Out of Gratitude
True selflessness is motivated by a desire to please God, who has saved us, and leads to holy living.
C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes that true love and gratitude towards God stem from recognizing the depth of forgiveness one has received. He argues that actions motivated by selfish desires for reward are fundamentally flawed, as they are rooted in self-preservation rather than genuine love for God. The truly virtuous person acts out of love for God, not for personal gain, demonstrating a higher moral standard that transcends selfishness. This gratitude becomes a powerful force for holy living, enabling individuals to rise above their base instincts and live righteously. Spurgeon's message calls believers to reflect on their motivations and to cultivate a love for God that inspires their actions.
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The man who has had much forgiven will be sure to love much in return. Gratitude to God is a grand mainspring for holy action. Those who do right in order to be rewarded for it are acting selfishly. Selfishness is at the bottom of their character, they abstain from sin only lest self should suffer, and they obey only that self may be safe and happy. The man who does right, not because of heaven or hell, but because God has saved him, and he loves the God who saved him, is the truly rightloving man.
He who loves right because God loves it has risen out of the bog of selfishness and is capable of the loftiest virtue, yea, he has in him a living spring, which will well up and flow forth in holy living so long as he exists.
From a sermon by Charles Haddon Spurgeon entitled "For Whom Is The Gospel Meant?," delivered March 25, 1877.
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Gratitude
- The Selfish Heart
- The Right-Loving Heart
- Doing right because of God's love
- Rising above selfishness to true virtue
Key Quotes
“The man who has had much forgiven will be sure to love much in return.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“He who loves right because God loves it has risen out of the bog of selfishness and is capable of the loftiest virtue,” — C.H. Spurgeon
Application Points
- Reflect on your motivations for doing right and ask yourself if they are selfless or selfish.
- Make a conscious effort to rise above selfishness and love right because God loves it.
- Cultivate a heart of gratitude towards God, which will lead to holy living.