The following video short and full-length sermons are from the YouTube site, Christian Sermons and Audio Books.
The short is an introduction to the full sermon. The topic is central to the Christian’s walk with God, that is, all Christians need to be in combat and to be informed on the topic.
There is a 17-minute excerpt with HIGHLIGHT points after the short; it is the second video below. The entire sermon is very worthy of hearing many times.
17-minute excerpt of most significant portion of sermon [in my opinion]:
HIGHLIGHTS for 17-minute excerpt [bracketed statements, emboldening and underscoring are mine]:
- The second part of sermon, to show the woefulness of that judgment, when the Spirit (HS) is withheld from men
- That is, when the HS inward motions upon the consciences of men is withheld in their ordinary walkings
- The HS may be withheld in two ways:
- In regard of SIN and in regard of DUTY
- In regard of sin, the HS may be withheld in two ways:
- Before the commission of sin: that is, the HS would not check or dissuade one from committing sin
- After the commission of sin: that HS should not rebuke and convince [that would likely include convicting one of sin] for sin
- The following shows that if the HS has withdrawn from you, it is a grievous judgment:
- It can be demonstrated that if the HS does not dissuade you, you’ll be apt to yield to any sin you are tempted to
- Like a city with no walls, you would be vulnerable to every incursion of the enemy
- The dissuasion of the HS are as fortresses to preserve the stronghold of man’s heart [I think there is a John Bunyan book by that title]
- HS dissuasions fence the heart: when the Devil, by temptation, persuades to sin; the HS, by His motions, graciously dissuades from sin
- An example of a HS dissuasion: “Do not wound or curse your own conscience;” “Do not break God’s law”
- One may be dissuaded from committing sin even though he has planned to commit it
- If you’re abandoned by the HS, you will be apt and ready to commit sin; you will also suddenly and eagerly commit sin, like the young man in Proverbs to the harlot:
- Proverbs 7:21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. 22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
- Without the HS’s dissuasions, one will be madly fulfilling his lusts
- Ephesians 4:19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness
- They sin and believe they cannot sin enough; like the covetous man who is greedy for gain and thinks he cannot have enough
- 5-fold gradation:
- 1- when the HS dissuades a man, he is never carried to sin, but goes in a hurry with reluctance
- Let the HS’s motions be withdrawn, then he will give himself to the Devil
- 2- when the HS is withdrawn, they give themselves to lasciviousness; that is the same as totally giving self to the ways of sin
- 3- it is wicked for a man to sell himself to the Devil, as Ahab did; but to give oneself to the Devil is more wicked
- 4- the text [above] states that they gave themselves to work uncleanness
- Workers of iniquity, trading, so to speak, in sin
- 5- giving themselves over to ALL sin with GREEDINESS
- If the HS does not come into a man with contrary motions, with what a vehement eagerness will a man damn his own soul
- If the HS doesn’t intervene by His motions, urging a man, “This is the way, walk ye in it”
- When the HS is withdrawn, men race into sin like an unbridled horse into battle
- Jeremiah 8:6 I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle
- Psalm 32:9 Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee
- So is a man who lacks checks of conscience and dissuasions from the HS
- Men who are not dissuaded by the HS, will also be complacent about their sin [have no desire to be delivered; untroubled; unbothered; unaware of the danger…]
- Like those in the following text:
- 2 Thessalonians 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness
- Secondly, it is also a grievous judgment to have the HS withheld AFTER one sins
- 1- because he will not be convicted of evildoing
- 2- because he is not convicted, he cannot repent of wrongdoing
- [By the way, this is a huge problem in the contemporary church, sin is not preached and people are not taught the doctrine of depravity, as in Genesis, the fall; therefore, they do not repent and are clueless about their condition before God]
- 3- a person cannot have their nature sanctified from the filth of sin unless the HS work in them after they have sinned
- [Knowing the doctrine of sin in the Bible, seeing and owning one’s personal sin before God and repenting of it are all absolutely essential for forgiveness and sanctification]
- 1 Corinthians 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God
- Believers are a habitation of God through the HS
- The different works of the trinity: God the Father chooses this home [habitation]; God the Son, buys it; God the Spirit cleanses and furnishes this house – with the broom of sanctifying grace
- You can never subdue the power of sin without the HS
- Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live
- [To mortify a sin is to starve it such that it dies, has less power over you…] [I’m pasting in the KJV because the preacher is using it. If you want more clarity, read the above passages in the NIV or some other modern English translation. Go to Bible Hub if you don’t have one of these: https://biblehub.com/romans/8-13.htm ]
- What a misery it is to be without the HS before and after the commission of sin
- [Another important point comes to mind regarding the above, that it is essential to sort through one’s sinful thoughts and conduct to examine it for motives…. The Puritan, Jonathan Edwards does such things. I have several posts on this work of his to help readers do the same: Link to blog page with all 3 posts on Glimpses into Edwards spiritual walk: https://sheeplywolves.com/category/jonathan-edwards/page/2/
- The link to post one of three if you are only using a phone, the other two posts will be link at the very bottom: https://sheeplywolves.com/jonathan-edwards-a-glimpse-into-his-spiritual-journey/ ]
- Why does God withhold His Spirit?
- In general, as an act of justice: when you wrong the HS, God the Father will withhold Him
- 5 Reasons:
- 1- in times past, you have refused to hearken to the frequent motions and persuasions of HS
- You’d been shown that to continue on a path would lead to death, so you were given to “walk in your own counsels”
- Therefore, they would be in a state that lacked the dissuasions of the HS
- 2- because you’ve fathered sinful affections that arise from the flesh
- For example: when men call their wrath (that was kindled in hell), the zeal of the HS
- Or, when they call their erroneous opinions the teachings of the HS (THOUGH HE IS THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH)
- Or when they call their satanic delusions ‘divine inspirations’
- These are indignities to the HS [many Charismatic teachers and practitioners have to be guilty of such- if they would study the Bible, they might stop such thing. Just John 16, says much]
- When the Devil comes and easily prevails with you; or when you sin upon no temptation; or on a very small temptation; such things are high provocations to the HS
- That is, when you run to sin on an easy temptation and will not hearken to the HS upon an earnest motion, this provokes the Lord to withhold the strivings of the HS from you
- Committing sin deliberately and with contrivance, greatly provokes the HS
- [The following may be an example: Pro 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren]
- A scripture was cited about King David’s life having been right before the Lord with the exception of Uriah the Hittite [couldn’t find that verse]
- Uriah was mentioned and not Bathsheba because David’s sin against Uriah was one of planning, contrivance; whereas his sin involving Bathsheba was on impulse, or sudden temptation
- The apostle Peter denied Christ, not intending to
- One who planned to deny Christ, and did not even carry that out, would have greater guilt
Full-length sermon, 45 minutes:
Christian Sermons and Audio Books video-page and playlist-page links:
https://www.youtube.com/@ChristisLord/videos
https://www.youtube.com/@ChristisLord/playlists
Puritan Christopher Love Playlist at Christian Sermons and Audio Books:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF550355B42816ECD
Links and Narrative that accompanied sermon video at YouTube:
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Genesis 6:3 King James Version (KJV)
3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
Christopher Love playlist: • Christopher Love
Christopher Love (1618-1651) Presbyterian. Studied in Oxford. A brilliant young Welsh preacher and a rising star in the world of Puritan ministry. A prominent London minister, a Covenenter, and a member of the Westminster Assembly of Divines, Love was highly regarded by his peers.
The American Puritan, Jonathan Edwards, read Love and had his books in his personal library. Today, he is little known; and that to our detriment. Arrested by Cromwell’s forces for his alleged involvement in a plan to raise money for the restoration of the monarchy, a charge Love denied. He was tried and convicted on charges of treason. Though several other prominent London ministers were also arrested, including Thomas Watson, they were all released. Christopher Love was beheaded on Tower Hill, London, on August 22, 1651.
He wrote: Grace, The Penitent Pardoned, The Zealous Christian, Effectual Calling.