One of the best biographies of Charles Spurgeon is by G. Holden Pike and was written in 1894. I want to share one paragraph from this book but first I want to set up the reason I am using it. I have been troubled over the past couple of weeks as I have listened to sermons on radio, TV, and from local pulpits that completely are devoid of the gospel. They contain a lot of what has been dubbed as “Therapeutic moralistic deism.” Lots of exhortations to “be good”, “live better” and “do you best for God.” Of course, with some God-language pitched in. But no mention of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. No cross, no blood, no substitution, etc. It is all about making man “better” — whatever that means.
We live in a day of gimmicks and entertainment that try to pass as the gospel, but it is as Paul said, “a different gospel, which is really no gospel at all.” The church in America wants to be “hip” considered “cool” and to do this they water down the truth of God’s word to draw a crowd.
This is a quote from one of Spurgeon’s biographies, written by G. Holden Pike in 1894:
He told some of us, on one of the occasions of our fellowship, that the highest compliment that had been paid him can from the lips of an open enemy, who had said, “Here is a man (Spurgeon) who has not moved an inch forward in all his ministry, and at the close of the nineteenth century is teaching the theology of the first century, and in Newington Butts is proclaiming the doctrines of Nazareth and Jerusalem current eighteen hundred years ago.” To which Spurgeon replied “Those words did please me!” and verily no teacher had ransacked literature and history and human life as he had done to supply illustration and proof of the fundamental facts of Divine revelation, and to persuade men to be reconciled to God. (vol 2, pg 109)
What a man of God Charles Spurgeon was!! He had no interest in innovation, or “updating” the Gospel. He simply wanted to preach it, proclaim it, and teach it at every opportunity.
I remember one of the charges made against me several years ago, was “For two and a half years we have heard that we are sinners, and can only be saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.” I must confess with Spurgeon, those words did please me. Why, because that is the heart of the gospel; the heart of God’s word. That is all I have to preach to my dying day.
This is our commitment at Grace Baptist Church. Even in the midst of “churches” that water it down and play games. Our only “draw” is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s all we have; that’s all we need.
Filed under: Christian controversies, Dead yet they speak, Spurgeon, The Gospel, Theology | Leave a comment »
Here I Stand . . . I Can Do Nothing Else 