26 February 2012

Wretched Impediments that Hinder One's Testimony

Your weekly dose of Spurgeon
posted by Phil Johnson

The PyroManiacs devote some space each weekend to highlights from The Spurgeon Archive. The following excerpt is from part 2 of Spurgeon's famous lecture series titled Sermons in Candles.





ee how precious material runs to waste if the light is not trimmed! There is a thief in the candle, and so it takes to guttering and running away, instead of fielding up its substance to be used for the light.

It is sad when a Christian man has some ill habit, or sinister aim. We have seen fine lives wasted through a love of wine. It never came to actual drunkenness, but it lowered the man and spoiled his influence. So is it with a hasty temper, or a proud manner, or a tendency to find fault. How many would be grandly useful but for some wretched impediment!

Worldliness runs away with many a man's energies; love of amusement makes great gutters in his time; or fondness for feasts and gilded society robs him of his space for service. With some, political heat runs away with the zeal which should have been spent upon religion, and in other cases sheer folly and extravagance cause a terrible waste of energy which belonged to the Lord.

You see there is fire, and there is light; but something extraneous and mischievous is at work, and it needs to be removed. If this is your case, you may well desire the Lord to snuff you, however painful the operation may be. Depend upon it, we have no life-force to spare, and everything which lessens our consecrated energy is a robbery of God.

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5 comments:

donsands said...

These words are quite true, and shall be as long as I walk in this age. Yet, I do take them to heart, and ask our Father to deal with my lusts and pride. And He is such a good Father, that He does deal with us; those who fear and love Him.
He deals with us, because we are in Christ, His only begotten Son, whom He loves beyond love itself. And since we are in Jesus, we are loved in like manner.

Thanks for the Pastor Charles' most exemplary words from our Lord's truth.

romans923 said...

Convicting.

Be encouraged and know that you have exposed many people to Charles Spurgeon who would not otherwise have read him, people like me.


Also, Olive Tree Bible Software has a free download of all of Spurgeon's sermons for the iphone. Neat to have it right there in the palm of my hand.

Darlene said...

This evening I gathered with brothers and sisters for Forgiveness Vespers. It is a sobering time to spend in the presence of our Holy God.

If I have wronged or foolishly offended anyone here I ask for your forgiveness.

O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despondency, lust for power, and idle talk.

But grant unto me, Thy servant, a spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love.

Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions, and not to judge my brothers and sisters. For blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. - Prayer of St. Ephrem

Doug said...

Not too many comments. I won't say much either accept to say that Charles struck a cord of conviction in me. Now to see if I do anything about it or just sear it.

Matt said...

I, am the chief among sinners.