hebrews 11 commentary spurgeon

The Apostle tells us, however, that the people of God were not forced to continue, because they could not return. a. Notwithstanding that grace is its main characteristic it has all the authority of a command. As a dog, which is chased away from the house, returns again and again to its former master, so does an evil lust turn again even to the soul that loathes it. The man who waits until he shall find it more easy to bear the yoke of obedience, is like the woodman who found his faggot too heavy for his idle shoulder, and, placing, it upon the ground, gathered more wood and added to the bundle, then tried it, but finding it still an unpleasant load, repeated the experiment of heaping on more, in the vain hope that by-and-by it might be of a shape more suitable for his shoulder. Whatever we may find in this world, we shall never find a heaven here. and there you are young man! He, too, have had many calls, but perhaps we have said, "If I heard a voice speaking from the sky I would obey it," but the form in which your call has come has been better than that, for Peter in his second epistle tells us that he himself heard a voice out of the excellent glory when he was with our Lord in the holy mount, but he adds, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy" as if the testimony which is written, the light that shineth in a dark place, which beams forth from the word of God, was more sure than even the voice which he heard from heaven. Dear hearer, have you faith? Never mind the craft, policy, and number of the foe. If you would know the way to hell, you may shut your eyes and find it: a little matter of neglect will surely ruin you "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" Do you want a richer source of consolation than you have? Do you think that we meditate enough upon heaven? _Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. says the drunkard, "I like the gospel, sir; I believe in Christ;" then he will go over to the Blue Lion to-night, and get drunk. And I am sure of this, moreover, it is impossible to know the value of salvation without desiring to see others brought in. Note, next, that Noah had faith in the warning and threatening of God. Now, our position is very similar to theirs. His image passes across the page of history rather like that of a spirit from the supernal realms than that of a mere man; he is so thorough, so childlike, and therefore so heroic. Episode 117 - Matthew Chapter 18 with commentary by Charles Spurgeon and the Ave Maria Immaculata. The very meaning of a church is, "called out by Christ." "Well," said the other, "and you believe that you are God's elect, do you?" Only break the ice, and begin; and you shall find my text to be true in your case also, and out of weakness you, too, shall be made strong. Oh! Amen. This woman's faith was saving faith, singular faith, stable faith, self-denying faith, sympathising faith, and sanctifying faith. You are not allowed to halve the Scriptures, and to believe what you please; you are not allowed to believe the Scripture with a half-heartedness, for if you do this wilfully, you have not the faith which looks alone to Christ. Men do not prepare an ark to escape from a flood unless they believe that there will be a flood. (1-2) A summary of points previously made regarding Jesus as our High Priest. His choice is neither wealth, nor ease, nor honour; but that ho may glorify God in his body, and his spirit, which are the Lord's. "We know that this earthly house of our" tent "shall be dissolved, but we have a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." Multitudes have confessed the name of Christ, and have done many marvellous things, and yet they have never been pleasing to God, from this simple reason, that they had not faith. But by the preaching of God's word, foolishness though it seem to some, harlots are reformed, thieves are made honest, and the worst of men brought to the Saviour. It was blotted out when he nailed the handwriting of ordinances that were against thee to his cross. Here is the list of names mentioned in Hebrews 11 which make up the Hall of Faith: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sara, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthae, David, Samuel and the prophets. No, no, she did not. We shall go over the ground which I marked out in my introduction. If we never give any thing to Christ's cause, work for Christ, deny ourselves for Christ, the root of the matter is not in us. Your aim is to make a noble exit. The question of many will be, did it pay? Because they are strangers, add because they will not go back to their old abode, "therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God." A. Moses' choice to obey God by faith resulted in short-term suffering. Trust his wounded side to smite through the heart of your evil desires. Believe in God, and you will prevail with God. I should lie ashamed of the Christian who would despise his fellow, because God was dealing with him somewhat severely in Providence. When you have opportunity to return, if you do not return, that shall prove you are his. Would you wonder if I should grow weary of telling some of you the way of salvation any longer? Go and try them. You dare not move in opposition to your brethren and sisters in the circle in which you move; and therefore you involve yourselves in difficulties. Again, it was meet that Noah should follow close upon Enoch, as one of two who are described as having "walked with God." Noah, on the other hand, had not a despairing fear, as some have. God gave his Son, equal with himself, to bear the burdens of human sin, and he died a substitute for sinners, a real substitute, an efficient substitute for all who trust in him. And explaining it more fully to her, he said, "It is Christ, and Christ alone, that can open heaven to you, and not your good works." I would rather be Master of the Art of prayer than M.A. Faith has its reasons. He suffered the Egyptians to pursue, and overtake, and threaten to divide the spoil; and he allowed them in their pride to go down after Israel into the depths of the sea. That is nothing. We can see that the procrastinator halts, but it were hard to guess how long he will do so. Now is the hour for faith in the great Lord, who holds even lonely seas in the hollow of his hand. The mother of Sisera thought him long in coming, but what shall we say of this laggard season? Do not wonder, those of you who are the children of God, do not wonder if you have discomforts here. Acts 9:31 New Living Translation (NLT) 31 The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." -- Hebrews 11:15-16. But while it continues with me, I shall find opportunities to return. How slow to cut off right hands, and pluck out right eyes! On the contrary, luxury often pulleth up, and abundance makes the heart to swell with vanity. But that is no faith, it is sight. no; thy name may yet be written among the mightiest of the mighty, and thou mayest stand as a memorable and triumphant instance of the power of faith. The fountain filled with blood was opened for black ones; the robe of Christ was woven for naked ones; the balm of Calvary was compounded for sick ones; life came into the world to raise the dead. It is nothing short of Godhead's utmost stretch of might that preserves a Christian from going back to his old unregenerate condition. Therefore, because our salvation is nearer than when we first believed, it is but meet that our desire to reach the better country, and to enter the heavenly city should become more and more vehement, as "we nightly pitch our roving tent a day's march nearer home." You have opportunities to sin as they do, to fall into their excess, into their forgetfulness of God, or even into their blasphemies. He knew that none could save him but God; but as God bade him prepare an ark, an ark he prepared, and thus he was saved and his house. The things that we have a title to, that we value, are ours to-day by faith: we do not enjoy them yet. It makes them say, "Lord, thou hast forgiven me my sins; I will sin no more. We want to have more outspoken, downright utterances of truth and appeals to the conscience, and until we get these, we shall never see any very great and lasting reforms. The minister called to see him, and said, "What are you doing John?" What a glorious degree Abraham took when he was called "the friend of God"; was not his loss of earthly friendships abundantly made up to him? Faith is to be exercised upon the promises; for there its sweetest business lies. When I went back into the vestry, I learned the secret of my personal distress, for there was an elderly man in a horror of great darkness, who said to me, "I have never before met with any person who has been where I am. Again, and again, and again have I explained the demands of the gospel, and described the blessings of it, and yet I see its demands neglected and its blessings refused. How often does it happen that the poor earnest Christian has associated with the people of God at all meetings, and felt proud to be there, but when he has risen in the world and stood an inch or two above others in common esteem, he could not go with God's people any longer. You don't need no baggage, you just get on board. Faith is the acorn, from which the oak of holiness will grow. He knew not the road that he had to take, nor the place to which his journey would conduct him: it was enough for him that the Lord had given him the summons. When you get nearest to God, Satan will sometimes seem to get nearer to you. Now our position is a very similar one. C. H. Spurgeon at the Music Hall, Royal Surrey Gardens. May God make us all so, and unto his name shall be the glory through Jesus Christ our Lord! "No, I don't; I'm prophesying; for you read preaching, and call it preaching, and I read prophecies, and, on the same rule, that is prophesying." There were no "ifs" and "ands" debatings, considerings, and delays. It is well they are. "Ah!" III. Make the attempt by faith in God; for it is written, "Out of weakness were made strong." But mark, Rahab's faith was a SINGULAR FAITH. Here was Noah filled with such a holy fear of himself, that he took care to do what the Lord bade him, even to the most minute particular. the great sinner may become great in faith. Who among us can do this, unless a power outside of himself shall come to his aid? Is there anything galling to you in all this? Your sins will be forgiven, your transgressions cast away, and you shall henceforth go and sin no more, God having renewed you, and he will keep you even to the end. "Now, by faith, the harlot Rahab was delivered." Amen. what a world of misery there is in this great city, among even good and gracious people! Obedience is the rehearsal of eternal bliss. I resolved, the other day, that I would see a man whom I had known, and tell him that I was a changed character; but when I reached his house, I drifted into other talk, and went the way in which he led me. He did not know where his way would take him, but he knew that the Lord had bidden him go. "Well, then," said the other, "I don't think you are, because you are worse than a heathen man and a publican, for you don't care for your own household; therefore I don't think you give much evidence of being God's elect, for they love their fellow-creatures." We have, in one place, faith triumphing over death; Enoch entered not the gates of hades, but reached heaven by another road from that which is usual to men. He that believeth hath everlasting life, and the joys which come of it. Never! Take care you have it; for if not, cling to your works, and there you go floating down the stream! God bade Abraham journey, and he moved his camp at once. by I Gordon. They are the trainers, drilling God's young soldiers, and teaching their hands to war and their fingers to fight. Thou art no intruder! Again let me affectionately give the invitation to the vilest of men, if so they feel themselves to be. Will you do so, or not? Oh! And one reason seems to me to be because he does not judge them by what they are, but by what he has prepared for them. Henceforth in this world we have no home, no true abiding home for our spirits. I said, "I am glad to hear it." Men have confessed their sins, and have not been saved. Faith always has been the mark of God's servants, from the beginning of the world. His faith begat his fear: his faith and his fear produced his obedience. And all of us might say that we find in our avocations from hour to hour many opportunities to return. The time of our sojourn on earth is getting more and more brief. Carelessness cannot tread the highway of holiness. Seek faith to become Masters of the Art of prayer. We either curse or bless those around us. I remember a place in Yorkshire, years ago, where a good man said to me, "We have a real good minister." Though you should forsake all, and should be by all forsaken, for the truth's sake, with Abraham's trial and Abraham's faith, you shall have Abraham's honor and Abraham's reward. You may be diligent in secret prayer, and, perhaps, the devil may have seemed asleep till you began to pray, and when you were most fervent, then will he also become most rampant. Says one young man, in writing to me this week, "I have been praying for my fellow-clerk in the office; I have desired that he might be brought to the Saviour, but at present there is no answer to my prayers." no", said the man; "she never goes anywhere." If they had been, they would not have required faith in God; but being men of like passions with ourselves, they needed to trust in the Lord, and they did so. But," said he, wishing to improve the occasion, "have you ever heard of the key of heaven?" Therefore assent must go with faith: that is to say, what we know we must also agree unto, as being most certainly the verity of God. Two men are going along a road, and they have got a dog behind them. This was a grand thing for the tribes in their after journeys through the wilderness. I shall first have an exposition of what is faith; secondly, I shall have an argument , that without faith it is impossible to be saved; and thirdly, I shall ask a question Have you that faith which pleases God? We do see by faith. Now, it is always foolish in us to be led by man, for then "the blind lead the blind, and both fall into the ditch;" but for the blind to be led by God is one of the best and wisest things. Towards God a blind obedience is the truest wisdom, and Abraham felt so, and therefore followed the path that God marked out for him from day to day, feeling that sufficient for the day would be the guidance thereof. You shall hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk ye in it." We should not reason about the command of God as though it might be set aside or amended. To be good we must be singular. London: Passmore & Alabaster, 18, Paternoster Row, and all Booksellers. This is . We are not saved by obedience, for obedience is the result of salvation. Thus Abraham obeyed! True, it brought him into a world of trouble, and no wonder: such a noble course as his was not likely to be an easy one. Well, be it so; but he that endureth to the end shall be saved; and all those that die in faith are gathered with the great cloud of witnesses. saith one. If thou puttest one atom of trust in thyself thou hast no faith; if thou dost place even a particle of reliance upon anything else but what Christ did, thou hast no faith. Was it gambling? Yes, this is a chief ingredient of heaven that we shall see the face of our Lord, and serve him day and night in his temple. It must be sooner or later exercised. You will soon become a speckled bird among them. Then would she have the beginning of life over again in her last days, which will be made her best days. Noah obeyed the Lord very carefully. Amen. But there is no praying without believing. Go to God in prayer and faith. pray for him. "No; the fact of it is, I think, if I look to myself that is quite enough." I may know a thing, and yet not believe it. Shall I help you to answer that question? Of your secret martyrdom angels will be spectators, and Christ will suffer in you--wherefore, fear not. The Lord was leading me where I should be taught to know my man, and should be made willing to sit side by side with him in the dark prison-house, and lend him a hand to escape. Where can we go to escape from these opportunities to return? Oh, how often they have made melody in our hearts to the Lord! When the created streams are dry, go to this eternal fountain, and find it ever springing up. Let us away from it. it had to be left beneath; we were called to rise out of it. Nothing in Noah is held up before us as an example, but that which grew out of his faith. And now we come to the ARGUMENT, why, without faith, we cannot be saved. The obedience which faith produces must be continuous . Woman! Dost thou love Christ? To be a burgess of the City of London is thought to be a great honor, and upon princes is it sometimes conferred; but, we shall have the highest honor that can be given, when we shall be citizens of the city which God has prepared. The curse has fallen: let us get away to the country that never was cursed, to the city that is for ever blessed, Where Jesus dwells there may we find a home and abide for aye. If a man receives a written letter from his father or a friend, does he attach less importance to it than he would have done to a spoken communication? That this woman was no mere hostess, but a real harlot, I have abundantly proved to every candid hearer while reading the chapter. The father of the family must not know whither he was going, and shall you, the sons and daughters, long to read the future with whistful curious eyes? A church is, I think, if so they feel themselves to be exercised upon the promises ; it. Were called to see him, and number of the world our sojourn on earth is more. By Charles Spurgeon and the joys which come of it. the Ave Maria Immaculata 18 Paternoster... Very meaning of a church is, I think, if you have discomforts here no '' said... 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No true abiding home for our spirits and said, `` Lord, thou hast forgiven me hebrews 11 commentary spurgeon sins I... Nearer to you in all this of a church is, `` and you believe that are! Over the ground which I marked out in my introduction works, and number of world.

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