Miscellaneous Quotes (58)

“No therapist, can deliver you from real guilt. Why? Because being guilty is not a medical condition or a chemical disorder. It is a spiritual reality. It concerns your standing before God. The psychiatrist cannot forgive you; the therapist cannot absolve you; the counselor cannot pardon you. But the message of the Gospel is this: God can forgive you, and He is willing to do so.” – Dr. Sinclair Ferguson

“Legalism is looking to something besides Jesus Christ in order to be acceptable and clean before God.” – Timothy Keller

“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.” – Mother Teresa

“Unity without the gospel is a worthless unity; it is the very unity of hell.” – J.C. Ryle

“Albeit sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit, yet it is equally true, and this we must ever bear in mind, that the Holy Spirit makes us active agents in our own sanctification.” – C. H. Spurgeon

“Shallow theology always produces shallow convictions.” – Steven Lawson

“Theology is simply that part of religion that requires brains.” – G. K. Chesterton

““Oh, what amazing mercy,” each saved soul may well say, “and all this for me!” Everlasting love ordained it, immutable love has accomplished it, and unchanging love will perfect it.” – C. H. Spurgeon

“The bride of Christ does not remember the death of her bridegroom as a widow but as one who longs for the day when the bridegroom will return to take her home.” – Iain Campbell

“If you are to be saved by your own works, you must be absolutely perfect, in thought, and word, and deed, from the moment of your birth to the hour of your death.” – C. H. Spurgeon

“What I could not earn, Jesus earned, what I could not defeat, Jesus defeated, what I could not bear, Jesus bore.” – Paul Tripp

“It is true that the Lord’s Supper is only for sinners. But within that group, it is only for repentant sinners.” – Mark Dever

“The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.” – William James

“He had not and He has not come to call those who believe themselves to be righteous. He has come to call those who are outcasts who know that they need to made whole.” – Alistair Begg

The Lord Opened Her Heart

Acts 16: 11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

In Lydia’s conversion there are many points of interest. It was brought about by providential circumstances. She was a seller of purple goods, from the city of Thyratira, but at just the right time for hearing Paul we find her at Philippi; providence, which is the servant of grace, led her to the right spot. Again, grace was preparing her soul for the blessing—grace preparing for grace. She did not know the Savior, but as a Jewess she knew many truths that were excellent stepping-stones to a knowledge of Jesus. Her conversion took place in the use of the means. On the Sabbath she went to a place of prayer, and there prayer was answered. Never neglect the means of grace.

God may bless us when we are not in His house, but we have more reason to expect that He will when we are in fellowship with His people. Observe the words, “The Lord opened her heart.” She did not open her own heart. Her prayers did not do it; Paul did not do it. The Lord Himself must open the heart to receive the things that make for our peace. He alone can put the key into the door and open it and gain entry for Himself. He is the heart’s Master just as He is the heart’s Maker.

The first outward evidence of the opened heart was obedience. As soon as Lydia had believed in Jesus, she was baptized. It is a sweet sign of a humble and broken heart when the child of God is willing to obey a command that is not essential to his salvation, that is not forced upon him by a selfish fear of condemnation, but is a simple act of obedience and of communion with his Master.

The next evidence was love, displaying itself in acts of grateful kindness to the apostles. Love for the saints has always been a mark of the true convert. Those who do nothing for Christ or His church provide no evidence of an “opened” heart. Lord, grant to us the blessing of opened hearts always!

Devotional material is taken from “Morning and Evening,” written by C.H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg.