CHARLES SPURGEON'S CHALLENGE

Especially since the Reformation, it would seem that God has raised up great meN, in every succeeding generation to challenge and encourage the Church to move forward and fulfil its destiny.
One such man  whose writings and ministry has been such a blessing to me personally is Charles Spurgeon a Reformed Baptist Pastor, Preacher, Evangelist and author whose ministry continues to impact Believers  well over 120 years since his death. Please note I said Pastor  and Evangelist, as although he was committed to Reformed truth, was as equally Evangelistic. This is not sadly  a common combination but in his case his writings suggest he continually was  going for souls and for the worst. He equally had a passion to see God’s people growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and wanted Believers to be passionate about seeing people being born again.
He also had a passion to raise up men to respond to the call of God to ministry, so even commenced a Bible College (which is still going today), and since his death was renamed Spurgeons College. You may find his book “Lectures to my students” of interest. He makes this statement in his lectures:

“Whatever “call” a man may pretend to have, if he has not been called to holiness, he certainly has NOT been called to the ministry”.

We all thank God we have been called out of the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of His dear son, and we rejoice today in knowing “old things have passed away and behold all things have become new. We received that “incorruptible seed” (sperma) into our hearts and conception took place and we were born again.

WE NOW HAVE GOD’S D.N.A.

It is not only God’s plan, but it is essential that daily we spend time in prayer and in the Word, so that we DAILY continue to receive that “incorruptible seed into our life, so we should have a hunger and thirst to be like Jesus, to be holy, to walk in victory, purity and power.  The key is that we MUST  be PROACTIVE and want to see God’s DNA effecting every part of our life.
Spurgeon, sadly suggests that people think they have heard the call of God to ministry, but there is no desire for holiness, even though the writer to Hebrews tells us ” we must pursue peace with all men and HOLINESS WITHOUT WHICH NO MAN CAN SEE GOD” Hebrews 12:14 NKJV
Often in my youth I and so many others of my generation interpreted Holiness in the context of legalism, and many “thou shall nots” but the reality is that if I am born again then I should have heard the “call to holiness”  and this does include many things we should NOT do, this includes what comes out of our mouth, our thought life, our daily behaviour. I often talk about the bias to sin we have and how this will seek to draw us away, and  that is why it is essential we are continually receiving God’s DNA into us through His Word and through spending quality time in His presence.
Like every Preacher, if I am pointing one finger at you, then there are three fingers pointing back at me. I want to encourage you not condemn you,  that in 2018:

WE CAN LIVE GENUINE HOLY VICTORIOUS LIVE3S

For those who are in the Ministry, sometimes you can feel it is two steps forward and three steps back, God is not the author of confusion, if we build our lives “according to pattern” so clearly laid out for us in the Word of God, WE CAN LIVE HOLY LIVES.

LET’S NOT FORGET THE NIKE SLOGAN   JUST DO IT