GOD’S WORD FOR OCTOBER 7

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!

CHRIST, GREATER THAN SOLOMON

Luke 11:31

“The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.”

Our first thought is that no mere man would have said this about Himself unless He had been altogether eaten up with vanity.  For among the Jews, Solomon was the very ideal of greatness and wisdom. It would be an instance of the utmost self-conceit if any mere man were to say this of Himself.

Christ knows who He is and what He is, and He is not lowly in spirit because He is ignorant of His own greatness.  He was meek and lowly in heart — the Servant of servants – but all the while He knew He was the King of kings.  He takes a towel, and He washes His disciples’ feet, but all the while He knows that He is their Master and Lord.  He associates with tax collectors and harlots, and dwells with the common people, but all the while He knows that He is the only begotten of the Father.  He wears a peasant’s garb and has nowhere to lay His head, but He knows that whatever the lowliness of His condition, He is greater than Solomon.  It is grand humility on Christ’s part that He lowers Himself to be our servant – our Savior – when He is so great that the greatest of men are as nothing before Him.

In His nature, the Lord Jesus is greater than Solomon.   Poor Solomon!  How different is our Lord!  There is no sin in Christ – no folly in the incarnate God.  The backsliding of Solomon finds no parallel in Jesus, in whom the prince of this world found nothing to dishonor – though he searched Him through and through.  Our Lord is greater than Solomon because He is not mere man.  He is perfect man – man to the utmost of humanity, but with no sin. 

But still, He is more, and infinitely more, than man.  For in Him the whole FULLNESS of the deity dwells bodily.  He is God Himself.  “The Word was God”  John said in 1:1. God dwells in Him, and He Himself is God.  Look at the real greatness of character in both Christ and Solomon for a minute, and you can hardly see Solomon with a microscope, while Christ rises grandly before you, growing every moment till He fills the whole horizon of your admiration.

 He created all things!!!

Let us go about our day with this resolve in our minds:  that we will speak more highly of Christ than we have done; that we will try to love Him more and serve Him better and make Him, in our own estimation and in the world’s, greater than He has ever been.

Oh, for a glorious high throne to set Him on and a crown of stars to place upon His head!

Oh, to bring nations to His feet!!!

I know my words cannot honor Him according to His merits.  I am quite sure to fail in my own judgment when telling out His excellence.  He is too glorious for my feeble language to describe.  If I could speak with the tongues of men and of angels, I could not speak worthily of him.  If I could borrow all the harmonies of heaven and enlist every harp and song of the glorified, the music would not be sweet enough for His praises.  Our glorious Redeemer is ever blessed –let us bless Him too.  He is to be extolled above the highest heavens – let us sound forth His praises.

O my brothers and sisters, sound out the praises of Jesus Christ!  Sound out that precious name!  There is none like it under heaven to stir my heart.  I hope you can all say the same.  I know you can, if you love Him, for all renewed hearts are enamored of the sweet Lord Jesus.  One “greater than Solomon is here.” 

Solomon, or any other powerful or popular person today,  has no power over your hearts, but Jesus does.  His influence is infinitely greater.  His power to bless is infinitely greater, and so let us magnify and adore Him with all our hearts.

*** ***

Colossians 2:8-9

“ See to it that there is no one who takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception in accordance with human tradition, in accordance with the elementary principles of the world, rather than in accordance with Christ.  For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,”

Hebrews 12:2

“looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

1 Corinthians 2:16

“For ‘who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”

Matthew 11:29

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

 Matthew 5:5

“Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. …”

Colossians 1:15-16

“ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.”

Hebrews 11:3

“By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”

Published by liveinthelightofourlord

View all posts by liveinthelightofourlord