MattPerman.com

  • Contact
  • About
  • Speaking
  • Books
  • Video Highlights
  • Resources
You are here: Home / 1 Theology / Sanctification / Spurgeon on Whether God Requires Faithfulness or Fruitfulness

Spurgeon on Whether God Requires Faithfulness or Fruitfulness

August 22, 2011 by mattperman

Spurgeon:

The reaping time will come. Our chief business is to glorify God by teaching the truth whether souls are saved or not; but still I demur to the statement that we may go on preaching the gospel for years and years, and even all our lifetime, and yet no result may follow.

They say, “Paul may plant and Apollos may water, but God giveth the increase.” I should like them to find that passage in the Bible. In my English Bible it runs thus: “I (Paul) have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.”

There is not the slightest intent to teach us that when Paul planted and Apollos watered, God would arbitrarily refuse the increase. All the glory is claimed for the Lord, but honest labour is not despised.

I do not say that there is the same relation between teaching the truth and conversion as there is between cause and effect, so that they are invariably connected; but I will maintain that it is the rule of the kingdom that they should be connected, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • Evernote

Related

Filed Under: Sanctification

Feedback to the Author

  • If you would like a response, please include your email address. While I unfortunately cannot respond to everything, I will do my best.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

About Matt Perman

 

I am the director of career development at The King’s College NYC, co-founder of What’s Best Next, and the author of What’s Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done. This is my personal website where I blog on four of my favorite topics: theology, apologetics, culture, and living in New York City.

Learn more.

Books

See all of my books and publications.

Follow

Twitter | Facebook

Posts by Date

Posts by Topic

Search Whatsbestnext.com

Copyright © 2025 - What's Best Next. All Rights Reserved. Contact Us.