Sin - By Charles Spurgeon

Spurgeon, “The Smoke of Their Torments”
See the blackness of your sin by the light of hell's fire!Hell is the true harvest of the sowing of iniquity.

Come, lost sinner, I charge you to look at hell--
Hell is what sin brings forth.
Hell is the full-grown child.
You have dandled your sin.
You have kissed and fondled it.
But see what sin comes to.
Hell is but sin full-grown, that is all.

You played with that young lion; see how it roars and how
it tears in pieces now that it has come to its strength.

Did you not smile at the azure scales of the serpent?
See its poison; see to what its stings have brought those
who have never looked to the brazen serpent for healing.

Do you account of sin as a peccadillo, a flaw
scarcely to be noticed, a mere joke, a piece of fun?
But see the tree which springs from it.
There is no joke there- no fun in hell.

You did not know that sin was so evil.
Some of you will never know how evil it is until the
sweetness of honey has passed from your mouth,
and the bitterness of death preys at your vitals.

You will count sin harmless until you
are hopelessly stricken with its sting!

My God, from this day forward help me to see through the
thin curtain which covers up sin, and whenever Satan tells
me that such-and-such a thing is for my pleasure, let me
recollect the pain of that penalty wrapped up in it. When
he tells me that such a thing is for my profit, let me know
that it can never profit me to gain the whole world and lose
my own soul. Let me feel it is no sport to sin, for only a
madman would scatter firebrands and death, and say it is sport

Microscopic Holiness?

I shared those words below, from Spurgeon, because after God told me that I was now holy, I was at a lost as to what next. I guess because I did not have help from mature Christians to understand, nor that I matured in the faith enough to know how to move forward. After the excitement of seeing first hand, God's Holiness in me, with my spiritual eyes, and after the initial shock that someone like me could actually be holy, I decided not to talk about it because people would find me pretentious or plain stupid. Then, when I finally understood that I needed to move forward to live out my holiness, it was a time of searching and understanding what this life entails. As usual, I tried to understand it on my own, until I gave up and allowed the Holy Spirit to help me make sense of it all.

I was disappointed to find out that it was as if I was starting this journey from scratch and every step was extremely important. Not only that, I found that every iota of my life had to be lived through the lenses of holiness. I hated every minute of my findings and what the Holy Spirit was teaching me, because I wanted a shortcut and I wanted a bullet list on how to live this life. I hated knowing that all the pain of preparing my soul, the furnace of fire to destroy the impurities, the separation, the isolation, the life turned upside down, the emptiness and the abyss that I faced for months and the darkness that surrounded my soul in the valley of death, were just to lay the foundation of  a holy life. I hated knowing that I was not further ahead. 

After I got over all of it and embraced the path that was ahead of me,  I did not pray those words spurgeon recorded below, but strangely, the Lord laid out my life in the same way. I found myself  being concerned with my daily walk and every minute in my heart, I wanted it to glorify Him, so it was not so much my whole life and my whole day that mattered to me, but the next minute and the next step. At night instead of praying before I sleep and before I say good night to the Lord, my daddy, I needed to reflect as to how my day went according to His will and how much did I please Him today. While at first it looked tedious, but over time, this becomes the normal way of life and you do not even notice that this is how you live.

Spurgeon,  

"Order my steps," 
We see here that David is anxious as to details. 
He does not say, "Order the whole of my pilgrimage;" 
he means that, but his expression is more
expressive and painstaking. He would
have each single step ordered in holiness.
He would enjoy heavenly guidance in each
minute portion of his journey towards heaven.

Much of the beauty of holiness lies in little things.

Microscopic holiness is the perfection of excellence.

If a life will bear examination in each hour of it,
it is pure indeed. Those who are not careful
about their words, and even their thoughts, will
soon grow careless concerning their more notable
actions.

Those who tolerate sin in what they think to be
little things, will soon indulge in it in greater matters.

To live by the day and to watch each
step, is the true pilgrimage method.

More lies in the careful noting of every single
act than careless minds can well imagine.

Be this then your prayer: "Lord, direct my
morning thoughts, that the step out of my
chamber into the world may be taken in your
fear. At my table keep me in your presence;
behind my counter, or in my field, or wherever
else I may be, allow me not to grieve your
Spirit by any evil. And when I come to lie
down at night, let the action (which seems
so indifferent) of casting myself upon my
pillow, be performed with a heart that loves
you; so that I shall be prepared to be with
you, if wakeful during the night.”

This brief prayer, "Order my steps,"
teaches us attention to the minutiae of life.
May we have grace to learn the lesson.

Petty Wars Over Abstruse Points and Unimportant Questions

Charles Spurgeon

"Be careful to devote yourself to good works." Titus 3:8

"Avoid foolish questions." Titus 3:9

Our days are few, and are far better spent in devoting ourselves to good works, than in disputing over matters which are, at best, of minor importance. Incessant discussion of subjects of no practical value, do a world of mischief. Our churches suffer much from petty wars over abstruse points and unimportant questions. After everything has been said that can be said—neither party is any the wiser! Therefore, the discussion no more promotes knowledge, than love! It is foolish to sow in so barren a field.

Questions upon . . .
  points wherein Scripture is silent;
  mysteries which belong to God alone;
  prophecies of doubtful interpretation;
  modes of observing mere human ceremonies
—are all foolish! Wise men will avoid them! Our business is neither to ask nor answer foolish questions—but to avoid them altogether! If we observe the apostle's precept to be careful to devote ourselves to good works—we shall find ourselves far too much occupied with profitable business—to take much interest in unworthy, contentious, and needless strivings!

There are, however, some questions which are the reverse of foolish—which we must not avoid—but fairly and honestly answer, such as these: 
  Am I growing in grace and Christ-likeness?
  Does my life adorn the doctrine of my Savior?
  What more can I do for Jesus?
Such inquiries as these, urgently demand our attention!

If we have been at all given to arguing and disputing, let us now turn to a service so much more profitable. Let us endeavor to lead others, both by our precept and example, to "avoid foolish questions."

Song of Sighs-by Susannah Spurgeon -How she dealt with the death of her beloved husband Spurgeon

In Memoriam: A Song of Sighs

by Susannah Spurgeon 

If you know anyone who has lost a loved one lately, pass this on. Thanks 

I wrote this ten years ago, on my return from Mentone, that beautiful village on the sea-coast; when with one hand the Lord had smitten me well-near to death, while with the other hand He had poured into my wounded heart the oil and wine of His choicest consolation. It was a wonderful time to my soul, and He helped me to sing aloud of His faithfulness, and to bless His Name—though He had taken from me my husband—the joy and crown of my earthly life.

Because of this, because He had glorified Himself in my sorrow, and out of the inmost recesses of my heart had drawn forth this canticle of grief, the words went straight to other lonely hearts, and rested there like "the dew of Hermon." For a long time, I received constant testimony to the fact that, in a very remarkable way, God was using the experience He had given me, as a balm and cordial to heal and soothe others of His bereaved children; and none but myself can tell how precious was this knowledge to my aching heart. It seemed indeed worthwhile suffering and sorrowing, if God's love and pity turned it all into a sweet symphony of praise to Him, and enabled stricken ones to honor Him by a response of sweet submission and perfect truth.

So, to the glory of my dear Lord, whose grace was sufficient for me in my darkest and most distressful days, I have had my "Song of Sighs" reproduced; and my one earnest desire is that, as the Lord then gave it the approval of His blessing, so now he will not withhold the grace which alone call make it His voice of comfort to those who mourn.

How shall I sing the Lord's song in a strange land?

For I am brought into a strange, weary land of loneliness and sorrow. I am a captive to grief, and the light of my life has been suddenly quenched in darkness.

Yet there is a song to be sung.

Mercy has outrun misery. Divine love has pierced the gloom of an unspeakable sorrow with a ray of celestial glory.

The anguished cry of a stricken heart has been hushed by the sweet compassion of a comforting God! "Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!"

It is the Lord's song.

"He Himself has done it!" "The Lord gave—and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the Name of the Lord." Is our dear Master to hear only sobs and sighs, and see only tears and sorrow, when He asks for His own beloved ones back again, that they may be with Him, and behold His glory? Nay, truly. For all His will is love.

The harp may often hang on the willows, and some of its choicest strings may be snapped forever on earth; but faith's hand must reach it down, and love's skillful fingers will soon find some tender chords of thankfulness in which to repeat His praise.

He will help me to sing it.

All the weeks and months since the pearly gates opened that my beloved husband might pass into the excellent glory, there has been, (for his sake,) deep down in my heart, a low undertone of joy in God, like the singing of the pebbles on a beach when the tide comes rolling in.

I thank God for this. And now that the deep waters are somewhat assuaging, this hidden music ought to be more distinct and appreciable.

I have traveled far now on life's journey; and, having climbed one of the few remaining hills between earth and Heaven, I stand awhile on this vantage-ground, and look back across the country through which the Lord has led me.

A well-defined pathway is visible, but it appears devious and wandering; sometimes skirting a mountain-top, whence one could catch glimpses of "the land that is very far off"; and, further on, descending into a valley shadowed by clouds and darkness. At one time, it runs along amidst steep places, and overhanging rocks; at another time, it winds across an open plain, brilliant with the sunshine of goodness and mercy, and fanned by breezes which are wafted from the fields of Heaven.

There are flowers of joy and love growing all along the way, even in the dark places; and "trees which the Lord has planted," give shade and shelter from too great heat.

I can see two pilgrims treading this highway of life together, hand in hand—heart linked to heart. True, they have had rivers to ford, and mountains to cross, and fierce enemies to fight, and many dangers to go through; but their Guide was watchful, their Deliverer unfailing, and of them it might truly be said, "In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years."

Mostly, they went on their way singing; and for one of them, at least, there was no joy greater than to tell others of the grace and glory of the blessed King to whose land He was hastening. And when he thus spoke, the power of the Lord was seen, and the angels rejoiced over repenting sinners.

But, at last, they came to a place on the road where two ways met; and here, amidst the terrors of a storm such as they had never before encountered, they parted company—the one being caught up to the invisible glory—the other, battered and bruised by the awful tempest, henceforth toiling along the road—alone.

But the "goodness and mercy" which, for so many years, had followed the two travelers, did not leave the solitary one; rather did the tenderness of the Lord "lead on softly," and choose green pastures for the tired feet, and still waters for the solace and refreshment of His trembling child. He gave, moreover, into her hands a solemn charge—to help fellow-pilgrims along the road, filling her life with blessed interest, and healing her own deep sorrow by giving her power to relieve and comfort others.

"With Christ—which is far better!" Philippians 1:23.

Ever since the solemn midnight hour when God took to Himself my most precious treasure, "the desire of my eyes," my loving and dearly-beloved husband—the above inspired words have been a wellspring of solace and comfort to my desolate heart. In the first anguish of my grief, I wrote them on the "farewell" card, and the palm-branches, which waved over his dead body in token of everlasting victory, bore their grand message of consolation to the thousands of weeping mourners.

Now, as the days go by, and the sense of loss deepens, and is still more acutely realized, the blessed fact set forth by these words comes again with Divine power of healing to my sorrowing soul. It is because it is far better for him to be with Christ—that I can patiently and even cheerfully endure my lonely life. I can sometimes dwell with such joy on the thought of his eternal glory "with Christ," that I forget to sorrow over my own great and unspeakable loss.

A dear friend wrote thus to me, the other day—"Oh, when I think of him, as able to praise his Savior, and preach without fatigue or pain—no longer limping, or leaning on his staff—with no cough, no faintness—no swollen fingers or ankles—away from the fogs and mists; where no heresies distress his heart; when I think of him thus, my heart fairly leaps for joy!"

Yes, faith can truly exult in our beloved's glory.

After his translation, I had time and opportunity further to realize the consolation enfolded in my text, and to prove the comforting power of the assurance that, even though my precious husband had bidden adieu to the best that earth could give, his being "with Christ" was "far better."

In a lovely garden, I often wandered alone, where, but a few weeks previously, his sweet presence had heightened every charm, and doubled every delight. There, amid the olive-groves, and rose-covered terraces, the dear Master taught me His estimate of true affection by recalling to my mind His own words to His disciples, "If you loved Me, you would rejoice—because I go to the Father;" and thus He made me understand that the thought of my darling's everlasting bliss, must overcome and banish my own selfish grief and sorrow.

So, day after day, I roamed amid a profusion of nature's beauty, breathing the fragrance of her choicest flowers; with the deep blue sky above me, and the still deeper blue of the Mediterranean Sea, spread out like a sapphire lake below me; with the most charming view of mountains, valleys, and seashore, bathed in sunshine, and the distant towns on the coast glittering like golden cities in the clear light, and only the cry of a sea-bird, or the dash of the wavelets on the shore, to mark the rhythm of the ceaseless harmonies of earth, and sea, and sky. Yet, even here, and missing so sorely his tender interest and participation in all my joy, I was enabled to remember that this was but mere earthly beauty—all fleeting and perishable; and that, to be in the Glory-land, where "everlasting spring abides," and to be "with Christ," was "far better."

Sometimes, my thoughts would recall those glorious drives up the mountains, which we had so lately enjoyed together; when every turn in the road revealed some new beauty of prospect, and a perfect climax of delight was reached when, after long, steady climbing, the horses drew the carriage triumphantly into the "place" of the quaint mountain village or town where we were bound. Here, some eight or nine hundred feet above the level of the sea, the houses were crowded together among the rocks like swallows' nests, and the view before us was enchanting beyond description; and my beloved would, with childlike eagerness, turn to me, and say, "There, wifey, isn't that worth coming all the way to see?" Yes, truly; and if there had been nothing else to see than his exultant happiness at my long-desired presence with him, this would have well repaid any effort of love on my part.

But, good and precious as all that was—and, oh! how sweet is the memory now!—my heart understands that it was only a poor earthly joy—fading and shadowy; and again I have to say, "He is with Christ, which is far better!"

Mr. Hanbury's "marble halls" were full of all art-treasures and riches collected from many lands. Everything that the most perfect taste could desire was there in lavish abundance, and the rooms were filled with all the choice and precious things that earth and wealth could furnish. I made discoveries, every day, of something more rare and costly, or more beautiful than I had seen before; and my first impulse was to go and tell my husband about it, or bring him to share my pleasure and admiration.

But, alas! he was gone, and my heart would bleed afresh, and my grief awaken to a terrible intensity, until, in soft accents within my soul, the blessed Spirit would whisper, "He is with Christ—which is far better!"

Down by the sea-shore, with the clear blue waters kissing the shingle at my feet, and making even the stones to sing a constant song of joy, I used to sit and think of my beloved's eternal bliss, until I could almost join in the universal melody around me, though the tears were blinding my eyes, and my heart ached with an unspeakable grief. I could not see to the other side of the bright Mediterranean waters—the light was too dazzling, and my vision was bounded; but I knew that, beyond the horizon, there lay a beautiful summer-land, where the rigors of winter are unknown, and the icy winds of the North never blow.

Even so, I could not, with my bodily eyes, see to the other shore of that separating sea which my precious husband had so lately crossed; but faith knew that the Celestial City was there, and that he was even then walking the golden streets, rejoicing in the fullness of joy at God's right hand! Better, ay, far better, to be with Christ—than to be with me! With me remained tears, and grief, and pain, and sin; but there, God Himself had wiped all his tears away; and neither sorrow, nor sin, nor evil of any kind, could ever again hurt his gentle spirit, or vex his loving heart!

Many such ponderings were in my heart during those sad and sacred days; but the conclusion to them all was this—that there was no earthly bliss, no ravishing prospect, no precious ties of wedded love, no "best" that this world or its relationships could give, which was not silenced, and surpassed, and beyond measure outweighed—by the blessed fact that to be "with Christ was far better!"

Quotes

A.W. Tozer “ God is a being of supreme moral excellence, possessing in infinite perfection all the qualities that constitute holy character. He deserves and invites the unreserved confidence of every moral creature, including man. Any proper relation to Him must be by confidence, that is, by faith. Where there is no faith it is impossible to please God.”

Hebrews 1:1 “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

2 Corinthians 5:7 “For we live by faith, not by sight.”

A.W. Tozer “Outside of the will of God, there's nothing I want, and in the will of God there's nothing I fear”

Charles Spurgeon “Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength.”
 

Charles Spurgeon “We must expect great troubles before we shall attain to much faith.”

A.W. Tozer “Faith is simply the bringing of our minds into accord with the truth. It is adjusting our expectations to the promises of God in complete assurance that the God of the whole earth cannot lie… The believing man accepts a promise of God as a fact as solid as a mountain and vastly more enduring. His faith changes nothing except his own personal relation to the word of promise. God’s Word is true whether we believe it or not. Human unbelief cannot alter the character of God.”

Charles Spurgeon “The way in which most men get their faith increased is by great trouble. We do not grow strong in faith in sunshiny days. It is in stormy weather that faith grows stronger.”

Charles Spurgon “Saving faith is an immediate relation to Christ, accepting, receiving, resting upon Him alone, for justification, sanctification, and eternal life by virtue of God's grace.”

 A.W. Tozer "It will cost you everything to follow the Lord. And it will cost you even more to be His man for this hour."

Charles Spurgeon “Faith is not an attainment that drops like the gentle dew from heaven; it generally comes in the whirlwind and the storm. Look at the old oaks; how is it that they have become so deeply rooted in the earth? Ask the March winds, and they will tell you. It was not the April shower that did it, or the sweet May sunshine, but the rough wind shaking the tree to and fro, causing its roots to strike deeper and to take a firmer hold. And so must it be with us.”

A.W. Tozer “Hardly anything else reveals so well the fear and uncertainty among men as the length to which they will go to hide their true selves from each other and even from their own eyes.”

Charles Spurgeon  “The greatest enemy to human souls is the self-righteous spirit which makes men look to themselves for salvation.”
 

A.W. Tozer "God gets leftovers...We tend to give Him that which we don't need instead of giving Him that which we need."

Charles Spurgeon “Neglect of prayer: Live and die without prayer, and you will pray long enough when you get to hell.”

A.W. Tozer  "If we try to obey without faith, we get nowhere. If we try to have faith without obedience, it ends in nothing."

Charles Spurgeon “There is no more blessed way of living, than the life of faith based upon a covenant-keeping God - to know that we have no care, for He cares for us; that we need have no fear, except to fear Him; that we need have no troubles, because we have cast our burdens upon the Lord, and are conscience that He will sustain us.”

A.W. Tozer "What has the church gained if it is popular but there is no conviction, no repentance, no power?" 

Charles Spurgeon “Joy: The greatest joy of a Christian is to give joy to Christ.”

A.W. Tozer "The degree of blessing we enjoy will correspond directly with the completeness of God's victory over us."  

A.W. Tozer “A robust faith requires that we grasp this truth firmly, yet we know how seldom such a thought enters our minds. We habitually stand in our now and look back in faith to see our past filled with God. We look forward and see Him inhabiting our future; but our now is uninhabited except for ourselves. Thus we are guilty of a kind of temporary atheism which leave us alone in the universe, while for a time, God is not.”

Charles Spurgeon “God’s wrath: If there be a man before me who says that the wrath of God is too heavy a punishment for his little sin, I ask him, if the sin be little, why does he not give it up?”

Charles Spurgeon “Worship: All places are places of worship to a Christian. Wherever he is, he ought to be in a worshiping frame of mind”

A.W. Tozer "Many Christians are satisfied with their destination but they neglect the journey." 

A.W. Tozer “What our Lord taught was this: when we obey the words of Jesus, in faith and in love proving that we love Him, He shows Himself to us. There are two subjects acting here–we and He. When we obey His Word we prove that we love Him, and He shows Himself to us. Who is this He that I am talking about? Jesus Christ our Lord. There are, then, two divinely constituted means: faith–the right kind of faith, in our Lord Jesus Christ–and obedience to His Word. Jesus said, “Ye believe in God, believe also in me” (John 14:1 KJV). Faith in Jesus Christ, the right kind of faith, the only kind of faith that matters, is irrevocable, total commitment to the Person of Jesus Christ Himself. You cannot go back on it, and if it is total, there is nothing that is not included. Faith in Jesus is not gulping twice and saying, “I accept Jesus.” It is getting into a state where you have totally committed yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is irrevocable commitment to the Person of Jesus Christ.”

A.W. Tozer "Come to the Word with a spirit of longing with devotion and humble expectation. Be determined to know God." 

A.W. Tozer "Prophets never retired, so I'm not retiring except to put on new tires to go a little faster and farther."

Charles Spurgeon “Faith goes up the stairs that love has built and looks out the windows which hope has opened.”

Charles Spurgeon “Holiness: If your religion does not make you holy, it will damn you. It is simply painted pageantry to go to hell in.”

A.W. Tozer "Unselfish love does not exploit its object and it does not ask for anything in return." 

A.W. Tozer “To many Christians Christ is little more than and idea, or at best an ideal; He is not a fact. Millions of professed believers talk as if He were real and act as if He were not. And always our actual position is to be discovered by the way we act, not by the way we talk.”

A.W. Tozer
"Christ calls us to carry the Cross; churches call us to have fun in His name."

A.W. Tozer "Let God elevate you above all external [circumstances] so that you can find His heart and worship Him."

A.W. Tozer "When we are enjoying the conscious presence of God, we are fulfilling the tenets of our salvation."

A.W. Tozer  "How utterly terrible is the current idea that Christians can serve God at their own convenience."

A.W. Tozer "True and authentic Christianity is revealed by God; not discovered or conscripted by man."

A.W. Tozer "If all your faith depends upon a pastor’s preaching, then you are a long way from being where God wants you to be."

A.W. Tozer "Too often we are Christians by assumption, manipulation or instruction, rather than Christians by regeneration."  

A.W. Tozer "The inner life must overcome the flesh or the flesh will overcome and destroy the inner life."

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