posted by Phil Johnson
Since we were several days late with this week's Dose of Spurgeon, here's a bonus. This excerpt comes from a sermon titled "The Bible," from the first year of Spurgeon's ministry in London. It's an especially fitting reminder at the start of a new year. (HT: Todd Friel.)
f this be the Word of God, what will become of some of you who have not read it for the last month?"Month, sir! I have not read it for this year."
Ay, there are some of you who have not read it at all.
Most people treat the Bible very politely. They have a small pocket volume, neatly bound; they put a white pocket-handkerchief round it and carry it to their places of worship; when they get home, they lay it up in a drawer till next Sunday morning; then it comes out again for a little bit of a treat, and goes to chapel; that is all the poor Bible gets in the way of an airing.That is your style of entertaining this heavenly messenger. There is dust enough on some of your Bibles to write "damnation" with your fingers. There are some of you who have not turned over your Bibles for a long, long while, and what think you?
I tell you blunt words, but true words. What will God say at last? When you shall come before him, he shall say, "Did you read my Bible?"
"No."
"I wrote you a letter of mercy; did you read it?"
"No."
"Rebel! I have sent thee a letter inviting thee to me; didst thou ever read it?" "Lord, I never broke the seal; I kept it shut up." "Wretch!" says God, "then, thou deservest hell, if I sent thee a loving epistle, and thou wouldst not even break the seal; what shall I do unto thee?"
Oh, let it not be so with you. Be Bible-readers; be Bible-searchers.
6 comments:
"Wretch!" says God, "then, thou deservest hell..."
As do we all. Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ. Thanks that Bible reading, as essential as it is, is not a law, required to merit us salvation.
Reverential Bible reading is so rare these days, and I don't see it getting any better. The visual age and dumbing down of education have seen to that.
Thus, when I preach, I recognize that this may be the only Bible some people are going to get that week, so I approach the task with fear and trembling. That's why we must continue to hold up expository preaching! It is needed now more than ever. The laid back, afraid-of-inerrancy style of so many is short-changing the people. The "let's be pals" method is a train wreck for the church. As MacArthur is making clear over on Pulpit, standing up for Truth and fundamental doctrine is the essence of our task.
There is dust enough on some of your Bibles to write "damnation" with your fingers.
Whoa. (My pastor quotes that.)
Vintage Spurgeon. thanks.
i used to have a hard time finding time to read my bible. between my husband, 3 kids, and a home to take care of, it was a challange. However, every night the kids get a bedtime story, whatever they choose, so right after that I read a chapter outloud with them, and then I read mine in their room until they are asleep. I have read more of my bible over the past year this way then I have in the last 8 years. Thank God, I seem to understand it better now then 8 years ago also.
Great words. Would love to hear them in every pulpit this coming Sunday.
We need to eat the Word, or we will be weak and may even die.
"Taste and see that the Lord is good!"
This encourages us to be Bereans, if I read it correctly, and I know my teachers would say "Amen" to that.
Post a Comment