| Whatsoever
Things Are True
by Dan Coburn Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church All of these questions are applicable in varying degrees in our lives, but we have not time to answer them. My goal is to cause us all to admit to ourselves that we suffer chronically from Doubt. We learned last week that according to Matt. 28: 16-17, Even some of the disciples doubted. Undoubtedly the greatest religious leader of the last few centuries, is Charles H. Spurgeon. He lived in the late 1800s and was pastor of what, even for our time, could only be described as a “mega-church”. He still has more religious material in print than any other person. At the age of 27 he preached to 23,674 people in the Crystal Cathedral, without amplification. God so used him that as he preached, people scarcely breathed in order to hear every word. In 1879, he told his congregation of 6,000 that he was more concerned with the condition of the souls outside the church than the ones inside. The whole congregation gave up their seats, which were subsequently filled by the folks standing outside. He was greatly used of God and yet he wrote these words: “I felt at that time very weary and very sad, and very heavy at heart, and I began to doubt in my own mind wether I really enjoyed those things which I preached to others. It seemed at times a dreadful thing to me to be only a waiter, and not a guest.” Doubt is a Big Deal, and will effect counsel, healing, prayer life, even your very walk with God. Doubt is to the Spirit, what Pain is to the body. It should not be ignored. There are about a half dozen contributing factors that regularly bring about doubt, and as many biblical counter-measures. If you are struggling with doubt more than once in a while, I’d love to share these with you. The bottom line though, is this. The answer is not the Quality of your faith. Nor the Quantity of your faith. It is the Object of your faith. Even a wavering faith in the right person (Jesus Christ) will save. Conversely, a huge faith in a counterfeit or substitute will bring condemnation. Do you think the Muslims who flew into the World Trade Centers lacked faith? Not at all. They had enviable faith, but in the wrong person. Who or What is your faith in? Is it the quantity of your prayers? Perhaps your Religious Affiliation? Maybe you do missions or visitation for the purpose of recruitment. Is it your baptism? I’m for all of these things, but None of them will either Attain or Maintain your Salvation. Jesus paid it all. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” – Eph. 2:8-9. What is the Object of your Faith? |
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