The following 8-minute video for part one on this series on Holiness, the book by J C Ryle.
This post covers the topic, Sin. Ryle stated that one must begin there if he / she would be holy.
Apparently, Dr. Mayfield plans on explaining each of the10 chapters of the abridged version of Ryle’s book.
If you are actually fighting the daily Christian battle, then you will want to know the contents of this series for aid. If you are clueless about that battle, that may be a more important reason to know the contents of this book via Dr. Mayfield’s series.
The first 3 chapters are available at his YouTube site, I linked part two at the end of the post for those who would like to get into it. I plan to post all 10 chapters, but if you subscribe to his site, you will get them sooner.
Highlights of the entire 8-minute video:
- If you want to be holy so that you may get into heaven, then you must begin that journey by understanding the topic of sin and looking at your own sin
- He provided a definition of sin: anything that you say, do, think or imagine that transgresses the law of God. To see that in your life, you would have to be acquainted with the law of God
- There are sins of omission and commission. Sins of omission are when you fail to perform a duty that God has commanded; sins of commission are when you directly transgress a law of God’s
- You can sin and be ignorant of it (you are still responsible)
- Sin is actually a rejection of God
- God claims to be lord and master; but we do not want masters; we want to call the shots in our lives
- The Bible states that we are sinners and are born spiritually dead
- We do not know, love or fear God in our natural states
- After salvation, we still sin; Ryle stated that sin still cleaves to us, though it no longer has dominion because Christ broke that
- After conversion, that new part of us wants to please God, but the old part may still want to sin
- The struggle to NOT sin is part of the Christian’s daily life
- As we engage in that struggle, our confidence has to be in Christ if we want to become more holy, not in our will power…
- [In part 2, he explains clearly how one depends upon Christ (among other things), it is by partaking of the means that God has appointed; these appointed means / channels of grace include Bible reading; prayer; hearing the gospel preached; taking the Lord’s supper. In partaking of these activities, we encounter God’s Spirit and He is able to humble and teach us…working holiness in us]
- Jesus teaches us how ugly sin is and to agree with God that it is wicked and dangerous
- Ryle indicated that if the Son of God had to make atonement for sin, it in deed is vile
- However, sin has deceived us into thinking it is not that bad
- Only when we begin to believe God about sin, will we be on the road to holiness
- Mark 14:38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.
- Ryle urges readers to look at their sin while trusting in Christ’s gospel; realizing that there is still sin in your life, but Jesus has saved you and paid your sin debt; and by abiding in Him, He will work in you the fruit of holiness
- All the above depends on God: He has saved us, and He will help us understand sin and battle it, as in John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Part A [each part is about 4 minutes long, it would not load and had to be cut]:
Part B
The following link is to part two of Mayfield’s 10-part series. I plan to blog it in the next day or two, but if you want to hear it now, please do so. I have to say that part 2 is more exciting. Consider exploring his site and subscribing while you are there.