THE GRANDEST MOTIVE TO HOLINESS by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Oct 23, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 50.

THE GRANDEST MOTIVE TO HOLINESS.

By Charles Haddon Spurgeon

It has been said that if we tell men that good works cannot save them, but that Jesus saves the guilty who believe in him, we take away all motive for morality and holiness. We meet that with a direct denial; it is not so; we supply the grandest motive possible, and only remove a vicious and feeble motive. We take away from man the idea of performing good works in order to salvation, because it is a lie; good works will not save a sinner, nor is he able to perform them if they could save him. But when we tell men, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved," if they exercise faith they are saved; and being saved, there grows up in their hearts gratitude to God, and from this springs a loving desire to serve God on account of what he has done; and this motive is not only very powerful, but it is very pure, because the man does not then serve God with a view to self, but he serves him out of love; and works done out of love to God are the only good works possible to men.—Rev. C. H. Spurgeon.