God would have his ministers be like transparent glass, which lets the rays of the sun pass through unchanged; and not like painted windows, which color all the rays after their own nature. Through infirmity we all give some amount of colouring to the gospel, but he is the man according to God’s order of ministry who longs to let the gospel shine right through him, and does not send upon the people anything of his own except the earnestness which the gospel works in him as it streams through him.
As some glass adds heat to light by concentrating the rays, so should the minister add heat to the gospel, but woe unto him if he adds anything beyond. Brethren, we have nothing to tell you which we have invented, so that if you are saved by it, it will not be due to our skill. We have nothing to tell you but what God commits to us, and therefore God will have all the glory if your souls be saved.
From a sermon by Charles Haddon Spurgeon entitled "God Beseeching Sinners By His Ministers," delivered July 27, 1873. Image by paul bica on Flickr under Creative Commons License.
1 comment:
In this day of media,so much "personal spin" is often placed on the Gospel-so that too often both bias and personal agenda and prejudice goes beyond the glass even being colored.It is opaque....
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