Morning, April 23
Charles Spurgeon · Morning and Evening: Daily Readings
Romans 8:37
"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that
loved us."
Romans 8:37
We go to Christ for forgiveness, and then too often look to the law for
power to fight our sins. Paul thus rebukes us, "O foolish Galatians,
who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth? This only
would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law,
or by the hearing of faith? are ye so foolish? having begun in the
Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" Take your sins to
Christ's cross, for the old man can only be crucified there: we are
crucified with him. The only weapon to fight sin with is the spear
which pierced the side of Jesus. To give an illustration--you want to
overcome an angry temper; how do you go to work? It is very possible
you have never tried the right way of going to Jesus with it. How did I
get salvation? I came to Jesus just as I was, and I trusted him to save
me. I must kill my angry temper in the same way. It is the only way in
which I can ever kill it. I must go to the cross with it, and say to
Jesus, "Lord, I trust thee to deliver me from it." This is the only way
to give it a death-blow. Are you covetous? Do you feel the world
entangle you? You may struggle against this evil so long as you please,
but if it be your besetting sin, you will never be delivered from it in
any way but by the blood of Jesus. Take it to Christ. Tell him, "Lord,
I have trusted thee, and thy name is Jesus, for thou dost save thy
people from their sins: Lord, this is one of my sins; save me from it!"
Ordinances are nothing without Christ as a means of mortification. Your
prayers, and your repentances, and your tears--the whole of them put
together--are worth nothing apart from him. "None but Jesus can do
helpless sinners good;" or helpless saints either. You must be
conquerors through him who hath loved you, if conquerors at all. Our
laurels must grow among his olives in Gethsemane.