Spurgeon
Beloved of All
It is a right and needful thing that you have brought this burden to the throne of grace, and that your desire is not for vengeance nor for mere earthly settlement, but for the soul of this man, that he might be saved.
You have well chosen the word of our Lord, For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. There is no other way of salvation. The house in which we dwell in this life has God for its Landlord, and we are only tenants. There is a clause in the lease which many have never observed, namely, that the Landlord has at all times the right to enter and leave His own property. Every man holds his life, his breath, his dwelling, upon sufferance from the Great Landlord, and the rent that is required is not silver or gold, but that the heart be rendered up to Christ, till by a living faith we have embraced Jesus as our full salvation and have received the Holy Spirit as our Sanctifier. To save his life by holding it for himself, a man shall lose it, but to yield the key of his house to the Great Landlord, to lose his life for Christ, is to save it unto life eternal.
This salvation is by Divine Grace through faith in Christ Jesus, and in no other. The Scripture says, Whoever believes on Him shall not be ashamed. What is believing on Him but trusting in Him. It is not looking to our own prayers or our own worth, nor to any priest or ceremony, but looking unto Jesus. Salvation is God's greatest work, and there He teaches us that He is God and beside Him there is none else, when He cries, Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth. How simple is that way and how instantaneous, for a look does not require a moment. And what would you give for such a salvation, it is without money and without price. If a man believes in Christ with all his heart, his salvation is secure beyond hazard, for His honor is engaged to save the meanest of His sheep. He Himself is salvation, and there is salvation in none other.
Let us therefore plead with the Most High, spreading our case before Him and pressing our suit with arguments drawn from His own Word, and let us do so in humility of spirit, remembering that true prayer is not self conceit but a lowly waiting upon mercy.
We will pray together for this man who was your landlord. O Lord our God, Thou art the Great Landlord of all the earth, and every soul is Thine. We bring before Thee this man, who is yet in darkness and whose communication has been opposing and dysfunctional. Lord Jesus, Thou reignest over darkness, and Thy light expelleth all darkness. We ask Thy mercy and grace upon him, that Thou wouldst open his eyes to see that his life is not his own. Grant him to hear Thy Word, Look unto me, and be ye saved, and to obey it. Bring him to lose his life for Thy sake, to trust wholly in Thee, to believe on Him whom God hath laid in Zion for a foundation, that he shall not be ashamed. Let him receive Thy salvation as Thy free gift, without money and without price, through simple faith in Thy blood and righteousness. Save him, O Lord, we beseech Thee, for Thy heart's desire for sinners is that they may be saved.
And for this rented apartment situation, we ask that Thou wouldst give peace where there has been strife, and wisdom where there has been confusion. Let Thy will be done, and let Thy power be seen, that all may know that Thou art God alone. We ask not for our own will to be exalted, but that Thy name be glorified in the doing of justice and in the showing of mercy.
Hear us, O God, for we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our only Saviour, in whom alone is salvation. Amen.
You have well chosen the word of our Lord, For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. There is no other way of salvation. The house in which we dwell in this life has God for its Landlord, and we are only tenants. There is a clause in the lease which many have never observed, namely, that the Landlord has at all times the right to enter and leave His own property. Every man holds his life, his breath, his dwelling, upon sufferance from the Great Landlord, and the rent that is required is not silver or gold, but that the heart be rendered up to Christ, till by a living faith we have embraced Jesus as our full salvation and have received the Holy Spirit as our Sanctifier. To save his life by holding it for himself, a man shall lose it, but to yield the key of his house to the Great Landlord, to lose his life for Christ, is to save it unto life eternal.
This salvation is by Divine Grace through faith in Christ Jesus, and in no other. The Scripture says, Whoever believes on Him shall not be ashamed. What is believing on Him but trusting in Him. It is not looking to our own prayers or our own worth, nor to any priest or ceremony, but looking unto Jesus. Salvation is God's greatest work, and there He teaches us that He is God and beside Him there is none else, when He cries, Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth. How simple is that way and how instantaneous, for a look does not require a moment. And what would you give for such a salvation, it is without money and without price. If a man believes in Christ with all his heart, his salvation is secure beyond hazard, for His honor is engaged to save the meanest of His sheep. He Himself is salvation, and there is salvation in none other.
Let us therefore plead with the Most High, spreading our case before Him and pressing our suit with arguments drawn from His own Word, and let us do so in humility of spirit, remembering that true prayer is not self conceit but a lowly waiting upon mercy.
We will pray together for this man who was your landlord. O Lord our God, Thou art the Great Landlord of all the earth, and every soul is Thine. We bring before Thee this man, who is yet in darkness and whose communication has been opposing and dysfunctional. Lord Jesus, Thou reignest over darkness, and Thy light expelleth all darkness. We ask Thy mercy and grace upon him, that Thou wouldst open his eyes to see that his life is not his own. Grant him to hear Thy Word, Look unto me, and be ye saved, and to obey it. Bring him to lose his life for Thy sake, to trust wholly in Thee, to believe on Him whom God hath laid in Zion for a foundation, that he shall not be ashamed. Let him receive Thy salvation as Thy free gift, without money and without price, through simple faith in Thy blood and righteousness. Save him, O Lord, we beseech Thee, for Thy heart's desire for sinners is that they may be saved.
And for this rented apartment situation, we ask that Thou wouldst give peace where there has been strife, and wisdom where there has been confusion. Let Thy will be done, and let Thy power be seen, that all may know that Thou art God alone. We ask not for our own will to be exalted, but that Thy name be glorified in the doing of justice and in the showing of mercy.
Hear us, O God, for we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our only Saviour, in whom alone is salvation. Amen.
