GOD’S WORD FOR  SEPTEMBER 28

We are using Charles Spurgeon book, “The Risen King.”  It’s a collection of well chosen excerpts from Spurgeon’s  “Easter” sermons in devotional form, put together by Jeff Medders.   Pastor Spurgeon lived from 1834 to 1892  in London, England, and had a unique gift of understanding and showing the depth of our faith.  Thus, his reverential title as the Prince of Preachers.   Even though we’re not in or near that season, every day is a good day to focus on Christ’s sacrifice and victory for us!

Matthew 11:19

“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”

The enemies of our Lord Jesus Christ thought to brand Him with infamy, hold Him to derision and hand His name down to everlasting scorn as “a friend of tax collectors and sinners.”   Shortsighted mortals!  To this day, the Savior is adored by the title which was designed as a slur.  But troubled consciences have found a sweet balm in the very sound.  Jesus, “a friend of tax collectors and sinners,” has proved Himself friendly to them, and they have become friends with Him.

Some people like to appear as having philanthropic love toward fallen sinners, yet they would not touch them with a pair of tongs.  Not so  the Savior.  He eats and drinks with sinners.  Beloved, this is a sweet trait found in Christ and proves how real  and how true His love was, that He made His associations with sinners and did not shun even the chief of them.

So fond was He of sinners that He made His grave with the wicked (Isaiah 53:9).  He was numbered with the transgressors (vs 12).  God’s fiery sword is drawn to strike a world of sinners down to hell.  It must fall on those sinners.  But Christ loves them.  What is to be done?  By what means can they be rescued?  The “friend of sinners” has put Himself into the sinners place!  Then, as if He has actually BEEN the sinner – though in Him is no sin – He suffers, bleeds, and dies;  supernatural suffering, redemptive bleeding, and a substitutionary death.

It was a death in which the second death of hell was in view –

a bleeding in which the very veins of God were emptied.—

The God-man divinely suffered.  The eternal wrath of God was condensed and put into a cup, too bitter – too powerful for mortal tongue to know, — and then drained to its utmost dregs by the loving lips of Jesus.  Beloved, this was love:

“But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down His life for His friends.” (John 15:13)

His work has shown His friendship with us sinners.

Beloved, I cannot tell you all that Christ has done for sinners, but this I know:  He will stand by you to the end.  You will be hard at work today, but as you wipe the sweat from your brow, He will stand by you.  You will, perhaps, be despised for His sake, but He will not forsake you.  You will vex Him much and grieve His Spirit.  You will often doubt Him – you will go after false gods.  You will provoke Him to jealousy, but He will never cease to love you.  You will, perhaps, grow cold toward Him and even forget His dear name for a time, but He will never forget you.  You may, perhaps, dishonor His cross and damage His fair face among others, but He will never cease to love you.

He will never love you less, and He cannot love you more.  He is always a friend of sinners.  But He will never leave you in the place of sin without calling you forth.

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Romans 3:23

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 5:8

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 3:3

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Acts 4:12

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Ephesians 2:8-9

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

John 5:24

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

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