Tag Archives: Genesis

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Having Increased Faith

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Charles Stanley

Genesis 22:1-14

We’re determined to make spiritual progress. No longer content with little faith, we are removing our gaze from ourselves and putting it onto the Lord. We are reaching for greater faith.

We start by becoming students of the Bible who have a compelling desire to experience the Lord’s presence, develop greater intimacy with Him, and be conformed to Christlikeness. A second characteristic of deeper trust is a heavy reliance on the Holy Spirit, evidenced by the habit of looking to Him before making decisions. Third, we demonstrate the willingness to wait on God and trust what He says. The Lord commended the centurion for his strong convictions. Trusting in the person and character of Jesus, the soldier believed Christ’s words were all that was required (Matthew 8:5-10).

But there is an even higher level of faith, where unbelief is cast out and only trust in God remains. Abraham displayed such flawless confidence when the Lord commanded him to sacrifice Isaac. Little faith would never have cut any wood or saddled donkeys to make the trip. Great faith—though it may have balked about putting Isaac on the altar—would have traveled as instructed, believing in God to work things out. Complete faith will act as Abraham did: he believed what the Lord had promised him yet carried out the divine instructions, even though they appeared to contradict God’s pledge.

May complete faith be the prayer and aspiration of your heart. The Holy Spirit is always ready to help you reach that next level of faith.

 

 

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Instability

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CharlesSpurgeon

“Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel.” Genesis 49:4

Suggested Further Reading: 2 Peter 3:14-18

Who are these unstable ones? When they were boys they could never complete a game; they must always be having something fresh; and now they are just as childish as when they were children. Look at them in doctrine: you never know where to find them. You meet them one day, and they are very full of some super doctrine; they have been to some strong Calvinist place, and nothing will suit them except the very highest doctrine, and that must be spiced with a little of the gall of bitterness, or they cannot think it is the genuine thing. Very likely next week they will be Arminians; they will give up all idea of a fixed fate, and talk of free-will, and man’s responsibility like the most earnest Primitive Methodist. Then they steer another way. “Nothing is right but the Church of England. Is it not established by law? Ought not every Christian to go to his parish church?” Let them alone; they will be at the most schismatical shop in the metropolis before long. Or if they do not change their denomination they are always changing their minister. A new minister starts up; there is no one, since the apostles, like him; they take a seat and join the church; he is everything to them. In three months they have done with him; another minister rises up some distance off, and these people are not particular how far they walk; so they go to hear him. He is the great man of the age; he will see every man’s candle out, and his will burn on. But a little trouble comes on the church, and they leave him. They have no attachment to anything; they are merely feathers in the wind, or corks on the wave.

For meditation: Do you recognise yourself here? If not, guard your own stability carefully. But if you do, realise that we are not supposed to remain babes in Christ, but are to grow up (Ephesians 4:14,15). Perhaps you are not sure whether Spurgeon is describing you; one question may help you decide—who has the rule over you? (Hebrews 13:7,17).

Sermon no. 158

11 October (1857)