Real Faith

Dr. Lloyd-Jones

"Nobody can have faith unless the Lord opens the heart. It is impossible." 

 --Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Romans - Saving Faith)

"The first movement is from God to us, not from us to God."

 Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Dr. Lloyd-Jones' expositions of the Apostle Paul's Epistle to the Romans are available singly or as part of his 14-part series published by the Banner of Truth Trust.You can listen to all 366 of the doctor's sermons in the Romans series at the MLJ Trust website.

A New Lesson on Prayer from C. H. Spurgeon

Spurgeon in his study

From Spurgeon's Morning and Evening, on Facebook.

For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer. - Psalm 109:4

[Those parts what really ate my lunch I've highlighted in bold text.]

"Lying tongues were busy against the reputation of David, but he did not defend himself; he moved the case into a higher court, and pleaded before the great King himself. Prayer is the safest method of replying to words of hatred. The Psalmist prayed in no cold-hearted manner, he gave himself to the exercise--threw his whole soul and heart into it--straining every sinew and muscle, as Jacob did when wrestling with the angel. Thus, and thus only, shall any of us speed at the throne of grace. As a shadow has no power because there is no substance in it, even so that supplication, in which a man's proper self is not thoroughly present in agonizing earnestness and vehement desire, is utterly ineffectual, for it lacks that which would give it force. "Fervent prayer," says an old divine, "like a cannon planted at the gates of heaven, makes them fly open." The common fault with the most of us is our readiness to yield to distractions. Our thoughts go roving hither and thither, and we make little progress towards our desired end. Like quicksilver our mind will not hold together, but rolls off this way and that. How great an evil this is! It injures us, and what is worse, it insults our God. What should we think of a petitioner, if, while having an audience with a prince, he should be playing with a feather or catching a fly?

"Continuance and perseverance are intended in the expression of our text. David did not cry once, and then relapse into silence; his holy clamour was continued till it brought down the blessing. Prayer must not be our chance work, but our daily business, our habit and vocation. As artists give themselves to their models, and poets to their classical pursuits, so must we addict ourselves to prayer. We must be immersed in prayer as in our element, and so pray without ceasing. Lord, teach us so to pray that we may be more and more prevalent in supplication."

A Spurgeon Gem

"When God laid sin upon Christ it must have been the intent of his heart that he would never lay it on those for whom Christ died."

Find more Spurgeon quotes here.

Spurgeon on Facebook

C. H. Spurgeon

I follow, and greatly enjoy, a couple of sites on Facebook which post quotes from the famous 19th Century London preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon. The following, from Spurgeon's Morning and Evening, is an example.

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even, unto the end of the world. Amen. . 

- Matthew 28:20

"The Lord Jesus is in the midst of his church; he walketh among the golden candlesticks; his promise is, "Lo, I am with you alway." He is as surely with us now as he was with the disciples at the lake, when they saw coals of fire, and fish laid thereon and bread. Not carnally, but still in real truth, Jesus is with us. And a blessed truth it is, for where Jesus is, love becomes inflamed. Of all the things in the world that can set the heart burning, there is nothing like the presence of Jesus! A glimpse of him so overcomes us, that we are ready to say, "Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me." Even the smell of the aloes, and the myrrh, and the cassia, which drop from his perfumed garments, causes the sick and the faint to grow strong. Let there be but a moment's leaning of the head upon that gracious bosom, and a reception of his divine love into our poor cold hearts, and we are cold no longer, but glow like seraphs, equal to every labour, and capable of every suffering. If we know that Jesus is with us, every power will be developed, and every grace will be strengthened, and we shall cast ourselves into the Lord's service with heart, and soul, and strength; therefore is the presence of Christ to be desired above all things. His presence will be most realized by those who are most like him. If you desire to see Christ, you must grow in conformity to him. Bring yourself, by the power of the Spirit, into union with Christ's desires, and motives, and plans of action, and you are likely to be favoured with his company. Remember his presence may be had. His promise is as true as ever. He delights to be with us. If he doth not come, it is because we hinder him by our indifference. He will reveal himself to our earnest prayers, and graciously suffer himself to be detained by our entreaties, and by our tears, for these are the golden chains which bind Jesus to his people."

For unto us a Child is Born, unto us a Son is Given

Spurgeon's Defense of Calvinism

Mr. Spurgeon at his desk

I reproduce this in full for a couple of reasons. First, it is, for its length, the best written defense of the doctrines of grace I've ever read.  My second reason is that this is what I believe.

"The old truth that Calvin preached, that Augustine preached, that Paul preached, is the truth that I must preach to-day, or else be false to my conscience and my God. I cannot shape the truth; I know of no such thing as paring off the rough edges of a doctrine. John Knox's gospel is my gospel. That which thundered through Scotland must thunder through England again."—C. H. Spurgeon