Charles Spurgeon

Remembering

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 1 Comment

“I slew him—this right hand struck the dagger to his heart. My deeds slew Christ. Alas! I slew my best beloved; I killed him who loved me with an everlasting love. Oh eyes, why do you refuse to weep when you see Jesus’ body mangled and torn? Give vent to your sorrow, Christians, for you have good reason to do so” (adapted from “The Tomb of Jesus” by Charles Spurgeon).

Every time I think my sin is no big deal, I should read this. Every time I think that I can keep sinning and God’s grace will cover it, I need to remember that my sin always costs something. It cost God everything.

Although I may be free from the penalty of sin, I’m not free from its consequences, one of those being the inability to sense God’s presence in my life. Plus, I’ve found that when I give in to temptation and sin, I become very me-focused as opposed to others-focused and God-focused.

So this Easter season, I’m remembering that even though my salvation was free for me, it was not free for God. It cost Him Jesus. That sin that I take so lightly required a payment of blood and death. It should have been my blood and my death but Jesus took that penalty, not so that I could continue to take sin lightly, but so that I might finally have the freedom to walk away from it.

Better still, I can claim the promise that no matter how far down my sin takes me, God’s grace is deeper still. Even with all my best intentions and even despite my endeavors to take sin seriously, I will still stumble and I will still have bad days and bad weeks. But God is still faithful when I am faithless and He will still finish what He started in me.

 

 

 

Character (And Not the Cartoon Kind)

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 1 Comment

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I’m sure you’ve heard the word character defined as “what you do in the dark” or “how you behave when you think no one is watching.”

I agree with that. But my question in response is: so what does that look like in real life?

I think it means keeping your word. Regardless.

It means following through on a commitment, even if it becomes inconvenient.

It means when I say, “I’ll pray for you,” actually praying. I can say that I’m about 50/50 on that. Sometimes, I pray and sometimes I intend to but life and forgetfulness get in the way. I need to work on that.

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It means when you say you’re a friend, actually being a friend and not just being friendly. To me, being friendly means “whenever I gave spare time or whenever I feel like it.” Being a friend means sacrificing by taking time out do other important things to make time for a person.

Character means when I say I’ll be somewhere, actually showing up.

Character means more than good intentions and good feelings. It means I am the same person to all people in all situations. Not like the old joke, “I’m frank and earnest with all my women. In Memphis, I’m Frank and in Nashville, I’m Earnest.”

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When life squeezes me, what comes out? Is it anger? Is it annoyance? Is it impatience?

The reality is that what I’m filled with is what comes out. If I spend time with Jesus and get filled up with Him, He’s what comes out.

People are watching me whether I know it or not. People will decide whether or not Jesus is worth following by examining how much I talk about Him and how much I look and act like Him.

And sometimes, it’s fun to be a character. But that’s another topic for another day.

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