Faith in Perfection

Spurgeon’s sermon centers on the promise from Psalm 138:8, “The Lord will perfect that which concerns me,” and he explains that this assurance belongs only to those who share David’s concern for eternal things, have truly tasted God’s mercy, and possess a religion that is the work of God rather than human effort. He shows how the believer’s confidence rests entirely on God—“If there be one stitch in the celestial garment of my righteousness which I am to insert myself, then I am lost”—and uses vivid images like clay on the potter’s wheel and a lamb carried by its shepherd to illustrate our dependence on divine grace. Spurgeon insists that God not only begins the work of salvation but will certainly finish it, rejecting the idea of earthly perfection while promising that believers will one day be made completely holy in heaven. He grounds this certainty in God’s unchanging mercy, reminding hearers that the same mercy that saved them when they were “in rags, and beggary, and filth” will not fail them now. Finally, he shows that true confidence always leads to prayer, as seen in David’s cry, “Forsake not the works of your own hands,” urging believers to trust boldly in God’s promise while humbly seeking His continued help.Sermon delivered by Charles Spurgeon on January 2nd, 1859.