posted by Phil Johnson
The PyroManiacs devote some space each weekend to highlights from The Spurgeon Archive. The following excerpt is from "Repentance unto Life," one of Spurgeon's earliest sermons, preached on Sunday morning, 23 September 1855, at New Park Street Chapel, Southwark.
nother mistake many poor people make when they are thinking about salvation . . . is that they cannot repent enough; they imagine that were they to repent up to a certain degree, they would be saved."Oh, sir!" some of you will say, "I have not penitence enough."
Beloved, let me tell you that there is not any eminent degree of "repentance" which is necessary to salvation. You know there are degrees of faith, and yet the least faith saves; so there are degrees of repentance, and the least repentance will save the soul if it is sincere.
The Bible says, "He that believeth shall be saved," and when it says that, it includes the very smallest degree of faith. So when it says, "Repent and be saved," it includes the man who has the lowest degree of real repentance.
Repentance, moreover, is never perfect in any man in this mortal state. We never get perfect faith so as to be entirely free from doubting; and we never get repentance which is free from some hardness of heart. The most sincere penitent that you know will feel himself to be partially impenitent.
Repentance is also a continual life-long act. It will grow continually. I believe a Christian on his death-bed will more bitterly repent than ever he did before. It is a thing to be done all your life long. Sinning and repenting—sinning and repenting, make up a Christian's life. Repenting and believing in Jesus—repenting and believing in Jesus, make up the consummation of his happiness. You must not expect that you will be perfect in "repentance" before you are saved. No Christian can be perfect.
"Repentance" is a grace. Some people preach it as a condition of salvation. Condition of nonsense! There are no conditions of salvation. God gives the salvation himself; and he only gives it to those to whom he will. He says, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy." If, then, God has given you the least repentance, if it be sincere repentance, praise him for it, and expect that repentance will grow deeper and deeper as you go further on.
Then this remark I think, ought to be applied to all Christians. Christian men and women, you feel that you have not deep enough repentance. You feel that you have not faith large enough. What are you to do? Ask for an increase of faith, and it will grow. So with repentance.
16 comments:
Needed that. Needed that. Needed that. Needed that. Needed that. Needed that. Needed that. Needed that. Needed that. Needed that. Needed that. Needed that. Thank you very much for posting this.
"Repentance" is a grace. Some people preach it as a condition of salvation. Condition of nonsense! There are no conditions of salvation."-CH Spurgeon
Amen!
I do repent, and pray to our savior that he would forgive me, and help me, and yet at the same time I know all along I need his precious blood for this prayer I am praying, as well as the repentance i am repenting.
Praise our Savior and Lord for His Great, great grace! Amazing Grace that saved such a wretch as me, covers me with the truth of my Christ crying out on the Cross, "It is Finished!"
Thank You Jesus. I love You Lord.
fabulous. thanks!
What JD said. Really needed to read this today. This site is always such a blessing for those of us struggling to make Christ the center of our lives.
"Repentance is a life-long act. It will grow continually. I believe a Christian on his death-bed will more bitterly repent than ever he did before. It is a thing to be done all your life long."
Indeed! I would add that one who calls themselves a Christian and sees no need to repent should examine themselves to see whether they are holding to the faith. There cannot be such a thing as a Christian that does not repent.
"Repentance" is a grace. Some people preach it as condition of salvation. Condition of nonsense! There are no conditions of salvation.
This is where I part ways with Mr. Spurgeon. But that;s a discussion for a rainy day. Oh wait, it's raining outside right now. :-)
"This is where I part ways with Mr. Spurgeon."
Why is that? Since it's rainy.
Hello Don,
In a nutshell, I'm not a Calvinist. I am a synergist and not a monergist. I do not subscribe to Calvin's teaching on double-predestination, reprobation, and free will. So I don't believe that God arbitrarily chooses some and damns others.
I agree with Spurgeon that we as Christians must continually repent. But we repent from a willing heart and a will that is free. His grace is irresistible and I must daily cling to Christ and struggle against the temptations of the evil one because it is possible for me to turn away from Him and commit apostacy. I must co-operate with my Lord in "working out my salvation with fear and trembling."
I know the Calvinist arguments. I just don't concur with them.
groan
Who requested "Mandy" one more time?
Who requested "Mandy" one more time?
DJP, Barry Manilow himself! "Oh Mandy, well you came and you gave without takin.' But I sent you away, oh Mandy."
Thanks for the memory. Truly one of my favorite songs!
"I must co-operate with my Lord"
So you may end up being Judged by God in the future, and so suffer His wrath, but right now God is for you and loves you and forgives you?
Don,
Could you re-phrase that question? I have no idea how to answer it - it doesn't make sense to me. (not being sarcastic)
Thanks
Since you cooperate with God in your salvation, and God saves us from His wrath because of our sinful rebellion, then if you stop cooperating with Him, will you be judged, or condemned by God on the Last Day?
Don,
Your question is a complex question and contains within it an implicit argument. IOW, it is worded poorly and therefore I cannot respond to it. Just ask me one question, without conditions that you have asserted being imbeded in the question.
Perhaps this will help you. I do not think that God perseveres for me. There is a responsibility on my part that I must pick up my cross daily and follow Him. I CANNOT do it in my strength - it is by His grace that I am enabled to pick up my cross and follow Him. However, I am not forced to pick up that cross. I can refuse to listen to Christ and should I continue to ignore Him and refuse to be obedient, I will become like the dog that has returned to its vomit or the pig who has returned to the mud. I consider all those warnings in Scripture - such as "do not harden your hearts as they did in the rebellion" to be actual warnings to ME. I can harden my heart toward God. I have known Christians who have done this - my son being one of them. He now lives as an enemy of the cross of Christ. These Christians who have left the fold and gone after the world and the flesh are sobering examples to me -He who endures to the end will be saved.
I hope this explanation has helped.
"I have known Christians who have done this - my son being one of them. He now lives as an enemy of the cross of Christ."
So he is under God's wrath. And so you may end up being condemned by God as well, and you shall answer to his wrath.
It's not that confusing really.
But, I can say we disagree for sure.
God saved me by the blood of Christ, and He is saving me, and he has written my name in His book of life.
Nothing can change what god has done. What a Savior I have!
He also is setting me apart, or sanctifying me. He doesn't depend on me at all.
Yet i sure do depend on my Lord to work in me "to will and to do."
"My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!"
Yes, Don, we do disagree. As I said, I consider all those warnings in Scripture meant for ME.
Demas, who is in love with this present world, has deserted me.
Could be me.
For it would have been better for them to have never known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them...the dog turns back to his own vomit, and the sow is washed only to wallow in the mire.
This is a warning to me.
Take care, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we share in Christ if only we hold our first confidence to the end.
This is a warning to me. if only shows a condition there. to the end means exactly what its says.
If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned.
And yet another warning. ifshows a condition there.
You have probably discussed this issue with other Christians that do not hold to once-saved-always-saved and eternal security. Often times it almost becomes a pointless exercise as both sides use their arguments to convince the other one.
However, while I disagree with you, I will not presume to make judgments about your salvation. That is a matter better left in the hands of God, Who knows the hearts of all human beings.
One thing I'm sure we can agree upon: His mercies are new every morning. And so it is that I call upon Him, "Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner."
"One thing I'm sure we can agree upon: His mercies are new every morning. And so it is that I call upon Him, "Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner.""-Nonna
I agree to disagree. And yet, I am so glad I know that I know I am Christ's forever. And nothing can seperate me from the love of God, and unwash me from His precious cleansing blood.
Jesus' mercy is new every day for His redeemed, absolutely my friend Nonna.
The Lord gives mercy to whom He will, and He has compassion on whom He will. He also hardens whom He will.
"For the righteous falls seven times, and rises up again: but the wicked shall fall into calamity." Pr. 24:16
My Savior died for me, and He took all my sin, and He gave me His righteousness.
Christ saved me.
He saved all His chosen beloved children; who were children of wrath, but no longer are; which I was once a child of wrath.
"Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born of his Spirit, washed in his blood."
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