15 May 2010

"The gospel is... a matter for thought and consideration" -Spurgeon

Some leaders at Summitview will be reading Spurgeon this summer and walking through "Gospel in Life" by Tim Keller (details to come). The goal is to stoke our hearts with the Gospel in such a way that it works out of our lives in every arena - that the Great Commission penetrates all that we do, as opposed to being just another responsibility.

Here is a little sampling from our reading in Spurgeon:

The gospel is a reasonable system, and it appeals to men's understanding; it is a matter for thought and consideration, and it appeals to the conscience and the reflecting powers. Hence if we do not teach men something, we may shout, 'Believe! Believe! Believe!' but what are they to believe? each exhortation requires a corresponding instruction, or it will mean nothing. 'Escape!' From what? This requires for its answer the doctrine of the punishment of sin. 'Fly!' But whither? Then must you preach Christ, and His wounds; yea, and the clear doctrine of atonement by sacrifice. 'Repent!' Of what? Here you must answer such questions as, What is sin? What is the evil of sin? What are the consequences of sin? 'Be converted!' But what is it to be converted? By what power can we be converted? What from? What to?

The field of instruction is wide if men are to be made to know the truth which save. "That the soul be without knowledge, it is not good,' and it is ours as the Lord's instruments to make men so to know the truth that they may believe it, and feel its power. We are not to try and save men in the dark, but in the power of the Holy Ghost we are to seek to turn them from darkness to light.

C. H. Spurgeon, The Soul Winner [11]