A Christian will part with anything rather than his hope; he knows that hope will keep the heart both from aching and breaking, from fainting and sinking; he knows that hope is a beam of God, a spark of glory, and that nothing shall extinguish it till the soul be filled with glory.
Interpretation
Hope is essential for a Christian, serving as a divine light that sustains them through life's challenges.
In this quote, Thomas Brooks emphasizes the importance of hope in a Christian's life, suggesting that it is a vital element that protects the heart from despair and destruction. He illustrates hope as a divine gift that illuminates the soul, promising that as long as one holds onto hope, they will be fortified against life's trials and ultimately find fulfillment in glory.
In practice
During a Sunday service, a pastor could use this quote to inspire congregants to hold onto their hope during difficult times.
Remember this-all the sighing, mourning, sobbing, and complaining in the world, does not so undeniably evidence a man to be humble, as his overlooking his own righteousness, and living really and purely upon the righteousness of Christ.
Grace and glory differ very little; the one is the seed, the other is the flower; grace is glory militant, glory is grace triumphant.
He is the best preacher, not that tickles the ear, but that breaks the heart.
Ah! sinner, remember this, there is no way on earth effectually to be rid of the guilt, filth, and power of sin, but by believing in a Saviour. It is not resolving, it is not complaining, it is not mourning, but believing, that will make thee divinely victorious over that body of sin that to this day is too strong for thee, and that will certainly be thy ruin, if it be not ruined by a hand of faith.
Self is the only oil that makes the chariot-wheels of the hypocrite move in all religious concerns.
Humility can weep over other men's weaknesses, and joy and rejoice over their graces.
All who call on God in true faith...will certainly be heard.
Just as you did not come to Christ on your own, neither will you remain in Christ on your own.
Being called 'The Heartbreak Kid', 'Mr. Wrestlemania,' and all those other names doesn't even begin to compare to what it feels like to know that the Almighty God who created the universe calls me His child.
We let ourselves be molded and transformed by Christ and continually pass from the side of one who destroys to that of the one who saves.
At the end of the day, everything is God's plan, and he cares about what we do. He cares about our hearts, how we play the game, and how we treat people. He's definitely involved with how we handle sports and not just the outcome of it. I'm proud when athletes mention God in any way.
The heart which has no agenda but God's is the heart at leisure from itself. Its emptiness is filled with the Love of God. Its solitude can be turned into prayer.
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