"The prince of preachers"

If you've ever have any sort of real conversation with me, you will quickly discover that I'm a huge nerd when it comes to theology. I basically have a rule, that if someone isn't dead, it most likely isn't worth reading what they have to say about something. Now, I do have a couple of exceptions to the rule, but if you look at my bookshelf, you'll see more times than not I stick with it. I've had people tell me that the great theologians back in the day were just regular men, they're quick to point out their flaws both personally and maybe even theologically. But if you really look at the greats: Spurgeon, G. Campbell Morgan, F.B. Meyer, Andrew Murray, and so on and so forth, you'll find that despite those "flaws" they still were given amazing wisdom by God and their passion for living holy lives and desire to see those around them live holy lives as well is something that should challenge us where we are at in our walks with Christ.

I was provoked to write this, because today as I was studying for a teaching on 1 John, I found a story about Charles Spurgeon that rocked my face off so much, that I just had to share it with you.

It is said of Spurgeon that when he was crossing the street one day, he suddenly stopped. It looked like he was praying, and he was. One of his deacons waited for him on the other side of the street and said to him, "You could have been run down by a carriage. What were you doing? It looked like you were praying." Spurgeon replied, "I was praying." The deacon then asked, "Was it so important?" "Indeed it was. A cloud came between me and my Savior, and I wanted to remove it even before I got across the street."

A lot of the emphasis in the book of 1 John is on our fellowship with God. When we sin, that sweet fellowship is interrupted. Spurgeon's conviction on this issue and sensitivity to the sin that "clouded" the view of his Savior, is something I pray I will be able to obtain one day. I know that it is only by the Holy Spirit's work in my life that this is possible, but it's cool to realize that is exactly true...it is possible to have that conviction/sensitivity to sin and passion for holiness in our lives. Oh to think about the "clouds" that we allow in our life, that we "tolerate" because we're "human". Again, I'm not applauding Spurgeon or his contemporaries necessarily, because I do know that they were flawed, but to realize that God allowed still flawed, real people to be so close to Him, is something that gives me encouragement as I mature in my walk with Christ.