Men, a good devotional this morning from C.H. Spurgeon who imo understood the Scriptures as well as anyone and explains them so wonderfully.


“And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”— Philippians 2:8


Jesus is the great teacher of lowliness of heart. We need daily to learn of him.

See the Master taking a towel and washing his disciples’ feet! Follower of Christ, wilt thou not humble thyself?

See him as the Servant of servants, and surely thou canst not be proud! Is not this sentence the compendium of his biography, “He humbled himself”?

Was he not on earth always stripping off first one robe of honour and then another, till, naked, he was fastened to the cross, and there did he not empty out his inmost self, pouring out his life-blood, giving up for all of us, till they laid him penniless in a borrowed grave?

How low was our dear Redeemer brought! How then can we be proud?

Stand at the foot of the cross, and count the purple drops by which you have been cleansed; see the thorn-crown; mark his scourged shoulders, still gushing with encrimsoned rills; see hands and feet given up to the rough iron, and his whole self to mockery and scorn; see the bitterness, and the pangs, and the throes of inward grief, showing themselves in his outward frame; hear the thrilling shriek, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

And if you do not lie prostrate on the ground before that cross, you have never seen it: if you are not humbled in the presence of Jesus, you do not know him. You were so lost that nothing could save you but the sacrifice of God’s only begotten.

Think of that, and as Jesus stooped for you, bow yourself in lowliness at his feet. A sense of Christ’s amazing love to us has a greater tendency to humble us than even a consciousness of our own guilt.

May the Lord bring us in contemplation to Calvary, then our position will no longer be that of the pompous man of pride, but we shall take the humble place of one who loves much because much has been forgiven him.

Pride cannot live beneath the cross. Let us sit there and learn our lesson, and then rise and carry it into practice

Amen! Very powerful message. I keep going back to the fact that He died and suffered as an ordinary man. Who am I that deserved such forgiveness and grace?

That was classic Spurgeon! Thanks for sharing a very good devo!

Up for another look.


That's right, who am I to deserve such forgiveness and grace. Well said!


You are welcome, a classic for sure.

Thank you so much.

Great message. Thank you for posting.

This ties in very well with the message of humility I heard this morning from 1 Chronicles 4.

C H Spurgeon is one of my favorites!

Pride goeth before a fall.

Dont believe it, ask Budweiser and Target.

I have always been proud of being an American, but there hasn’t been a day goes by that I don’t thank God for that privilege.
I pride myself on knowing how to conduct myself, most of that put there by Mom & Dad. But once again I thank God for blessing me with great parents.
I know that I have been blessed by God, even before I was conceived, and I’m thankful for the assurance that I’m saved through the Blood Of Christ. I know that I’m not worthy.
I think maybe God wants me to be proud of who I am. I know I probably ain’t exactly what He had in mind.
But I know that everything I am, I owe to Him.
7mm

Back to the top.

This needs to be read by more of us.

Thank you....

Humility has been out of fashion for quite some time.

Maybe current events will bring it back.

I know the context of this verse isn't US, but Israel, what do we have to loose?

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

I don't think that plan in Chronicles ever fails.

Rereading Bob Letourneau's, Mover of men, and Mountains. Enough said.

Spurgeon may well have been one of the most eloquent preachers ever. It would have been a treat to have heard him preach.

A thought or two on his observations.

“ Pride cannot live beneath the cross. Let us sit there and learn our lesson, and then rise and carry it into practice”.

We come back to the completed work of Christ, for us, so that we are forgiven, regenerate and have our life sustained.


Questions which arise? Is it the Cross that teaches us to hate our sin which seems to be what Spurgeon implies? Or, rather, is it our sin that teaches us to love Christ and the Cross?

I would offer that the later is the truest view based upon what Paul teaches about the purpose and limits of the Law.

If we sit beneath the cross and learn our lesson exactly what do we then carry away? Do we walk away as one who has somehow ascended because of contemplation? Are we somehow more righteous or holy because of an additional experience there in those moments?

In the Lutheran Service we do not leave with the message of “now go and do” or “you are now entering the mission field”. We leave with the distinct message, having been brought to confession and absolution, the OT, Epistle and Gospel readings, confession of faith, law/Gospel sermon, Sacraments, benediction and blessing. The message is simple and sustaining , “Your sins are forgiven. Go in peace”.

Some great questions to ponder, brother, thanks. On vacation and traveling at the moment but will ponder and answer later.

I do agree that if there was one preacher that I'd like to sit under, listen to, learn from, talk to it would be Spurgeon.

To answer your question, is it the cross or our sin. I'd say it's both. The cross is what love is all about. His perfect life for my sinful life, what else could my response be to someone who gave his life for me and paid my debt and declared me "not guilty" now and on judgement day.
The law is there to show me my sin. Jesus' sacrifice was the only one worthy to make that atonement since he was Holy, perfect and kept the law perfectly.
Also to your second point: go in peace vs go and do. Again both are true but a more accurate statement imo is go, do the work that we are called to do and be at peace because we have been justified.

Humility, forgiveness, the begining of wisdom and understanding.

Absolutely not regarding ascension or being more holy because of an experience. If salvation came while sitting there then we are then holy in the eyes of Christ because of the faith that we resting in but as to the true sense of the word holy, that would be a hell no.

"As for me, and my house, we will Serve the Lord."

I’ve found these or similar questions worth mulling over. Good for the soul.

I’d have to say that I’ve come to the realization that the only thing that I bring to the relationship is sin. The law is always a voice of accusation and rightfully so. With the demand of law invading every aspect of our existence it is a blessing and relief that in Christ, and the proclamation of sins forgiven go in peace, a reprieve from that voice is real.

You’ve caused me to go back and question personal motivation in relation to knowledge of the cross. I’ll have to think that over.

I agree 100% thank you for your thoughtful comments.