The ‘flesh’ is too bad to be cleansed; it must be crucified.
– Watchman Nee –
The Cross
November 10, 2014
How precious is He too, in His Resurrection! He justifies all His people at one stroke—rising from the dead—that glorious Sun scatters all the nights of all His people by one rising! How precious is He in His Ascension as He leads captivity captive, and scatters gifts among men! And how precious today in those incessant pleadings of His through which the mercies of God come down like the angels upon Jacob’s ladder to our needy souls!
– Charles Spurgeon –
September 8, 2014
On that dear Cross my soul hangs all her confidence—not a rag anywhere else! … This is an essential mark of a Christian, that he sees Jesus with the simple faith that relies alone upon Him. Dear Hearer, do you in this respect see Jesus? If so, rest assured that where He is in His Glory, you shall shortly be! There is life in that look! There is more than life present—there is life eternal in a look at Him!
– Charles Spurgeon –
August 17, 2014
As I linger on the Hill of the Cross — my sorrow is changed into song, and I go on my way with a merry heart.
– Alexander Smellie –
July 31, 2014
…this is not a Gospel of self, nor a Gospel of works, nor a Gospel of baptism, nor a Gospel of priests, nor a Gospel of ministers, but it is “the glorious Gospel of Christ!” Forget the men who preach it if you will, but, oh, forget not the bleeding, dying Savior to whom they bid you look. Your hope must be in Him and in Him, alone!
– Charles Spurgeon –
July 13, 2014
The Believer is a silly sheep. What a precious thing is a shepherd and how precious are green pastures and still waters! The Believer is like a desolate woman. What a precious thing is a husband who shall provide for her and shall console and cherish her. The Believer is a pilgrim and the hot sun beats on him. What a precious thing is the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. The Believer is a bond-slave by nature. What a precious thing is the trumpet of jubilee and the ransom price that sets him free. The Believer, by nature, is a sinking, drowning man. How precious to him is that plank of Free Grace, the Cross of Christ, on which he puts his poor trembling hands and secures Glory! But what more shall I say? Time would fail me to tell of all the needs of the Believer and of the all-abounding and ever-flowing streams of love that flow from Christ, the Fountain who fills the Believer to the brim! O say, you children of God, is He not while you are in these lowlands of need and suffering, inconceivably, unutterably, superlatively precious to you?
– Charles Spurgeon –
April 19, 2014
It follows that every good thing we could think or desire is to be found in this same Jesus Christ alone. For, he was sold, to buy us back; captive, to deliver us; condemned, to absolve us; he was made a curse for our blessing, sin offering for our righteousness; marred that we may be made fair; he died for our life; so that by him fury is made gentle, wrath appeased, darkness turned into light, fear reassured, despisal despised, debt canceled, labor lightened, sadness made merry, misfortune made fortunate, difficulty easy, disorder ordered, division united, ignominy ennobled, rebellion subjected, intimidation intimidated, ambush uncovered, assaults assailed, force forced back, combat combated, war warred against, vengeance avenged, torment tormented, damnation damned, the abyss sunk into the abyss, hell transfixed, death dead, mortality made immortal. In short, mercy has swallowed up all misery, and goodness all misfortune. For all these things which were to be the weapons of the devil in his battle against us, and the sting of death to pierce us, are turned for us into exercises which we can turn to our profit. If we are able to boast with the apostle, saying, O hell, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? it is because by the Spirit of Christ promised to the elect, we live no longer, but Christ lives in us; and we are by the same Spirit seated among those who are in heaven, so that for us the world is no more, even while our conversation is in it; but we are content in all things, whether country, place, condition, clothing, meat, and all such things. And we are comforted in tribulation, joyful in sorrow, glorying under vituperation, abounding in poverty, warmed in our nakedness, patient amongst evils, living in death. This is what we should in short seek in the whole of Scripture: truly to know Jesus Christ, and the infinite riches that are comprised in him and are offered to us by him from God the Father.
– John Calvin –
April 12, 2014
Nevertheless settle it firmly in our minds that sin is ‘the abominable thing that God hateth’ that God ‘is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, and cannot look upon that which is evil.’
– JC Ryle –
March 3, 2014
He that willingly submits to the cross, to him its whole burden is changed into a sweet assurance of divine comfort. And the more the flesh is broken down by the cross, the more the spirit is strengthened by inward grace. It is not in man by nature to bear the cross, to love the cross, to deny self, to bring the body into subjection, and willingly to endure suffering. If thou look to thyself, thou canst accomplish nothing of all this. But if thou trust in the Lord, strength shall be given thee from heaven, and the world and the flesh shall be made subject to thy rule. Set thyself, therefore, to bear manfully the cross of thy Lord, who out of love was crucified for thee.
– Thomas a’Kempis –