"I believe in the doctrine of election, because I am quite certain that, if God had not chosen me, I should never have chosen Him; and I am sure He chose me before I was born, or else He never would have chosen me afterwards; and He must have elected me for reasons unknown to me, for I never could find any reason in myself why He should have looked upon me with special love." -Charles Spurgeon
I've heard several meaningful quotes this week, but this one really stuck out. Not only is it a humble admission that man can't earn his own salvation, it came from a prominent pastor of the nineteenth century - one who preached to about 10,000,000 people in his lifetime and who is remembered as the "Prince of Preachers." If anyone could be called a good person, it was Charles Spurgeon. If anyone could justify pride in himself and his achievements to another man, it was he. And yet, he understood that even his greatest good work was nothing but filthy rags before the unfathomable holiness of God. He impacted the world and he remained humble, living out the truth he believed - that he was nothing without God.
And somehow I, Emily Macadam, an absolute unknown with no claim to greatness or fame, struggle with humility. As if I had any reason to be proud of myself and my insignificant accomplishments. Oh that God would continue to change my heart and conform me to the image of His Son, in order to glorify Himself in my life. I am nothing. He is everything. I did not save myself. There is nothing in me with which I could possibly commend myself to God. If I love Him, He must have chosen me, for I never would have chosen Him of my own accord. I pray that this truth would be more deeply impressed upon my heart daily and that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, I would live in a manner that indicates my belief in said truth, for His glory alone.
2 comments:
An excellent prayer request for all of us. And what a great quote! The amazing mystery that he would save us!!
This post reminds me of Paul, as he said in 2 Cor. 11 if anyone had any room for boasting, he had more! But then in another place he says, Phil. 3, "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and I count them as rubbish (or crap), in order that I may gain Christ."
"Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." -2 Cor. 12:9(b)
What have we to boast in the work of Christ?
I thought about mentioning Paul, but I was kinda trying to keep it short. Obviously that didn't really work, even without mentioning Paul. Haha.
Thanks for all your comments!! I really appreciate them.
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