Faith Makes Men Strong
True strength comes from faith, not doubt, and is rooted in the heart, not just the head.
C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes that true strength comes from faith in the heart rather than intellectual skepticism. He critiques those who demand proof before believing, labeling them as headstrong and ultimately weak, as their obstinacy reveals a lack of true wisdom. Spurgeon argues that doubters often project their own faults onto believers, mistaking their own skepticism for strength. He asserts that the real wisdom lies in faith, which empowers individuals in times of trouble, contrasting the folly of modern doubt with the steadfastness of belief.
Text
Faith makes men strong - not in the head, but in the heart. Doubting people are generally headstrong - the Thomas-sort of people who obstinately declare that they will not believe unless they can have proofs of their own choosing. If you read certain newspapers, journals, quarterly reviews, and so on, you will see that the doubting people who are always extolling scepticism and making out that there is more faith in their doubt than in half the creeds, and so on, are particularly strong in the upper region, namely, in the head, only it is that sort of head-strength which implies real weakness, for obstinacy seldom goes with wisdom. They are always sneering at believers as a feeble folk, which is a clear sign that they are not very strong themselves; for evermore is this a rule without exception, that when a man despises his opponent he is himself the party who ought to be despised.
When certain writers rave about "evangelical platitudes," as they commonly do, they only see in others a fault with which they are largely chargeable themselves. Anybody who glances at the sceptical literature of the present day will bear me out that the platitudes have gone over to the doubting side of the house. No people can write such fluent nonsense, and talk such absurdity, as the school of modem doubt and "culture:" they think themselves the wisest of the wise, but, professing to be wise, they have become fools, and I know what I say.
From a sermon by Charles Haddon Spurgeon entitled "A Cheery Word In Troublous Times."
Sermon Outline
- Faith Makes Men Strong
- The Weakness of Doubt
- The Folly of Modern Doubt
- The platitudes of doubt are often just as shallow as those of faith
- The wise are often deceived by their own pride
Key Quotes
“Faith makes men strong - not in the head, but in the heart.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“Obstinacy seldom goes with wisdom.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“Professing to be wise, they have become fools,” — C.H. Spurgeon
Application Points
- Recognize that doubt can be a sign of weakness, not strength.
- Be cautious of pride and foolishness that can come from skepticism.
- Cultivate a heart-felt trust in God, rather than just intellectual assent.