The first is the false idea that Christ died for a tiny remnant of people. Both the Canons of Dort and the Second Helvetic Confession reject that conclusion on the basis of Scripture passages that say heaven will house a great multitude of redeemed people that no man can number, from every kindred, tribe, tongue, and nation (Rev. 7:9–17).7

The second aspect is the false idea of who does the limiting in atonement. As Charles H. Spurgeon showed, it is the Arminian, not the Calvinist, who limits Christ’s redemption:
The Arminians say, Christ died for all men. Ask them what they mean by it. Did Christ die so as to secure the salvation of all men? They say, 'No, certainly not.' We ask them the next question—did Christ die so as to secure the salvation of any man in particular? They answer, 'No.' They are obliged to admit this if they are consistent. They say, 'No, Christ has died that any man may be saved if' — and then follow certain conditions of salvation. We say, then, we will just go back to the old statement — Christ did not die so as beyond a doubt to secure the salvation of anybody, did he? You must say 'no'; you are obliged to say so, for you believe that even after a man has been pardoned, he may yet fall from grace, and perish. Now, who is it that limits the death of Christ? Why, you . . . You are welcome to your atonement; you may keep it. We will never renounce ours for the sake of it.8
The Calvinist teaches that salvation is sure for every man, woman, teenager, boy, or girl who comes to the Lord Jesus Christ. None shall be turned away (John 6:37). The Calvinist says, 'In his atonement, Jesus built a bridge from the depths of my depravity to God and heaven, and, by sending his Spirit, will bring every sinner for whom the bridge was laid all the way to glory.' That statement is the essence of the gospel. God will not fail to gather in every single one of his elect. There will be no empty seats in heaven.

Arminians say atonement only makes salvation possible. In doing so, they greatly limit the efficacy of the bloodletting of the Son of God. One Arminian put it this way: 'The atonement would be just as efficacious and glorifying to God if not one sinner ever appropriated it.' In the Arminian view, the atonement created the possibility of salvation, but men must complete the bridge by exercising their own free will.9

How can you preach the gospel to all men without distinction if Christ did not die to save all? In other words, if you cannot come to a sinner and say, 'Christ died for you,' how can you ask him to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? Doesn’t Calvinism dampen evangelistic zeal? Let me offer three responses. First, the content of the gospel is not telling people that Christ died for this or that specific person. There is not one instance in the preaching of the book of Acts, private or public, where the apostolic gospel says Christ died for any individual. The gospel says that God has sent his Son, who lived, died, and rose again. That is adequate salvation for the vilest of sinners, for the promise is: 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.'

Second, the Calvinist view of the atonement guarantees the success of evangelism. The elect will be saved infallibly through the preaching of the gospel, for God determined that it would be so through the eternal covenant of redemption established among the persons of the Trinity. In his sovereign, gracious, distinguishing love, the Father has chosen certain people (Rom. 9:11–13; Eph. 1:4) whom he gave to his Son (John 6:37, 39; 17:6, 24), who, in turn, committed himself to accomplish their redemption by obeying the precepts of God’s moral law perfectly on their behalf (his active obedience) and paying the penalty due them for their disobedience to the law (his passive obedience). Thus God can be just and the justifier of those who believe in Jesus (Rom. 3:26). Under the Trinitarian covenant, the Spirit is sent into the world by the Father and the Son (John 15:26; 16:5–15) to apply Christ’s saving work to the elect.

We need to remember that the decretive and covenantal will of God is effectual. What God purposes, he performs. Christ’s atonement is the work to which he committed himself from eternity. Definite atonement flows out of the electing purpose of God and adheres fully with other doctrines of Christology that are grounded in eternity, such as the doctrines of Christ as the second Adam, of his high-priestly work, and of his covenant role.

Knowing that the elect will be gathered by the second Adam (John 17:12; Rom. 5:12–19) makes Calvinists bold in evangelism. They also are patient in it, knowing that God will save sinners in his time and way through the priestly work of Christ (Isa. 55:10–11). They are zealous, knowing that God’s glory will come to be (1 Cor. 1:27–31), and prayerful, knowing that he alone will and can accomplish salvation as an ever-faithful, covenant-keeping Lord (Eph. 2:1–10).10 Nearly all the great and zealous evangelists of the church from the sixteenth-century Reformation to the early nineteenth century, before Charles Finney (1792–1875), were committed to definite atonement rooted in this God-centred covenant theology. Would anyone dare say that George Whitefield lacked evangelistic zeal in preaching the gospel? Would anyone say the same of Charles Spurgeon, William Carey, David Brainerd, Jonathan Edwards, or Asahel Nettleton? Each of these great evangelists professed a definite design in the atoning work of Christ and boldly heralded Christ as a freely offered and willing Saviour to all who repent and believe.11

Third, while we cannot fully grasp with our finite minds how to reconcile a definite, limited atonement with Christ’s all-sufficient blood and a universal invitation to believe, such is the pattern of Scripture and the way of God (John 6:37–40). Moreover, since the atonement is not limited in itself, though it is in its design, and since the promise is that all who by faith truly come to Christ for salvation will certainly be saved (Rom. 10:13), limited atonement is not inconsistent with a universal call to faith.

This is also the position of the Canons of Dort. Affirming that Christ’s blood is shed effectually only for those 'who were from eternity chosen to salvation and given to Him by the Father' (Head II, Art. 8), the Canons read,
The promise of the gospel is, that whosoever believeth in Christ crucified, shall not perish, but have everlasting life. This promise, together with the command to repent and believe, ought to be declared and published to all nations, and to all persons promiscuously and without distinction, to whom God out of His good pleasure sends the gospel (Head II, Art. 5).
Roger Nicole says our major problem in understanding definite atonement is that we think that a coextensive provision is necessary for a sincere offer of any kind; that is, Christ has to have died for every person in order for every person to be offered salvation in him. Nicole says this premise is false even in mundane human affairs:
For instance, advertisers who offer some objects on the pages of a newspaper do not feel that honesty in any way demands of them to have a stock coextensive with the circulation figures of the newspaper. Really, the only requisite for a sincere invitation is this — that if the conditions be fulfilled, that which is offered will actually be granted.12
Jesus says, 'He who cometh to me I will in no wise cast out' (John 6:37). Unlike stores with limited stock, Jesus’ stock is never exhausted.

William Symington argues likewise:
We hold that the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus possessed an intrinsic value sufficient for the salvation of the whole world. In this sense it was adequate to the redemption of every human being . . . The worth of Christ’s atonement we hold to be, in the strictest sense of the term, infinite, absolute, all-sufficient . . . This all-sufficiency is what lays the foundation for the unrestricted universality of the gospel call . . . Such is my impression of the sufficiency of the atonement, that were all the guilt of all mankind concentrated in my own person, I should see no reason, relying on that blood which cleanseth from all sin, to indulge despair.13
Symington concludes:
Let sinners everywhere know that if they perish it is not because there is not merit in Christ sufficient to meet all the demands of law and justice against them. Let them all turn and embrace the kind, the sincere, the urgent call to life and salvation by mere gratuity on the part of God: ‘Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.’14
If, by grace, you take this water of life, you will be saved. No one has ever perished who has believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. The message of the gospel is: 'The bridge is finished. Christ will enable you to put your weight on it, and he will carry you all the way across. He welcomes all who come. Trust him.'

Without faith, Christ’s atonement does us no good. We experience the benefits of Christ’s accomplishment only when we, with our empty hands, embrace Christ. The good news is that the atonement has been achieved before we exercise faith (Rom. 5:5–11). The reconciliation is there to be received; and by grace, we receive it when Christ, by the Holy Spirit, draws us to himself.

Redeemed by Precious Blood

Arminianism and Calvinism are based on different premises. Calvinists believe in a definite atonement, one that holds that Jesus Christ actually redeemed everyone he intended to redeem through his substitutionary death. As Tom Ascol says,
Just as the high priest under the old covenant wore the names of the twelve tribes of Israel on his breastplate when he performed his sacrificial service, so our great High Priest under the new covenant had the names of His people inscribed on His heart as He offered up Himself as a sacrifice for their sins.15
Not one who belongs to Christ will be lost.

Nicole has often said that when Calvinists declare they believe in a limited atonement, Arminians can proclaim an unlimited atonement, but when Calvinists proclaim a definite atonement, no Arminian wants to claim an indefinite atonement.16 Though definite atonement or particular redemption are better expressions than limited atonement, let us not forget that every Calvinist and Arminian, in actuality, believes in a limited atonement. As Ascol points out, 'The Arminian view, claiming that the atonement is unlimited in its extent, is forced to conclude that it is limited in its efficacy. It failed to accomplish its universal purpose.'17 Spurgeon describes this failure well:
Many divines . . . believe in an atonement made for everybody; but then, their atonement is just this. They believe that Judas was atoned for just as much as Peter; they believe that the damned in hell were as much an object of Jesus Christ’s satisfaction as the saved in heaven; and though they do not say it in proper words, yet they must mean it, for it is a fair inference, that in the case of multitudes, Christ died in vain, for he died for them all, they say; and yet so ineffectual was his dying for them, that though he died for them they are damned afterwards.18
Speaking with Spurgeon, we Calvinists may say to our Arminian friends, 'You are welcome to your atonement; you may keep it. We will never renounce ours for the sake of it.' For we need a Saviour who truly saves (Matt. 1:21) with a redemption that truly redeems by 'the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God' (1 Pet. 1:19–21).

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood:
Hallelujah! What a Saviour!
—Philip Paul Bliss
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Christ’s atonement did not partially fail; it totally succeeded. Jesus never fails!

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Notes:

1. See also the author's article 'Definite Atonement' on the Banner of Truth website.

2. John Gill, Body of Divinity (Grand Rapids: Sovereign Grace Publishers, 1971), 467–475; John Owen, The Works of John Owen, 10:316-421; John Murray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied, (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 2009 edition), 51–53; A. W. Pink, The Satisfaction of Christ, 253–66.

3. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1985), 233–234; and Duane Edward Spencer, TULIP: The Five Points of Calvinism in the Light of Scripture (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1979), 36–37.

4. Abraham Kuyper, Particular Grace: A Defense of God’s Sovereignty in Salvation (Grandville, Mich.: Reformed Free Publishing, 2001), 23–33.

5. Herman Ridderbos, Paul: An Outline of His Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975).

6. For helpful exegetical considerations, see Letham, The Work of Christ, 240–45.

7. See the Conclusion of the Canons and the Second Helvetic Confession, chap. 10, 'We must hope well of all, and not rashly judge any man to be a reprobate' (Schaff, Creeds of Christendom, 3:848).

8. Charles H. Spurgeon, 'Particular Redemption,' in The New Park Street Pulpit (1858; reprint, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1994), 4:135; quoted in J. I. Packer's Introduction to John Owen, The Death of Death in the Death of Christ (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1959), note page 14.

9. Cf. Pink, Atonement, 244.

10. See Letham, The Work of Christ, 234–37.

11. Shedd, Dogmatic Theology, 2:482–89; J. I. Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1961).

12. Roger Nicole, Evangelical Theological Society Bulletin (Fall 1967): 207.

13. William Symington, The Atonement and Intercession of Christ (Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2006), 185–86.

14. Ibid.

15. Thomas K. Ascol, 'For God So Loved the World,' Tabletalk, 29, no. 9 (September 2005):16.

16. Roger Nicole, 'The "Five Points" and God’s Sovereignty,' in Our Sovereign God, ed. James Boice (Birmingham, Ala.: Solid Ground Christian Books, 2008), 32–33.

17. Thomas K. Ascol, 'For God So Loved the World,' 17.

18. Charles Spurgeon, New Park Street Pulpit (Pasadena, Tex.: Pilgrim Publications, 1975), 4:70.

PREACHING THE NEW YEAR IN!!

2010-01-11T07:07:00.000-08:00

"So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me without fruit, but it shall accomplish that which I please, & it shall prosper whereto I sent it." Isaiah 55:11

We went out on New Years Eve and preached on Mill avenue for the big Fiesta Bowl block party they have every year. If you notice fire works are going off because it is 12 midnight and people are celebrating the new year coming in. So please pray as all these people turned there backs on the Gospel to see fireworks. Please pray for those we talked to as well. A police officer came up to us about 1 am and told us that he was happy that we were out there and that he agreed with everything that we were saying. May God be glorified and may His Son be lifted up that men would be drawn to Him.

At one point I say that God is not saving you from Hell but from yourself, I believe there is truth to that but I must correct myself and say that God is saving us from Him and His wrath to come. Please pray for these people.

CONVERSATION WITH A MORMON AT THE TEMPLE

2010-01-07T17:32:00.000-08:00

My Brother in Christ Marcus, his sister Jenifer, another brother Justin, my lovely wife and I got into a conversation with a mormon missionary during Christmas time. The LDS church puts on an amazing light show during this time at the Mesa temple. We go and walk around the temple and pray that God would save these people who are caught up in a lie. God opens up doors to talk to the missionaries, listen below to the full conversation with one missionary. Marcus starts the conversation and God really gave him grace to ask some tough revealing questions that revealed this young mans heart. I jump in and end the conversation. I believe that God was working in this man's heart. Please listen to it and most of all, pray for God to save this young man from the darkness that he is in.
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How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!" Romans 10:14-15 (nasb)

2010-01-05T19:56:00.001-08:00

You see that we have before us a mighty work, for which we are, in ourselves, totally incapable. No Christian living can save a soul; neither can all of us together- all the saints on earth and in heaven- work regeneration in one single person. The whole business on our part is the height of absurdity unless we regard ourselves as used by the Holy Spirit and filled with His power. - Charles H. Spurgeon

As some of you know I read a lot of Charles H. Spurgeon ( have to admit my favorite Pastor) If I could suggest one of His many books it would be Soul Winner you will never be the same about how you go about sharing the gospel, which as Spurgeon notes there is only one way "BIBLICALY!".
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However I have read a lot of Spurgeon’s books but never have gotten real deep on reading his sermons I thought what a good way to spend some time; by reading Spurgeon’s sermons.
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My first sermon was called THE OFFENSE OF THE CROSS and he preached off of Galatians 5:11. I challenge everyone to read it and let God really speak to your heart. Brothers and sisters today we have fallen away from really studying the condition of man in his unconverted state, which allows us to think that it is easy to be saved cause all you have to do is " make a decision", brothers and sisters it is so much more then that, having that thought process allows those who think it is just a simple little decision so man preaches a gospel that is not offensive so that they can just get a profession of faith, and and go on our way thinking we have done something but in reality we did nothing but make a child of the devil. "christians" preach a gospel that will fit someone’s lifestyle so that they will just “make a decision” and all they have done is give them a false assurance and let them go on there way with no true repentance. my suggestion “STOP IT!”.

When we are preaching the Gospel to a man in his unconverted state we are speaking to dead dry bones, and he hates God and His Gospel . Romans 8:7-8 "the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so." Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. Let us remember salvation belongs to the Lord. For us to make it more relevant or put some fluff to it is wrong and we are doing more harm then good. If your going to preach a gospel like that; which is no gospel at all I have a suggestion don't even bother. If we are speaking to dead people when we preach then we know that we have no power to raise that man from death, and know that there is only one thing that can raise that man, The Gospel of Jesus Christ and it is offensive. Jeremiah 6:10 To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.

I plead with the Lord that we all would go to the scripture and study the state of man and realize that we have no power to save, we can stand outside that tomb of Lazarus all day and scream for him to come out but only the voice of Jesus can raise that man from the dead. The Gospel is the power unto salvation Romans 1:16 "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." Ephesians 1:13 "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit." These popular little tricks and shows that men put on today are worthless unless we are going to stand up and explain to man the True Gospel of Jesus and do as our Savior did and call them to repentance of there sin Luke 5:32 "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Please be praying for the Gospel to be preached in it’s fullness with no compromise. May we let God examine our hearts and rip any man made teachings out of our head and re-center our selves on the Gospel our Lord preached. may we never fall under a spell of method or man’s knowledge, but fall under hard conviction of the Word of God and what He has left us to preach.
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Below is the link to the sermon on the offense of the cross preached in 1856 by our brother Charles Spurgeon. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did. Would love your comments if you have time. click here for the sermon by Spurgeon: http://www.biblebb.com/files/spurgeon/2594.htm