Two Precious Jewels Glittering Side by Side
True religion is characterized by joy and happiness, and believers find freedom and delight in their faith.
C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes the profound joy and delight that comes from a genuine relationship with God, contrasting the believer's experience with that of the ungodly, who view piety as a burden rather than a pleasure. He asserts that true religion is characterized by happiness and that holiness and delight are inseparably linked, akin to two precious jewels. For believers, serving God is not a duty but a source of joy, and their faith is a liberating force rather than a constraint. Spurgeon encourages Christians to embrace their faith as a delightful journey, where every path leads to peace and pleasantness. Ultimately, he highlights that the love for Christ transforms duty into delight, making holiness a beautiful experience.
Text
"Delight yourself in the Lord." Psalm 37:4
The teaching of these words must seem very surprising to those who are strangers to vital godliness. But to the sincere believer, it is only the inculcation of a recognized truth.
The life of the believer is here described as a delight in God--and we are thus certified of the great fact--that true religion overflows with happiness and joy. Ungodly people and mere professors never look upon piety as a joyful thing; to them it is dreary service, duty, or necessity--but never a pleasure or delight. The thought of delight in Christ is so strange to most people, that no two words in their language stand further apart than "holiness" and "delight." But believers who know Christ, understand that delight and holiness are so blessedly united, that the gates of hell cannot prevail to separate them. Those who love Christ with all their hearts, find that all His ways are ways of pleasantness; and all His paths are peace.
Christians discover such joys, such brimful delights, such overflowing blessednesses, that so far from serving Him from custom, they would follow Him--though all the world casts out His name as evil.
We do not love God because of any compulsion:
our faith is no fetter,
our profession is no bondage,
we are not dragged to holiness,
nor driven to duty.
Our piety is our pleasure,
our hope is our happiness,
our duty is our delight!
Holiness and delight are as allied--as root and flower. They are, in fact, two precious jewels glittering side by side in a setting of gold!
Sermon Outline
- The Nature of True Religion points: - Characterized by joy and happiness - Contrasted with the dreary service of ungodly people
- The Union of Holiness and Delight points: - Believers find joy in Christ's ways - Christ's paths are peace and pleasantness
- The Freedom of Faith points: - Faith is not a compulsion or bondage - Piety is a pleasure, not a duty
- The Alliance of Holiness and Delight points: - Holiness and delight are closely tied - They are two precious jewels, side by side
Key Quotes
“Our piety is our pleasure, our hope is our happiness, our duty is our delight!” — C.H. Spurgeon
“Christians discover such joys, such brimful delights, such overflowing blessednesses” — C.H. Spurgeon
“Holiness and delight are as allied--as root and flower.” — C.H. Spurgeon
Application Points
- Recognize that true religion is a source of joy and happiness, not duty or obligation.
- Experience the freedom and delight of faith, rather than seeing it as a burden or compulsion.
- Find pleasure and happiness in your relationship with Christ, and let that guide your actions and decisions.