"The reasons for God's grace to us are far above all human reason"
This is just a simple thought that Spurgeon challenged his congregation with in 1859. May the mystery of it not be lost on you. Instead, consider what Spurgeon said next:
We cannot impress God, nor does He call us to do so.
Our starting point before Him must be a contrite heart, not the self-righteous spirit of the Pharisees.
When we come before God it would be well if we would always remember this. We are committing great folly if when we are spreading our case before Him, we dare for one moment to speak of ourselves as good or excellent. We shall never succeed in that way—He will not listen to us, for this plan has no power with Him! But if, when we come to Him, we can plead our sin and our misery, then shall we prevail. No, we may even go the length of the Psalmist, David, when he prayed, “For Your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity”—and for a strange reason, you would say—“for it is great.” He used the greatness of his sin as an argument why God should have mercy on him!
O you legalists who are looking to yourselves for some arguments with which to prevail with God! O you who look to your sacraments, to your outward forms, to your pious deeds and your almsgivings for something that will move the heart of God—know this, that these things are no lever that can ever move Him to love! Nothing but your sin and misery can ever stir His mercy! And you look to the wrong place when you look to your merits to find a plea why He should show pity on you!
(C. H. Spurgeon, “Strange Dispensations and Matchless Consolations,” Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, No. 2754, a sermon preached in the autumn of 1859 at New Park Street Chapel, Southwark. Available at http://www.spurgeongems.org/vols46-48/chs2754.pdf.)We are tempted to use the Law to our own end. We want to please God, but sometimes do it for divine attaboys while using busyness to shield ourselves from honest introspection. While racking up brownie points in a way of living that may boarder superstitious activities, we miss the necessity of our raw humility before His Throne.
We cannot impress God, nor does He call us to do so.
Our starting point before Him must be a contrite heart, not the self-righteous spirit of the Pharisees.
