I found this sermon after I listened to Jeff Mayfield’s sermonette this morning; I had prayed upon rising, that the Lord might give me the correct affections, that I might desire to return. The past several months of election ferver have taken my away from my practices of regular prayer and Bible reading, and my heart has grown cold.
And I mentioned in a recent post that I discovered that I had misplaced my trust; instead of the Lord, I had put it in government and myself.
Smyth’s sermon was a blessing, and by the time I’d made the following points, I’d heard it 4 times. Hopefully some of Christ’s people will find it a blessing also.
Highlight points of sermon, Love Waxing Cold, Rev. Thomas Smyth (small bio at end of post):
- Matthew 24:12 [NLT] Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.
- Love is the master grace from which all other graces derive
- The natural heart is supremely selfish and worldly and compelled to find satisfaction through the lust of the eyes, flesh and pride of life
- Only the Holy Spirit can overcome the selfishness in us
- The first fruit of the Spirit is love [if you know that, then] the Spirit in you has taken the place of the self; and heavenly things take the place of the earthly [loves, interests…]
- Then the soul is freed to think of others without envy, jealousy, hatred, etc.; it is also able to look on worldly prosperity and great temporal enjoyments with an unambitious eye
- Selfishness and worldliness are the two strongest and most besetting tendencies of our corrupt nature; victory over them is regarded as the greatest triumph of our faith
- Love is then the first working of divine grace; and is essential evidence of a renewed heart
- Whatever be your moral virtues, theological attainments, liberality, or apparent piety; without love, you are NOT a true Christian (see 1 Cor. 13)
- Unless your natural selfishness is subdued; your carnality overcome; your will submissive to the will of God; and your desire fixed on things above; you are still unconverted, no matter how long you have believed yourself to have been a Christian; how much time, money…you’ve given to the church…
- When one is convinced he is a sinner, he seeks Christ for forgiveness, salvation…love is very apparent therein – love to God, Christ, brethren, those yet unsaved
- In such a spiritual state, selfishness has given place to love and worldliness to spirituality
- [By the way, it just occurred to me that prosperity preachers and followers are herein shown to be unregenerate, as they are supremely concerned with worldly things: money, skills that demonstrate their spirituality to others…]
- To have once felt the love of Christ, provides no security or assurance today [that is, if your heart is presently enamored with the world and Christ is less important or unimportant, then you have backslidden, and need to seek the Spirit’s help to get to your former state and beyond]
- Dangers of fellowshipping with worldly Christians and the worldly, enumerated
- Only holiness leads to heaven
- He poses questions about those who were formerly born again who grew cold to help them understand their motives
- Examples also of types who have apostatized
- Questions for professing Christians: are you the same now as you were at the beginning? Is your covetousness, selfishness, worldliness still apparent, still, as it was when you began your Christian walk?
- Are you still uninterested in the unsaved, prayer less, biblically illiterate, worldly…?
- Do you not think of Christ until every demand of the world and the self have been satisfied?
- If so, then you likely have not known Christian love, therefore, it cannot grow cold
- Do such things describe any of you, then pray to Jesus to search you and show you your true spiritual condition…
- Many who merely profess Christianity, do not believe they must read and follow their Bibles, emulate the Savior, follow the golden rule…
- Before you act, do you think of Christ’s will or do you consider what is expedient?
- The NOMINAL professor is the most hopeless character on earth; before he assumed the name of Christ, there was hope he might be impressed, convicted, converted; that he might have gotten a glimpse of his wretchedness via hearing sermons…; that he might have seen that there is a difference between himself and a regenerate person…
- But now, since he believes he correctly calls himself a Christian, his conscience is immune to conviction [he’s been inoculated by his little incorrect knowledge of the gospel]
- If his conscience is troubled, Satan reminds him he is a church goer, he gives to the church…and he is enabled to go back to his spiritual sleep
- How rare it is to hear of any who were converted after they made a profession of faith (see Christian testimonies, Charo Washer’s conversion happened that way)
- How many would venture to discuss fears of not being truly converted with their pastors?
- In Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, he talked about such a character, “Ignorance” is his name; that one made it to the celestial city and was sent to hell from the portals of heaven
- Tests: three tests that show clear pictures of empty professions
- Every heart, however, has the tendency to grow cold, to backslide; it is necessary to be able to discern that state when you are in it and to know how to return to the Lord
- Poem about seeking the Lord that you might return to your initial love for Him
The following link is to Thomas Smyth’s sermon:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckVVJev6c0w&list=LL&index=2
The following posts in this blog are very relevant to the above sermon: see Categories, Jonathan Edwards, posts about glimpses of his spiritual life, parts 1-3; Conversion Testimony, Charo Washer, Pastor Paul Washer’s wife; same category, Sinner’s Prayer.
The Edwards posts provide clear examples of self-observation, assessment, examination; spiritual goal setting and setting of steps leading to such goals and more. Edwards was a spiritual giant and his understanding how he progressed spiritually will certainly help you in your own walk.
The Sinner’s Prayer post offers criteria developed by Edwards about the 5 step process, called ‘struggle of faith’ that converts typically go through before they are fully converted, born again.
Knowing the 5 stages of the struggle of faith will greatly enable your own spiritual assessment.
From YouTube: Christian Sermons and Audio Books
Thomas Smyth was born on June 14, 1808 in Belfast, Ireland, one of twelve children. His father, Samuel Smyth, of English descent and a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church, was a successful business man who accumulated a considerable fortune but lost it all. His mother, Ann (Magee) Smyth, of Scotch descent, belonged to a rather remarkable family, one of whom founded the Magee College in Londonderry, Ireland. After his marriage the father changed the spelling of his name to Smith, but Thomas resumed the “y” in 1837.
…He grew rapidly in scholarship and in power as a preacher and writer. In addition to his regular duties he was an omnivorous reader and a prolific writer. His writings were collected and edited by his son-in-law, Rev. J. William Flinn, D. D. , and his daughter Jean Adger Flinn, and published in ten volumes under the title Complete Works of Rev. Thomas Smyth (1908 – 12).
In 1850 Smyth suffered a stroke of paralysis from which he never fully recovered, but he toiled on for twenty years. In 1870 another stroke came and he resigned the pastorate of his church. He continued to work, however, sorting and arranging his manuscripts. From time to time he would say to his physician: “Not ready yet, Doctor. ” Finally all the manuscripts were arranged, and when the physician came again, Smyth said: “Doctor, I have finished, I am ready”. That afternoon the end came.
Featured Image: https://prabook.com/web/thomas.smyth/1046112