The Believer's Challenge

Spurgeon proclaims that a Christian can stand before heaven, earth, and hell without fear of condemnation because of four unshakable pillars of assurance: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ sits at the right hand of God, and Christ makes intercession for us. He explains that Christ’s death fully satisfied divine justice—“the black cloud of vengeance emptied out itself upon the cross”—and that His resurrection is the Father’s public receipt showing the debt is paid, the bond torn in two. Christ’s enthronement at God’s right hand proves the work is finished, for unlike the standing priests of the Old Testament, Jesus sits because the atonement is complete and believers are accepted in Him. Finally, Spurgeon exalts Christ’s ongoing intercession as the strongest argument of all, noting that the Savior pleads with “my Father and your Father,” presenting His own blood on the mercy seat as the believer’s unanswerable defense. With these four foundations intertwined, Spurgeon says the Christian may echo Paul’s bold cry—“Who is he that condemns?”—for no accusation from conscience, man, or Satan can stand against those secured by the death, resurrection, exaltation, and intercession of Christ.Sermon delivered by Charles Spurgeon on June 5th, 1859.