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Form or Power?
Spurgeon, "The Form of Godliness Without the Power"
"Having a form of godliness but denying its power."
A mere form of godliness joined to
an unholy heart is of no value to God.
The swan, although its feathers are
as white as snow, yet its skin is black.
God will not accept that 'external morality'
which conceals 'internal impurity'. There
must be a pure heart as well as a clean life.
The power of godliness must work within,
or else God will not accept our offering.
There is no value to man or to God in
a religion which is a dead form.
Sad is that man's plight who wears the
name of Christian but has never been
quickened by the Holy Spirit.
There is no use in a mere formal religion.
If your religion is without spiritual life, what
is the use of it? Could you ride home on a
dead horse? Would you hunt with dead dogs?
Is false religion any better?
In the depth of winter, can you warm
yourself before a 'painted fire'?
Could you dine off the 'picture of a
feast' when you are hungry?
There must be vitality and substantiality,
or else the form is utterly worthless; and
worse than worthless, for it may flatter
you into deadly self conceit.
How shameful will such a fruitless, lifeless
professor be in eternity, when the secrets
of all hearts shall be revealed! What shame
and everlasting contempt will await him when
his falsehood shall be detected, and his
baseness shall fill all holy minds with horror!
What will be the hell of the false professor!
"Having a form of godliness but denying its power."
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