Church Blog

Quotes from C.J.’s Message

C.J. Mahaney referenced a number of quotes in his second sermon from Jude last Sunday. I wanted to share them here to help us all call to mind the great truths we’ve heard in C.J.’s two messages:

“There is simply no other way to compete with the forebodings of my conscience, the condemnings of my heart, and the lies of the world and the devil than to overwhelm such things with daily rehearsings of the gospel.”
–Milton Vincent, A Gospel Primer

“... some of the most beautiful statements about God’s sustaining grace are found in Jude.” –Thomas Schreiner, The New American Commentary: 1, 2 Peter, Jude

“One of the most frequent one-word descriptions of the Christian in the New Testament is that he is called.”
–Sinclair Ferguson

“It is not God’s invitation to be saved, it is God’s determination to save.” –J. Alec Motyer

“Now, the reasons why no man ever started the work of grace in his own heart, are very plain and palpable: firstly, because he cannot; and secondly, because he will not. The best reason of all is because he cannot–he is dead.” –Charles Spurgeon, “The Work of the Holy Spirit,” a sermon given on November 5, 1858

“Let me refresh your memories with your calling. Was there not a day, the mementoes of which you fondly cherish, when you were called from death unto life? Fly back now to the day and hour if you can, and, if not, light upon the season thereabouts, when the great transaction took place, in which you were made Christ’s forever, by the voluntary surrender of yourself to him. In looking back, does it not strike you that your calling must have been of divine origin? The text says, ‘God called you’–does not your experience prove the same? How gracious that calling must have been since it came to you from God; came to you irresistibly, and came to you with such personal demonstration! What grace was here! What was there in you to suggest a motive why God should call you? Oh, beloved, we can hardly ask you that question without the tear rising in our own eye. Should not this calling of ours evoke our most intense gratitude, our most earnest love? Oh, if he had not called thee, where hadst thou been tonight? Who am I–what should I have been if the Lord, in mercy, had not stopped me in my mad career! This was a kind and gracious call, when we consider what we might have been.” –Charles Spurgeon

[C.J. said] “I heard John Piper reference the following description of conversion by one of the elders in his church: ‘The Lord saved me from a life of drugs, crime and adultery—at the age of 6.’”

“People commonly view God as distant, wrathful, and angry about sin, ‘always angry’ and so ‘implacable’ that no creature would dare draw near to him. Though it is understandable that those outside the faith fear God in this way, these emotions often persist in the believer’s conception of the Father.” –John Owen

“If the believer ought not to view the Father as simply wrathful and angry, why is this so common among Christians? Owen argues that much of the problem stems from believers uncertainty about the Father’s attitude toward them. Believers may easily imagine Jesus concern and the comforting work of the Spirit, but the Father seems distant and angry. An example of this may be seen in the disciples response as they learn of Jesus coming departure (John 16:26-28). Although they are secure in Jesus compassionate commitment to them, his coming ascension turns the disciple’s thoughts toward the Father, and Jesus perceives their uneasiness. Owen deduces that this is why when Jesus prays to the Father for his disciples, he adds the clarification, ‘for the Father himself loveth you.’ Jesus is assuring his disciples that the Father does not need to be persuaded to love them, for indeed love is the Father’s ‘peculiar respect towards you.’ While Jesus does pray and the Spirit brings comfort, these are not the causes but the fruit of the Father’s love … Owen claims that until this truth is fully grasped, disciples in all ages will hesitate to hold communion with the Father.” —Kelly Kapic, Communion with the Triune God

“Every Christian can say, ‘I am loved by my Father.’” –Peter Davids

“The greatest sorrow and burden you can lay on the Father, the greatest unkindness you can do to him, is not to believe that he loves you.” –John Owen, Communion with God

“Then go to the blood of Christ! There is always comfort ... Go ... to the blood of Christ, that is, if we find sin upon our consciences, if we find not peace in our consciences, nor sanctification in our hearts, go to the blood of Christ … As we say of the mother and the child both hold but the safety of the child is that the mother holds him.”
–Richard Sibbes, Commentary on 2 Corinthians 1:22

“God brought you to Christ.” –Bruce Demarest