{"id":3449,"date":"2017-12-02T01:31:39","date_gmt":"2017-12-02T01:31:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/takingeverythoughtcaptivetoobeychrist.wordpress.com\/?p=3449"},"modified":"2017-12-02T01:31:39","modified_gmt":"2017-12-02T01:31:39","slug":"begin-at-christ","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/begin-at-christ\/","title":{"rendered":"Begin at Christ"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight:400\">The following post is a selection from a sermon Charles Spurgeon preached on 1 Corinthians 1v24 entitled: \u201cChrist &#8211; the Power and Wisdom of God.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight:400\">\u201cIf you want to be a thoroughly learned man the best place to begin, is to begin at the Bible, to begin at Christ. It is said that even children learn to read more quickly from the Bible than from any other book; and this I am sure of, that we, who are but grown-up children, will learn better and learn faster by beginning with Christ, than we could by beginning with any thing else. I remember saying once, and as I can not say it better I\u2019ll repeat it, that before I knew the gospel I gathered up a heterogeneous mass of all kinds of knowledge from here, there, and everywhere; a bit of chemistry, a bit of botany, a bit of astronomy, and a bit of this, that, and the other. I put them altogether, in one great confused chaos. When I learned the gospel, I got a shelf in my head to put everything away upon just where it should be. It seemed to me as if, when I had discovered Christ and him crucified, I had got the center of the system, so that I could see every other science revolving around in order. From the earth, you know, the planets appear to move in a very irregular manner &#8211; they are progressive, retro grade, stationary; but if you could get upon the sun, you would see them marching round in their constant, uniform, circular motion. So with knowledge. Begin with any other science you like, and truth will seem to be awry. Begin with the science of Christ crucified, and you will begin with the sun, you will see every other science moving round it in complete harmony. The greatest mind in the world will be evolved by beginning at the right end. The old saying is, \u2018Go from nature up to nature\u2019s God;\u2019 but it is hard work going up hill. The best thing is to go from nature\u2019s God down to nature; and if you once get to nature\u2019s God, and believe him and love him, it is surprising how easy it is to hear music in the waves, and songs in the wild whisperings of the winds; to see God everywhere, in the stones, in the rocks, in the rippling brooks, and hear him everywhere, in the lowing of cattle, in the rolling of thunder, and in the fury of tempests. Get Christ first, put him in the fight place and you will find him to be the wisdom of God in your own experience. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight:400\">But wisdom is not knowledge; and we must not confound the two. Wisdom is the right use of knowledge; and Christ\u2019s gospel helps us, by teaching us the right use of knowledge. It directs us. Yon Christian has lost his way in a dark wood; but God\u2019s Word is a compass to him, and a lantern too: he finds his way by Christ. He comes to a turn in the road. Which is right, and which is wrong? He can not tell. Christ is the great sign-post, telling him which way to go. He sees every day new straits attend; he knows not which way to steer. Christ is the great pilot who puts his hand on the tiller, and makes him wise to steer through the shoals of \u00a0temptation and the rocks of sin. Get the gospel, and you are a wise man. \u2018The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and right understanding have they who keep his commandments.\u2019 Ah! Christian, you have had many doubts, but you have had them all unriddled, when you have come to the cross of Christ. You have had many difficulties; but they have been all explained in the light of Calvary. You have seen mysteries, when you have brought them to the face of Christ, made clear and manifest, which once you never could have known.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The following post is a selection from a sermon Charles Spurgeon preached on 1 Corinthians 1v24 entitled: \u201cChrist &#8211; the Power and Wisdom of God.\u201d &nbsp; \u201cIf you want to be a thoroughly learned man the best place to begin, is to begin at the Bible, to begin at Christ. It is said that even [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":685,"featured_media":3450,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,32],"tags":[189,269,274,320,557,562,678,679,699,965,1014,1056,1180,1353],"class_list":{"0":"post-3449","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-faith","8":"category-theology","9":"tag-begin","10":"tag-charles","11":"tag-christ","12":"tag-corinthians","13":"tag-god","14":"tag-gospel","15":"tag-jenkins","16":"tag-jesus","17":"tag-joshua","18":"tag-power","19":"tag-rags","20":"tag-riches","21":"tag-spurgeon","22":"tag-wisdom","23":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/12\/charles-spurgeon-scan.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1299,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/proceed-at-once-to-the-text\/","url_meta":{"origin":3449,"position":0},"title":"Proceed at Once to the Text","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"March 31, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I was reading a sermon by Charles Spurgeon not too long ago, wherein his opening remarks he stated, \u201cLet us proceed at once to the text!\u201d That little, almost insignificant phrase struck me in a way that made me pause. No jokes, no personal stories, no novelty; just procession to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"bible\"","block_context":{"text":"bible","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/tag\/bible\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2046,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/you-have-no-heart\/","url_meta":{"origin":3449,"position":1},"title":"You Have No Heart","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"June 7, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\"You have no heart! You are heartless!\" These phrases we often hear in response to someone who has just done or said something that we consider to be quite inhumane or inconsiderate of another human being or beings. The phrase is meant to convey the idea that the human heart\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;theology&quot;","block_context":{"text":"theology","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/theology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/heart.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3472,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/a-saints-desire\/","url_meta":{"origin":3449,"position":2},"title":"A Saint&#8217;s Desire","author":"Edward Larow","date":"January 24, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\"I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.\" - Phil. 1:23 Many of us struggle to find purpose in this life. Underlying this search for purpose is a deep desire for fulfillment. Consumerism has taken hold of this truth\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Culture&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Culture","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/01\/misty_morning-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/01\/misty_morning-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/01\/misty_morning-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/01\/misty_morning-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/01\/misty_morning-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/01\/misty_morning-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3452,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/covenant-security\/","url_meta":{"origin":3449,"position":3},"title":"Covenant Security","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"December 3, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"My God, the covenant of Thy love Abides for ever sure; And in its matchless grace I feel My happiness secure. Philip Doddridge, 1775 Covenant theology is a concept nearly foreign to many American Christians today. We are covenant illiterate, and it is unfortunate to be honest. While theologians can\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;theology&quot;","block_context":{"text":"theology","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/theology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/12\/doddridge_p2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3770,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/the-last-enemy-to-be-defeated\/","url_meta":{"origin":3449,"position":4},"title":"The Last Enemy to be Defeated","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"May 30, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Several weeks ago I gave some\u00a0Brief Thoughts On Postmillennialism. In today's post we will consider a text that pushed me over the edge into full embrace of Postmillennialism. The text is 1 Corinthians 15:24-26, which reads like this, \"Then comes the end, when he delivers\u00a0the kingdom to God the Father\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Gospel&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Gospel","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/gospel\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/05\/church-3903663_960_720.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/05\/church-3903663_960_720.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/05\/church-3903663_960_720.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/05\/church-3903663_960_720.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3623,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/because-your-sins-are-forgiven-commentary-on-1-john-212-14\/","url_meta":{"origin":3449,"position":5},"title":"Because Your Sins Are Forgiven: Commentary on 1 John 2:12-14","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"September 17, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Introduction \u00a0 So here we are now to verse 12-14 of 1 John chapter 2, where John seems to take an interesting break from his flow of thought, as we saw last week how true Christians are those who love one another, and then the following verses after verse\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Commentary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/09\/product-500x500-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3449","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/685"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3449"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3449\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3450"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3449"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3449"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3449"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}