Charles Spurgeon. The Need of Decision for the Truth. Scriptura Press, December 11th 2015. 23 pp.
This was originally a chapter in Charles Spurgeon’s classic, Lectures to My Students. Although it was originally preached and written in the 1800s the content of The Need of Decision for the Truth is relevant even for the twentieth-first century. In the beginning of the book Spurgeon talks about how people in his “present age” seem to think “Some things are either true or false, according to the point of view from which you look at them. Black is white, and white is black according to circumstances; and it does not particularly matter which you call it.” I was amazed to read these words in the book’s opening paragraph for that describes our time so accurately as well! It reminded me that the attack on truth is nothing new, and truly the Bible is right when Ecclesiastes says that there is nothing new under the sun. The rest of the book is focused on the importance of truth and the manner of Christian truth-bearing.
There are a lot of memorable quotes and illustrations that reinforces Spurgeon’s lesson that Christians are to proclaim the truth of Scripture without compromise and also with a Christ-like loving manner. For instance Spurgeon tells the readers that the truth “is not quite a lump of wax to be shaped at our will, or a roll of cloth to be cut according to the prevailing fashion.” Witty way of reinforcing the point that Christians are to be faithful with the definite message of God from the Bible. Spurgeon exhorts the readers to not compromise with the Gospel and to be sincere with the Gospel. Yet Spurgeon in talking about willing to fight for the truth gives a memorable illustration that we ought not to be unnecessarily combative: “Don’t go around the world with your fist doubled up for fighting, carrying a theological revolver in the leg of your trousers.” Instead, Spurgeon exhorted that the readers should “be prepared to fight, and always have your sword buckled on your thigh, but wear a scabbard; there can be no sense in waving your weapon about before everybody’s eyes to provoke conflict, after the manner…” My, Spurgeon has a way with words.
Edifying read that came at a providential moment in my life. I was reading this with another man in my church as part of a discipleship goal of working through Spurgeon’s writing on preparation for ministry. It was edifying for me for even my own pastoral ministry to be loving but also not compromise.
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The Domain for Truth 
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Thanks Vince! I hope you have been having a blessed day!
You’re very welcome Pastor Jim 😊 I have and likewise my friend 😎
Interesting! thanks I enjoyed reading that.
Thanks for reading this!
Great review, Pastor Jim.
“My, Spurgeon has a way with words.”
He does indeed. It is what drew me to his work right off and the theology was so sound to boot! I think I’ve mentioned before that I have the hard copy of this (paperback actually).
“Edifying read that came at a providential moment in my life.”
I can relate. I never really had a good mentor until I picked out the oldest looking book in a huge, very clean Christian bookstore years ago. Mr. Spurgeon became my mentor after that as I had never read anything like him by man. I admit that I am not that well read but I find myself always going back to Mr. Spurgeon even if it is only for his devotionals.
Thank you, Pastor Jim, and
God’s blessings…
Chris thank you for sharing that. I think Spurgeon is definitely unique and I would count him as a great mentor in my own life. What’s a favorite devotional you like from him? I just started really reading more of his work this year.
You’re welcome, Pastor Jim.
I like his “Morning and Evening” devotional. You can find it free in more than one place on the web. If you have a hard time finding it, it is easily found at the “links” on my blog.
God’s blessings…
“Don’t go around the world with your fist doubled up for fighting, carrying a theological revolver in the leg of your trousers.”
Ahhhh….wise words which echo my sentiments. As you well know, my pet peeve is against the bashing of the Bible against the noggins of others.
Patrick in the past I appreciated your point about not bashing the Bible against others or being unrighteously polemical.
Thanks, Jim. When I used to subscribe to “The Sword of the Lord” three decades ago they used to feature Spurgeon’s sermons now and then (although they expunged any references to Reformed theology). I enjoyed them immensely. What passion for the Lord! Being Reformed Baptist in 19th century England made Spurgeon quite an oddball. He often took aim in his sermons at the ritualism and dead ceremony of Anglicanism (as well as Catholicism). I’m tickled whenever I hear a TBN mega-church preacher quote Spurgeon because he was a stark contrast to today’s accommodators and compromisers.
” I’m tickled whenever I hear a TBN mega-church preacher quote Spurgeon because he was a stark contrast to today’s accommodators and compromisers.”<–Good quote from you. I too am amazed at how people quote him. Or say they like him and I wonder if they have read much of Spurgeon beyond social media quotes and memes. I enjoyed a book by Ian Murray titled the "Forgotten Spurgeon" in which the author argues that today people have forgotten what Spurgeon actually stood for and fought for. Have you read or heard of that book before?
Murray’s book sounds good, will put it on my list. Thanks! I do have a copy of “Geese in their Hoods : Selected Writings on Roman Catholicism by Charles Haddon Spurgeon” edited by Timothy F. Kauffman, which would definitely not be well received by the Spurgeon quoters on TBN.
Thanks for that. I am really enjoying reading Spurgeon at the moment. Am thinking about getting his sermons on book form.
Ian Murray: “The Forgotten Spurgeon”
Saw it in our church bookstore and have considered buying it.
Alf, glad to hear you area really enjoying read Spurgeon at the moment. My review of “The Forgotten Spurgeon” can be found here: https://veritasdomain.wordpress.com/2012/04/07/book-review-the-forgotten-spurgeon-by-iain-murray/