“There
is such a thing as apostolic doctrine. I am a preacher for one reason only, and
it is that I have believed the apostolic doctrine and teaching. I have no other
teaching. I do not stand here to say what I think. I am simply repeating what I
find in the Gospel. I am expounding the Scriptures, the apostolic doctrine. But
the importance of doing this is seriously questioned today. Indeed, it is not
only controverted but ridiculed and dismissed, and I must of necessity deal
with this criticism…
My
dear friend, have you believed? Have you received this apostolic doctrine? I can
test you simply. If you have believed this and received it, you have new life, spiritual
life, and that will show itself in this way: You will be hungering and
thirsting for more. It will become the greatest interest of your life. You will
still be interested in other books, but you will find, as I find and I say this
to the glory of God that there are many books I would like to read, but I just
do not have the time. I am too busy reading the Bible and books that help me
understand it.
Now I am not criticizing the others. I like to read books on history. I like reading biographies. I like reading about music. I like reading about medicine, aspects of science, psychology, philosophy, and so on. But my problem is to find the time. I find life here in this Book. It moves my heart. It melts me. It fills me with righteousness. It strengthens my feeble will. I want this. And men and women who have spiritual life in them, the life of God in their souls, will be like newborn babes, desiring ― the sincere milk of the word‖ that they might grow (1 Pet. 2:2). If you do not have that desire, you are dead. Whether you are a church member or not, if the Bible is still boring, if you find prayer difficult and a task, you are dead, and therefore you have one thing to do: Go to God, repent, confess your sin, tell Him you realize you are dead, and ask Him to give you life anew, to breathe His Spirit upon you and give you new life from among the dead.”
― Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Authentic Christianity
Now I am not criticizing the others. I like to read books on history. I like reading biographies. I like reading about music. I like reading about medicine, aspects of science, psychology, philosophy, and so on. But my problem is to find the time. I find life here in this Book. It moves my heart. It melts me. It fills me with righteousness. It strengthens my feeble will. I want this. And men and women who have spiritual life in them, the life of God in their souls, will be like newborn babes, desiring ― the sincere milk of the word‖ that they might grow (1 Pet. 2:2). If you do not have that desire, you are dead. Whether you are a church member or not, if the Bible is still boring, if you find prayer difficult and a task, you are dead, and therefore you have one thing to do: Go to God, repent, confess your sin, tell Him you realize you are dead, and ask Him to give you life anew, to breathe His Spirit upon you and give you new life from among the dead.”
― Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Authentic Christianity
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