Quotes From Classic Christian Ministers

Quotes From Classic Christian Ministers

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I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief! (Mark 9:24 NLT)

Here is something that you and I must dwell upon. Personally, I am constantly brought to this: I have not yet learnt thoroughly to believe what I believe in! I believe in the finished work of Christ, yet sometimes I am just as miserable about myself as any man could be. I am often almost at the point of giving up because of what a wretched kind of thing I am. If there is anything in this world that would cause me to give up the Christian ministry, it is myself. Do you understand what I mean? Oh, how we are discouraged by what we find in ourselves! And so, we don't believe what we believe in. We believe in the finished work of Christ, and that God puts all that finished work to our account. God does not see us in ourselves – He sees us in Christ. He does not see us, He sees Christ in us. We don't believe that! If we really did we would be delivered from ourselves and would indeed be triumphant Christians.

Of course, that does not mean that we can just behave anyhow. We may speak and act wrongly, but for every Christian there is a refuge – a mercy seat. It has not to be made; it is there with the precious Blood. That has not to be shed; it is shed. There is a High Priest making intercession for us. There is everything that we need. The work is finished, completed. Oh, we Christians must believe our beliefs! We must take hold, with both hands, of the things which are of our Christian faith.

~T. Austin-Sparks~

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You have a heart fit to do the deed!(J.C. Ryle, "The Gospel of Luke")

"But they kept shouting: Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" Luke 23:21 

Let us often pray that we may thoroughly understand the sinfulness of man's heart. 

Christ is never fully valued--until sin is clearly seen. 

We must know the depth and malignity of our disease--in order to appreciate the great Physician.

Few of us, it may be feared, have the least conception of the strength and virulence of the spiritual disease with which we are born! Few entirely realize that "the carnal mind is enmity against God," and that unconverted human nature, if it had the power--would cast its Maker down from His throne and crucify Him! 

The behavior of the Jews before us--is only a picture of what every natural man would do to God, if he only could! 

"If the bosom of God were within the reach of men, it would be stabbed a million of times in one moment! If the bosom of God were now within your reach, and one blow would rid the universe of God--you have a heart fit to do the deed!" Robert Murray M'Cheyne

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God's Mysterious Dealings

If God were dealing with us as sinners, that is, if He were dealing with us because of certain personal sins and personal faults, we could quite clearly understand that; but when He is dealing with us in relation to Divine purpose, as His servants, His dealings with us go far beyond our understanding. We are taken out into a realm where we do not understand what the Lord is doing with us, and why the Lord takes certain courses with us. We are out of our depth; we are altogether baffled and we are compelled - that is, if we are going on with God - to believe that God knows what He is doing: we have just to move with Him according to whatever light we may have, and believe that these dealings with us, so far beyond our understanding are somehow related to that purpose with which we are called and that the explanation waits some distance ahead, and we will find it when we get there. God does not explain Himself when He takes a step with us.

~T. Austin-Sparks~

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Sanctify them through Thy truth.

Sanctification begins in regeneration. The Spirit of God infuses into man that new living principle by which he becomes "a new creature" in Christ Jesus. This work, which begins in the new birth, is carried on in two ways-mortification, whereby the lusts of the flesh are subdued and kept under; and vivification, by which the life which God has put within us is made to be a well of water springing up unto everlasting life. This is carried on every day in what is called "perseverance," by which the Christian is preserved and continued in a gracious state, and is made to abound in good works unto the praise and glory of God; and it culminates or comes to perfection, in "glory," when the soul, being thoroughly purged, is caught up to dwell with holy beings at the right hand of the Majesty on high. But while the Spirit of God is thus the author of sanctification, yet there is a visible agency employed which must not be forgotten. "Sanctify them," said Jesus, "through thy truth: thy word is truth." The passages of Scripture which prove that the instrument of our sanctification is the Word of God are very many. The Spirit of God brings to our minds the precepts and doctrines of truth, and applies them with power. These are heard in the ear, and being received in the heart, they work in us to will and to do of God's good pleasure. The truth is the sanctifier, and if we do not hear or read the truth, we shall not grow in sanctification. We only progress in sound living as we progress in sound understanding. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Do not say of any error, "It is a mere matter of opinion." No man indulges an error of judgment, without sooner or later tolerating an error in practice. Hold fast the truth, for by so holding the truth shall you be sanctified by the Spirit of God.

~Charles Spurgeon~

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BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Jesus answered and said...if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.” Matthew 21:21

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
When a nation loses its ability to discern morality, it embarks on a slippery slope toward self-destruction, especially when it comes to basic sexual morality.

When a nation turns its back on the commands of God, He will say, “That’s the last step. I wash My hands. You asked for it. You got it.”

America is in crisis, and unless we have a moral rebirth, we will join the graveyard of the nations. The hour is late—it’s time to wake up. Time is passing—it’s time to look up. Jesus is coming—it’s time to sober up. Satan is working—it’s time to amour up. Mountains need moving—it’s time to pray up and pray some mountain-moving prayers.

ACTION POINT:
Ask the Lord to heal our land. Take inventory. What do you need to repent of in your own heart and life? God has said he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23). Rather than ask God to get rid of them, ask Him to forgive the iniquities of the wicked and bring salvation to their souls.

~Adrian Rogers~