The following excerpt is from “Effects of Sound Doctrine,” a sermon DELIVERED Sunday evening, April 22nd, 1860, at New Park Street Chapel.
My dear friends, after all, the kicking against the doctrine of election is a kicking against the gospel, because this doctrine is a first principle in the divine plan of mercy, and when rightly known, it prepares our minds to receive all the other doctrines.
Or on the contrary, misunderstand this, and you are pretty sure to make mistakes about all the rest.
Take for instance final perseverance; some men say, “If we continue in faith, and if we continue in holiness, we shall certainly be saved at last.” Do you not see at once that this is legality- that this is hanging our salvation upon our work- that this is making our eternal life to depend on something we do?
Nay, the doctrine of justification itself, as preached by an Arminian, is nothing but the doctrine of salvation by works, lifted up; for he always thinks faith is a work of the creature and a condition of his acceptance. It is as false to say that man is saved by faith as a work, as that he is saved by the deeds of the law. We are saved by faith as the gift of God, and as the first token of his eternal favor to us; but it is not faith as our work that saves, otherwise we are saved by works, and not by grace at all.
If you need any argument upon this point, I refer you to our great apostle Paul, who so constantly combats the idea that works and grace can ever be united together, for he argues, “If it be of grace, then it is no more of works otherwise grace were no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more of grace, otherwise work is no more work.”
– Charles Spurgeon
On this day...
- THE DISCIPLINE OF DISMAY - 2009
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