I’ve had several conversations lately, here on the blog and elsewhere, that boil down to the nature of truth, the nature of Scripture, and how we can assert its truths in this day of relativism, post-modernism, etc. 
I’ve written a couple of times about the subject, and felt that I wanted to address it again. Then, lo and behold when I checked out the Pyromaniacs site this morning, their “Weekly Dose of Spurgeon” has the Prince of Preachers addressing this very issue; and as usual, in a more bold, succinct and profound way.
It’s just a small snippet from a sermon titled “The Church Of God And The Truth Of God,” preached at New Park Street Chapel in 1856. The text was from 1 Timothy 3:15 – “The house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” In the midst of the drifting of his own day, Spurgeon said the purpose of the message was “to urge upon you, at this time, the great duty of standing fast at your post for the truth of God, and the equally great duty of endeavoring, wherever you are, to maintain them right.”
It seems that we might need that same urging today, and so I will simply repeat here the small sampling of that sermon posted on the Pyro site (or if you’d rather, you can go here and read it at their site; or better yet, go here, scroll down to number 3093, and read the whole sermon). Soli Deo Gloria!
Remember how your fathers, in times gone by, defended God's truth, and blush, ye cowards, who are afraid to maintain it!
Remember that our Bible is a blood-stained book; the blood of martyrs is on the Bible, the blood of translators and confessors. The pool of holy baptism, in which many of you have been baptized, is a blood-stained pool: full many have had to die for the vindication of that baptism which is "the answer of a good conscience toward God."
The doctrines which we preach to you are doctrines that have been baptized in blood,—swords have been drawn to slay the confessors of them; and there is not a truth which has not been sealed by them at the stake, or the block, or far away on the lofty mountains, where they have been slain by hundreds. It is but a little duty we have to discharge compared with theirs. They were called to maintain the truth when they had to die for it; you only have to maintain the truth when taunt and jeer, ignominious names and contemptuous epithets are all you have to endure for it.
What! do you expect easy lives? While some have led through seas of blood, and have fought to win the prize, are you wearied with a slight skirmish on dry land? What would you do if God should suffer persecuting days to overtake you? O craven spirits, ye would flee away, and disown your profession!
Be ye the pillar and ground of the truth. Let the blood of martyrs, let the voices of confessors, speak to you. Remember how they held fast the truth, how they preserved it, and handed it down to us from generation to generation; and by their noble example, I beseech you, be steadfast and faithful, tread valiantly and firmly in their steps, acquit yourselves like men,—like men of God, I implore you!
Shall we not have some champions, in these times, who will deal sternly with heresies for the love of the truth,—men who will stand like rocks in the center of the sea, so that, when all others shake, they stand invulnerable and invincible? Thou who art tossed about by every wind of doctrine, farewell; I own thee not till God shall give thee grace to stand firm for his truth, and not to be ashamed of him nor of his words in this evil generation.
I’ve written a couple of times about the subject, and felt that I wanted to address it again. Then, lo and behold when I checked out the Pyromaniacs site this morning, their “Weekly Dose of Spurgeon” has the Prince of Preachers addressing this very issue; and as usual, in a more bold, succinct and profound way.
It’s just a small snippet from a sermon titled “The Church Of God And The Truth Of God,” preached at New Park Street Chapel in 1856. The text was from 1 Timothy 3:15 – “The house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” In the midst of the drifting of his own day, Spurgeon said the purpose of the message was “to urge upon you, at this time, the great duty of standing fast at your post for the truth of God, and the equally great duty of endeavoring, wherever you are, to maintain them right.”
It seems that we might need that same urging today, and so I will simply repeat here the small sampling of that sermon posted on the Pyro site (or if you’d rather, you can go here and read it at their site; or better yet, go here, scroll down to number 3093, and read the whole sermon). Soli Deo Gloria!
Remember how your fathers, in times gone by, defended God's truth, and blush, ye cowards, who are afraid to maintain it!Remember that our Bible is a blood-stained book; the blood of martyrs is on the Bible, the blood of translators and confessors. The pool of holy baptism, in which many of you have been baptized, is a blood-stained pool: full many have had to die for the vindication of that baptism which is "the answer of a good conscience toward God."
The doctrines which we preach to you are doctrines that have been baptized in blood,—swords have been drawn to slay the confessors of them; and there is not a truth which has not been sealed by them at the stake, or the block, or far away on the lofty mountains, where they have been slain by hundreds. It is but a little duty we have to discharge compared with theirs. They were called to maintain the truth when they had to die for it; you only have to maintain the truth when taunt and jeer, ignominious names and contemptuous epithets are all you have to endure for it.
What! do you expect easy lives? While some have led through seas of blood, and have fought to win the prize, are you wearied with a slight skirmish on dry land? What would you do if God should suffer persecuting days to overtake you? O craven spirits, ye would flee away, and disown your profession!
Be ye the pillar and ground of the truth. Let the blood of martyrs, let the voices of confessors, speak to you. Remember how they held fast the truth, how they preserved it, and handed it down to us from generation to generation; and by their noble example, I beseech you, be steadfast and faithful, tread valiantly and firmly in their steps, acquit yourselves like men,—like men of God, I implore you!
Shall we not have some champions, in these times, who will deal sternly with heresies for the love of the truth,—men who will stand like rocks in the center of the sea, so that, when all others shake, they stand invulnerable and invincible? Thou who art tossed about by every wind of doctrine, farewell; I own thee not till God shall give thee grace to stand firm for his truth, and not to be ashamed of him nor of his words in this evil generation.
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