Spurgeon preaches that it's impossible to please God or be saved without faith, explaining that real faith has three parts—knowing what the Bible teaches about Jesus, believing it's true, and then actually trusting in Jesus alone to save you rather than trusting in your own good works. He argues that throughout all of history, from Abel to the prophets, no one has ever pleased God without faith, and that good works without faith are worthless for salvation, like clinging to a floating log instead of grabbing the rope that could pull you to safety. The sermon ends by challenging listeners to examine whether they truly have saving faith, which shows itself through loving Christ, living a holy life, and completely giving up any trust in their own goodness to save them.

A sermon delivered by Charles Spurgeon on December 14, 1856.