Quote of the Day

"We should have it so happen that, when our life's story is written, whoever reads it will not think of us as 'self-made men', but as the handiwork of God, in whom his grace is magnified.  Not in us may men see the clay but the Potter's hand."

- Charles Spurgeon - From the book: Living By Revealed Truth: The Life and Pastoral Theology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon by Thomas Nettles

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It is a great mistake when we fret over the human instrument which smites us, and forget the hand which uses the rod.  If I strike a dog, he bites my stick; poor creature, he knows no better; but if he could think a  little he would bite me, or else take the blow submissively.  Now, you must not begin biting the stick.  After all, it is your heavenly Father that uses the staff; though it be of ebony or of blackthorn, it is in his hand.  It is well to have done with picking and choosing our trials, and leave the whole matter in the hand of infinite wisdom."

Charles Spurgeon
From his book: Talks to Farmers

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…Spurgeon observed many, 'who, by hearing continually the most precious doctrine that belief in Jesus Christ is saving, have forgotten other truths, and have concluded that they were saved when they were not, have fancied they believed when as yet they were total strangers to the experience which was not grounded upon the divine word rightly understood, 'nor proved by any facts in their own souls.'  They resented any suggestion of self examination by gospel tests as 'an assault upon their assurance' and 'defended their false peace by the notion that to raise a question about their certain salvation would be unbelief.' Their ill-placed certainty has put them in a hopeless condition and they ignore biblical warnings and admonitions by 'their fatal persuasion that it is needless to attend to them.'  Their historical knowledge of the work of Christ has settled them in a conviction 'that godly fear and careful walking are superfluities, if not actually an offense against the gospel.' 


 From the book: Living By Revealed Truth: The Life and Pastoral Theology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon by Thomas Nettles

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Faith must embrace doctrinal truth.  To the suggestion that the time would come when preaching the doctrines of grace would be passe, Spurgeon responded, "Out on ye, traitors, who tell us that we care to shape our gospel to suit this enlightened nineteenth century!  Out on ye, falsehearts, who would have us tone down the everlasting truth that shall outlive the sun, and moon, and stars, to suit your boasted culture, which is but varnished ignorance!"  No, still he would preach those truths that were mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, and he would maintain it to the death.....Without such knowledge and consent to specific truth, no faith is possible.  A strong evidence of grace is the "mind's perception of revealed truth and its obedience to it," Spurgeon argued.  Since God has lifted the veil through divine revelation, the true believer does not make or invent his own precepts, but he learns them from God.

From the book: Living By Revealed Truth: The Life and Pastoral Theology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon by Thomas Nettles

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"And some cannot advance any further with regard to knowledge; they know the fundamentals, and feel as if they could master nothing more.  It is a great blessing that they know the gospel, and feel that it will save them; but the glorious mysteries of the everlasting covenant, of the sovereignty of God, of His eternal love and distinguishing grace, they cannot compass.....To hear of these things rather wearies them than instructs them:  They have not strength enough of mind for the deep things to God.  I would have every Christian wish to know all that he can know of revealed truth. Somebody whispers that the secret things belong not to us.  You may be sure you will never know them if they are secret; but all that is revealed you ought to know, for these things belong to you and your children.  Take care you know what the Holy Ghost teaches.  do not give way to a faint-hearted ignorance, lest you be great losers thereby.  That which is fit food for babes should not be enough for young men and fathers:  we should eat strong meat, and leave milk to the little ones."

- Charles Spurgeon - From the book: Living By Revealed Truth: The Life and Pastoral Theology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon by Thomas Nettles


See more quotes on my quote collection blog: https://snickerdoodlesquotes.blogspot.com/

Quote of the Day

He argued with no one about "problems" in the biblical text or in the Christian faith.  Not good could come of it. Those who raised such problems had not yet felt the weight of their sin or of their need for a Redeemer.  Mere intellectual jousting would solve no issue in their minds, for the Scripture is not given in order that the vain philosophical cavils of resistant intellects might be satisfied, but that wounded consciences might be shown a perfect Redeemer.  

From the book: Living By Revealed Truth: The Life and Pastoral Theology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon by Thomas Nettles

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"There will still be mysteries in the word of God that must be accepted as revelations rather than understood as the results of reasoning." Spurgeon was not afraid to exercise faith in "receiving the statements of the Scriptures."  No independent confirmation of scriptural assertion was needed, for its authority was independent of human reason and research; its evidence was in itself and its witness to the needs of the human soul, as interpreted through the entire fabric of redemptive truth, served as sufficient ground for receiving it as a revelation.  

From the book: Living By Revealed Truth: The Life and Pastoral Theology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon by Thomas Nettles

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It has been well said, "Nothing is easier than to doubt.  A man of moderate ability or learning can doubt more than the wisest men believe."  Faith demands knowledge, for it is an intelligent grace, able and anxious to justify itself; but infidelity is not required to give a reason for the doubt that is in it; a defiant mien and a blustering tone answer its purpose.  The acme of unbelief is to know nothing.  What is this but the apotheosis of ignorance.  A man may glide into agnosticism insensibly, and remain in it languidly; but to believe is to be alive.  Those who think faith to be a childish business will have to make considerable advance toward manliness before they are able to test their own theory.

- Charles Spurgeon

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Dear Brothers and Sisters, honor the Spirit of God as you would honor Jesus Christ if He were present! If Jesus Christ not there! Do not ignore the Presence of the Holy Spirit in your soul! I beseech you, do not live as if you had not heard whether there were a Holy Spirit. To Him pay your constant adorations. Reverence the august Guest who has been pleased to make your body His sacred abode. Love Him, obey Him, worship Him!

Take care never to impute the vain imaginings of your fancy to Him. I have seen the Spirit of God shamefully dishonored by persons—I hope they were insane—who have said that they have had this and that revealed to them. There has not, for some years, passed over my head a single week in which I have not been pestered with the revelations of hypocrites or maniacs. Semi-lunatics are very fond of coming with messages from the Lord to me and it may save them some trouble if I tell them once and for all that I will have none of their stupid messages. When my Lord and Master has any message to me He knows where I am and He will send it to me direct, and not by mad-caps!  

Never dream that events are revealed to you by Heaven, or you may come to be like those idiots who dare impute their blatant follies to the Holy Spirit. If you feel your tongue itch to talk nonsense, trace it to the devil, not to the Spirit of God! Whatever is to be revealed by the Spirit to any of us is in the Word of God already—He adds nothing to the Bible, and never will. Let persons who have revelations of this, that, and the other, go to bed and wake up in their senses.

Charles Spurgeon

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…To change such perfect good news as the gospel set forth made no sense and reached the depths of Spurgeon's disgust.  "My blood boils with indignation at the idea of improving the gospel.  There is but one Savior, and that one Savior is the same for ever.  His doctrine is the same in every age, and is not yea and nay."  If modern proposal for theological change were authentic, what an absurd scene would eternity hold forth.  "What a strange result we should obtain in the general assembly of heaven,"  Spurgeon envisioned, "if some were saved by the gospel of the first century, and others by the gospel fo the second, and others by the gospel of the seventeenth, and others by the gospel of the nineteenth century!  Imagine the scene.  "We should need a different song of praise for the clients of these various periods, and the mingled chorus would be rather to the glory of man's culture than to the praise of the one Lord.  No such mottled heaven, and no such discordant song, shall ever be produced." 

Charles Spurgeon as quoted in Living by Revealed Truth:  The Life and Pastoral Theology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon by Thomas Nettles

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Spurgeon observed many, "who, by hearing continually the most precious doctrines that belief in Jesus Christ is saving, have forgotten other truths, and have concluded that they were saved when they were not, having fancied they believed when as yet they were total strangers to the experience which always attended the true faith."  Their confidence was not grounded upon the divine word rightly understood, "nor proved by any facts in their own souls."  They resented any suggestion of self examination by gospel tests as "an assault upon their assurance" and "defended their false peace by the notion that to raise a question about their certain salvation would be unbelief."  Their ill-placed certainty has put them in a hopeless condition and they ignore biblical warnings and admonitions by "their fatal persuasion that it is needless to attend to them."  Their historical knowledge the work of Christ has settled them in a conviction "that godly fear and careful walking are superfluities, if not actually an offence against the gospel."

- From Thomas Nettles' book:  Living By Revealed Truth

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By 1875 Spurgeon said the "new doctrines have certainly gone tolerable lengths now, and from annihilationism to restoration has been a mere foot-race."  Soon he expected the ungodly to be exalted at once, with no stop in between, to heaven and the righteous sent to outer darkness.  The sympathies of modern preachers were toward the unbelieving, doubt was celebrated and viewed as a sign of salvation.  "We may naturally look for a heaven prepared for loose thinkers, who are so brave as to despise all creeds and believe in nothing whatever."  Those deserving of being cast aside were believers in plenary inspiration, who view sin as a terrible evil and therefore affirm the justness of eternal punishment.  Liberal modern thinkers see such folks as narrow-minded bigots.  "Everybody is received as a Christian nowadays by the Broad School except those who are so indeed."…Robert Reynoldson's book Everlasting Punishment not Everlasting Pain was materialism under the guise of annihilation.  The publication was as feeble as it was fallacious for it substituted assumption for argument, and dogmatism for demonstration…..[Spurgeon said that}"Truths once regarded as fundamental, are either denied, or else turned inside out till nothing of their essence remains.  Holy Scripture is no longer admitted to be the infallible record of revelation; but is made to be a door-mat for 'thought' to wipe its shoes upon."…he found that men were "disloyal to God in order to be charitable to men" and propounded a Christianity "from which the Fall and the Atonement have both been eliminated."

 

From Living By Revealed Truth - by Thomas Nettles

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If I thought I it wrong to be a Baptist, I should give it up, and become what I believed to be right.  The particular doctrine adhered to by Baptists is that they acknowledge no authority unless it comes from the Word of God.  They attach no importance to the authority of the Fathers - they care not for the authority of the mothers - if what they say does not agree with the teaching of the Evangelists, Apostles, and Prophets, and most of all, with the teaching of the Lord Himself.  If we could find infant baptism in the Word of God, we should adopt it.  It would help us out of a great difficulty, for it would take away from us that reproach which is attached to us - that we are odd, and do not as other people do.  But we have looked well through the Bible, and cannot find it, and do not believe that it is there; nor do we believe that others can find infant baptism in the Scriptures, unless they themselves first put it there.

Charles Spurgeon

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If we think that our substitutes do more good or reap larger results than the gospel way, we will create serious difficulties and engender a destructive enmity within the church.  "I have known brethren tell sinners a great many falsehoods with the view of saving them."  He did not want one creed for the ministers' meeting and another for the enquiry room.  Salvation is not promoted by the suppression of truth…."I hold that I have no right to state false doctrines, even if I knew it would save a soul.  The supposition is, of course, absurd; but it makes you see what I mean."

…Our tampering produces false theology, false ideas of Christianity, tolerates disobedience to the ordinances, and makes supposed believers impatient with calls to holiness.  One may sure, however, that Christ will not be trifled with, will not have "his words shuffled like a deck of cards," will be "Lord as well as Savior" or will not be Savior.  A supposed assurance of forensic justification "apart from a spiritual work within the soul - - a change of heart, and a renewal of mind" does not yield a future of heaven.

From - Living by Revealed Truth: The Life and Pastoral Theology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon by Thomas Nettles

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Both Arminians and hyper-Calvinists demanded that theology conform to a narrowly defined system more restricted than the biblical revelation allowed.  Scripture conforms to a higher logic than human intellect and can penetrate and unveils mysteries beyond the scope of construction by mere human ratiocination.

 "It has been my earnest endeavor ever since I have preached the Word, never to keep back a single doctrine which I believed to be taught of God  It is time that we had done with the old rusty systems that have so long curbed the freeness of religious speech.  The Arminian trembles to go an inch beyond Arminius or Wesley, and many a Calvinist refers to John Gill or John Calvin as an ultimate authority, It is time that the systems were broken up, and that there was sufficient grace in all our hearts to believe everything taught in God's Word, whether it was taught by either of these men or not.  I have frequently found when I have preached what is called high doctrine, because I found it in my text, that some people have been offended; they could not enjoy it, could not endure it , and went away.  They were generally people who were best gone; I have never regretted their absence.  On the other hand, when I have taken for my text some sweet invitation, and have preached the freeness of Christ's love to man; when I have warned sinners that they are responsible while they hear the gospel, and that if they reject Christ their blood will be upon their own heads, I find another class of doubtless excellent individuals who cannot see how these two things agree.  And therefor also turn aside, and wade into the deceptive miry bogs of antinomianism.  I can only say with regard to them, that I had rather also that they should go to their own sort, than that they should remain with my congregation.  We seek to hold truth.  We know no difference between high doctrine and low doctrine.  If God teaches it, it is enough.  If it is not in the Word, away with it!  Away with it!  But if it be in the Word, agreeable or disagreeable, systematic or disorderly, I believe it.  It may seem to us as if one truth stood in opposition to another, but we are fully convinced that it cannot be so, that it is a mistake in our judgment.  That the two things do agree we are quite clear, though where they meet we do not know as yet, but hope to know hereafter."

 

Charles Spurgeon as quoted in Living by Revealed Truth:  The Life and Pastoral Theology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon by Thomas Nettles

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Spurgeon advocated a pure Biblicism for theological construction.  He loved the historic confessions and the pious and helpful writings of the Reformers and Puritans as well as selected numbers from the early Fathers and even some medieval writers…but all of these edified only to the degree that they opened to the mind that which already abided in scriptural revelation.  Theology is not new, nor has it been the product of tradition or development…"the epistles are older than the thirty-nine articles."…We may gain assistance through others that interpret Scripture doctrines, but no addition to the doctrines themselves… Christian doctrine, to the degree that God wants us to know, has mature development in Scripture.  Neither individual theologian nor church corporate may add to, diminish, amend, or dilute by false synthesis any assertion of the biblical text.  We may find a way to give clear teaching on a variety of subjects and seek to show their mature biblical development and relations, and we may surely benefit from the way Christians through the ages have formulated these biblical truths and their practical applications; any effort, however to go beyond the biblical text and its own internal development perverts the truth.

 

From:  Living By Revealed Truth: The Life and Pastoral Theology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon - By Thomas

Quote of the Day

I would have every Christian wish to know all that he can know of revealed truth.  Somebody whispers that the secret things belong not to us.  You may be sure you will never know them if they are secret; but all that is revealed you ought to know...

Charles Spurgeon

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Have you ever noticed the difference between being humble and being humbled?  Many persons are humbled who are not humble at all.

Charles Spurgeon

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A fool soon makes up his mind, because there is so very little of it; but a wise man waits and considers.

 

Charles Spurgeon

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Consider what thou owest to His (God's)immutability. Though thou hast changed a thousand times, He has not changed once; though thou hast shifted thy intentions, and thy will, yet He has not once swerved from His eternal purpose, but has still held thee fast.

Charles Spurgeon