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.


  • To Be a Woman

    To Be a Woman

    I sometimes wonder what future generations will make of the modern West here in the early decades of the 21st century. I sometimes wonder what they will think of us when they discover that one of the defining questions of our age is also one of the most straightforward: What is a woman? Yet an…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (January 3)

    A La Carte: 10 benefits to reading your Bible every day / Lonely in a crowd / You’ll have to be patient / Knowing Christ in the new year / You never know / Logos deals / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (January 2)

    A La Carte: Keep Bible reading from being rude / Roman Catholic apologetics targeting Evangelicals / Five vows I have made / Are we trying to be too clever? / The new year’s prayer challenge / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (January 1)

    A La Carte: The best seats at church / Soul-health questions for a new year / The ministry of presence / Parental regret and moving forward when you’ve let down your children / Pastoral burnout / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (December 31)

    A La Carte: Unpacking “new year, new you” / What the Bible says about divorce / A man at church thinks we should marry / Missing what was not meant to be yours / Growing in your understanding of biblical theology / and more.

  • A Grace-filled Redemptive Gathering

    This week the blog is sponsored by Burke Care. Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word. Psalm 119:74 With the year ending, we were recently invited to a small gathering about 30 minutes away from where we live. We met the usual traffic delays getting to…