Not of Money but Faith

“Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.” (1 Corinthians 2:12 ESV)

I always find such depth in the writings of so many dead guys. Charles Haddon Spurgeon is one of these fellows who always makes me go, “Aha.” I love the perspective of the old way, not because it is old, but because it is the truth and can easily be applied to us today as when it was first written.

Spurgeon wrote, “The course of our fallen race has been a succession of failures. Whenever there has been an apparent rise, it has been followed by a real fall. Into ever-increasing darkness the human mind seems resolved to plunge itself in its struggles after a false light. When men have been fools, they have danced in a delirium of sin. When they have been sober, they have given themselves up to a phantom wisdom of their own that has revealed their folly more than ever. It is a sad story, the story of mankind! Charles Hadden Spurgeon 19 May 1889.

Today, we see the successions of failures continue. I talk to many Christians every day who are concerned about those failures. Spurgeon also speaks of the essence of sin in our nature. Paul tells us that when we are justified, and Christ replaces our heart of stone with one of flesh, the Holy Spirit inhabits us, and God lives in us. Paul often said that those not of Christ see the Gospel as foolishness. Echoing Paul, Spurgeon preached that when men are sober, saved, and know Christ, they are no longer fools, blindingly bathing in sin.

I agree with Spurgeon and Paul that we recognize our folly. When we are saved in Christ, we see the sins of our past. Our foolishness is brought to the front of our minds. Have you ever thought about a single moment in your past where you sinned, and you have realized not only the pain you may have caused one or many others but the depth of the sin you committed against God, and you wept? I have.

Spurgeon went on in this particular sermon and spoke of the grace of God. The Gospel in which Christ can make us the “accepted in the Beloved.”  It is unfortunate that one hundred years ago, this message was preached in every sermon, yet today, it is hard to find a church where the Pastor actually knows Christ or how to preach Christ and Him crucified. Whenever I am asked for an opinion about a church, I watch a few online messages. Most of the time, the sermons are all about you; they are man-centered; sure, there are brief ideas on  Jesus, but the Gospel is not presented. Even Christmas messages are devoid of the Gospel. We wonder why there are so many issues with false teaching and ethical or moral problems within modern churches. It is because there is little understanding of the Gospel.

Praise God that He sent His only Son to sacrifice Himself so that God may rejoin us. A propitiation, Jesus satisfied the wrath of God against our sins. We are accepted in the Beloved, reborn in the Spirit. I love how Spurgeon said in his message, “All the blessings of salvation are a gift. All the inheritance of the covenant is a gift. All that which comes by our Lord Jesus to save and sanctify men is a gift. A gift is not a return for purchase money. We are not asked, in any sense, to bring a price to God wherewith to purchase pardon, justification, or eternal life. Where the notion of purchase is for an instant hinted at, it is only to show more plainly how free is the blessing: “Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” God freely gives his grace, expecting nothing in return, but that we do as we freely receive as he does freely bestow.

Receive the free gift. If you do not know Christ, this free gift that the Apostle Paul speaks of, which the preacher Spurgeon preached, is available to you. Do not wait; tomorrow may never come.

Peace and grace!