IS IT TRUE? – Charles Spurgeon
IS IT TRUE?
“Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said to them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?” Daniel 3:14.
I. Be Ready for the Question, “Is It True?”
Dear friends who are not yet decided, if you would become followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, it will be well for you to count the cost. It was our Lord’s custom to bid men consider what His service might involve. His frequent declaration was, “He that takes not his Cross, and follows after Me, is not worthy of Me.” He knew and would have us know that it is no child’s play to be a soldier of the Cross. If we count upon ease in this warfare, we shall be grievously disappointed. We must fight if we would reign. One reason for this is that the world, like Nebuchadnezzar, expects us all to follow its fashions and to obey its rules. The god of this world is the devil and he claims implicit obedience. Sin, in some form or other, is the image which Satan sets up and requires us to serve. The tyranny of the world is fierce and cruel—and those who will not worship its image will find that the burning fiery furnace has not yet cooled. If you mean to be a Christian and, therefore, intend to cast off the bondage of this present evil world, your resolve must be taken to bear all consequences rather than worship the idol of the hour. The world’s flute, harp, sackbut, and psaltery must sound in vain for you! A nobler music must charm your ears and make you bid defiance to the world’s threats. The true Believer’s stand must be taken, and he must determine that he will obey God rather than man. That which commends itself to your conscience as right and pure and true, you must follow without reserve—but that which is wrong and foul and false—you must quit with fixed resolve! You cannot be Christ’s disciple unless you have come to this point and abide by it, for Jesus leads only in the ways of righteousness. He who is a loyal subject of King Jesus will not attempt to live in sin and live in Grace, too, for he will know that no one can serve two masters. The love of the world and the love of God will no more mix than oil and water. To attempt a fusion of these two is to bring confusion into your heart and life. The prophetic challenge is a wise one— “If the Lord is God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him.” One or the other you may serve, but not both! Every man who knows the Lord Jesus Christ and has been washed in His blood—and has been made a partaker of the Divine Nature— will understand that he has done with the friendship of this present evil world. The world may demand that he should yield to its behests, but as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, he will refuse to do so. As Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said to Nebuchadnezzar, so will true Believers say to the world—“We will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up.” Now, if you can refuse to sin, if you can refuse, even, to parley with iniquity, it is well with you. If you stand out for truth and righteousness, your conscience will approve your position and this is, in itself, no small comfort. It will be an ennobling thing for your manhood to have proved its strength, and it will tend to make it stronger. Your course of resolute right will be acceptable with God and this, also, is an exceedingly great reward. I had rather please the Lord than win the applause of all the angels in Heaven and all the princes on earth! In that day, when the blessed and only Potentate shall distribute crowns and palms to the faithful, it will be the height of bliss to hear Him say, “Well done, you good and faithful servant.” Perhaps some of you may say, “We will not bow before the gods of the world, but we will worship God only: we will follow Christ, and none beside.” This is a brave resolve—you will never regret it if you stand to it even to the end.
We are glad to hear you speak thus, but is it true? “Is it true?” These words I shall take by themselves and set them on fire. No question can be more necessary or more searching than, “Is it true?” It is very well to profess, but, “Is it true?” It is very fine to promise and vow, but, “Is it true?” It is a bold thing to talk of defying Nebuchadnezzar and his fiery furnace, but, “Is it true?” Skeptics question your declaration with a sarcastic sneer. Sinners question it with an open unbelief and saints question it with deep anxiety to have you sincere. From many sides comes the query, “Is it true?” It must be asked, it will be asked, it ought to be asked and, therefore, I ask it, “Is it true?”
II. Be Ready to Answer “Is It True?”
Follower of Christ, be ready for the question, “Is it true?” Do not reckon to live unnoticed, for a fierce light beats about every Christian. You will be sure to meet with someone whom you respect or fear who will demand of you, “Is it true?” Nebuchadnezzar was a great personage to these three holy men—he was their despotic lord, their employer, their influential friend. In his hands rested their liberties and their lives. He was, moreover, their benefactor, for he had set them in high office in his empire. All hope of further promotion lay with him and if they would prosper and rise in the world, they must earn his smile. Many young Christians are tried with this temptation. Many worldly advantages may be gained by currying favor with certain ungodly men who are like little Nebuchadnezzars—and this is a great peril. They are bid to do wrong by one who is their superior, their employer, their patron. Now comes the test! Will they endure the trial hour? They say that they can endure it, but is it true? Let my hearers stand prepared for such an ordeal, for in all probability it will come. Some Nebuchadnezzar will put it to you pretty plainly—“Will you do as I wish, or will you obey God?” At such a time I pray that you may answer in the right manner without a second thought—and so prove that your love to God is true. Nebuchadnezzar spoke in peremptory tones, as if he could not believe that any mortal upon earth could have the presumption to dispute his will! He cannot conceive that one employed under his patronage will dare to resist his bidding! He demands indignantly, “Is it true?” He will not believe it! He must have been misinformed! Can there exist a being in all his wide dominions who can have the impudence to think for himself, or the audacity to insinuate that it can be wrong to do what Nebuchadnezzar commands? He will not believe it! It is condescension on his part even to ask, “Is it true?” You will meet with persons so accustomed to be obeyed that they think it hard that you do not hasten to carry out their wishes. The infidel father says to his boy, “John, is it true that you go to a place of worship against my wishes? How dare you set up to be better than your father and mother?” Often ungodly men profess that they do not believe in the conversion of their fellow workmen. Is it true, John, that you have become religious? A pretty fellow! Why, you used to sing a jolly song as well as other people and now you whine out a Psalm like other canting hypocrites! Is it true? Why, you could empty a glass and follow pretty games like the rest of us—and now you profess to be afraid of doing wrong! Is it true? Are you really such a fool? You seem almost afraid to put one foot before another for fear you should be hauled over the coals. Are you really the same fellow who could once drink and swear? “Is it true?” They insinuate that you are out of your head, that your wits have gone wool-gathering and that you are the dupe of fanatics. I do not see the sense of such suggestions, but I suppose they do. In one form or other they put to you the question, “Is it true? Can you really be of this opinion and do you really intend to carry it out?” Beloved brothers and sisters, I want you to be ready for this assault and ready to answer without hesitation—“It is most certainly true.”
III. If You Cannot Say It Is True, What Then?
But now, secondly, if you cannot say that it is true, what then? If, standing before the heart-searching God at this time, you cannot say, “It is true,” how should you act? If you cannot say that you take Christ’s Cross and are willing to follow Him at all hazards, then listen to me and learn the truth! Do not make a profession at all. Do not talk about Baptism or the Lord’s Supper, nor of joining a Church, nor of being a Christian! For if you do, you will lie against your own soul. If it is not true that you renounce the world’s idols, do not profess that it is so. It is unnecessary that a man should profess to be what he is not—it is a sin of excess, a superfluity of evil! If you cannot be true to Christ; if your coward heart is recreant to your Lord—do not profess to be His disciple, I beseech you. He that is married to the world, or flint-hearted, had better return to his house, for he is of no service in this war. If you have made a profession and yet it is not true, be honest enough to quit—for it can never be right to keep up a fraud! A false profession is a crime and to persevere in it is a presumptuous sin. Whatever you are, or are not, be transparent, sincere, truthful. If there is any man here who says in his heart, “No, I cannot suffer for the Truth of God’s sake. I will follow Christ as far as it is good walking and costs nothing, but I will not go through the mire for Him,” well, then, turn back at once for you are no true pilgrim! If you are determined not to press onward even though the way should lie through the Slough of Despond, you had better make the best of your way home to the City of Destruction, for you are not a man that God has called into this Kingdom. “Strange advice,” you say. Yes, but prudent advice, too! Listen to me! If any of you are ashamed of Christ, afraid of man, unwilling to be abused for Christ’s sake, then, like the faint-hearted men with Gideon, it will be well for you to go home and no longer encumber the little band of the truehearted.
IV. If It Is True, Declare It
But now, thirdly, let us consider what follows if it is true. I hope that many here can lay their hands upon their hearts and quietly say, “Yes, it is true; we are determined not to bow before sin, come what may.” Well, then, if it is true, I have this much to say to you, dear brothers and sisters—state this when it is demanded of you. Declare your resolve. This will strengthen it in yourself and be the means of supporting it in others. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego spoke out in the presence of the furious king. Perhaps they might have taken means to hide themselves from the ordeal, but they judged it to be their duty to come forward and take the consequences—and there they were. This word is meant for certain Christian people who come in and out of this house and join with us in public worship, but have never openly acknowledged themselves to be disciples of the Lord Jesus. Whenever we gather to the remembrance of our dying Lord, they either take their seats among the onlookers, or else they go home. This raises many anxious thoughts in our minds. We are especially exercised with this question—these people have a faith which they refuse to acknowledge—will such a faith save them? Scripture evidently lays great stress upon obedience to the Lord and taking up His Cross and following Him. Will Jesus save those who will not come out and bear His reproach? He claims of all His followers that they follow Him in the daylight. It is written, “If you shall confess with your mouth, the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” He bade us preach this as His Gospel—“He that believes, and is baptized, shall be saved.” These are not words of mine, but of the Lord Jesus, Himself! Take heed unto yourselves that you do not slight them! I dare not leave out part of His Gospel command when I am preaching it. If you believe in the Lord Jesus, stand on His side! Why are you slow to do so? I compared one, the other day, to a rat behind the wainscot which only comes out at night when the candles are put out and there are crumbs to be picked up. Too many Christians attempt to live in that style. Dare I call them Christians? Do not be such miserable creatures, but quit yourselves like men! Tremble lest you perish among “the fearful and unbelieving.” Join with me, I pray you, in singing— “I’m not ashamed to acknowledge my Lord, Or to defend His cause! Maintain the honor of His Word, The Glory of His Cross.”
There are many dear children in this place, both boys and girls, who have not been ashamed in their early days to come forward and confess the Lord Jesus Christ! God bless the dear children! I rejoice in them. I am sure that the Church will never have to be ashamed of having admitted them. They, at least, show no cowardice—they take a solemn delight in being numbered with the people of God—and count it an honor to be associated with Christ and His Church. Shame on you older ones who still hold back! What ails you, that babes and sucklings are braver than you? By the love you bear to Christ, I charge you—come forth and confess His name among this evil and perverse generation! Is it true? Then joyfully accept the trial which comes of it. Shrink not from the flames. Settle it in your minds that, by Divine Grace, no loss, nor cross, nor shame, nor suffering shall make you play the coward. Say, like the holy children, “We are not careful to answer you in this matter.” They did not cringe before the king and cry, “We beseech you, do not throw us into the fiery furnace! Let us have a consultation with you, O king, that we may arrange terms. There may be some method by which we can please you and yet keep our religion.” No! They said, “We are not careful to answer you in this matter. If it is so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and He will deliver us out of your hands, O king. But if not, be it known unto you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up.” Dear friends, let us be ready to suffer for Christ’s sake. Some will say, “Do not be imprudent.” It is always prudent to do your duty! We have not enough, nowadays, of the virtue nicknamed imprudence. I would like to see a display of old-fashioned imprudence in these cold, calculating, selfish days! Oh for the days of zeal, the days when men counted not their lives dear to them that they might win Christ! Men sit down and reckon up what it will cost them to do right and weigh their conduct as a matter of profit and loss—and then they call such wicked calculations prudence! It is sheer selfishness! Do right if it costs you your life! Where would England have been if the men who won our liberties in former ages had bartered with the world for gain? If they had saved their skins, they would have lost their souls and ruined the cause of God in England! He loves not Christ who does not love Him more than all things! Oh for men of principle who know no loss but loss of faith and desire no gain save the Glory of God! Be this your cry— “Through floods or flames, if Jesus leads, I’ll follow where He goes.”
You may lose a great deal for Christ, but you will never lose anything by Christ. You may lose for time, but you will gain for eternity! The loss is transient, but the gain is everlasting! You will be a gainer by Christ, even if you have to go to Heaven by the way of persecution, poverty and slander. Never mind the way—the end will make full amends. The treasures of Egypt are mere dross compared with the riches of endless bliss! If it is true that you are willing, thus, to follow Christ, reckon upon deliverance. Nebuchadnezzar may put you into the fire, but he cannot keep you there, nor can he make the fire burn you. The enemy casts you in bound, but the fire will loosen your bonds and you will walk at liberty amid the glowing coals! You shall gain by your losses! You shall rise by your casting down! Many prosperous men owe their present position to the fact that they were faithful when they were in humble employments. They were honest and, for the moment, they displeased their employers, but in the end earned their esteem. When Adam Clarke was put out as an apprentice and his master showed him how to stretch the cloth when it was a little short, Adam could not find in his heart to do it. Such a fool of a boy must be sent home to his mother and his godly mother was glad that her boy was such a fool that he could not stoop to a dishonest trick! You know what he became. He might have missed his way in life if he had not been true to his principles in his youth. Your first loss may be a lifelong gain! Dear young fellow, you may be turned out of your employment, but the Lord will turn the curse into a blessing. If all should go softly with you, you might decline in character and by doing a little wrong, learn to do yet more and more—and so lose your integrity and with it—and all hope of ever lifting your nose from the grindstone! Do right for Christ’s sake, without considering any consequences, and the consequences will be right enough. If you take care of God’s cause, God will take care of you! Rest assured that uprightness will be your preservation and not your destruction. It will be your highest wisdom to let all things go that you may hold fast your integrity and honor the name of the Lord!
V. If You Stand Up for Jesus, You Will Do Great Good
Lastly—and this is a consideration not to be forgotten. If you will stand up for Jesus and the right, and the true, and the pure, and the temperate, and the good—not only will you be delivered, but you will do great good! This Nebuchadnezzar was a poor piece of goods, yet he was compelled to acknowledge the power of these three decided and holy men. They were thrown into the furnace and they came out of it—and what did Nebuchadnezzar say? Before this, it was, “The image that I have set up,” and now he declares that no man shall speak a word against the God of Israel on pain of being cut in pieces! There is no having influence over the great men, or the little men of this age except by being firm in your principles and decided in what you do! If you yield an inch you are beaten! But if you will not yield—no, not the splitting of a hair—they will respect you! The man who can hide his principles, conceal his beliefs and do a little wrong, is a nobody! He is a chip in the porridge— he will flavor nothing. But he who does what he believes to be right and cannot be driven from it—that is the man! You cannot shake the world if you let the world shake you, but when the world finds that you have grit in you, they will let you alone. Nebuchadnezzar was obliged to feel the influence of these men—and, even so, the most wicked and the most proud feel the force of the true-hearted, the brave and the good! For this let us pray God to give us new hearts and right spirits. For this let us cling to the blessed Cross of Christ and yield ourselves up to the power of the blood and water which flowed from His wounded side! So shall our lives be powerful! And if not illustrious in the eyes of men, they shall be acceptable in the eyes of God!