Morning, July 5
Charles Spurgeon · Morning and Evening: Daily Readings
Romans 1:7
"Called to be saints."
Romans 1:7
We are very apt to regard the apostolic saints as if they were "saints"
in a more especial manner than the other children of God. All are
"saints" whom God has called by His grace, and sanctified by His
Spirit; but we are apt to look upon the apostles as extraordinary
beings, scarcely subject to the same weaknesses and temptations as
ourselves. Yet in so doing we are forgetful of this truth, that the
nearer a man lives to God the more intensely has he to mourn over his
own evil heart; and the more his Master honours him in his service, the
more also doth the evil of the flesh vex and tease him day by day. The
fact is, if we had seen the apostle Paul, we should have thought him
remarkably like the rest of the chosen family: and if we had talked
with him, we should have said, "We find that his experience and ours
are much the same. He is more faithful, more holy, and more deeply
taught than we are, but he has the selfsame trials to endure. Nay, in
some respects he is more sorely tried than ourselves." Do not, then,
look upon the ancient saints as being exempt either from infirmities or
sins; and do not regard them with that mystic reverence which will
almost make us idolaters. Their holiness is attainable even by us. We
are "called to be saints" by that same voice which constrained them to
their high vocation. It is a Christian's duty to force his way into the
inner circle of saintship; and if these saints were superior to us in
their attainments, as they certainly were, let us follow them; let us
emulate their ardour and holiness. We have the same light that they
had, the same grace is accessible to us, and why should we rest
satisfied until we have equalled them in heavenly character? They lived
with Jesus, they lived for Jesus, therefore they grew like Jesus. Let
us live by the same Spirit as they did, "looking unto Jesus," and our
saintship will soon be apparent.