“Doth that man love his Lord who would be willing to see Jesus wearing a crown of thorns, while for himself he craves a chaplet of laurel? Shall Jesus ascend to his throne by the cross, and do we expect to be carried there on the shoulders of applauding crowds? Be not so vain in your imagination. Count you the cost, and if you are not willing to bear Christ’s cross, go away to your farm and your merchandise, and make the most of them; only let me whisper in your ear. “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?”
CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON (1888)
The title of this post is also the title of the first chapter of Dr. John MacArthur’s book Ashamed Of The Gospel. It was first published in 1993, and again in 2010, with minor updates. I have both on my bookshelf. The term “The Downgrade” refers to what Spurgeon observed in the church in England in his day, and can also be seen in our day. Rather than provide a critique or review of the book here, I will only recommend it to all who read this post – and recommend highly!
Ashamed Of the Gospel can be found at Amazon.com and at Christianbook.com.
If you are reading this and have already read it, by all means leave a comment!
The Battle Cry 
As I have Mr. Spurgeon’s biography, I am familiar “Downgrade” observation by Him and other like minded preachers of his day. I’m sure an old and tired faith warrior didn’t want to die with his world in such shape, but he fought up until his last breath. What a talent God gave the world in Charles Spurgeon! He is my favorite preacher of all time with one exception. Nice work here, Dan.
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Good Morning, Chris! I’m re-reading John MacArthur’s book (along with others) and decided to advertise it. The downgrade continues, my friend, as I am sure you know.
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You know me well, Dan. Mr. Surgeon would be appalled at the handling of God’s Word in our day.
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Yes he would.
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I love that book! It felt like a long time ago but here’s my review of that book: https://veritasdomain.wordpress.com/2011/08/23/review-ashamed-of-the-gospel-by-john-macarthur/
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I’ll need to read it, then!
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Excellent and concise review!
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You’re welcome!
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