# 08 - The Increase of Faith; Regeneration and the Holy Spirit

An episode of [All of Grace by Charles H. Spurgeon](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1698446544), 16 Jul 2023, 17 min.

Audio: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/56158163/allgrace_08_spurgeon_64kb.mp3



## Transcript

[0:00] Section eight of All of Grace by Charles Spurgeon. This LibriVox recording is in
[0:05] the public domain. Recording by Marianne The increase of faith? How can we
[0:13] obtain an increase of faith? This is a very earnest question to many.
[0:18] They say they want to believe, but cannot. A great deal of nonsense
[0:23] is talked upon the subject. Let us be strictly practical in our dealing with
[0:28] it. Common sense is as much needed in religion as anywhere else. What
[0:34] am I to do in order to believe? One who was asked the best
[0:39] way to do a certain simple act replied that the best way to do it
[0:43] was to do it at once. We waste time in discussing methods when the
[0:48] action is simple. The shortest way to believe is to believe. If the
[0:55] Holy Spirit has made you candid, you will believe. As soon as truth
[0:59] is set before you, you will believe it because it is true. The
[1:03] Gospel command is clear. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt
[1:07] be saved. It is idle to evade this by questions and quibbles. The
[1:12] order is plain, let it be obeyed. But still, if you have
[1:19] difficulty, take it before God in prayer. Tell the Great Father exactly what
[1:25] it is that puzzles you, and beg him by his Holy Spirit to solve
[1:29] the question. If I cannot believe a statement in a book, I am
[1:34] glad to inquire of the author what he means by it, And if he
[1:37] is a true man, his explanation will satisfy me. Much more will the
[1:42] divine explanation of the hard points of scripture satisfy the heart of the true seeker?
[1:49] The Lord is willing to make himself known. Go to him and see
[1:53] if it is not so repair at once to your closet and cry, a
[1:57] Holy Spirit, lead me into the truth what I know not, teach thou
[2:01] me. Furthermore, if faith seems difficult, it is possible that God the
[2:07] Holy Spirit will enable you to believe if you hear very frequently and earnestly,
[2:13] that which you are commanded to believe. We believe many things because we have
[2:17] heard them so often. Do you not find it so in common life that
[2:23] if you hear a thing fifty times a day, at last you come to
[2:27] believe it. Some men have come to believe very unlikely statements by this process.
[2:31] And therefore I do not wonder that the Good Spirit often blesses the method
[2:36] of hearing the truth and uses it to work faith concerning that which is to
[2:39] be believed. It is written, faith cometh by hearing. Therefore, here
[2:46] often if I earnestly and attentively hear the Gospel, one of these days,
[2:51] I shall find myself believing that which I hear through the blessed operation of the
[2:55] Spirit of God upon my mind. Only mind you to hear the Gospel,
[3:00] and do not distract your mind with either hearing or reading that which is designed
[3:06] to stagger you. If that, however, should seem poor advice, I
[3:10] would add next, consider the testimony of others. The Samaritans believed because of
[3:16] what the woman told them concerning Jesus. Many of our beliefs arise out of
[3:21] the testimony of others. I believe that there is such a country as Japan.
[3:27] I never sought, and yet I believe that there is such a place
[3:30] because others have been there. I believe that I shall die. I have
[3:35] never died, but a great many others have done so, whom I once
[3:38] knew, and therefore I have a conviction that I shall die. Also,
[3:43] the testimony of many convinces me of that fact. Listen then to those who
[3:49] tell you how they were saved, how they were pardoned, how they were
[3:53] changed in character. If you will look into the matter, you will find
[3:58] that somebody just like yourself has been saved. If you have been a thief,
[4:02] you will find that a thief rejoiced to wash away his sin in the
[4:06] fountain of Christ's blood. If unhappily you have been unchaste, you will find
[4:12] that men and women who have fallen in that way have been cleansed and changed.
[4:16] If you are in despair, you have only to get among God's people
[4:20] and inquire a little, and you will discover that some of the saints have
[4:25] been equally in despair at times, and they will be pleased to tell you
[4:29] how the Lord delivered them. As you listened to one after another of those
[4:33] who have tried the word of God and proved it, the divine spirit will
[4:38] lead you to believe. Have you not heard of the African who was told
[4:42] by the missionary that water sometimes became so hard that a man could walk on
[4:46] it. He declared that he believed a great many things the missionary had told
[4:50] him, but he would never believe that when he came to England, it
[4:55] came to pass that one frosty day he saw the river frozen, but he
[4:59] would not venture on it. He knew that it was a deep river,
[5:02] and he felt certain that he would be drowned if he ventured upon it.
[5:05] He could not be induced to walk the frozen water till his friend and many
[5:10] others went upon it. Then he was persuaded and trusted himself where others had
[5:15] safely ventured. So while you see others believe in the lamb of God and
[5:20] notice their joy and peace, you will yourself be gently led to believe.
[5:27] The experience of others is one of God's ways of helping us to faith.
[5:30] You have either to believe in Jesus or die. There is no hope for
[5:34] you but in Him. A better plan is this. Note the authority upon
[5:42] which you are commanded to believe, and this will greatly help you to faith.
[5:46] The authority is not mine, or you might well reject it, but
[5:50] you are commanded to believe upon the authority of God himself. He bids you
[5:56] to believe in Jesus Christ, and you must not refuse to obey your make
[6:00] The foreman of a certain works had often heard the gospel, but he was
[6:04] troubled with the fear that he might not come to Christ. His good master
[6:10] one day sent a card round to the works, come to my house immediately
[6:14] after work. The foreman appeared at his master's door, and the master came
[6:18] out and said, somewhat roughly, what do you want John? Troubling me?
[6:23] At this time? Work is done? What right have you here?
[6:27] Sir? He said, I had a card from you saying that I was
[6:30] to come after work. Do you mean to say that merely because you had
[6:34] a card from me, you are to come up to my house and call
[6:38] me out after business hours? Well, sir, replied the foreman. I
[6:44] do not understand you, but it seems to me that as you sent for
[6:47] me, I had the right to come. Come in, John said his
[6:51] master. I have another message that I want to read to you, and
[6:57] he sat down and read these words. Come unto me all ye that labor
[7:01] and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Do you think,
[7:05] after such a message from Christ, that you can be wrong in coming
[7:10] to him? The poor man saw it all at once and believed in the
[7:14] Lord Jesus unto eternal life, because he perceived that he had good warrant and
[7:18] authority for believing. So have you, poor soul, You have good authority
[7:24] for coming to Christ, for the Lord himself bids you trust him. If
[7:30] that does not breed faith in you, think over what it is that you
[7:33] have to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ suffered in the place and stead of
[7:39] sinners, and is able to save all who trust him. Why this is
[7:44] the most blessed fact that ever men were told to believe, the most suitable,
[7:48] the most comforting, the most divine truth that was ever set before mortal
[7:54] minds. I advise you to think much upon it and search out the grace
[7:59] and love which it contains. Study the four Evangelists, study Paul's epistles,
[8:05] and then see if the message is not such a credible one that you are
[8:09] forced to believe it. If that does not do, then think upon the
[8:13] person of Jesus Christ. Think of who he is, and what he did,
[8:18] and where he is and what he is. How can you doubt him?
[8:24] It is cruelty to distrust the ever truthful Jesus. He has done nothing
[8:28] to deserve distrust. On the contrary, it should be easy to rely upon
[8:33] him why crucify him anew by unbelief? Is not this crowning him with thorns
[8:39] again and spitting upon him again? What is he not to be trusted?
[8:45] What worse insult did the soldiers pour upon him than this? They made him
[8:50] a martyr, but you make him a liar? This is worse by far.
[8:56] Do not ask how can I believe? But answer another question, how
[9:01] can you disbelieve? If none of these things avail, then there is something
[9:05] wrong about you altogether? And my last word is submit yourself to God.
[9:11] Prejudice or pride is at the bottom of this unbelief. May the spirit of
[9:16] God take away your enmity and make you yield. You are a rebel,
[9:22] a proud rebel, and that is why you do not believe your God.
[9:26] Give up your rebellion, throw down your weapons, yield at discretion, surrender
[9:31] to your King. I believe that never did a soul throw up its hands
[9:35] in self despair and cry, Lord, I yield. But what faith became
[9:41] easy to it before long? It is because you still have a quarrel with
[9:45] God and resolve to have your own will and your own way, that therefore
[9:50] you cannot believe. How can ye believe said Christ, that have honor of
[9:54] one another. Proud self creates unbelief. Submit, o man, yield to
[10:01] your God, and then shall you sweetly believe in your Savior. May God
[10:07] the Holy Ghost now work secretly but effectually with you, and bring you,
[10:11] at this very moment to believe in the Lord Jesus, Amen, regeneration and
[10:20] the Holy Spirit. Ye must be born again. This word of our Lord
[10:24] Jesus has appeared to flame in the way of many, like the drawn sword
[10:30] of the cherub at the gate of Paradise. They have despaired because this charge
[10:33] is beyond their utmost effort. The new birth is from above, and therefore
[10:39] it is not in the creature's power. Now, it is far from my
[10:43] mind to deny, or ever to conceal a truth in order to create a
[10:48] false comfort. I freely admit that the new birth is supernatural, and that
[10:52] it cannot be wrought by the sinner's own self. It would be a poor
[10:58] help to my reader if I were wicked enough to try to cheer him by
[11:03] persuading him to reject or forget what is unquestionably true. But is it not
[11:09] remarkable that the very chapter in which our Lord makes the sweeping declaration also contains
[11:15] the most explicit statement as to salvation by faith. Read the third chapter of
[11:20] John's Gospel, and do not dwell alone upon its earlier sentences. It is
[11:26] true that the third verse says, Jesus answered and said unto him, verily,
[11:31] verily, I say unto thee. Except a man be born again,
[11:35] he cannot see the Kingdom of God. But then the fourteenth and fifteenth verses
[11:41] speak, and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so
[11:46] must the son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should
[11:52] not perish, but have eternal life. The eighteenth verse repeats the same doctrine
[11:58] in the broadest terms. He that believeth on him is not condemned, But
[12:03] he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the
[12:09] name of the only begotten Son of God. It is clear to every reader
[12:13] that these two statements must agree, since they came from the same lips and
[12:18] are recorded on the same inspired page. Why should we make a difficulty where
[12:24] there can be none. If one statement assures us of the necessity to salvation
[12:28] of a something which only God can give. And if another assures us that
[12:33] the Lord will save us upon our believing in Jesus, then we may safely
[12:37] conclude that the Lord will give to those who believe all that is declared to
[12:43] be necessary to salvation. The Lord does, in fact produce the new birth
[12:48] in all who believe in Jesus, and their believing is the surest evidence that
[12:52] they are born again. We trust in Jesus for what we cannot do ourselves
[13:00] if it were in our own power. What need of looking to him?
[13:03] It is ours to believe. It is the Lords to create us anew.
[13:09] He will not believe for us, neither are we to do regenerating work for
[13:13] him. It is enough for us to obey the gracious command. It is
[13:18] for the Lord to work the new birth in us. He who could go
[13:22] so far as to die on the cross for us, can and will give
[13:26] us all things that are needful for our eternal safety. But a saving change
[13:31] of heart is the work of the Holy Spirit. This also is most true,
[13:37] and let it be far from us to question it or to forget it.
[13:41] But the work of the Holy Spirit is secret and mysterious, and it
[13:45] can only be perceived by its results. There are mysteries about our natural birth
[13:50] into which it would be an unhollowed curiosity to pry. Still more, is
[13:56] this the case with the sacred operations of the Spirit of God. The wind
[14:00] bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not
[14:05] tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth. So is every one that is
[14:09] born of the Spirit this much. However, we do know the mysterious work
[14:13] of the Holy Spirit cannot be a reason for refusing to believe in Jesus,
[14:18] to whom that same spirit beareth witness. If a man were bidden to sow
[14:22] a field, he could not excuse his neglect by saying that it would be
[14:26] useless to sow unless God caused the seed to grow. He would not be
[14:31] justified in neglecting tillage, because the secret energy of God alone can create a
[14:35] harvest. No one is hindered in the ordinary pursuits of life by the fact
[14:41] that unless the Lord build a house, they labor in vain that build it.
[14:46] It is certain that no man who believes in Jesus will ever find that
[14:50] the Holy Spirit refuses to work in him. In fact, his believing is
[14:54] the proof that the Spirit is already at work in his heart. God odd
[15:00] works in providence. But men do not therefore sit still. They could not
[15:03] move without the Divine power giving them life and strength. And yet they proceed
[15:09] upon their way without question, the power being bestowed from day to day by
[15:13] Him in whose hand their breath is, and whose are all their ways.
[15:18] So is it in grace we repent and believe, though we could do neither
[15:24] if the Lord did not enable us. We must forsake sin and trust in
[15:28] Jesus, And then we perceive that the Lord has wrought in us to will
[15:33] and to do of his own good pleasure. It is idle to pretend that
[15:37] there is any real difficulty in the matter. Some truths which it is hard
[15:43] to explain in words, are simple enough in actual experience. There is no
[15:48] discrepancy between the truth that the sinner believes and that his faith is wrought in
[15:52] him by the Holy Spirit. Only folly can lead men to puzzle themselves about
[15:58] plain matters while their souls are in danger. No man would refuse to enter
[16:03] a lifeboat because he did not know the specific gravity of bodies. Neither would
[16:07] a starving man decline to eat until he understood the whole process of nutrition.
[16:12] If you, my reader, will not believe till you can understand all mysteries,
[16:18] you will never be saved at all. And if you allow self invented
[16:22] difficulties to keep you from accepting pardon through your Lord and Savior, you will
[16:26] perish in a condemnation which will be richly deserved. Do not commit spiritual suicide
[16:33] through a passion for discussing metaphysical subtleties. End of Section eight.

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