Latest / Reformed Thinking / Faith and Regeneration | Charles Spurgeon

Transcript

Faith and Regeneration | Charles Spurgeon · Reformed Thinking

0:00
Welcome back to The Deep Dive, a show presented by Reformed
0:02
Thinking. We take sources, unpack them,
0:05
and hopefully help you get well informed on things that really
0:07
matter. That's the goal.
0:09
Today we're digging into something quite foundational, A
0:11
theological discussion that's guided Christians for a long
0:14
time. We're looking at Charles
0:16
Spurgeon's sermon Faith and Regeneration from way back in
0:20
1871, plus some related study material.
0:23
The. Classic.
0:23
Yeah, and we're going to unpack his main argument from First
0:27
John 5.1. Everyone who believes that Jesus
0:30
is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the
0:33
Father loves whoever has been born of him.
0:36
Indeed, our focus today is really exploring that tight link
0:40
between real faith and the new birth.
0:43
Right. And then how that spiritual
0:45
change, that regeneration, naturally leads to Christian
0:47
love. We'll look at Spurgeon's take on
0:49
what genuine belief actually involves.
0:51
And how it serves as proof of regeneration.
0:53
And what that change means for your life personally and you
0:57
know, and how you lead to other believers and even the wider
1:00
world. It's a deep topic for sure, and
1:03
it needs careful balancing, which Spurgeon himself really
1:06
highlights right at the start. OK, let's get into it.
1:10
So Spurgeon kicks off by tackling this major challenge
1:13
for anyone preaching the gospel, the need to present, as he puts
1:18
it, the whole truth in fair proportion.
1:22
Meaning, you know, don't overemphasize 1 doctrine or push
1:25
one point so hard you neglect another.
1:27
It's about finding that equal balance.
1:29
Yeah, and he stresses how vital this balance is for what he
1:32
calls practical results. Practical results?
1:35
What does he mean by that? Why is it so critical?
1:37
Well, it's vital because mishandling it can have really
1:40
serious consequences for people's spiritual lives.
1:43
OK, How truth is presented directly impacted, whether
1:46
hearers end up with, say, false assurance or crippling doubt.
1:50
And Spurgeon zeroes in on two key truths that need this
1:54
balance, which are, he calls them the work of Christ For us.
1:57
That's justification by faith and the operations of the Holy
2:00
Spirit in US, which is regeneration, the new birth.
2:03
Two distinct things, but connected.
2:05
Exactly. Both essential for salvation,
2:08
and if you don't present them together in their right
2:10
relationship, you create real spiritual dangers.
2:13
It's like walking a tightrope, he implies.
2:16
Lean too far. Either way, that doesn't end
2:18
well. That sounds like a tough line to
2:19
walk for preachers. So what are the dangers if they
2:22
lean too far one way or the other?
2:25
Let's start with preaching justification by faith baldly,
2:28
as he says. What's that look like?
2:30
Preaching it baldly means presenting it really strongly.
2:34
Plainly, but sort of out of all connection with other truth.
2:39
Isolated. Yeah, like.
2:40
Showing just one facet of a diamond without the whole
2:42
setting. When that happens, it can breed
2:45
what he terms presumptuous confidences.
2:47
OK, like a false security. Precisely.
2:49
People might think they're saved just because they mentally
2:51
agree, without any real change in their lives.
2:54
This fosters a dead, fruitless inoperative faith.
2:58
So someone says. I believe that nothing changes.
3:01
Right. No pursuit of holiness, no real
3:03
love for others, no growth. This conceit of supposed faith,
3:08
as he calls it, can be really dangerous because it makes
3:11
people think they don't need self examination or repentance.
3:15
They might even see warnings as unnecessary.
3:17
He. Warns against just shouting
3:19
believe, believe, believe. He does without defining what to
3:22
believe or clarifying what salvation actually is.
3:26
It's not just forgiveness of guilt, he insists, but
3:28
deliverance from sins. Power.
3:30
It's control over you. So that kind of unbalanced
3:33
message could do more harm than good.
3:35
That's his point. It can cause as much hurt as
3:38
good. A very strong caution.
3:40
OK, that's one side. What about the other extreme?
3:42
What if a preacher focuses too much on the great change of
3:46
conversion and its fruits and its consequences?
3:49
Well, the opposite danger is dwelling forever and always on
3:52
regeneration. The signs, the fruits, the
3:54
feelings. Almost for getting the good news
3:57
of immediate salvation through faith alone.
3:59
How does that cause problems? It can set so high a standard of
4:02
experience for what a true born child of God should look like or
4:06
feel like. Making it seem unattainable.
4:08
Exactly. These really demanding standards
4:11
for Marks and signs can greatly discourage sincere seekers.
4:15
They might fall into what Spurgeon calls a species of
4:18
legality. Legality, meaning focusing on
4:21
rules or feelings instead of Christ.
4:23
Right constantly looking inward for proof of their conversion,
4:26
searching for the right feelings or enough evidence.
4:28
This leads to perpetual doubts. Constantly questioning if they
4:32
measure up. Yes.
4:33
Their acceptance in Christ gets clouded because they're so busy
4:36
checking their spiritual pulse, their feelings, their actions,
4:39
instead of resting in God's grace freely given in Jesus.
4:42
So they miss the peace. They do.
4:44
That's why Spurgeon insists preachers must most plainly
4:47
testified to the undoubted truth that true faith in Jesus Christ
4:50
saves the soul to free people from that legal bondage.
4:54
Otherwise, people who should be enjoying peace end up stuck in
4:57
fear and introspection. It's a very fine balance.
5:00
Then he points to the apostle John, as someone who keep this
5:03
right, calls him a model of wise building.
5:06
How did John manage it? John's a great example because
5:08
he really held both truths firmly.
5:12
Take John chapter 3. Jesus gives Nicodemus this
5:15
extensive teaching on the new birth.
5:16
You must be born again. Super clear on the need for
5:20
spiritual change. Right, the necessity of
5:22
regeneration. But then, in the same chapter,
5:24
John includes what Spurgeon calls perhaps the plainest piece
5:27
of gospel in all the Scriptures, the story of Moses lifting up
5:31
the bronze serpent. Leading straight to whoever
5:33
believes in him should not perish.
5:36
But have everlasting life exactly.
5:38
So you see both the need for interchange and the simple call
5:42
to believe right there together. Perfect harmony.
5:44
And he does this elsewhere too. Oh yes.
5:46
In his first letter, first John 5HE keeps talking about being
5:48
born of God, insists on it, but at the same time he attributes
5:53
amazing power to faith. It's the sign we're born again.
5:56
It overcomes the world. It gives us the inner witness.
5:59
It means we have eternal life. So faith and regeneration aren't
6:01
deposed. Not at all, Spurgeon says.
6:04
John couldn't heap enough honor on believing while also
6:07
stressing the huge significance of the inner work of the new
6:10
birth. They're like two sides of one
6:12
coin, deeply connected. Now, this difficulty in
6:15
balancing isn't just for preachers, is it?
6:17
Spurgeon says. It extends to the listener to
6:19
creating these two kinds of spiritual struggles.
6:22
That's right, the listener often reflects the same potential
6:24
imbalances. On one side, you have those who
6:27
fall into presumptuous confidences.
6:30
The ones who here believe and be saved and stop there.
6:33
Pretty much they hear that simple truth, but neglect the
6:36
rest. They mistake just sort of mental
6:40
agreement for a real confidence of safety in Christ, but it's
6:43
not really grounded on God's Word, properly understood, nor
6:47
proved by any change in their soul.
6:49
And they avoid self examination. They do.
6:51
They think questioning their salvation would be unbelief, so
6:55
they developed this false peace which can make them ignore
6:58
gospel warnings thinking they don't apply.
7:01
For you, the listener, the danger is assuming you're OK
7:04
just because you agree with the doctrine without seeing real
7:07
fruit. A dangerous place to be.
7:09
Very you might even start seeing godly fear or careful living as
7:13
unnecessary, maybe even legalistic, which is a serious
7:17
self deception. OK, and what about the other
7:19
struggle, the opposite of presumption?
7:21
That's the struggle with perpetual doubts.
7:24
These are often sincere people who accept justification by
7:28
faith as a doctrine you know, in their heads.
7:31
But can't quite rest in it. Exactly.
7:33
They struggle to accept it practically.
7:35
They look too much within for proof, constantly searching for
7:38
signs of being a new creation. Always checking for evidence
7:41
inside themselves, right? Which leads to endless anxiety.
7:44
Am I really saved? Do I feel enough?
7:47
Have I changed enough? It obscures the wonderful truth
7:50
that our acceptance isn't based on us, but solely on Christ
7:53
Jesus. They forget they're accepted in
7:55
him. Precisely, they lose sight of
7:58
being cleansed by His blood and clothed in His righteousness.
8:01
For you listening, the struggle might look like constantly
8:03
taking your spiritual temperature, searching for
8:06
feelings to prove you're worthy instead of just resting in what
8:09
Christ has done. It's common, especially for
8:11
those who really care about their relationship with God.
8:14
So how do we find that middle path?
8:17
Avoid both the false confidence and the constant doubt.
8:20
Well, Spurgeon is very clear. Only the Holy Spirit can teach
8:23
you this balance. He calls it a narrow path, one
8:26
that human reason or worldly wisdom can't find on its own.
8:30
It requires divine guidance. Yes, those taught by the Spirit
8:34
won't fall into presumption and ignore the spirits work within
8:37
them, but they also won't forget that salvation is entirely from
8:41
the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our wisdom, righteousness,
8:44
sanctification, redemption. So the Spirit keeps us balanced.
8:47
That's the idea. The take away for you is really
8:49
to pray for the spirits teaching.
8:51
Ask Him to light up these truths in your heart so you can walk
8:54
confidently in Christ without either becoming casual about sin
8:58
or getting lost and anxious. Self analysis.
9:00
And Spurgeon finds that the verse itself, first John 5.1,
9:04
actually brings these two truths together beautifully into a
9:07
delightful harmony. It does.
9:09
So let's really focus now on what that believing actually
9:11
means. It's obviously more than just
9:12
nodding your head. Right.
9:14
The believing in first John 5.1 is specifically saving faith.
9:19
It's the kind of faith Jesus and the apostles called people to
9:22
exercise. The kind connected to the
9:24
promise of salvation. Always, Spurgeon pushes back
9:28
hard against any idea of a mere human faith, which does not save
9:32
He calls that notion frivolous or worse.
9:35
He points to Paul in the Jailer. He does believe in the Lord
9:38
Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.
9:40
Such what argues that command and promise are universal,
9:42
always appropriate. The faith the apostles preached
9:45
was saving faith. It changes the heart, changes
9:48
the life. It's not just general belief,
9:50
it's specific reliance on Christ.
9:52
OK, so it's saving faith, but is it something we're supposed to
9:55
do? Spurgeon calls it the duty of
9:57
all men. How does that work?
9:59
Yeah, that's a crucial point he makes.
10:01
He argues it is man's duty to believe the truth, the truth
10:04
that Jesus is the Christ, and our duty to confide in Him.
10:07
Where does that greedy come from?
10:09
From God's command, he quotes first John.
10:11
This is his commandment that we should believe on the name of
10:13
his son, Jesus Christ. God's command, Spurgeon says.
10:17
Don't change based on our ability or lack thereof to obey
10:20
them. Our inability doesn't remove the
10:22
obligation. Exactly.
10:23
He uses an analogy of a debtor. If you owe money but lose your
10:28
ability to earn, you still owe the money, the debt, The duty
10:31
remains. Our fallen state doesn't erase
10:34
God's rightful command to believe.
10:36
OK, so it's our duty. But then he also says.
10:39
Right. He immediately follows up by
10:40
stating that this saving faith is, in every case without
10:44
exception, the gift of God and the work of the Holy Spirit.
10:47
The paradox. The paradox indeed.
10:50
Faith is too celestial a grace, he says, to spring up in human
10:54
nature till it is renewed. The Holy Spirit has to work it
10:57
in us. We don't just decide to have
10:59
saving faith one day, it's divinely given.
11:01
And that's when people often get stuck.
11:03
Duty and Gift feels like a contradiction.
11:06
How does Spurgeon handle that? He acknowledges the apparent
11:09
tension. Are these two things consistent?
11:12
He asked. And answers certainly for they
11:14
are both true. How?
11:16
He challenges those who find it inconsistent, saying basically
11:19
don't be childish about it, Experience makes them consistent
11:22
if theory does not. Experience meaning living it
11:25
out. Yes, uses this interesting
11:28
analogy of seeing with two eyes or a spiritual stereoscope.
11:33
You look at 2 distinct images, 2 doctrines, until your spiritual
11:36
sight blends them into one clearer, more real picture.
11:40
So we shouldn't demand to see the connecting link before we
11:43
believe both truths. That's his point.
11:45
Rise above the babyhood, which cannot believe 2 doctrines until
11:49
it sees the connecting link. Accept both as true because God
11:53
reveals both. These two views of truth merge
11:57
into one reality that's actually more real because it holds both
12:01
aspects. So for us listening, the idea is
12:03
that some spiritual truths come as paradoxes, not
12:05
contradictions. We act, we strive to believe,
12:08
but we know it's ultimately God's grace enabling it.
12:11
Exactly like learning an instrument, it's your duty to
12:14
practice. But the real musical ability
12:16
feels like a gift, right? You do your part, but depend on
12:19
something more. Spurgeon insists his duty is
12:21
just to preach both truths honestly, trusting the Spirit to
12:25
convince us of our inability and work faith within us.
12:27
That's helpful. OK, let's move to the object of
12:29
this faith. What are we actually believing
12:31
in? Is it just ideas?
12:33
No. Crucially, true faith rests upon
12:35
a person, upon Jesus. It's not primarily about a
12:38
doctrine or an opinion or a formula, but belief concerning a
12:43
person. Believing that Jesus is the
12:44
Christ. Yes, and Christ means anointed 1
12:48
so it means truly receiving Jesus as God presented and
12:51
anointed him. Spoojan unpacks this using the
12:54
three traditional offices, Prophet, Priest, and King.
12:57
Right understanding and accepting him in all three
13:00
roles. That's key for Spurgeon.
13:02
It's a full reliance on who Jesus is and what he does in his
13:05
complete work. Can you break down what
13:07
accepting him in each office looks like?
13:09
What does that mean for our faith?
13:10
Sure, first as prophet believing this means accepting him as the
13:15
great prophet, anointed of God to reveal the way of salvation.
13:19
Our ultimate teacher. Yes, taking him as your teacher,
13:22
admitting his words are life, accepting him as the one who
13:24
reveals God to your soul, it means you submit to His
13:27
teaching. You obey His gospel.
13:29
It's not just agreeing He said wise things.
13:31
It's letting Him guide your understanding of truth.
13:32
OK, prophet then priest. As priest, faith means you
13:37
firmly believe he offered his one sacrifice for the sins of
13:41
mankind. And crucially, you accept His
13:45
atonement as the expiation, the complete payment and
13:48
satisfaction for your personal sins.
13:50
You trust His sacrifice alone covers your sin.
13:54
Exactly. Recognizing Him as the one soul
13:57
only propitiating priest, the only one who sacrifice, turns
14:00
away God's righteous anger against sin.
14:03
You rest your entire hope for forgiveness on what He did on
14:05
the cross, not your own efforts. Clinging to the cross, got it.
14:08
And King. As King, faith means you desire
14:12
to submit entirely to his government.
14:14
His law becomes your law. You begin to love what he loves,
14:16
hate what he hates. You want to live as his loyal
14:19
subject, eager to see his Kingdom advance.
14:21
So it involves act of obedience and surrender.
14:23
Definitely you welcome his reign over every part of your life,
14:26
not just the convenient bits. It's about allegiance.
14:28
So Spurgeon would say, if you can sincerely embrace Jesus as
14:31
prophet, priest and king and trust him in all those ways,
14:34
that's the faith he's talking about.
14:36
That's precisely it, a comprehensive reliance.
14:39
OK, that clarifies what true faith is, but he's also careful
14:42
to point out what it isn't. How does he distinguish it from
14:46
counterfeits? He's very clear here.
14:48
First, it's not mere notional faith, just intellectual
14:51
agreement, like believing, he says, in the existence of men in
14:55
the moon. Just knowing the facts.
14:57
Right. A creed will not save you, he
14:59
states plainly. Salvation comes from reliance
15:02
upon the anointed Savior. You can know all the right
15:05
doctrines, have perfect orthodoxy, and still not be born
15:08
of God if there's no personal trust.
15:10
Knowing about versus trusting in.
15:12
Exactly. Second, it's not a flattering
15:15
presumption based on feelings. Delightful feelings, marvelous
15:18
dreams, wonderful sensations. Emotional highs or experiences
15:21
aren't the foundation. No, that kind of confidence may
15:24
be nothing but mere assumption, maybe even the reverse of faith.
15:28
Faith is grounded, reasonable in its own spiritual way.
15:32
If your faith rests only on a past feeling or dream, Spurgeon
15:35
urges you to check its foundation.
15:37
OK and 3rd this one sounds tricky.
15:39
Yes, this is a really important distinction he makes.
15:42
True faith, especially at the beginning, is not the assurance
15:45
that Jesus died for me personally.
15:47
Wait. How does that work?
15:49
Isn't that what we believe? He.
15:50
Clarifies the order. Listen to this I do not believe
15:54
in Jesus because I am persuaded that His blood was shed for me,
15:57
but rather I discover that His blood was shed especially for me
16:01
from the fact that I have been led to believe in Him.
16:04
So the belief comes first, then the personal assurance follows
16:07
from that belief. Precisely.
16:09
He warns against groundless hopes of mercy based on just
16:12
assuming Christ died for you, perhaps because you believe he
16:15
died for everyone. That kind of assumption, he
16:18
says, can actually harden people and sin if it's not connected to
16:21
real reliance. Believing in doctrine about the
16:24
Atonement isn't the same as trusting the Savior.
16:26
So you don't start by saying I know I'm saved, therefore I
16:29
believe. You start by saying I believe in
16:31
Jesus the Savior, and because of that God-given faith, you come
16:35
to understand you are saved. That's it exactly.
16:38
Faith isn't confidence that I am saved because maybe I'm not yet.
16:42
And faith can't believe a lie. Faith is, in his simple phrase,
16:46
reliance upon Jesus Christ. Trusting him to save.
16:49
Yes, you come to Him based on His revealed character as the
16:53
Savior of sinners, the one God set forth as a propitiation.
16:57
You cast yourself on Him. Then through His Word and
17:00
Spirit, you learn of His special love for you, that you were His,
17:04
that you were born of God. Assurance grows out of faith.
17:07
It's not the prerequisite for faith.
17:09
That clears up a lot. Spudgeon uses some really vivid
17:12
pictures from the Bible to illustrate this simple reliance.
17:15
Those are always helpful. They really are.
17:17
He pulls out several that make it tangible.
17:19
First, think about Passover. The blood on the doorposts.
17:22
Right. The Father takes the Lamb's
17:24
blood and smears it in the door frame with hyssop.
17:26
That act, Spurgeon says, represented faith.
17:30
Faith takes in the things of Christ, makes him his own,
17:33
sprinkles the soul with the precious blood, accepting God's
17:36
way of mercy. The blood saved, but it had to
17:38
be applied personally through that act of faith and obedience.
17:41
It wasn't automatic. OK, what else?
17:43
Then laying hands on the sacrifice.
17:45
In the Old Testament, when someone brought an offering,
17:48
they laid hands on its head. Symbolizing transfer.
17:50
Yes, a token that they desire their sins to be transferred to
17:54
it. Faith does the same.
17:56
Faith lays her hands on Jesus, desiring to receive the benefit
18:00
of his substitutionary death. It's identifying with Him,
18:04
accepting his death in your place.
18:06
OK, another one. The Israelites bitten by
18:10
serpents in the wilderness. Moses lifts up a bronze serpent,
18:13
and anyone who simply looked at it lift.
18:16
Just looking seems so simple. Incredibly simple, but that look
18:20
indicated that the person was obedient to God's command.
18:23
Healing flowed from the serpent through that simple look.
18:25
Spurgeon quotes the hemline. There's his life for a look at
18:28
the crucified one. It wasn't about how well they
18:30
looked, but that they looked in obedience to the object God
18:33
provided. Powerful and one more.
18:35
The woman touching the hem of Jesus's garment.
18:38
Remember her story, She believed.
18:40
If I just catch his clothes, I'll be healed.
18:42
And she was instantly. Yes, she didn't rely on doctors
18:45
or elaborate rituals, just a simple touch, trusting him.
18:49
Spurgeon uses this to say, if you can can't get into contact
18:53
with Christ by simply trusting him, though that trust be ever
18:56
so feeble, then you have the faith of God's elect, the faith
18:59
that proves the new birth. So all these pictures show faith
19:03
as simple, personal, obedient reliance, even if it feels weak.
19:08
Exactly. The power isn't in the strength
19:10
of our faith, but in the object of our faith, Jesus himself and
19:14
his power to save. These illustrations really drive
19:17
home the simplicity of reliance. But now Spurgeon makes this
19:20
massive claim. Where true faith exists, it is
19:23
the proof of regeneration. He quotes the verse again.
19:26
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of
19:29
God. That sounds absolute.
19:31
It is. He states it incredibly
19:33
strongly. There never was a grain of such
19:35
faith as this in the world except in a regenerate soul, and
19:38
there never will be why the world standeth.
19:40
So genuine saving faith only exists in someone already born
19:43
again. That's his unshakable
19:45
conviction. The simplicity of faith, how
19:48
easy it might seem, is no reason why I should not regard its
19:51
existence as an infallible indication of the new birth
19:54
within. It looks simple, but it points
19:57
to something profoundly deep. So for you listening, if you
20:00
genuinely find yourself trusting Christ as prophet, priest, king.
20:04
That itself is the evidence that God has already worked new life
20:08
in your heart. Faith doesn't earn regeneration,
20:11
it demonstrates it. It's a gift that signals the
20:13
givers prior work. He uses some great analogies to
20:16
show how simple signs can point to deep realities.
20:19
Can you walk us through those? Yeah, they're quite effective.
20:21
First, the newborn child. How do we know it lives?
20:25
Often just by its cry. A simple sound, yet it indicated
20:28
the mysteries of breathing, heart beating, blood flowing,
20:30
all the hidden complexities of life.
20:32
The cry isn't the life, but it's the sign.
20:34
OK. Second, someone pulled from a
20:36
river. Your lungs still heave.
20:39
That simple movement indicates life is present, even if a
20:42
faint. It's the outward sign of inner
20:44
vitality. Third, the Telegraph needles
20:47
clicking away in an office back then.
20:50
To someone who doesn't understand telegraphy, it's just
20:52
noise and movement, but the operator knows it signifies an
20:56
electric current and more importantly, a mind directing an
21:00
invisible force, a message being sent.
21:02
The symbol movement reveals a hidden intelligence.
21:05
Precisely. And these analogies connect
21:07
directly to faith. Faith, like the cry or the
21:10
heaving lungs or the clicking needle, indicates that God is
21:12
operating on the human mind. It reveals A deeper mystery.
21:15
A deeper mystery, yes. A divine operation the natural
21:19
person can't see or understand. So for you, while your act of
21:23
faith might feel simple, it's very presence is like God's
21:26
signal flare in your soul, showing his regenerating work.
21:29
Insurgeon concludes. With absolute certainty, to
21:31
believe in Jesus is a better indicator of regeneration than
21:34
anything else, and in no case did it ever mislead.
21:38
If you have true faith in Christ, you are saved, you are
21:40
born again. Period.
21:42
That is incredibly clarifying. Now let's tackle something
21:45
people often get confused about this idea that believing is just
21:48
a step towards being saved, not the same as being saved.
21:51
Spurgeon calls this a gross error.
21:53
How does he argue against it? He uses scripture directly to
21:56
show that salvation is immediate upon believing.
22:00
This is crucial for assurance. OK, what's the first proof?
22:03
From John 3.18 He that believeth on him is not condemned.
22:08
Sturge's logic is simple. If unbelievers are condemned and
22:11
believers are not condemned, then believers must be saved.
22:14
Right. Makes sense.
22:15
If you're not condemned, you're justified.
22:17
Exactly. Being justified by faith, he has
22:20
peace with God. Your legal status changes
22:23
instantly upon belief. No condemnation.
22:25
OK, what's next? First, John 5.4 This is the
22:27
victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.
22:30
He connects this to the phrase, Whatsoever is born of God
22:33
overcometh the world. So if faith brings victory, and
22:37
victory belongs to those born of God.
22:39
Then the person with faith must be born of God, must be
22:42
regenerate, must be saved. Faith is the instrument God give
22:46
the regenerate soul to overcome. An unsaved person's faith
22:50
doesn't overcome the world. Clear connection.
22:53
Third proof. First, John 5.10.
22:56
He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.
22:59
This inner testimony, this experimental witness to God's
23:02
truth, is something an unsaved person just doesn't have.
23:05
It proves an inner. Change.
23:07
Yes, a change wrought in him that allows his own Spirit,
23:10
taught by the Holy Spirit, to confirm God's truth.
23:13
This inner witness is evidence of the Spirit's presence proving
23:16
salvation. And the last one, this seems
23:18
very direct. It's extremely direct John 6.47
23:21
and 1st John 5.13 he that believeth on him have
23:24
everlasting life present tense. Possesses it now?
23:27
Right now, Spurgeon hammers this home.
23:29
The moment that the sinner's trust is placed on the finished
23:31
work of Jesus, he is saved. Not will be saved, not is on the
23:35
path to being saved. He is saved.
23:37
No waiting period, no probation, None.
23:40
He says this applies just as much to a babe in faith as to a
23:43
mature believer. The newest Christian, the moment
23:46
they truly believe is just as safe as the man who has believed
23:50
in Jesus 50 years. Wow.
23:52
That's incredibly assuring. It's meant to be for you
23:55
listening. This means salvation isn't a
23:57
goal you reach later. It's a present possession
23:59
received the instant you rely on Christ.
24:02
Undeniable proofs. But what about repentance?
24:05
People always ask, Don't you have to repent too?
24:08
How does faith relate to repentance and other Christian
24:10
virtues? Spurgeon tackles that head on.
24:13
He says essentially, you can't separate them.
24:15
No man ever believed but what he repented.
24:18
At the same time, faith and repentance go together.
24:21
Two sides of the same coin. Exactly.
24:23
If you're truly trusting Christ to save you from sin, that very
24:26
trust implies a changed mind in relation to sin.
24:29
You start to hate what He hates. You can't cling to Christ for
24:32
salvation while simultaneously clinging to your sin with
24:35
affection. The act of trusting involves
24:37
turning. It does.
24:38
Trusting Him is proof you loathe sin and your mind about God and
24:42
sin has fundamentally changed. So faith isn't just this one
24:45
isolated thing. Not at all.
24:48
He describes faith as the compendium of all virtues, like
24:52
a seed packet. Containing everything else in
24:54
potential. Yes, all other Christian graces
24:57
in embryo, ready to grow true faith.
25:01
When the Spirit nurtures, it inevitably leads to a purging of
25:04
himself from sin, separating himself from the world, conflict
25:08
with evil, and warring for the glory of Christ.
25:11
So the starting point contains the whole journey.
25:14
In seed form, yes. That simple act of faith
25:16
contains enough power by the Spirit to transform a person
25:20
completely. It's the foundation upon which
25:22
the whole structure of Christian character is built.
25:25
OK, so faith proves regeneration, brings immediate
25:28
salvation and contains the seeds of holiness.
25:31
What does this look like lived out?
25:33
What are the practical results once we are born of God?
25:35
Well, the primary legitimate issue, as Spurgeon puts it,
25:38
flowing out of being begotten of God is love.
25:41
Love is the natural result. It's the expected outcome, the
25:44
fruit that grows from that new spiritual life.
25:46
Just like a healthy tree bears fruit, a regenerate heart
25:48
produces love. And what kind of love?
25:51
Love for God primarily? Or does it extend outwards?
25:55
Oh, it definitely extends outwards, especially to other
25:57
believers, Spurgeon is emphatic. We must love, if we are begotten
26:01
of God, all those who are also born of God.
26:04
Why? What's the basis for that?
26:06
Because we are of the family, through regeneration, through
26:11
our shared faith in Christ, we share a common life, and that
26:14
common life is meant to bind us to each other.
26:17
So recognizing someone else trusts Christ is the reason to
26:20
love them. That's the fundamental basis for
26:23
you listening. It means those spiritual family
26:25
ties, because you're both born of God, should actually be
26:28
stronger than differences in background or status or even
26:31
minor theological disagreements. That's a high standard,
26:34
especially when Christians can be so different and, frankly,
26:37
sometimes difficult. What about when we see flaws
26:39
'cause infirmities and errors as He calls them and other
26:42
believers you? Still got to love them.
26:44
Spurgeon is direct. We are not to love their faults,
26:47
of course, just like we wouldn't want them loving our faults.
26:50
We are nevertheless to love their persons despite the
26:52
mistakes or weaknesses we see. And the reason goes back to the
26:56
core truth. Yes.
26:57
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God
27:01
because they belong to the family.
27:02
Because we love the Father who adopt us, we must love all His
27:05
children. Our shared spiritual birth in
27:08
Christ has to override our human tendency to judge or pull away
27:13
because of imperfections. We have to extend grace
27:16
basically. Just as it's been extended to
27:18
us, it's vital for Christian unity.
27:20
This definitely has implications for church life, for fellowship,
27:24
especially around things like communion, the Lord's table.
27:27
How does Spurgeon apply this love principle there?
27:30
He takes a really strong, maybe even controversial stance for
27:33
some based on this principle, he says I do not know how I could
27:37
brook my soul as a child of God to refuse any man communion at
27:41
my master's table who believe that Jesus is the Christ.
27:44
So if someone genuinely believes they should be welcome.
27:48
That's his reasoning. If they believe, and that faith
27:51
is evidenced by their life and profession, then they are born
27:54
of God. And has not every child the
27:56
right to come to the Father's table?
27:59
Faith in Christ as the proof of new birth is the entry ticket in
28:03
his view. The table is Christ's, so all
28:05
Christ people belong there. He uses an analogy about parents
28:09
feeding their children, even disobedient ones.
28:11
He does. He contrasts the old and unwise.
28:15
He implies practice of withholding meals is punishment,
28:18
with the understanding that starving a child hurts their
28:21
constitution. So withholding communion harms
28:23
spiritual health. That's the implication, he says.
28:26
There are other ways to discipline in God's house rods,
28:29
but don't keep genuinely believing children away from the
28:32
Father's Supper. Let them come, hoping that the
28:35
spiritual nourishment Stronger constitution will help them
28:38
overcome their faults throughout the disease and grow into fuller
28:41
obedience. It's about nourishment and
28:43
patience then, even with imperfection.
28:45
Exactly prioritizing their spiritual well-being and growth
28:48
fueled by love. So this love is clearly meant to
28:51
shape life within the church. Does it stop there or does it
28:55
reach outwards too? It absolutely reaches outwards
28:58
within the church. Yes, there's this call from
29:00
mutual love. Practical stuff like comforting
29:03
the weak, teaching those who need it, helping those in
29:05
distress, restoring those who stumble.
29:07
The rule is little children love one another.
29:11
That's how the family works. Building each other up.
29:13
Right, but then he immediately reminds us of Jesus's words.
29:17
Other sheep he has which were not yet of this fold.
29:21
Them also he must bring in. So love extends to the loss.
29:24
Yes, believers are urged to love those who are yet to be brought
29:28
in and a lovingly go forth at once to seek them.
29:31
We should have loving eyes looking after our prodigal
29:34
brothers. So regeneration fuels both
29:36
internal unity and external mission.
29:38
Perfectly put, it's a love that holds the family together and
29:41
compels it outwards and loving pursuit of those still outside,
29:44
all flowing naturally from the new heart given in regeneration.
29:47
Hashtags tag at Otroba well. That was quite the deep dive
29:51
into Spurgeon on faith and regeneration.
29:54
We've really seen how true faith for him is far more than just
29:57
mental agreement. It's his deep reliance on Jesus
30:01
as our prophet, priest and king. And how that faith isn't
30:05
something we work up, but it's the actual, undeniable proof
30:09
that God has already given us new life, the new birth, and
30:12
that brings immediate salvation. Right.
30:14
Salvation isn't delayed, and that new birth sets the stage
30:17
for a changed life, one where Christian graces begin to grow.
30:21
And we saw how the most prominent fruit of that new
30:23
birth is genuine love. Love for God, certainly, but
30:26
also love for fellow believers, even across minor differences.
30:29
And then this passionate, loving drive to reach out to those who
30:32
don't yet know Christ. It really shows how these core
30:35
truths, faith, regeneration, love, all fit together, how they
30:39
work in unity, in a believer's experience.
30:41
They really do. It's not one of the other, but
30:42
all woven together. A complex topic that's so
30:45
rewarding to explore. So for you, our listener, maybe
30:48
here's something to think about. If true faith is that simple yet
30:51
miraculous sign of regeneration, and regeneration naturally
30:55
produces love, how could focusing more intentionally on
30:58
the object of your faith, Jesus himself in all his fullness as
31:01
prophet, priest and king, how might that further unlock and
31:04
grow that transforming love in your own day-to-day life?
31:06
Something to consider.