Around the Wicket Gate: or, a friendly talk with seekers concerning faith in the Lord Jesus ChristSpurgeon, C. H. (Charles Haddon)
Religion
Around the Wicket Gate: or, a friendly talk with seekers concerning faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
Spurgeon, C. H. (Charles Haddon)
Christian life; Faith; Salvation
What, then, is your darling sin? Is it any gross wrong-doing? Then very
shame should make you cease from it. Is it love of the world, or fear
of men, or longing for evil gains? Surely, none of these things should
reconcile you to living in enmity with God, and beneath his frown. Is
it a human love, which is eating like a canker into the heart? Can any
creature rival the Lord Jesus? Is it not idolatry to allow any earthly
thing to compare for one instant with the Lord God? "Well," saith one,
"for me to give up the particular sin by which I am held captive, would
be to my serious injury in business, would ruin my prospects, and
lessen my usefulness in many ways." If it be so, you have your case met
by the words of the Lord Jesus, who bids you to pluck out your eye,
and cut off your hand or foot, and cast it from you, rather than be
cast into hell. It is better to enter into life with one eye, with the
poorest prospects, than to keep all your hopes, and be out of Christ.
Better be a lame believer than a leaping sinner. Better be in the rear
rank for life in the army of Christ than lead the van and be a chief
officer under the command of Satan. If you win Christ, it will little
matter what you lose. No doubt many have had to suffer that which has
maimed and lamed them for this life; but if they have entered thereby
into eternal life, they have been great gainers.
It comes to this, my friend, as it did with John Bunyan; a voice now
speaks to you, and says--
WILT THOU KEEP THY SIN AND GO TO HELL?
OR
LEAVE THY SIN AND GO TO HEAVEN?
The point should be decided before you quit the spot. In the name
of God, I ask you, Which shall it be--Christ and salvation, or the
favourite sin and damnation? There is no middle course. Waiting or
refusing to decide will practically be a sure decision for the evil
one. He that stands questioning whether he will be honest or not, is
already out of the straight line: he that does not know whether he
wishes to be cleansed from sin gives evidence of a foul heart.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account