All of grace - Spurgeon - VII - Chapter 11

Required reading
All of grace by C. H. Spurgeon (available from Amazon or free on the internet, here for example) - Read Chapter 11.

My summary
Now Spurgeon turns his attention to the cries of some of his readers about their weaknesses.

People feel a lack of strength because:
(i) they cannot collect their thoughts and keep them fixed on those solemn topics which concern my salvation;
(ii) they cannot repent sufficiently;
(iii) they are tormented with horrible thoughts;
(iv) they cannot quit sinning;
(v) they cannot keep spiritual things in their mind for long.

For all these concerns, Spurgeon's treatment is essentially the same: fix your mind on the divine assurance that "in due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6).

What grabbed me

I love the argument to use on the devil when he accuses you of being a terrible sinner and unfit to be a Christian: 'Jesus knew where we were and where we should be.  He saw that we could not overcome the prince of the power of the air.  He knew that we would be greatly worried by him.  But even then, when He saw us in that condition, Christ died for the ungodly.  Cast the anchor of your faith on this.  The devil himself cannot tell you that you are not ungodly.  Believe then that Jesus died even for such as you are.  Remember Martin Luther's way of cutting the devil's head off with his own sword.  "Oh," said the devil to Martin Luther, "you are a sinner." "Yes," said Luther, "Christ died to save sinners."  Thus he smote him with his own sword.' 

Of course you're a sinner.  Don't despair about it - all Christians are sinners.  If you weren't a sinner, then Christ didn't die for you.

Now it's your turn

Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.