God's Command is to Come to Christ

Iain Murray has written a captivating book about Charles Spurgeon's stand against the errors of hyper-Calvinism in his day.

The Bible teaches, and Spurgeon preached, that the gospel is to be proclaimed to all mankind. The promise of salvation is to be laid hold of by sinners - God commands all men everywhere to repent and believe in the name of the Son of God unto salvation.

The fact that some men find it difficult to reconcile the free offer of the Gospel with the truth of sovereign election and God's special irresistible love for those He has predestinated unto salvation was, in Spurgeon's mind, something that we must trust our all-knowing, all-powerful God to reconcile in His own good time.

Murray points out how the hyper-Calvinists place upon sinners the requirement that they find in themselves - their feelings and desires - some evidence that the Gospel promises are meant for them before they have a warrant to believe in Christ. But the Scriptures command sinners to believe, and that is warrant enough for any sinner to come to Christ. How sweet are the words of Jesus: Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out!

What a shame it is for believers to look to themselves - to the strength of their faith, to their intentions, or to their sorrow of heart - as the basis for their salvation, when we should be looking only unto God's Lamb and the power of His shed blood to redeem us!

Our salvation rests not in the strength of our faith, but in the power of that One in whom our faith resposes. Salvation is of the Lord.

We would do well to take our eyes off our faith and place them upon Christ - for He alone is able to save us.