LOOKING TO PRAISE AND WORSHIP JESUS THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD. 18 No man has ever seen God at any time; the only unique Son, or the only begotten God, Who is in the bosom [in the intimate presence] of the Father, He has declared Him [He has revealed Him and brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known].

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Coming to Christ - Spurgeon pt.5

2. Again, not only is the will obstinate, but the understanding is darkened. Of that we have abundant Scriptural proof. I am not now making mere assertions, but stating doctrines authoritatively taught in the Holy Scriptures, and known in the conscience of every Christian man—that the understanding of man is so dark, that he cannot by any means understand the things of God until his understanding has been opened. Man is by nature blind within. The cross of Christ, so laden with glories, and glittering with attractions, never attracts him, because he is blind and cannot see its beauties. Talk to him of the wonders of the creation, show to him the many-coloured arch that spans the sky, let him behold the glories of a landscape, he is well able to see all these things; but talk to him of the wonders of the covenant of grace, speak to him of the security of the believer in Christ, tell him of the beauties of the person of the Redeemer, he is quite deaf to all your description; you are as one that playeth a goodly tune, it is true; but he regards not, he is deaf, he has no comprehension. Or, to return to the verse which we so specially marked in our reading, "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned;" and inasmuch as he is a natural man, it is not in his power to discern the things of God. "Well," says one, "I think I have arrived at a very tolerable judgment in matters of theology; I think I understand almost every point." True, that you may do in the letter of it; but in the spirit of it, in the true reception thereof into the soul, and in the actual understanding of it, it is impossible for you to have attained, unless you have been drawn by the Spirit. For as long as that Scripture stands true, that carnal men cannot receive spiritual things, it must be true that you have not received them, unless you have been renewed and made a spiritual man in Christ Jesus. The will, then, and the understanding, are two great doors, both blocked up against our coming to Christ, and until these are opened by the sweet influences of the Divine Spirit, they must be for ever closed to anything like coming to Christ

5 Comments:

Blogger mark pierson said...

Please visit Phil Johnson's the Spurgeon Archive in my blogroll.

July 26, 2006 7:28 AM

 
Blogger jel said...

Morning Mark,

this Spurgeon person was one smart cookie,

you can show someone something and they and see it with their own eyes and they will belive it, but if you just tell them and not show them , they would have a hard time or just can't unnderstand it!


thanks for posting what you do

hope you are staying cool, :)

July 26, 2006 8:05 AM

 
Blogger jazzycat said...

Spurgeon explains it so well.
1. The total lostness and inability of our depravity.
2. The sweetness, and power of grace to quicken and enable one to see what he is unable to see in an of himself.

There is power in the blood.

Jazzycat

July 26, 2006 10:51 AM

 
Blogger mark pierson said...

Janice: Nice to see you!

Jazzycat: I have linked to you

July 26, 2006 11:53 AM

 
Blogger jazzycat said...

Thanks,
I have a link to your site as well.

Jazzy

July 26, 2006 4:32 PM

 

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