Christ in Them - Spurgeon

The Apostle distinctly tells us, THE POWER, MYSTERIOUS AND IRRESISTIBLE, WHICH SUSTAINED THESE MORE THAN CONQUERORS, was, "through Him that loved us." They conquered through Christ's being their Captain. Much depends upon the leader. Christ showed them how to conquer by personally enduring suffering and conquering as their Example. They triumphed through Christ as their Teacher, for His doctrines strengthened their minds, made them strong, made them angelic, made them Divine-for He made them partakers of the Divine Nature.

But, above all, they conquered because Christ was actually with them! His body was in Heaven, for He has risen, but His Spirit was with them. We learn from all the history of the saints that Christ has a way of infusing supernatural strength into the weakest ofthe weak. The Holy Spirit, when He comes into contact with our poor, wavering, feeble spirits, girds us up to something which is absolutely impossible to man alone. You look at man as he is, and what can he do? Brethren, he can do nothing! "Without Me, you can do nothing." But look at man with God in him and I will reverse the question-What can he not do?


I do not see a man burning in yonder fires, I see Christ suffering in that man! I do not see a martyr in prison so much as the Divine power laughing at the thought of imprisonment and scorning iron bands. I do not so much see a simpleminded virgin, uneducated, contending with sophists and cavilers as I see the Spirit of the living God speaking through her simple tongue-teaching her in the same hour what she shall speak-and proving the Truth of God that the foolishness of God is greater than the wisdom of man, and the feebleness of God is stronger than the power of man!


Oh, it is glorious to think that God should thus take the meanest, poorest, most feeble things and should put Himself into them, and then say, "Come on, all you that are wise and great, and I will baffle you through those that are foolish and feeble! Now, come, you devils of Hell! Come, you men of earth who breathe out threats, and foam with cruelty! Come all of you, and this poor defenseless one shall laugh you all to scorn, and triumph even to the last!"


It is the power of Christ! And did you notice the name by which the Apostle called our Lord in the text? It is so significant that I think it is the key to the text, "Through Him that loved us." Yes, love yielded them victory! They knew He loved them, had loved them, always would love them! They knew that if they suffered for His sake it was His love which let them suffer for their ultimate gain, and for His permanent honor. They felt that He loved them. They could not doubt it! They never mistrusted that fact and this it was that made them so strong.


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Sermon #751