C.T. Studd - Red-Hot Holy Ghost Christianity
I just finished reading an incredible book by Norman Grubb about the Christian missionary, C.T. Studd (1860-1931). Studd was an elite cricket player in England before coming to Christ through the influence of the great evangelist D.L. Moody. Studd grew up in the church, but he wasn’t truly converted until his father was converted under Moody’s preaching and a pastor associated with Moody’s campaign came and led C.T. himself to Christ. This wasn’t a mere prayer, but a full surrender that ultimately led to being filled with the Holy Spirit.
Studd described his full surrender and obedience to Christ, “What a life the Spirit lives out in us when He possesses us. It is so simple too: just to remember ‘I have been crucified with Christ,’ I am dead. ‘It is no longer I that live, but Christ that liveth in me.’ My part just to let Him live in me.”
Studd served under Hudson Taylor in his first missionary endeavor to China. Later, he served as a pastor in India, and in the last years of his life led an apostolic mission outpost in Belgian Congo. His doctor warned him that his health couldn’t handle this last missionary journey, but he served through intense suffering from asthma and other conditions for twenty years until he died from complications of gallstones. His last word, in spite of this painful death, was, “Hallelujah!”
Here are a couple quotes that show Studd’s passion for Christ and the red-hot Spirit-filled intensity he had for serving Christ. I pray they challenge and inspire you just like they have me.
“Too long have we been waiting for one another to begin! The time for waiting is past! The hour of God has struck! War is declared! In God’s Holy Name let us arise and build! ‘The God of Heaven He will fight for us,’ as we for Him. We will not build on the sand, but on the bedrock of the sayings of Christ, and the gates and minions of hell shall not prevail against us. Should such men as we fear? Before the whole world, aye, before the sleepy, lukewarm, faithless, namby-pamby Christian world, we will dare to trust our God, we will venture our all for Him, we will live and we will die for Him, and we will do it with His joy unspeakable singing aloud in our hearts. We will a thousand times sooner die trusting only in our God, than live trusting in man. And when we come to this position the battle is already won, and the end of the glorious campaign in sight. We will have the real Holiness of God, not the sickly stuff of talk and dainty words and pretty thoughts; we will have a Masculine Holiness, one of daring faith and works for Jesus Christ.” Grubb, Norman P.. C. T. Studd - Cricketer and Pioneer
Yes! The world doesn’t need “sleepy, lukewarm, faithless, namby-pamby” Christianity. Will we venture all for Him? Will we die trusting in God more than we trust in man?
“Christ’s call is to feed the hungry, not the full; to save the lost, not the stiff-necked; not to call the scoffers, but sinners to repentance; not to build and furnish comfortable chapels, churches, and cathedrals at home in which to rock Christian professors to sleep by means of clever essays, stereotyped prayers and artistic musical performances, but to raise living churches of souls among the destitute, to capture men from the devil’s clutches and snatch them from the very jaws of hell, to enlist and train them for Jesus, and make them into an Almighty Army of God. But this can only be accomplished by a red-hot, unconventional, unfettered Holy Ghost religion, where neither Church nor State, neither man nor traditions are worshipped or preached, but only Christ and Him crucified. Not to confess Christ by fancy collars, clothes, silver croziers or gold watch-chain crosses, church steeples or richly embroidered altar-cloths, but by reckless sacrifice and heroism in the foremost trenches. Grubb, Norman P.. C. T. Studd - Cricketer and Pioneer
I’m convinced Studd was correct. Our world won’t be transformed by polite, cultured “Christianity.” May we all be consumed with the truth of Christ and His unfailing word through a “red-hot, unconventional, unfettered Holy Ghost religion”!