False Christian teachings, trends….
We’ve all met people who are greedy and who never seem to have enough, even when they have plenty. Some of us may be haunted by a desire to have more: more money, more time, more affection, more fame, and so on. It is sometimes difficult to remember that we come into this world with nothing, and we leave with nothing. Maybe “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens and an illustration by Arthur Rackham can remind us of the importance of overcoming our greed.
I do not say for a moment that holiness shuts out the presence of indwelling sin. No – far from it. It is the greatest misery of a holy man that he carries about with him a body of death (Romans 7:24); that often when he wants to do good, evil is present with him (Romans 7:21); that the old nature is blocking all his movements and, as it were, trying to prevent every step he takes. It is the excellence of a holy man, though, that he is not at peace with indwelling sin, as others are. He hates it, mourns over it, and longs to be free from its company. The work of sanctification within him is like the wall of Jerusalem – the building goes forward even in troublous times (Daniel 9:25).
…I will try, by God’s help, to examine what true holiness is and the reason why it is so needful. Then I will try to point out the only way in which holiness can be attained. I have already approached this subject from a doctrinal side. Let me now try to present it in a more plain and practical point of view. …What, then, is true practical holiness? …Holiness is the habit of being of one mind with God, according as we find His mind described in Scripture. It is the habit of agreeing with God’s judgment – hating what He hates, loving what He loves, and measuring everything in this world by the standard of His Word. He who most entirely agrees with God is the one who is the most holy.
This post contains material from chapter 3 of J C Ryle’s book, Holiness; specifically, what he identified ten visible behaviors that characterize one who is becoming sanctified.
This post is the first of two about sanctification; it consists of passages copied and pasted from chapter 3 of J C Ryle’s book, Holiness. The contemporary evangelical church errs greatly in its understanding of basic doctrines of the faith: regeneration, repentance, faith, justification and sanctification. This mini series based on Ryle’s book will provide information about those topics for Christians who want to walk in the narrow way. Most of the church today is on the broad way, according to, for example, what Jesus taught in Matthew; and what Paul taught in Romans and Galatians. Ryle’s book is biblical.
The purpose of this post is to provide a biblical definition of sin. I believe this is important because mainstream Christianity focuses on grace, believing they can ignore the Old Testament, sin, hell-fire preaching…. If you have read through the Bible, then you know that they are making up their way as they go along. They are on the wide road that leads to destruction, according to Jesus in Matthew 7. When Jesus opened His ministry in Matthew 4, His first words were, Repent and believe the gospel. To repent of known sin, one must know how to define it first of all….
“I ask, in the first place, whether it is wise to speak of faith as the one thing needful and the only thing required, as many seem to do nowadays in handling the doctrine of sanctification. Is it wise to proclaim in such a direct, blatant, and absolute way, as many do, that the holiness of converted people is by faith only, and not at all by personal exertion? Is it in harmony with God’s Word? I doubt it.” [If you do not know that holiness is required by the Lord; or what that looks like in practical, real life, then this book is a requirement for you to enable you to walk the Christian pilgrimage through this vanity fair we live in.]
What does it mean to “believe” in Christ, to pick up your cross and follow Him? Pastor Piper explains these words biblically. His sermon is extremely valuable because Christian culture gets these things very wrong. This post contains a 12 minute excerpt of his 64 minute sermon; it also contains the entire sermon for those who want to know the foundation he laid before he got to the crux of the text that is stated in excerpt; and the application he proposed after the excerpt. Hopefully, the excerpt will whet your appetite to hear the entire sermon, it is valuable in this time of false gospel messages and short cuts to the Christian life
Do we make progress in our Christian lives? Do we grow? These questions are always useful, but especially so at certain times. A Saturday night, a communion Sunday, a birthday, the end of a year – all these are seasons that should cause us to think and make us look within. Time is flying quickly. Life is quickly fleeing away. The hour is daily drawing nearer when the reality of our Christianity will be tested and it will be seen whether we have built on the rock or on the sand (Matthew 7:24-27). Certainly it is wise for us to examine ourselves from time to time and take account of our souls. Are we progressing in spiritual things? Are we growing in holiness?
I am beginning a short series on Christian growth from J C Ryle’s book on holiness. He covered that topic in chapter five; I will probably take 3-4 posts to cover it. The 3 minute video excerpt herein is an introduction to Ryle and more than that: Pastor John Piper was teaching a group of pastors about J C Ryle and recommending aspects of his ministry style to them. Piper’s message derives from the ninth chapter of Ryle’s book, titled: Lot – A Beacon. Therein Ryle explained why the scriptural account of Lot’s life should be a warning beacon to us.