This sermon adapted from Charles Spurgeon's Knowing and Believing, opens with the following statement:
The text is wholly taken up with three things—with knowing, with believing and with the person who is known and believed. And upon both the knowing and the believing, Paul is very decided. He puts in no, “if,” no word of change. He does not say, “I hope so,” or, “I trust so,” but, “I know I have believed and I know whom I have believed.” It is all assurance and not a shadow of doubt! Let us imitate the apostle, or ask for grace to be able to imitate him, that we may shake off the dubious phraseology which is so common among Christians, nowadays, and may be able to speak with apostolic confidence upon a matter upon which we ought to be confident if anywhere at all, namely—our own salvation! The sermon is then structured around exploring the following five aspects of the question of knowing and believing:
- The only religious knowing and believing which are of a saving character concern the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
- That knowledge without faith is vain.
- Faith without knowledge is but a bird with one wing.
- How can I know that I may believe in Him?
- How many are there who do know Christ?
Please feel free to share specific portions of those sermon notes that you find of particular value for yourself or for the people you interact with when discussing about the Christian Faith and what it means to be a believer.
Edited October 5, 2023: correction to page layout.
In Spurgeon's Knowing and Believing, p. 2, one can read:
It is not enough to know about Christ, it is knowing Christ, Himself, that alone saves the soul!
How important, don't you think?
In conclusion to his first point "The only religious knowing and believing which are of a saving character concern the person of the Lord Jesus Christ", Spurgeon says (Knowing and Believing, p. 3):
You see, then, that the knowledge which saves, and the belief which saves, both hang upon the cross. They both look to the wounds of that dear man, that blessed God who was there the propitiation for our sins and who suffered in our place. My hearer, are you trusting Christ? Are you hanging upon Him as the vessel hangs upon the nail? Do you know Him as a man knows his friend? Do you seek to know more of Him? Is He all your salvation and all your desire? If not, take home this solemn warning—whatever else you know, you are still ignorant, and whatever else you believe, you are still an unbeliever—unless you know and believe in Him who is the Savior of men!
How do you personally respond to the above statement?
In his arguing that "the only religious knowing and believing which are of a saving character concern the person of the Lord Jesus Christ," and that "it is not enough to know about Christ, it is knowing Christ, Himself, that alone saves the soul!", Charles Spurgeon, over 100 years ago, in Knowing and Believing (p. 4), went on to say:
The common answer given very frequently to the city missionary is just this—men say to them, “There is no need for you to come here and tell me anything. I know all about it.” Ah, but do you believe in Jesus? What is the good of your knowing unless you believe? I do not think that the most of you who go to places of worship need so much instruction in divine truth as you need an earnest appeal to your hearts not to stop short at instruction!
Has it ever happened to you that you closed your hears and heart to a person you know to be a believer when she mentioned some truth about her faith that she felt led to share with you? Perhaps this person is from a different denomination that to you knowledge carries the truth of the Gospel at least in some form or other. Perhaps he or she is from a Christian church very similar to yours or yet even from your own local church. Do you say "I know"? with a closed heart? Would it not be much better to open our hearts as we listen to one another about Christ?
Perhaps there is a greater need than we suspect for being what Spurgeon called "city missionairies" to one another!
In the process of developing his third point, "faith without knowledge is but a bird with one wing," Spurgeon, in Knowing and Believing makes a number of other very valuable statements worth pondering by any of us today:
The fact is, it is not sincerity, alone—it is the studious endeavor to find out what the right is and what the truth is—that is the only safe way for us! We do not, therefore, ask you to believe without knowing what you are to believe. It is impossible. Do not think a man can hold in his hands four or five doctrines and say to you, “Do you believe them?” “Well, but what are they?” “Never mind! You are a true believer and you must believe then without knowing them.” A man who has no power of belief at all says, “Oh, yes, I believe. I will kiss your feet if necessary, or do anything you like to tell me.” But the thoughtful man, the man who is likely to be saved, says at once, “I find it impossible to believe until I first know what I am to believe.” (Charles Spurgeon, in Knowing and Believing p. 4-5).
I have heard it often asserted that if you believe that Jesus Christ died for you, you will be saved. My dear hearer, do not be deluded by such an idea! You may believe that Jesus Christ died for you and may believe what is not true! You may believe that which will bring you no sort of good whatever. That is not saving faith! The man who has saving faith attains to the conviction that Christ died for him afterwards, but it is not of the essence of saving faith. Do not get that into your head or it will ruin you (Charles Spurgeon, in Knowing and Believing p. 5)!
The matter, then, which saves is this—a man trusts Christ, but he trusts Christ because he knows Him. See! He knows Christ and, therefore, he trusts Him. How does he come to know Him? Well, he has heard of Him, he has read of Him, he seeks Him in prayer and when he has learned His character, he trusts Him (Charles Spurgeon, in Knowing and Believing p. 5).
Are not these statements challenging to any of us, no matter where we currently stand concerning Christ?
Spurgeon then asks: "How can I know that I may believe in Him?" to which he immediately responds by saying:
The answer is, search the Word of God with a desire to find Him. Seek out the most Christ exalting ministry in your neighborhood, in whatever denomination you can find it, and listen to it with all your ears and with all your heart. Get to your chamber and there seek the Lord to illuminate you in the matter of the Lord Jesus Christ! Ask Him to reveal His Son in you. I tell you this—faith comes by hearing and by hearing the Word of God—and when to these is added earnest seeking, you shall not be long without finding Him! They who seek Christ are already being sought of Him. You who desire Him shall have Him! You who want Him shall not be long without Him. It is to have Christ to some degree, to hunger and to thirst after Him—and when you feel that you cannot be content without Him, He will not let you be, but will soon come to you (Charles Spurgeon, Knowing and Believing, p. 6)!
Perhaps are you currently seeking Christ, or may be you are struggling with a life long issue that makes you unsure about whether or not you do know Christ in such a way that Charles Spurgeon describes in his sermon. Why not read the entire sermon and follow the advice he provides therein.
Also, please feel free to share with us whatever you feel comfortable to put in writing in the public sphere, for this forum can be viewed by anyone.
Well i know Spurgeon 'cause i read it sometimes.. but in french.. yeah i can read, write in english but it's not my main language.
Hello Baptiste, I find this particular sermon from Charles Spurgeon to be very actual to situations such as we are facing today in the church. He brings the heart of the message of salvation to any one of us who is willing to allow God to touch Him. Don't we all need to ask ourselves from time to time where we truly stand in our relationship with God? As the apostle Paul told the Corinthians: Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you fail to meet the test (2 Corinthians 13.5, English Standard Version)! Reading the message transcript I mentioned in the opening post may help us do just that.
Thanks Daniel .
