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J. Stuart Holden
John Stuart Holden (1874–1934) was an English preacher and Anglican minister whose vibrant sermons and leadership in evangelical circles made him a prominent figure in the early 20th century. Born in Liverpool, England, he was educated at Liverpool College and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, earning a BA in 1899 and an MA in 1902. Ordained in 1899 as curate of Walcot, he served as a mission preacher with the Parochial Missionary Society from 1901 to 1905 before becoming vicar of St. Paul’s, Portman Square, London, in 1905, a position he held for nearly 30 years until his death. Married to Georgina “Ina” Searle, Holden was a key figure at the Keswick Convention, chairing it from 1925 to 1929, and traveled to China in 1904 with the China Inland Mission, reflecting his missionary zeal. Holden’s preaching ministry was renowned for its imaginative power and spiritual depth, drawing comparisons to contemporaries like F.B. Meyer and G. Campbell Morgan, though he often surpassed them in popularity. His sermons, such as “But If Not…” preached in 1914 on Daniel 3:18, were prophetic and widely circulated, especially during World War I, and his creative sermon titles captivated North American audiences during frequent visits. Author of works like Redeeming Vision (1908) and The Preeminent Lord (1932), he narrowly escaped disaster when he and Ina canceled their booking on the Titanic’s 1912 maiden voyage due to her illness. Holden died on August 10, 1934, at Malvern, Worcestershire, leaving a legacy as a preacher whose Keswick-inspired messages and missionary advocacy inspired generations, commemorated by his surviving Titanic ticket, now a museum artifact.
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J. Stuart Holden preaches about the divine partnership between God and believers, emphasizing that as God's workmanship, we are created in Christ Jesus for good works. He highlights the active role believers play in this partnership, as God's life within us energizes, informs, steadies, and directs us, ultimately developing our individuality. The sermon underscores the importance of acknowledging our dependence on God while actively participating in His work, recognizing that any virtue or praise belongs to Him alone.
Not Passive Workers
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10). The old Puritan writer who defined Salvation as "the life of God in the soul of man" was entirely right. Only do not fail to bear in mind that the man in whom He dwells is not himself passive. In the nature of the case he cannot be. For indolent inactivity, even in the name of orthodox belief, can never hold fellowship with essential energy--which is what God is. Yes! There are Hands unseen working with our hands. There is a Will omnipotent energizing our wills. There is a Wisdom ineffable informing our minds. There is a Patience untiring steadying our impulses. There is a Strength untold directing our members. There is a Divine Craftsman repeating Himself in us. And all in such a manner that our individuality is not thereby destroyed but developed. We are ourselves workers together with Him, pledged to do our part, though always aware that without Him we can do nothing, and always sure that "if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise," it belongs to Him alone. For the final explanation of life is that deep and yet how simple statement that "We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works."
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John Stuart Holden (1874–1934) was an English preacher and Anglican minister whose vibrant sermons and leadership in evangelical circles made him a prominent figure in the early 20th century. Born in Liverpool, England, he was educated at Liverpool College and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, earning a BA in 1899 and an MA in 1902. Ordained in 1899 as curate of Walcot, he served as a mission preacher with the Parochial Missionary Society from 1901 to 1905 before becoming vicar of St. Paul’s, Portman Square, London, in 1905, a position he held for nearly 30 years until his death. Married to Georgina “Ina” Searle, Holden was a key figure at the Keswick Convention, chairing it from 1925 to 1929, and traveled to China in 1904 with the China Inland Mission, reflecting his missionary zeal. Holden’s preaching ministry was renowned for its imaginative power and spiritual depth, drawing comparisons to contemporaries like F.B. Meyer and G. Campbell Morgan, though he often surpassed them in popularity. His sermons, such as “But If Not…” preached in 1914 on Daniel 3:18, were prophetic and widely circulated, especially during World War I, and his creative sermon titles captivated North American audiences during frequent visits. Author of works like Redeeming Vision (1908) and The Preeminent Lord (1932), he narrowly escaped disaster when he and Ina canceled their booking on the Titanic’s 1912 maiden voyage due to her illness. Holden died on August 10, 1934, at Malvern, Worcestershire, leaving a legacy as a preacher whose Keswick-inspired messages and missionary advocacy inspired generations, commemorated by his surviving Titanic ticket, now a museum artifact.