Sermon Shorts from Spurgeon — Sermon 26: The Two Effects of the Gospel

Again the minister of the gospel is called a fisherman. Now a fisherman is not responsible for the quantity of fish he catches, but for the way he fishes. That is a mercy for some ministers, I am sure, for they have neither caught fish, for neither caught fish nor even attracted any round their nets. They have been spending all their life fishing with most elegant silk lines, and gold and silver hooks; they always use nicely polished phrases; but the fish will not bite for all that, whereas we of a rougher order have put the hook into the jaws of hundreds. However, if we cast the gospel net in the right place, even if we catch none, the Master will find no fault with us He will say, “Fisherman! didst thou labour? Didst thou throw the net into the sea in the time of storms?” “Yes, my Lord, I did.” “What hast thou caught?” “Only one or two.” “Well, I could have sent thee a shoal, if it so pleased me; it is not thy fault; I give in my sovereignty where I please; or withhold when I choose; but as for thee, thou hast well laboured, therefore there is thy reward.”

From the Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 1, Sermon 26 by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

A Brief Look at Election and Foreknowledge

1 Peter 1:1-2  Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,  2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

Peter addresses his first epistle to the “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father”.  There is a long debate over the relationship with God’s sovereign election and mankind’s free will.  A related discussion is the aspect of “foreknowledge” as helping reconcile the two.  The argument goes like this: God looked into the future and saw who would believe on Jesus as savior.  He then elected those persons to salvation.  This is an valiant attempt to bring election and free will together, but it fails under closer scrutiny.  Here’s why. Continue reading