Skip to content ↓

We Call It Unction

This seemed like a pertinent quote for a Sunday morning. As we head to church and listen to the preaching of the Word, I’m sure it will be profitable to think just a moment about the unction of the Holy Spirit. This quote comes from Charles Spurgeon’s An All-Round Ministry.

One thing more, and it is this. Let us, dear brethren, try to get saturated with the gospel. I always find that I can preach best when I can manage to lie a-soak in my text. I like to get a text, and find out its meaning and bearings, and so on; and then, after I have bathed in it, I delight to lie down in it, and let it soak into me. It softens me, or hardens me, or does whatever it ought to do to me, and then I can talk about it. You need not be very particular about the words and phrases if the spirit of the text has filled you; thoughts will leap out, and find raiment for themselves. Become saturated with spices, and you will smell of them; a sweet perfume will distill from you, and spread itself in every direction; — we call it unction. Do you not love to listen to a brother who abides in fellowship with the Lord Jesus? Even a few minutes with such a man is refreshing, for, like his Master, his paths drop fatness. Dwell in the truth, and let the truth dwell in you. Be baptized into its spirit and influence, that you may impart thereof to others. If you do not believe the gospel, do not preach it, for you lack an essential qualification; but even if you do believe it, do not preach it until you have taken it up into yourself as the wick takes up the oil. So only can you be a burning and a shining light.


  • Weekend A La Carte (June 20)

    Long-form and think pieces on: Drugs vs. discipline in the age of Ozempic, the Muslim mind, A.I. doom trolling, the egalitarian scorched earth, against Christian doomerism, Fakes of the future, and many of your recommendations.

  • Biblical Wisdom for Everyday Life

    Biblical Wisdom for Everyday Life

    There are some categories of books that can be written once and remain relevant for generations. There are other categories that need to be written anew nearly every generation. Books on living life well often fall in that second category.

  • A La Carte (June 19)

    Let the little children come to Jesus / 4 right responses to times of suffering / Baal’s prophets / Magnifica Humanitas / The return of enthusiasm in modern evangelicalism / The body keeps the score / Embracing your physical limitations as you get older / What do you do when you fail? / and more.

  • A La Carte (June 18)

    MLB players reclaim the rainbow / Don’t let envy poison your soul / Why NOT to build a bigger sanctuary / Your ecclesiastical World Cup / Five points in Joni’s pain / Confessing sin / 10 tips for becoming an excellent Bible interpreter / Biblical self-examination / Book deals / and more.