tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19795707.post2745409251747063092..comments2024-03-22T16:09:48.895-04:00Comments on Beggars All: Reformation And Apologetics: Spurgeon: "I looked at Christ and the dove of peace flew into my heart. I looked at the dove and it flew away"James Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136781934797867593noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19795707.post-11445501609763846582024-01-23T08:39:56.558-05:002024-01-23T08:39:56.558-05:00Sometimes, when my faith is vigorous, I catch myse...Sometimes, when my faith is vigorous, I catch myself doing this. There is joy flowing into my heart, and after awhile I begin to find that my joy suddenly departs. I ask the causes, and I find that the joy came because I was thinking of Christmy joy, then my joy fled. You must not think of your faith but of Christ. Faith comes from meditation upon Christ. Turn, then, your eye, not upon faith but upon Jesus. It is not your hold of Christ that saves you; it is his hold of you. It is not the efficacy of your believing in him; it is the efficacy of his blood applied to you through the Spirit.<br /><br />^this is maybe even closer to the original Spurgeon quoteAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19795707.post-21297200387812621282024-01-22T10:32:43.993-05:002024-01-22T10:32:43.993-05:00Hi Anonymous,
Thanks for the Spurgeon quote.
In...Hi Anonymous,<br /><br />Thanks for the Spurgeon quote. <br /><br />In general for anyone coming across this post: since I wrote this blog post back in 2012, I've since made peace with the Westminster Standards and the Puritans. For the former, I've done an in-depth study on assurance as presented in the WCF. For the later, I've learned to not lump all the Puritans together- some of what they wrote on works as a sign of assurance was not all that bad! James Swanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16136781934797867593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19795707.post-402020282564297672024-01-21T13:52:17.436-05:002024-01-21T13:52:17.436-05:00This is at least the idea from the supposed Spurge...This is at least the idea from the supposed Spurgeon quote: from his sermon, “The Blood”<br /><br />IV. And now, lastly, WHAT IS THE LESSON. The lesson of the text is to the Christian this. Christian, take care that thou dost always remember, that nothing but the blood of Christ can save thee. I preach to myself to-day what I preach to you. I often find myself like this: —I have been praying that the Holy Spirit might rest in my heart and cleanse out an evil passion, and presently I find myself full of doubts and fears, and when I ask the reason, I find it is this: —I have been looking to the Spirit's work until I put the Spirit's work where Christ's work ought to be. Now, it is a sin to put your own works where Christ's should be; but it is just as much a sin to put the Holy Spirit's work there. You must never make the Spirit of God an anti-Christ, and you virtually do that when you put the Spirit's work as the groundwork of your faith. Do you not often hear Christian men say, "I cannot believe in Christ to-day as I could yesterday, for yesterday I felt such sweet and blessed enjoyments." Now, what is that but putting your frames and feelings where Christ ought to be. Remember, Christ's blood is no more able to save you in a good frame than in a bad frame. Christ's blood must be your trust, as much when you are full of joy as when you are full of doubt. And here it is that your happiness will be in danger, by beginning to put your good frames and good feelings in the room of the blood of Christ. O, brethren, if we could always live with a single eye fixed on the Cross, we should always be happy; but when we get a little peace, and a little joy, we begin to prize the joy and peace so much, that we forget the source whence they come. As Mr. Brooks says, "A husband that loves his wife will, perhaps, often give her jewels and rings; but suppose she should sit down and begin to think of her jewels and rings so much that she should forget her husband, it would be a kind husband's business to take them away from her so that she might fix her affections entirely on him." And it is so with us. Jesus gives us jewels of faith and love, and we get trusting to them, and he takes them away in order that we may come again as guilty, helpless sinners, and put our trust in Christ. To quote a verse I often repeat—I believe the spirit of a Christian should be, from his first hour to his last, the spirit of these two lines: —<br /><br />"Nothing in my hand I bring,<br />Simply to thy cross I cling."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19795707.post-35343153976697303152012-03-04T23:40:24.988-05:002012-03-04T23:40:24.988-05:00...and, if you truly want to know just HOW close t......and, if you truly want to know just HOW close they REALLY are, you can read the last 15 short <a href="http://eastern-orthodox-apologetics.blogspot.com/search/label/Buddhism%20-%20Hinduism" rel="nofollow">posts </a>on my blog... :-)The Blogger Formerly Known As Lvkahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09663692507774640889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19795707.post-86299262642488064602012-03-04T21:05:03.906-05:002012-03-04T21:05:03.906-05:00Better not start throwing stones in a glass house,...Better not start throwing stones in a glass house, Lvka. The similarities of Eastern Orthodox ascetic monkery to pagan Hindu or Buddhist practices are disturbingly close.Viisaushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02682159289133730565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19795707.post-10840525667843719862012-03-03T17:21:49.984-05:002012-03-03T17:21:49.984-05:00Hi, guys!
I just wanted to share with you this a ...Hi, guys!<br /><br />I just wanted to share with you this a beautiful devotional passage about the value of FAITH and the worthlessness of our own ASCETIC efforts, which fits so nicely with what Spurgeon said:<br /><br />"Neither going about naked, nor matted locks, nor filth, nor fasting, nor lying on the ground, nor smearing oneself with ashes and dust, nor sitting on the heels (in penance) can purify a mortal who has not overcome doubt". (Buddha, The Dhammapada)The Blogger Formerly Known As Lvkahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09663692507774640889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19795707.post-86943846516088935402012-03-02T07:28:28.279-05:002012-03-02T07:28:28.279-05:00Martin,
An imbalance as to the importance of &quo...Martin,<br /><br />An imbalance as to the importance of "what we do" as being necessary in regard to our salvation is universal and infects each of us to a greater or lesser degree. <br /><br />That's why each week at church, I need to hear the preaching of the Gospel!James Swanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16136781934797867593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19795707.post-58143904252611538032012-03-01T18:00:16.384-05:002012-03-01T18:00:16.384-05:00Sobering reminder. Where I am in Asia, everyday I ...Sobering reminder. Where I am in Asia, everyday I am surrounded by people who believe good works are necessary for salvation. This is the basis of almost most religions here anyway. Not too sure in America, is that the case also?Martin Yeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10161902509192193592noreply@blogger.com