For the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life....Job 33:4 (NLT)....... †THE POWER OF PRAYER†

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Saturday, June 16, 2012

"And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish."



 "And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish."
—John 10:28.



HE Christian should never think or speak lightly of unbelief.

For a child of God to mistrust His love, His truth, His faithfulness, must be greatly displeasing to Him. How can we ever grieve Him by doubting His upholding grace? Christian! it is contrary to every promise of God's precious Word that thou shouldst ever be forgotten or left to perish. 

If it could be so, how could He be true who has said, "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I never forget thee." 

What were the value of that promise—"The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee." 

Where were the truth of Christ's words—"I give unto My sheep eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.

 My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand." Where were the doctrines of grace? They would be all disproved if one child of God should perish. 

Where were the veracity of God, His honour, His power, His grace, His covenant, His oath, if any of those for whom Christ has died, and who have put their trust in Him, should nevertheless be cast away? Banish those unbelieving fears which so dishonour God. 

Arise, shake thyself from the dust, and put on thy beautiful garments. 
Remember it is sinful to doubt His Word wherein He has promised thee that thou shalt never perish. 

Let the eternal life within thee express itself in confident rejoicing.


"The gospel bears my spirit up:
A faithful and unchanging God
Lays the foundation for my hope,
In oaths, and promises, and blood."

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ 
Reflection and inspiration from the "Prince of Preachers," 
 Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Copyright Statement, 
This resource was produced before 1923 and therefore 
is considered in the "Public Domain".
 ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
 The purpose of these pages is to share the precious word of God, without acquiring any monetary reward. God gave me the salvation for free, so I share the gospel of his word the same way ..( NO ADVERTISEMENTS ) ...

 ♥♥♥ Blessings to all of You,
 rejoice in the sublime and infallible word of God ♥♥♥ 

 PRAYER
 Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and those that I care deeply for, 
who are reading this right now. Show them a new revelation of Your love and power. 
Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. 
 Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy..
 Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence through Your grace. 
Where there is need, I ask you to fulfill their needs.
 Bless their homes, families, finances, their goings and their comings. 
 Amen.

 "HAVE A BLESSED DAY FULL OF PEACE, LOVE AND HAPPINESS" 

 You can see only one post at the time, please go to the bottom and look for the "Blog Archive", there is many more, sometimes I do many during the day as the time permits. 
 DO YOU ENJOY THIS BLOG ? ..
 If you like to visit my other blogs, please click at the link and If not clickable, please copy and paste the address to your browser, Thanks...
 ENGLISH: 
SPANISH: 

 TRANSLATORS ARE AVAILABLE TO ANY LANGUAGE.. 
TRADUCTORES AL ESPAÑOL O CUALQUIER OTRO LENGUAJE... 

 Don't forget to spread The Word of GOD by sharing today's passage with friends... 
Please share with your family and friends using small envelope (E-mail) next to a pencil, under my name at the bottom of post, or using the share link.. 

 Copyright Policy: 
We respect copyright laws and are committed to remove any copyright infringing material from our website. If you find any content on our website which infringes your copyrighted work, please contact us, we’ll be happy to verify and remove such content. Please do provide us the following details: 1) Your name, E-mail Address. 2) Location (URLs) of your copyrighted work on your website. 3) Location (URLs) of your copyrighted work on our website. Some of images taken from Flickr under Creative Commons License. 
Blog created February 15, 2010 ...

Friday, June 15, 2012

And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh


"And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me."—Genesis 21:6.


T was far above the power of nature, and even contrary to its laws, that the aged Sarah should be honoured with a son; and even so it is beyond all ordinary rules that I, a poor, helpless, undone sinner, should find grace to bear about in my soul the indwelling Spirit of the Lord Jesus.

I, who once despaired, as well I might, for my nature was as dry, and withered, and barren, and accursed as a howling wilderness, even I have been made to bring forth fruit unto holiness. Well may my mouth be filled with joyous laughter, because of the singular, surprising grace which I have received of the Lord, for I have found Jesus, the promised seed, and He is mine for ever.

This day will I lift up psalms of triumph unto the Lord who has remembered my low estate, for "my heart rejoiceth in the Lord; mine horn is exalted in the Lord; my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies, because I rejoice in Thy salvation."

I would have all those that hear of my great deliverance from hell, and my most blessed visitation from on high, laugh for joy with me. I would surprise my family with my abundant peace; I would delight my friends with my ever-increasing happiness; I would edify the Church with my grateful confessions; and even impress the world with the cheerfulness of my daily conversation.

 Bunyan tells us that Mercy laughed in her sleep, and no wonder when she dreamed of Jesus; my joy shall not stop short of hers while my Beloved is the theme of my daily thoughts. The Lord Jesus is a deep sea of joy: my soul shall dive therein, shall be swallowed up in the delights of His society.

Sarah looked on her Isaac, and laughed with excess of rapture, and all her friends laughed with her; and thou, my soul, look on thy Jesus, and bid heaven and earth unite in thy joy unspeakable.


♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ 
Reflection and inspiration from the "Prince of Preachers," 
 Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Copyright Statement, 
This resource was produced before 1923 and therefore 
is considered in the "Public Domain".
 ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
 The purpose of these pages is to share the precious word of God, without acquiring any monetary reward. God gave me the salvation for free, so I share the gospel of his word the same way ..( NO ADVERTISEMENTS ) ...

 ♥♥♥ Blessings to all of You,
 rejoice in the sublime and infallible word of God ♥♥♥ 

 PRAYER
 Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and those that I care deeply for, 
who are reading this right now. Show them a new revelation of Your love and power. 
Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. 
 Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy..
 Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence through Your grace. 
Where there is need, I ask you to fulfill their needs.
 Bless their homes, families, finances, their goings and their comings. 
 Amen.

 "HAVE A BLESSED DAY FULL OF PEACE, LOVE AND HAPPINESS" 

 You can see only one post at the time, please go to the bottom and look for the "Blog Archive", there is many more, sometimes I do many during the day as the time permits. 
 DO YOU ENJOY THIS BLOG ? ..
 If you like to visit my other blogs, please click at the link and If not clickable, please copy and paste the address to your browser, Thanks...
 ENGLISH: 
SPANISH: 

 TRANSLATORS ARE AVAILABLE TO ANY LANGUAGE.. 
TRADUCTORES AL ESPAÑOL O CUALQUIER OTRO LENGUAJE... 

 Don't forget to spread The Word of GOD by sharing today's passage with friends... 
Please share with your family and friends using small envelope (E-mail) next to a pencil, under my name at the bottom of post, or using the share link.. 

 Copyright Policy: 
We respect copyright laws and are committed to remove any copyright infringing material from our website. If you find any content on our website which infringes your copyrighted work, please contact us, we’ll be happy to verify and remove such content. Please do provide us the following details: 1) Your name, E-mail Address. 2) Location (URLs) of your copyrighted work on your website. 3) Location (URLs) of your copyrighted work on our website. Some of images taken from Flickr under Creative Commons License. 
Blog created February 15, 2010 ...

Thursday, June 14, 2012

"Delight thyself also in the Lord."



"Delight thyself also in the Lord."—Psalm 37:4.


HE teaching of these words must seem very surprising to those who are strangers to vital godliness, but to the sincere believer it is only the inculcation of a recognized truth.

 The life of the believer is here described as a delight in God, and we are thus certified of the great fact that true religion overflows with happiness and joy.

Ungodly persons and mere professors never look upon religion as a joyful thing; to them it is service, duty, or necessity, but never pleasure or delight. If they attend to religion at all, it is either that they may gain thereby, or else because they dare not do otherwise.

The thought of delight in religion is so strange to most men, that no two words in their language stand further apart than "holiness" and "delight." But believers who know Christ, understand that delight and faith are so blessedly united, that the gates of hell cannot prevail to separate them.

They who love God with all their hearts, find that His ways are ways of pleasantness, and all His paths are peace. Such joys, such brimful delights, such overflowing blessednesses, do the saints discover in their Lord, that so far from serving Him from custom, they would follow Him though all the world cast out His name as evil.

We fear not God because of any compulsion; our faith is no fetter, our profession is no bondage, we are not dragged to holiness, nor driven to duty. No, our piety is our pleasure, our hope is our happiness, our duty is our delight.

Delight and true religion are as allied as root and flower; as indivisible as truth and certainty; they are, in fact, two precious jewels glittering side by side in a setting of gold.



"'Tis when we taste Thy love,
Our joys divinely grow,
Unspeakable like those above,
And heaven begins below."


♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ 
Reflection and inspiration from the "Prince of Preachers," 
 Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Copyright Statement, 
This resource was produced before 1923 and therefore 
is considered in the "Public Domain".
 ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
 The purpose of these pages is to share the precious word of God, without acquiring any monetary reward. God gave me the salvation for free, so I share the gospel of his word the same way ..( NO ADVERTISEMENTS ) ...

 ♥♥♥ Blessings to all of You,
 rejoice in the sublime and infallible word of God ♥♥♥ 

 PRAYER
 Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and those that I care deeply for, 
who are reading this right now. Show them a new revelation of Your love and power. 
Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. 
 Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy..
 Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence through Your grace. 
Where there is need, I ask you to fulfill their needs.
 Bless their homes, families, finances, their goings and their comings. 
 Amen.

 "HAVE A BLESSED DAY FULL OF PEACE, LOVE AND HAPPINESS" 

 You can see only one post at the time, please go to the bottom and look for the "Blog Archive", there is many more, sometimes I do many during the day as the time permits. 
 DO YOU ENJOY THIS BLOG ? ..
 If you like to visit my other blogs, please click at the link and If not clickable, please copy and paste the address to your browser, Thanks...
 ENGLISH: 
SPANISH: 

 TRANSLATORS ARE AVAILABLE TO ANY LANGUAGE.. 
TRADUCTORES AL ESPAÑOL O CUALQUIER OTRO LENGUAJE... 

 Don't forget to spread The Word of GOD by sharing today's passage with friends... 
Please share with your family and friends using small envelope (E-mail) next to a pencil, under my name at the bottom of post, or using the share link.. 

 Copyright Policy: 
We respect copyright laws and are committed to remove any copyright infringing material from our website. If you find any content on our website which infringes your copyrighted work, please contact us, we’ll be happy to verify and remove such content. Please do provide us the following details: 1) Your name, E-mail Address. 2) Location (URLs) of your copyrighted work on your website. 3) Location (URLs) of your copyrighted work on our website. Some of images taken from Flickr under Creative Commons License. 
Blog created February 15, 2010 ...

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

"Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."



"Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."—Revelation 22:17.


ESUS says, "take freely." He wants no payment or preparation. He seeks no recommendation from our virtuous emotions.

If you have no good feelings, if you be but willing, you are invited; therefore come!
You have no belief and no repentance,—come to Him, and He will give them to you.
Come just as you are, and take "Freely," without money and without price.

He gives Himself to needy ones.
The drinking fountains at the corners of our streets are valuable institutions; and we can hardly imagine any one so foolish as to feel for his purse, when he stands before one of them, and to cry, "I cannot drink because I have not five pounds in my pocket."

However poor the man is, there is the fountain, and just as he is he may drink of it.
Thirsty passengers, as they go by, whether they are dressed in fustian or in broadcloth, do not look for any warrant for drinking; its being there is their warrant for taking its water freely.

The liberality of some good friends has put the refreshing crystal there and we take it, and ask no questions. Perhaps the only persons who need go thirsty through the street where there is a drinking fountain, are the fine ladies and gentlemen who are in their carriages.

They are very thirsty, but cannot think of being so vulgar as to get out to drink.
 It would demean them, they think, to drink at a common drinking fountain: so they ride by with parched lips. Oh, how many there are who are rich in their own good works and cannot therefore come to Christ! "I will not be saved," they say, "in the same way as the harlot or the swearer."

What! go to heaven in the same way as a chimney sweep.
 Is there no pathway to glory but the path which led the thief there? I will not be saved that way.
Such proud boasters must remain without the living water; but,
"WHOSOEVER WILL, LET HIM TAKE THE WATER OF LIFE FREELY."

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ 
Reflection and inspiration from the "Prince of Preachers," 
 Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Copyright Statement, 
This resource was produced before 1923 and therefore 
is considered in the "Public Domain".
 ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
 The purpose of these pages is to share the precious word of God, without acquiring any monetary reward. God gave me the salvation for free, so I share the gospel of his word the same way ..( NO ADVERTISEMENTS ) ...

 ♥♥♥ Blessings to all of You,
 rejoice in the sublime and infallible word of God ♥♥♥ 

 PRAYER
 Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and those that I care deeply for, 
who are reading this right now. Show them a new revelation of Your love and power. 
Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. 
 Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy..
 Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence through Your grace. 
Where there is need, I ask you to fulfill their needs.
 Bless their homes, families, finances, their goings and their comings. 
 Amen.

 "HAVE A BLESSED DAY FULL OF PEACE, LOVE AND HAPPINESS" 

 You can see only one post at the time, please go to the bottom and look for the "Blog Archive", there is many more, sometimes I do many during the day as the time permits. 
 DO YOU ENJOY THIS BLOG ? ..
 If you like to visit my other blogs, please click at the link and If not clickable, please copy and paste the address to your browser, Thanks...
 ENGLISH: 
SPANISH: 

 TRANSLATORS ARE AVAILABLE TO ANY LANGUAGE.. 
TRADUCTORES AL ESPAÑOL O CUALQUIER OTRO LENGUAJE... 

 Don't forget to spread The Word of GOD by sharing today's passage with friends... 
Please share with your family and friends using small envelope (E-mail) next to a pencil, under my name at the bottom of post, or using the share link.. 

 Copyright Policy: 
We respect copyright laws and are committed to remove any copyright infringing material from our website. If you find any content on our website which infringes your copyrighted work, please contact us, we’ll be happy to verify and remove such content. Please do provide us the following details: 1) Your name, E-mail Address. 2) Location (URLs) of your copyrighted work on your website. 3) Location (URLs) of your copyrighted work on our website. Some of images taken from Flickr under Creative Commons License. 
Blog created February 15, 2010 ...

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

"Thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting."





"Thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting."
—Daniel 5:27.


T is well frequently to weigh ourselves in the scale of God's Word.

You will find it a holy exercise to read some psalm of David, and, as you meditate upon each verse, to ask yourself, "Can I say this? Have I felt as David felt? Has my heart ever been broken on account of sin, as his was when he penned his penitential psalms? 

Has my soul been full of true confidence in the hour of difficulty as his was when he sang of God's mercies in the cave of Adullam, or in the holds of Engedi? Do I take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord?" Then turn to the life of Christ, and as you read, ask yourselves how far you are conformed to His likeness.

 Endeavour to discover whether you have the meekness, the humility, the lovely spirit which He constantly inculcated and displayed. Take, then, the epistles, and see whether you can go with the apostle in what he said of his experience. 

Have you ever cried out as he did—"O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death"? Have you ever felt his self-abasement? Have you seemed to yourself the chief of sinners, and less than the least of all saints? Have you known anything of his devotion? Could you join with him and say, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain"? 

If we thus read God's Word as a test of our spiritual condition, we shall have good reason to stop many a time and say, "Lord, I feel I have never yet been here, O bring me here! give me true penitence, such as this I read of.

 Give me real faith; give me warmer zeal; inflame me with more fervent love; grant me the grace of meekness; make me more like Jesus.

 Let me no longer be 'found wanting,' when weighed in the balances of the sanctuary, lest I be found wanting in the scales of judgment." 
"Judge yourselves that ye be not judged."

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ 
Reflection and inspiration from the "Prince of Preachers," 
 Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Copyright Statement, 
This resource was produced before 1923 and therefore 
is considered in the "Public Domain".
 ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
 The purpose of these pages is to share the precious word of God, without acquiring any monetary reward. God gave me the salvation for free, so I share the gospel of his word the same way ..( NO ADVERTISEMENTS ) ...

 ♥♥♥ Blessings to all of You,
 rejoice in the sublime and infallible word of God ♥♥♥ 

 PRAYER
 Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and those that I care deeply for, 
who are reading this right now. Show them a new revelation of Your love and power. 
Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. 
 Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy..
 Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence through Your grace. 
Where there is need, I ask you to fulfill their needs.
 Bless their homes, families, finances, their goings and their comings. 
 Amen.

 "HAVE A BLESSED DAY FULL OF PEACE, LOVE AND HAPPINESS" 

 You can see only one post at the time, please go to the bottom and look for the "Blog Archive", there is many more, sometimes I do many during the day as the time permits. 
 DO YOU ENJOY THIS BLOG ? ..
 If you like to visit my other blogs, please click at the link and If not clickable, please copy and paste the address to your browser, Thanks...
 ENGLISH: 
SPANISH: 

 TRANSLATORS ARE AVAILABLE TO ANY LANGUAGE.. 
TRADUCTORES AL ESPAÑOL O CUALQUIER OTRO LENGUAJE... 

 Don't forget to spread The Word of GOD by sharing today's passage with friends... 
Please share with your family and friends using small envelope (E-mail) next to a pencil, under my name at the bottom of post, or using the share link.. 

 Copyright Policy: 
We respect copyright laws and are committed to remove any copyright infringing material from our website. If you find any content on our website which infringes your copyrighted work, please contact us, we’ll be happy to verify and remove such content. Please do provide us the following details: 1) Your name, E-mail Address. 2) Location (URLs) of your copyrighted work on your website. 3) Location (URLs) of your copyrighted work on our website. Some of images taken from Flickr under Creative Commons License. 
Blog created February 15, 2010 ...

Monday, June 11, 2012

"We love Him because He first loved us."


"We love Him because He first loved us."
—1 John 4:19.


HERE is no light in the planet but that which proceedeth from the sun; and there is no true love to Jesus in the heart but that which cometh from the Lord Jesus himself.

From this overflowing fountain of the infinite love of God, all our love to God must spring. This must ever be a great and certain truth, that we love Him for no other reason than because He first loved us.

Our love to Him is the fair offspring of His love to us.
Cold admiration, when studying the works of God, anyone may have, but the warmth of love can only be kindled in the heart by God's Spirit.

How great the wonder that such as we should ever have been brought to love Jesus at all! How marvellous that when we had rebelled against Him, He should, by a display of such amazing love, seek to draw us back. No! never should we have had a grain of love towards God unless it had been sown in us by the sweet seed of His love to us.

Love, then, has for its parent the love of God shed abroad in the heart: but after it is thus divinely born, it must be divinely nourished. Love is an exotic; it is not a plant which will flourish naturally in human soil, it must be watered from above.

 Love to Jesus is a flower of a delicate nature, and if it received no nourishment but that which could be drawn from the rock of our hearts it would soon wither. As love comes from heaven, so it must feed on heavenly bread. It cannot exist in the wilderness unless it be fed by manna from on high.

Love must feed on love. The very soul and life of our love to God is His love to us.


"I love thee, Lord, but with no love of mine,
For I have none to give;
I love thee, Lord; but all the love is thine,
For by thy love I live.
I am as nothing, and rejoice to be
Emptied, and lost, and swallowed up in thee."


♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ 
Reflection and inspiration from the "Prince of Preachers," 
 Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Copyright Statement, 
This resource was produced before 1923 and therefore 
is considered in the "Public Domain".
 ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
 The purpose of these pages is to share the precious word of God, without acquiring any monetary reward. God gave me the salvation for free, so I share the gospel of his word the same way ..( NO ADVERTISEMENTS ) ...

 ♥♥♥ Blessings to all of You,
 rejoice in the sublime and infallible word of God ♥♥♥ 

 PRAYER
 Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and those that I care deeply for, 
who are reading this right now. Show them a new revelation of Your love and power. 
Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. 
 Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy..
 Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence through Your grace. 
Where there is need, I ask you to fulfill their needs.
 Bless their homes, families, finances, their goings and their comings. 
 Amen.

 "HAVE A BLESSED DAY FULL OF PEACE, LOVE AND HAPPINESS" 

 You can see only one post at the time, please go to the bottom and look for the "Blog Archive", there is many more, sometimes I do many during the day as the time permits. 
 DO YOU ENJOY THIS BLOG ? ..
 If you like to visit my other blogs, please click at the link and If not clickable, please copy and paste the address to your browser, Thanks...
 ENGLISH: 
SPANISH: 

 TRANSLATORS ARE AVAILABLE TO ANY LANGUAGE.. 
TRADUCTORES AL ESPAÑOL O CUALQUIER OTRO LENGUAJE... 

 Don't forget to spread The Word of GOD by sharing today's passage with friends... 
Please share with your family and friends using small envelope (E-mail) next to a pencil, under my name at the bottom of post, or using the share link.. 

 Copyright Policy: 
We respect copyright laws and are committed to remove any copyright infringing material from our website. If you find any content on our website which infringes your copyrighted work, please contact us, we’ll be happy to verify and remove such content. Please do provide us the following details: 1) Your name, E-mail Address. 2) Location (URLs) of your copyrighted work on your website. 3) Location (URLs) of your copyrighted work on our website. Some of images taken from Flickr under Creative Commons License. 
Blog created February 15, 2010 ...

The Christian Race !!!



The Christian Race

by J. C. Ryle
 


"Therefore let us also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Hebrews 12:1-2



Beloved, I have lately spoken to you much about the character and experience of true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, the men who are sowing for everlasting life.

Before, however, we continue this inquiry, I wish to warn you against forgetting the sure foundation; I wish to caution you most strongly against losing sight of the root of the whole matter—a simple faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. You must not stumble at the outset by supposing I want you to set up a righteousness of your own.

 Some think their own endeavors after holiness are to make up their title to salvation; some think that when they come to Christ, their 'past sins' alone are forgiven, and for the time to come, they must depend upon themselves. 

Alas! there always have been mistakes upon this point: men toil and labor after peace with God as if their own exertions would give them a right to lay hold on Christ, and when they find themselves far short of the Bible standard they mourn and grieve and will not be comforted; and all because they will not see that in the matter of forgiveness, in the matter of justification in the sight of God, it is not doing which is required—but believing; it is not working—but trusting; it is not perfect obedience—but humble faith.

Now, once for all, let us understand, that all who have really fled for mercy to the Lord Jesus Christ are, as Paul assures the Colossians, complete in Him! In themselves they may be poor shortcoming sinners—but seeing they have laid hold on Christ, God looks upon them as complete—completely pardoned, completely righteous, completely pure—no jot or tittle of condemnation can be laid to their charge.

They have nothing more to do with the law as a covenant of works, as a condition they must fulfill or die: the Lord does not say, "Be perfect and then you shall live," but "Christ has given you life, and for His sake strive to be perfect." But you will ask me, "Why do they hunger and thirst so much after holiness, since all their debt has been paid?" I answer, They work for love's sake—for gratitude; they do not work and strive after holiness in order that they may be forgiven—but because they are forgiven already, chosen and sealed and saved and redeemed and bought with a price, and they cannot help desiring to glorify Him with their bodies and spirits—who loved them and gave Himself for them. They thirst after holiness because their Father loves holiness; they thirst after purity because their Master loves purity; they strive to be like Jesus because they hope to be one day forever with Him.

But seeing they have many a difficulty in doing the things that they desire, and are continually warring with the world, the flesh, and the devil, and sometimes are so ready to faint that they doubt whether they really are of Christ's family or not—seeing these things are so, I have tried to give you a faint outline of their experience on recent occasions, and I purpose this afternoon to lay before you, the advice which the apostle gives them in my text.

Now, I say that the text contains five points

I. We have all a race to run.

II. Many have gone before us.

III. We must lay aside every weight.

IV. We must run with patience.

V. We must be continually looking unto Jesus.

The Lord pour down His Spirit upon each of you, and bow the hearts of all here present, as the heart of one man, that you may seek the Lord while there is yet time, and set your faces towards Jerusalem, and not die the death of the faithless and unbelieving.


I. We have all a race to run. By this you are not to understand that our own arm and our own strength can ever open for us the gates of everlasting life, and win us a place in heaven. Far from it: that is all of grace—it is another question. It simply means that all who take up the cross and follow Christ must make up their minds to meet with many a difficulty, they must calculate on labor and toil and trouble, they have a mighty work to do, and there is need for all their attention and energy. 

Without there will be fightings, within there will be fears; there will be snares to be avoided, and temptations to be resisted; there will be your own treacherous hearts, often cold and dead and dry and dull; there will be friends who will give you unscriptural advice, and relations who will even war against your soul. In short, there will be stumbling-blocks on every side, there will be occasion for all your diligence and watchfulness and godly jealousy and prayer—you will soon find that to be a real Christian is no light matter.

Oh what a condemnation there is here for all those easy-going people who seem to think they may pass their time as they please, and yet be numbered with the saints in glory everlasting! Are those who show less earnestness about their souls than about their earthly amusements, and those who have much to tell you about this world's business but nothing about heaven, and those who think nothing of neglecting the commonest helps towards Zion, and count it much to give religion a few Sunday thoughts—are these men running the Christian race, and straining every nerve after the prize? I leave the answer with yourselves: judge what I say!

And those who profess to have entered the course, and yet find time to rest by the wayside and trifle with temptation, and find fault with the anxiety of others—and those who stop to take breath and boast of their attainments, and look behind them—are such running the race set before them as if it was a matter of life and death? Oh no! They may get the name of Christians—but they are not so running that they shall obtain.

But those who are taught and called of God may soon be distinguished from the sleeping children of this world. These have no leisure for vain amusements; their eyes are fixed and their thoughts are engaged upon the narrow path they have to tread, and the crown they hope to receive. They have counted the cost, and come out from the world; and their only wish is that they may finish their course with joy.


II. The second thing you may learn from the text is this: Many have gone before us. "We are encompassed with a great cloud of witnesses." The witnesses here spoken of are those patriarchs and prophets who are mentioned in the eleventh chapter, and the apostle calls upon us to remember them and their troubles and take courage. Are we frail earthen vessels? so were they.

 Are we weak and encompassed with infirmities? so were they. Are we exposed to temptation and burdened with this body of corruption? so were they. Are we afflicted? so were they. Are we alone in our generation, the scorn of all our neighbors? so were they. Have we trials of cruel mockings? so had they. What can we possibly be called upon to suffer which they have not endured? What consolations did they receive which we may not enjoy?

You may talk of your cares and business and families—but their portion was just like yours; they were men of like passions; they did not neglect business, and yet they gave their hearts to God. They show the race can always be run by those who have the will. Yes, they were all flesh and blood like ourselves, and yet by grace they became new creatures; and so by faith they "obtained a good report;" by faith they confessed themselves strangers and pilgrims on the earth; through faith they "quenched the raging of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength after being weak, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight. 

Some men were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection, and others experienced mockings and scourgings, as well as bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, and mistreated. They wandered in deserts, mountains, caves, and holes in the ground."

But grace exceedingly abounded, and all fought a good fight and finished their course and kept the faith, and to God Almighty every one of them appeared in Zion. Take courage, fainting Christians: you are encompassed with a great cloud of witnesses! The race that you are running has been run by millions before; you think that no one ever had such trials as yourself—but every step that you are journeying has been safely trod by others; the valley of the shadow of death has been securely passed by a multitude of trembling, doubting ones like yourself. 

They had their fears and anxieties, like you—but they were not cast away. The world, the flesh and the devil can never overwhelm the weakest woman who will set her face towards God. These millions journeyed on in bitterness and tears like your own, and yet not one perished—they all reached their eternal home.


III. The third point to be considered is the apostle's advice, to "lay aside every weight." By this he means that we must give up everything which is really hurtful to our souls. We must act like men who throw off all their long and flowing garments, as an encumbrance, when about to enter a race. We must cast away everything which hinders us upon our road towards heaven—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life; the love of riches, pleasures, and honors, the spirit of lukewarmness and carelessness and indifference about the things of God—all must be rooted out and forsaken if we are anxious for the prize. 

We must mortify the deeds of the body, we must crucify our affections for this world. We must look well to our habits and inclinations and employments, and if we find anything coming in as a stumbling-block between ourselves and salvation, we must be ready to lay it aside as if it were a millstone about our necks, although it cost us as much pain as cutting off a hand or plucking out a right eye. Away with everything which keeps us back; our feet are slow at the very best, we have a long course to run, we cannot afford to carry weight, if we are really contending for everlasting life.

But above all we must take heed that we lay aside the sin which does most easily beset us, the sin which from our age—or habit—or taste—or disposition—or feelings, possesses the greatest power over us. 

I know of two which are always at our elbows, two sins which try the most advanced Christians even to the end, and these are pride and unbelief. Pride in our own difference from others, pride in our reputation as Christians, pride in our spiritual attainments. Unbelief about our own sinfulness, unbelief about God's wisdom, unbelief about God's mercy. Oh, they are heavy burdens, and sorely do they keep us back, and few really know they are carrying them, and few indeed are those who will not discover them at the very bottom of the chamber of their hearts, waiting an opportunity to come out.

But there are particular besetting sins, of which each separate Christian can alone furnish an account; each single one of us has some weak point, each one has got a thin, weak spot in his wall of defense against the devil, each one has a traitor in his camp ready to open the gates to Satan, and he who is wise will never rest until he has discovered where this weak point is. 

This is that special sin which you are here exhorted to watch against, to overcome, to cast forth, to spare no means in bringing it into subjection—that it may not entangle you in your race towards Zion. One man is beset with lust, another with a love of drinking, another with evil temper, another with malice, another with covetousness, another with worldly-mindedness, another with idleness—but each of us has got about him some besetting infirmity, which is able to hinder him far more than others, and with which he must keep an unceasing warfare—or else he will never so run as to obtain the prize.

Oh these bitter besetting sins! How many have fallen in their full course, and given occasion to God's enemies to blaspheme, from thinking lightly of them, from not continually guarding against them, from a vain notion that they were altogether cut off! They have been over-confident and presumptuous. They have said "We are the temple of the Lord, and we cannot greatly stumble," and they have forgotten that hidden root, that branch of the old Adam; and so day after day, little by little, shoot after shoot, it grew, it strengthened, it filled their heart, it blighted their few graces; and suddenly, without time to think, they have slipped and fallen headlong in the race, and now they are hurrying down stream amidst that miserable party, the backsliders, and who can tell what their end may be?

But what was the simple cause? They disregarded some besetting sin. Go, child of God, and search the chambers of your heart! See whether you can find there some seed of evil, some darling thing which you have tenderly spared hitherto, because it was a little one. Away with it! There must be no mercy, no compromise, no reserve! It must be laid aside, plucked up, torn up by the roots—or it will one day trip you up, and prevent you running your race towards Zion. The gates of heaven are broad enough to receive the worst of sinners—but too narrow to admit the smallest grain of unforsaken sin!


IV. The fourth point to be noticed in the text is the frame of mind in which we are to run: "let us run with patience." I take this patience to mean that meek, contented spirit, which is the child of real living faith, which flows from a confidence that all things are working together for our good. 

Oh, it is a most necessary and useful grace! There are so many crosses to be borne when we have entered the course, so many disappointments and trials and fatigues, that, except we are enabled to possess our souls in patience, we shall never persevere unto the end. But we must not turn back to Egypt, because some bring up an evil report of the promised land; we must not faint because the journey is long and the way lies through a wilderness, we must press forward without flagging, not murmuring when we are chastened—but saying, with Eli, "It is the Lord: let Him do that which seems good to Him."

Look at Moses, in Hebrews 11: "When he was come to years, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward; he endured as seeing Him who is invisible."

Look at Job, when God permitted Satan to afflict him: "Naked," he says, "I came out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there: the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." "What? shall we receive good from the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?"

Look at David, the man after God's own heart. How many waves of trouble passed over that honored head; how many years he fled from the hand of Saul, how much tribulation did he suffer from his own family; and hear what he says when he is fleeing from his own son Absalom, and a certain Benjamite came forth and cursed him. "Behold, my son seeks my life: how much more may this Benjamite do it? Let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord has bidden him. It may be that the Lord will look on my affliction, and that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day." Mark too, as you read his Psalms, how often you come on that expression, "waiting upon God": it seems as if he thought it the highest grace a Christian can attain to.

Look lastly at your blessed Lord Himself. Peter says, "He left us an example, that we should walk in His steps: who did no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth: who when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not—but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously." Paul says: "For consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds. You have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks unto you as unto children—My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked of Him: for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives."

O yes, beloved, we must run with patience—or we shall never obtain. There may be many things we cannot understand, much that the flesh could perhaps wish otherwise—but let us endure unto the end, and all shall be made clear, and God's arrangements shall be proved best. Think not to have your reward on earth, do not draw back because your good things are all yet to come. Today is the cross—but tomorrow is the crown. Today is the labor—but tomorrow is the wages. Today is the sowing—but tomorrow is the harvest. Today is the battle—but tomorrow is the rest. Today is the weeping—but tomorrow is the joy. And what is today compared to tomorrow? Today is but threescore years and ten—but tomorrow is eternity. Be patient and hope unto the end.


V. The last point is the most important in the text. It is the object on which our eyes are to be fixed. We are to run our race "looking unto Jesus." We are to run, depending on Him for salvation, renouncing all trust in our own poor frail exertions, and counting our own performances no better than filthy rags, and resting wholly and entirely, simply and completely, upon that perfect righteousness which He worked out for us upon the cross. We need not run uncertain of the end, we need not fight in ignorance of what shall follow. We have only to behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and believe that He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, and will soon present us spotless and unblameable in His Father's sight.

And then we are to run, making Jesus our Example, taking no lower pattern than the Son of God Himself, endeavoring to copy His meekness, His humility, His love, His zeal for souls, His self-denial, His purity, His faith, His patience, His prayerfulness. And as we look—we shall daily become more like Him!

And then we are to run, looking for our blessed Lord's appearing, praying always with all prayer and supplication that He will hasten His coming and kingdom and accomplish the number of His elect. Unto those who look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation; and their vile bodies in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, shall be made like unto His glorious body, and they shall be forever with their Lord!

Oh, this looking unto Jesus! here is the secret cause which kept that cloud of witnesses steadfast and unmoveable in this narrow way! Here is the simple rule for all who wish to enter on the course which lands a man in Paradise! Look not to earth: it is a sinful, perishable place, and they who build upon it shall find their foundation of the earth earthy; they will not stand the fire. Set not your affections upon it—or else you will perish together; the earth shall be burned up, and if you cling to it, in death you shall not be divided!

Look not to yourselves! you are by nature wretched and miserable, and poor and blind and naked; you cannot make atonement for your past transgressions, you cannot wipe out a single page in that long black list. And when the King shall ask you for your wedding garment you will be speechless. Look simply unto Jesus, and then the weight shall fall from off your shoulders, and the course shall be clear and plain, and you shall run the race which is set before you. Truly a man may be mistaken for a season, and walk in darkness for a time—but if he once determines to look to Jesus, he shall not greatly err.

Who now are the men and women in this congregation who have not entered on the grand struggle for life? This day, you Christless, sleeping ones, this day I charge you to be honest and merciful to your souls. Turn! O turn you from your evil ways! Turn from your self-pleasing and self-indulging; seek you the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near; cry mightily unto the Lord Jesus Christ, before the night comes and you sleep for evermore. 

I know the thoughts that are in the hearts of those among you who ever think, (for many come and go without thinking): I know your thoughts; you cannot make up your mind to lay aside every weight, you cannot throw overboard the sin that does so easily beset you. Alas! like Herod you would do many things—but not all: you will not give up that Herodias. That darling bosom-sin—the world, the business, the drink, the pleasure—you cannot give it up, it must have the first place in your heart. I testify, I warn you, I take you to record, that God has declared there shall never enter into heaven anything that defiles. And if you are determined not to give up your sins, your sins will cleave to you like lead and sink you in the pit of destruction. You need not wait: you must show some inclination; God will not convert you against your will; except you show the desire, how can you expect He will give you the grace?

But where are the men and women who are running the race and struggling towards the heavenly Jerusalem? Think not that you have anything which makes your journey more difficult than others. The saints at God's right hand were perfected through sufferings; and you must run with patience. Millions have gone safely through, and so shall you.

Beware of cumbering yourselves with any weight of earthly cares. Examine your hearts most closely, and purge out each besetting sin with a godly prayerful jealousy. Remember that blessed rule, "looking unto Jesus." Peter did run well for a time, when he left the ship to walk upon the sea to Jesus—but when he saw the waves and the storm he was afraid and began to sink. Thus many a one sets out courageously—but after a while corruptions rise high within, corruptions are strong without, the eye is drawn off Jesus, the devil gets an advantage—and the soul begins to sink. Oh, keep your eye steadily fixed on Christ, and you shall go through fire and water and they shall not hurt you.

Are you tempted? look unto Jesus. Are you afflicted? look unto Jesus. Do all speak evil of you? look unto Jesus. Do you feel cold, dull, backsliding? look unto Jesus. Never say, "I will heal myself and then look unto Jesus, I will get into a good frame and then take comfort in my Beloved." This is the delusion of Satan. But whether you are weak or strong, in the valley or on the mount, in sickness or in health, in sorrow or in joy, in going out or in coming in, in youth or in age, in richness or in poverty, in life or in death—let this be your motto and your guide, "LOOKING UNTO JESUS!"



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Reflection and inspiration by J. C. Ryle
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