Joining the Church
Charles H. Spurgeon
2 Corinthians 8:5
Some persons are always trying to prove what is customary in the Christian church. They are always seeking after instances and precedents. The worst of it is that many of those people look for old things that are not old enough-the old things of the Church of Rome, for instance, and medieval customs and observances, which are nothing but authentic trumpery. If they want the real old solid things, they should go back to the apostolic times. The best book of church history from which to gather ritual, true ritual, is the Acts of the Apostles, and when the Christian church shall go back to that, instead of inquiring about what the primitive Christians did in the second or third century, she will come much nearer to the knowledge of what she ought to do.
Now, our text tells us of one old custom in the apostles' days. Those who became Christians first gave themselves to the Lord, and then they gave themselves to the church, according to God's will. Let us ponder these things in their order.
Of course, we shall think of the main and most important point first: that action which gives value and beauty to all that follows, and is its fruit-
The Soul's Supreme Gift
The first thing that the original Christians, the Christians of the old and Holy Spirit times did was, "they gave themselves unto the Lord." This is vital, the one all-important bestowal. Have all of us who are professors that we are Christ's disciples really given ourselves to the Lord? Are there not in this house of prayer some who have never thought of doing so, and some even who would reject with contempt even the idea of so doing. Oh! my hearers, the day will come when you will look at these matters in a very different light, and in the next world it will be seen that it would have been your highest wisdom to have given yourselves to the Lord, and your supreme folly to have lived to self.
When these early Christians gave themselves ...
Charles H. Spurgeon
2 Corinthians 8:5
Some persons are always trying to prove what is customary in the Christian church. They are always seeking after instances and precedents. The worst of it is that many of those people look for old things that are not old enough-the old things of the Church of Rome, for instance, and medieval customs and observances, which are nothing but authentic trumpery. If they want the real old solid things, they should go back to the apostolic times. The best book of church history from which to gather ritual, true ritual, is the Acts of the Apostles, and when the Christian church shall go back to that, instead of inquiring about what the primitive Christians did in the second or third century, she will come much nearer to the knowledge of what she ought to do.
Now, our text tells us of one old custom in the apostles' days. Those who became Christians first gave themselves to the Lord, and then they gave themselves to the church, according to God's will. Let us ponder these things in their order.
Of course, we shall think of the main and most important point first: that action which gives value and beauty to all that follows, and is its fruit-
The Soul's Supreme Gift
The first thing that the original Christians, the Christians of the old and Holy Spirit times did was, "they gave themselves unto the Lord." This is vital, the one all-important bestowal. Have all of us who are professors that we are Christ's disciples really given ourselves to the Lord? Are there not in this house of prayer some who have never thought of doing so, and some even who would reject with contempt even the idea of so doing. Oh! my hearers, the day will come when you will look at these matters in a very different light, and in the next world it will be seen that it would have been your highest wisdom to have given yourselves to the Lord, and your supreme folly to have lived to self.
When these early Christians gave themselves ...
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