Where Jesus died, there you shall live. If thou wilt trust thy soul with Jesus, thou art saved. "Prophesying; how is that? Stay lo of his infinite mercy give us the willing and the obedient mind that we may not pervert the gospel to our own destruction. "Is there a heart that will not bend To thy divine control? Here we are tent dwellers, and the tent is soon to be taken down. There shall be delightful intercourse. By faith alone can you bear persecution, and turn it to account for the good of others. If we have a faith which is greedy in hearing, severe in judging, and rapid in self-congratulation, but not inclined to obedience, we have the faith of hypocrites. In the presence of the great ones of the earth they may call him their God--anywhere--and he is not ashamed to be so called. Hebrews 6:10. God alone can help you to fill up with roses that grim memory of danger and suffering. Other sins die hard, but this is shot through the head by true repentance and faith in Jesus. Whatever we may find in this world, we shall never find a heaven here. Yet, remember that the obedience which comes of true faith is often bound to be altogether unreckoning and implicit ; for it is written, "He went out, not knowing whither he went." By-and-by, they march through the Jordan dry shod, and then Faith gets firmer confidence. Be steadfast, unmovable. What grand life ever was easy? But there is life arising from his death. Description. Out of a sort of kindly pity for his neighbour's weak-mindedness, with a mixture of an unacknowledged feeling on his own account, he went to hear the preaching of the Word, and was brought to Jesus. Go and try them. Noah believed through a hundred and twenty solitary years! Perhaps you will say, "Why does the Lord make them so plentiful? If there is anything in religion at all, it demands a present surrender to its claims and a present obedience to its laws; but if you judge it to be a lie, say so, and we shall know where you are. Neither will we admit into our minds a suspicion of the incorrectness of the Word of God in any matter whatever, as though the Lord himself could err. But I must not dwell on this, delightful theme as it is, for I must close by noticing you, who are the children of God. Trust him. O young man, can you take up in the warehouse the position of being a Christian though there is no other believer in the louse? Fast Download speed and no annoying There is no doubt he could, but it was never the Master's intention that we should all be hothouse plants. Do I address a wife who has a godless husband? if you could forget the statutes, can you ever fail to remember the songs? Yet faith is the instrument of accomplishing the whole work. "Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city." It may be now or never with you. The fact is, you do not mean to obey the Lord at all. But, believe me, you cannot have faith in the promise unless you are prepared to have faith in the threatening also. At times you and I are assailed as to our faith in the Bible, by people who say, "How do you make that out? This indicates a permanent abode. Viewed as they are, they may be compared to a rabble in so many respects, that it is marvellous he is not ashamed of them. How weak we are in this matter! Obedience arises out of a faith which is to us the paramount principle of action . There is many a Christian who, if he were to go back to the gaiety of the world, would find the world await him with open arms. I may know a thing, and yet not believe it. If we passed through life unrecognised, or were only acknowledged by a sneer from the worldly-wise, and if this were regarded as a failure, it could be borne with equanimity as long as we knew that we had kept our faith towards God, and our obedience to him. Henceforth, in this world we have no home, no true home for our spirits; our home is beyond the flood; we are looking for it amongst the unseen things; we are strangers and sojourners as all our fathers were, dwellers in this wilderness, passing through it to reach the Canaan which is to be the land of our perpetual inheritance. Share. Amen. It is a talisman, believe me, against the contagion of an evil atmosphere that might otherwise instil poison into your constitution. All the answer was, "Go away with you. He sees in him a dignity and a glory second only to himself. said he, "my good woman, that is a broken key, for you have broken the commandments, you have not fulfilled all your duties. O that God might sanctify some that are here! Always put him off with promises to be redeemed to-morrow? How long shall unbelief lodge within you and grieve the Holy Spirit? If believers could form a secluded settlement where no tempters could intrude, they would perhaps find the separated life far more easy, though I am not very sure about it, for all experiments in that direction have golden down. It staggers us: we cannot make it out. There must be determination, thought, care, attention; and faith must work with all these to produce obedience to the will of the Lord. There all the inhabitants shall be united in one glorious brotherhood--the true Communism; Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity, in the highest possible degree. What was it? Charles Haddon Spurgeon December 14, 1856 Scripture: Hebrews 11:6 From: New Park Street Pulpit Volume 3 Faith "Without faith it is impossible to please God."Hebrews 11:6 The Old Assembly's Catechism asks, "What is the chief end of man?" and its answer is, "To glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever." He shall dwell in God's house and be still praising him. God does not create useless things: he intends that the faith he gives should have its test, should glorify his name. To tell a very familiar story, and even the poorest may not misunderstand what I say: a minister was one day going to preach. And I am sure of this, moreover, it is impossible to know the value of salvation without desiring to see others brought in. But where lay their greatness? "Yes." Dost thou believe on the Son of God? If Baal be God, serve him; but if God be God, I charge you by Jesus Christ, fly to him as he is revealed, and come forth from the sin of the world and be separate, and walk by faith in God. my sermon is a failure to those who so speak: if that be your answer, I am foiled again. He also knew well the terrible joy that comes only through suffering as he lived quite afflicted (both by illness and slander). Trust him now and you are saved; you shall become, henceforth, a stranger and a pilgrim. Was it drunkenness? But this man was one day met by a friend, who said to him, "Where is your wife?" The city of Jericho was about to be attacked; within its walls there were hosts of people of all classes and characters, and they knew right well that if their city should be sacked and stormed they would all be put to death; but yet, strange to say, there was not one of them who repented of sin, or who even asked for mercy, except this woman who had been a harlot. No; each man's calling may seem to him to be more full of temptation than his fellows, but it is not so. We see faith, again, entering the lists with the infirmities of old age and the pains of the last struggle, as we read, "By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff." Though you may think it a very ordinary thing to obey God in all things, you will find that a man had need to set his face like a flint in order to keep the right road; and the only way in which he will be able to hold on his way will be by having faith in God. Who among us has done this? Hebrews 11:4 Commentaries: By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks. I remark that the particular form of sin known as blasphemy is one of the first to die, and to be buried out of sight. Go to God in prayer and faith. But a strong-minded man is one who does not try to be singular, but who dares to be singular, when he knows that to be singular is to be right. We desire something better. I should be ashamed of the Christian who would despise his fellow because God was dealing with him somewhat severely in providence, yet there is that feeling in the human heart, and though there may be no unkind treatment, yet often times the spirit is apt to imagine it, and I have known some absent themselves by degrees from the assembly of God. How slow to cut off right hands, and pluck out right eyes! Ere the precept had gone forth, obedience had come forth to meet it with rejoicing. His feet would have been willing to attempt a miracle, and the stormy billows would have been dry before his march. Taking another view, we would remark that faith makes us strong to fulfill the relationships of life. I would hope there are none such here, but that those of you who have been so blessed, as to have been begotten and brought forth by pious men and women may take this into consideration--that to perish with a mother's prayers is to perish fearfully; for if a mother's prayers do not bring us to Christ, they are like drops of oil dropped into the flames of hell that will make them burn more fiercely upon the soul for ever and ever. If our faith enables us to set up as patterns of sound doctrine, and qualifies us to crack the heads of all who differ from us, and yet lacks the fruit of obedience, it will leave us among the "dogs" who are "'without." I have had to mourn over Christian men--at least I thought they were--who have grown very poor, and when they have grown poor they hardly felt they could associate with those whom they knew in better circumstances. The Pastors' College Conference Address, 1891. First consider THE KIND OF FAITH WHICH PRODUCES OBEDIENCE. "Dare to be a Daniel, Dare to stand alone; Dare to have a purpose true, Dare to make it known. They had news concerning the family house. Perhaps you have tried to fill your soul with worldly things. Now which man does the dog follow? He has placed him in due order of time after Abel and Enoch; but he had also another reason for the arrangement. Howbeit, God does. They called his warning "an old wives' fable," and he himself was "an old fossil." "Oh," said the other, "I felt so sorry to think that, if you were to die, you would die without hope, that I was obliged to come to you." For thou hast a sacred right to the courts of mercy. "Prepare to meet thy God" was the motto you started with. Don't wonder, don't wonder if you have discomforts here. Faith is to be exercised upon the promises; for there its sweetest business lies. Whatever may be the precepts of the law, or of the gospel, they are pure and holy altogether. It is not ours to judge the Lord's command, but to follow it. When Napoleon was attacking the Egyptians he had powerful artillery, but he could not reach the enemy, for they were ensconced in a mud fort, and it made Napoleon very angry, because, if they had been behind granite walls, he could hate battered them down, but their earthworks could not be blown to pieces, every ball stuck in the mud, and made the wall stronger. And I gather it from the fact that there never has been the case of a man recorded in Scripture who did please God without faith. that ye were wise that ye would care now, and if any of you feel your need of Christ, let me beg of you, for Christ's sake, now to seek faith in him who is exalted on high to give repentance and remission, and who, if he has given you repentance, will give you remission too. They say, "The man was born too late; he is behind the age; he fights for a worn-out creed; he is out of place in a world of progress," What then? saith one. As gold is to the inferior metals, such is our trust in God to all our other trusts. It was blotted out when he nailed the handwriting of ordinances that were against thee to his cross. may the day never come to you, you young people especially, who have lately put on the Lord Jesus Christ and professed his name, when you shall be welcomed by the world; but may you for ever forget also your own kindred and your father's house, so shall the king greatly desire your beauty, for he is your Lord, and worship you him. There may be truths non-essential to our salvation; but there are no non-essential truths with regard to our comfort. As for you that believe not in God, may you be led to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as in your Redeemer, and afterwards to trust your God, and leave al your concerns in his hands. They are mad." Into the unknown land he made his way; through fertile regions, or across a wilderness; among friends or through the midst of foes, he pursued his journey. Oh! It is in the Scriptures, certainly, but how do you reconcile it with science?" He taught us to pray, "Lead us not into temptation," but, at the same time, he does lead us there, and intends to do it, and this for the proving of our faith, to see whether it be true faith or not. Hebrews 11:8 . Now, beloved friends, suffer me a few words upon the other cheering fact, namely, that FAITH MAKES MEN STRONG FOR PATIENT SUFFERING. And God has rewarded our faith. When God began with many of us, he found us very low down beneath the flood of evil. And I know that come prosperity or come adversity, come sickness or come wealth, come foe, come friend, come popularity, or come contempt, his purpose shall be worked out, and that purpose shall be pure, unmingled good to every blood-bought heir of mercy on whom his heart is set. Hosted by WPEngine. So long as you are willing to be used, so long as God has given you an anxiety and travail of spirit for the souls of others, you need not fear; but may with faith get to work in all your feebleness, for as your day your strength shall be. O! I am not pronouncing any judgement upon their conduct, I am merely pointing out the fact. Said he, "I have no keys." O! "Nay, my Lord," they would say, "don't put me off so, don't give me these husks, though thou give mountains of them. God of Peace and Our Sanctification, The. All you can see in the poor child of God is a hard-working, labouring man, who is mocked at and despised, but what does God see in him? I almost envy Abraham. Abraham's slips--for he made one or two--were made when he had left the land and gone down among the Philistines. Own them! Notice, next, that there is this about a Christian, that even when he does not enjoy something better, he desires it. He bids me cross it. 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