Charles H. Spurgeon:
“Our faith is a Person. The gospel that we have to preach is a Person. And go wherever we may, we have something solid and tangible to preach. If you had asked the twelve apostles, in their day, ‘What do you believe in?’ they would not have needed to go round about with a long reply, but they would have pointed to their Master, and they would have said, ‘We believe Him.’
‘But what are your doctrines?’ ‘There they stand incarnate.’ ‘But what is your practice?’ ‘There, stands our practice. He is our example.’ ’What, then, do you believe?’ Hear ye the glorious answer of the apostle Paul: ‘We preach Christ crucified.’
Our creed, our body of divinity, our whole theology is summed up in the person of Christ Jesus. The apostle preached doctrine; but the doctrine was Christ. He preached practice; but the practice was all in Christ.
There is no summary of the faith of a Christian that can compass all he believes, except that word Christ. And that is the Alpha and the Omega of our creed, that is the first and the last rule of our practice– Christ, and Him crucified.
To spread the faith, then, is to spread the knowledge of Christ crucified. It is, in fact, to bring men, through the agency of God’s Spirit, to feel their need of Christ, to seek Christ, to believe in Christ, to love Christ, and then to live for Christ.”
–Charles H. Spurgeon, C.H. Spurgeon’s Autobiography, Vol. 2 (1856-1878), eds. Susannah Spurgeon and Joseph Harrald (New York: Fleming Revell Co., 1899/ Nabu Press, 2010).
carol says
June 23, 2011 at 3:13 pmI so agree with this article! it seems we are losing the simplicity of the Gospel. Jesus Christ crucified-risen Savior of all!
Chris Poblete says
June 23, 2011 at 3:21 pmAmen! 🙂
Betty says
June 25, 2011 at 12:42 pmthat is the gospel carol. Jesus Christ crucified and rose again. He is Lord of all.
Larry Jefferson says
June 23, 2011 at 3:46 pmAMEN! How different is this, compared to what is being “preached” today, WOW!
Mike Burleson says
June 23, 2011 at 4:17 pmSort of puts the nail in the coffin of a “works religion”. For by faith we are saved, and not works. Nothing we can do will justify us, other than believing Him, who became sin for us all. Hallelujah!
JoAnne Harrison says
June 24, 2011 at 5:47 amJesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever! Thank you Father for making it so simple! Hallelujah!
Chaplain Bruce says
June 25, 2011 at 4:48 pmI plan to preach a message on “Unity in the Church” tomorrow morning at my Prison Chapel here in Arkansas. This will make a fantastic opening statement coupled with 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4. We must unify the Church around Christ, not self help, not denominational loyalty, nor some hope for earthly prosperity. Jesus is our Faith!
Derek Hale says
June 29, 2011 at 11:33 amPrevious comment, ” A nail in the coffin for religion by works “.
Yes I see where you are coming from.Salvation is not by works but
true righteousness requires works. Just look to the example of Jesus and then say that He was not involved in works