by G. D. Watson
If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 16:24-25
If God has called you to be truly like Jesus in all your spirit, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility. He will put on you such demands of obedience that you will not be allowed to follow other Christians. In many ways, He seems to let other good people do things which He will not let you do.
Others who seem to be very religious and useful may push themselves, pull wires, and scheme to carry out their plans, but you cannot. If you attempt it, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.
Others can brag about themselves, their work, their successes, their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing. If you begin to do so, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.
Others will be allowed to succeed in making great sums of money, or having a legacy left to them, or in having luxuries, but God may supply you only on a day-to-day basis, because He wants you to have something far better than gold, a helpless dependence on Him and His unseen treasury.
The Lord may let others be honored and put forward while keeping you hidden in obscurity because He wants to produce some choice, fragrant fruit for His coming glory, which can only be produced in the shade.
God may let others be great, but keep you small. He will let others do a work for Him and get the credit, but He will make you work and toil without knowing how much you are doing. Then, to make your work still more precious, He will let others get the credit for the work which you have done; this to teach you the message of the Cross, humility, and something of the value of being cloaked with His nature.
The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch on you, and with a jealous love rebuke you for careless words and feelings, or for wasting your time, which other Christians never seem distressed over.
So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign and has a right to do as He pleases with His own, and that He may not explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle your reason in His dealings with you.
God will take you at your word. If you absolutely sell yourself to be His slave, He will wrap you up in a jealous love and let other people say and do many things that you cannot. Settle it forever; you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit, He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue or chaining your hand or closing your eyes in ways which others are not dealt with. However, know this great secret of the Kingdom: When you are so completely possessed with the Living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the vestibule of heaven, the high calling of God.
Possessing the Treasure 
Which by imlication makes us wonder how many today really know Christ.
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Amen, Mike!
Yes, indeed; I often wonder myself.
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Only the regenerate understand what a greater burden sin is.This truly is the mark of the true Christian,that there is joy in giving to God His due service in all we do,say and think.We are ever on the alert to glorify God and we are so very glad to do it!
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Agree Henry, it really makes you wonder. Jesus said ‘few’. Today it looks like fewer than few!
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Henry,
I too wonder how many who claim Christ really know him?
I am not to sure about debating Spurgeon, but I think I disagree with the posted statement attributed to him.
His statement DOES discribe my entry into the kingdom. I was on fire and pulling at the bit to serve Christ. However, I am not so sure that MY EXPERIENCE with entry into Christ is necessarily the same for everyone entering the Christian life. And is what it sound like Spurgeon is saying: “Since I didn’t need to be told about serving Christ when I became a Christian, you shouldn’t have to be told either.”
Thank goodness, Paul didn’t believe everyone had to have the same Damascus Road EXPERIENCE he had to be called into the kingdom.
I believe that many will be as Spurgeon believes, but many will fall under: “Teach them to obey….”
fishon
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He always has truth for his quotes!
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fishon – Only God knows who is redeemed, but when a person claims to be born again and feels no unction for service on any level, something is wrong. And when that same person continues in sin with no conviction and no process of sanctification, something again is wrong.
I continued to smoke and occasionally drink after I was saved, but I no longer could enjoy it like before. After a while I was tortured by my sin and God gave me the power to overcome. If there is no inward witness of the Spirit concerning worship, the Word, service, the lost, and personal sin, then that person must examine himself. No man can say for sure and there are some anomalies that show fruit later, but for the most part some change should be evident upon salvation.
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Pingback: Symphony of Scripture » Blog Archive » Charles Spurgeon on Regeneration
Henry,
Don’t misunderstand me. I too believe that a true “Born Again” will be moved on by the Holy Spirit just as you discribe your early years. And for sure, change will become evident in the real Christian, sooner than later, I believe.
My only disagreement is that Spurgeon seems to be saying that the truely saved will just automaticly move into “reasonable service.” If that were true, then Paul would not have needed to tell Christians “…I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifieces….”
That is all I was saying. I believe you and I are in agreement on the heart of the matter.
MAKE IT a great day.
fishon
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Excellent quote, Mike. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Just thinking aloud here: I think it’s important to keep in mind that it isn’t that we’ll necessarily step into a specific sort of service or do any particular set of outward things that would look to others like we’re living a life of service. The surrendering to Christ — the actual surrender, itself — is the reasonable service we offer Him.
http://thegreatapostasy.wordpress.com
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yes many things are done without the attention of others who serve Christ.
I believe we will see this … those who were never recognized, praised, or given much honor. Oh how often I hear the words: ” we must be busy about our Father’s business”; yet this only leads to Leaders revealing their true intent. Do as God leads you to do, but not on account of what others may be saying.
Love reading Spurgeon
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