Sometimes, for seeking sinners, the road to heaven seems blocked. They have heard a clear gospel invitation, and desire to accept, but objections bar their path like heavy stones. “I have sinned too greatly to be saved,” they reason. “I have not felt enough remorse.” According to Spurgeon, however, the gospel obliterates these arguments.
Some may say that they cannot come to faith because their sin is too great. On the other hand, some hold back because they have never experienced the feeling of despair over their sin. Whether the weight of past sin overshadows the way, or the absence of deep contrition whispers words of unwelcome, they think that they cannot possibly approach the perfect and holy God.
The good news of the gospel is that salvation is not dependent on the condition of the individual. “Know assuredly that the Saviour is greater than thy sin, and his merit is greater than thy guilt.” All are sinful and rebel against God. The only requirement for sinners is to repent and put their faith in Jesus. All that is needed is to do is look to Christ and be saved; it is that simple. Therefore, let all the stones of stumbling be pulverized, because He has done it all.
Excerpt:
You have not to do something for yourself, and then look to Jesus for the rest. Shame upon you for thinking of such a thing! To melt your heart in the furnace of love is a divine work, and Christ must do it. Come, thou stony-hearted sinner, come with the flint and the granite still within thee. Come, though thou canst not feel, and believe that Christ can make thee feel. Come, thou, who hast been annealed like steel in the furnace of transgression and familiarity with sin. Come thou to him, for he is able to give thee a heart of flesh and take away thy heart of stone. I am fully persuaded that those who mourn their want of feeling are the most feeling people in the world; but I will not dwell upon that truth. It is the greatest mistake for us to imagine that we are to make ourselves feel something, and then Christ will save us; feelings of contrition are as much his work as is the atonement for the remission of sin. Christ is Alpha as well as Omega in salvation. You must begin with him, and go on with him, and end with him, if end there ever can be.
Read the rest of the sermon here.