CH Spurgeon said the Bible is a Failure if Believers Doubt

    1. CH Spurgeon said the Bible is a Failure if Believers Doubt   Time 2008-05-29 18:42
  • Spurgeon -- without realizing it -- shows that doubting for a Christian is impossible. In the text below, Spurgeon lists many of the consequences of doubting. For example, doubters cannot pray or preach. They are not being sanctified because that involves loving God out of thanks and gratitude. Indeed, Spurgeon summarizes the consequence in the third line down. If believers could doubt then the Bible would be a complete and utter failure.Sadly, Spurgeon in spite of all the Scripture condemning doubting as unbelief (which is damning Mk 16:16), he could not assent to the Scripture. Not having the infallible assurance in himself he could only see infallible assurance as a "possibility", not a reality.Spurgeon writes... (taken from Spurgeon's Sermon "The Blessing of Full Assurance")CHS: "If [the Apostle John] wished us to know that we have eternal life, brothers and sisters, let us try to know it. The Word of God was written for this purpose; let us use it for its proper end. The whole of these Scriptures were written that "we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, and that believing we might have life through his name." This Book is written to you who believe, that you may know that you believe. Will you suffer your Bibles to be a failure to you? Will you live in perpetual questioning and doubt? If so, the Book has missed its mark for you. The Bible is sent that you may have full assurance of of your possession of eternal life; do not, therefore, dream that it will be presumptuous on your part to aspire to it. Our conscience tells us that we ought to seek full assurance of salvation." My response: Right. So if a believer could doubt, then the Bible would be a complete failure. So, is that a possibly? "My Word will not return void"?Spurgeon continues, saying, "It cannot be right for us to be children of God, and not to know our own Father. How can we kneel down and say, "Our Father which art in heaven," when we do not know whether he is our Father or not?My response: Does God give the privilege of prayer to only some believers but withhold it from others? So much for having the same "one Spirit".Next, Spurgeon said, "Brethren, full assurance will give us the full result of the gospel. The gospel ought to make us holy; and so it will when we are in full possession of it. The gospel ought to make us separate from the world, the gospel ought to make us lead a heavenly life here below; and so it will if we drink deep draughts of it; but it we take only a sip of it now and again, we give it no chance of working out its design in us."My response: The gospel OUGHT to make us holy? As if the Gospel might fail to inspire a believer with reverence and love for God? I thought "in Christ believers HAVE SANTIFICATION"... It doesn't say "in Christ believers *ought* to have sanctification". But Spurgeon says some believers only "sip of [heavenly life] now and again". Well, well, WHERE IS THE HOLY SPIRIT in those "believers" the rest of the time? And doesn't Scripture say believers have "EVERLASTING consolation", "assurance FOREVER", and they will "NEVER thirst"?Next, Spurgeon writes, "Conscience bids you seek to know that you have eternal life, for without this knowledge many duties will be impossible of performance. Many Scriptures which I cannot quote this morning stir you up to this duty. Are you not bidden to make your calling and election sure? Are you not a thousand times over exhorted to rejoice in the Lord, and to give thanks continually? But how can you rejoice, if the dark suspicion haunts you, that perhaps, after all, you have not the life of God? You must get this question settled, or you cannot rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him. Come, brothers and sisters, I beseech you, as you would follow Scripture, and obey the Lord's precepts, get the assurance without which you cannot obey them. Listen, as I close, to this mass of reasons why each believer should seek to know that he has eternal life. Here they are. Assurance of your salvation will bring you "the peace of God, which passes all understanding."My response: Or does it? Could the believer's assurance be gone by lunch time? Yes, says Spurgeon. So much for "peace OF GOD". An assurance that goes up and down must be based on something FALLIBLE -- it MUST be the "peace OF MAN". Moreover, does Spurgeon's view of assurance "pass [natural/fleshly] understanding"? Spurgeon says we need to do works in order to gain assurance. Now, does the idea that our enjoyments in religion DEPEND ON US "pass [natural/fleshly] understanding"? The idea that reward is based on our efforts is NOT superior to false religion -- it IS false religion! Wasn't the entire problem with the Jews that they were basing their confidence before God on their works? Yet, Spurgeon would make assurance the "reward" for our works... There's nothing spiritual (true) about Spurgeon's view at all.
  • Tag: »audio »charles »depression »quotes »sermons »spurgeon
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