Tried With Fire

There is a real spiritual “presence” of Christ with the hearts of all true-hearted communicants in the Lord’s Supper. Rejecting as I do, with all my heart, the baseless notion of any bodily presence of Christ on the Lord’s table, I can never doubt that the great or­dinance appointed by Christ has a special and peculiar blessing attached to it. That blessing, I believe, con­sists in a special and peculiar presence of Christ, vouch­safed to the heart of every believing communicant. That truth appears to me to lie under those wonderful words of institution, “Take, eat: this is My body.” “Drink ye all of this: this is My blood.” Those words were never meant to teach that the bread in the Lord’s Supper was literally Christ’s body, or the wine literally Christ’s blood. But our Lord did mean to teach that every right-hearted believer, who ate that bread and drank that wine in remembrance of Christ, would in so doing find a special presence of Christ in his heart, and a special revelation of...

The peace of the true Christian is not a vague, dreamy feeling, without reason and without foundation. He can show cause for it. He builds upon solid ground. He has peace with God, because he is justified. Without justification it is impossible to have real peace. Conscience forbids it. Sin is a mountain between a man and God, and must be taken away. The sense of guilt lies heavy on the heart, and must be removed. Unpardoned sin will murder peace. The true Christian knows all this well. His peace arises from a consciousness of his sins being forgiven, and his guilt being put away. His house is not built on sandy ground. His well is not a broken cistern, which can hold no water. He has peace with God, because he is justified. He is justified, and his sins are forgiven. However many, and however great, they are cleansed away, pardoned, and wiped out. They are blotted out of the book of God’s remembrance. They are sunk into the depths of the sea. They are cast behind God’s back. They are ...

Fear not, beloved brethren, to begin serving Christ. He to whom you commit your souls has all power in heaven and earth, and He will keep you. He will never let you be cast away. Relatives may oppose. Neighbors may mock. The world may slander and sneer. Fear not! Fear not! The powers of hell shall never prevail against your soul. Greater is He that is for you, than all they that are against you. Fear not for the Church of Christ, my brethren, when ministers die, and saints are taken away. Christ can ever maintain His own cause, He will raise up better and brighter stars. The stars are all in His right hand. Leave off all anxious thought about the future. Cease to be cast down by the measures of statesmen, or the plots of wolves in sheep's clothing. Christ will ever provide for His Own Church. Christ will take care that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. All is going on well, though our eyes may not see it. The king...

Does any one ask me, What is the best safeguard against false doctrine ?—I answer in one word, "The Bible: the Bible regularly read, regularly prayed over, regularly studied." We must go back to the old prescription of our Master: "Search the Scriptures." (John 5:39.) If we want a weapon to wield against the devices of Satan, there is nothing like "the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God." But to wield it successfully, we must read it habitually, diligently, intelligently, and prayerfully. This is a point on which, I fear, many fail. In an age of hurry and bustle, few read their Bibles as much as they should. More books perhaps are read than ever, but less of the one Book which makes man wise unto salvation. Rome and neology could never have made such havoc in the Church in the last fifty years, if there had not been a most superficial knowledge of the Scriptures throughout the land. A Bible-reading laity is the strength of a Church... If we would not be...

The true Church of Christ is tenderly cared for by all the three persons of the blessed Trinity. In the economy of redemption, beyond all doubt, God the Father chooses, and God the Holy Spirit sanctifies, every member of Christ's mystical body. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, three Persons and one God, cooperate for the salvation of every saved soul. This is truth, which ought never to be forgotten. Nevertheless, there is a peculiar sense in which the help of the Church is laid on the Lord Jesus Christ. He is peculiarly and preeminently the Redeemer and the Saviour. Therefore it is, that we find Him saying in our text, "I will build: the work of building is my special work." It is Christ who calls the members of the Church in due time. They are "the called of Jesus Christ." (Romans 1:6). It is Christ who gives them life. "The Son quickeneth whom He will." (John 5:21). It is Christ who washes away their sins. He "has...

We have no right to expect anything but the pure Gospel of Christ, unmixed and unadulterated - the same Gospel that was taught by the Apostles - to do good to the souls of men. I believe that to maintain this pure truth in the Church, men should be ready to make any sacrifice, to hazard peace, to risk dissension, and run the chance of division. They should no more tolerated false doctrine than they would tolerate sin. They should withstand any adding to or taking away from the simple message of the Gospel of Christ. For the truth’s sake our Lord Jesus Christ denounced the Pharisees, though they sat in Moses’ seat and were the appointed and authorized teachers of men... For the truth’s sake Paul withstood and blamed Peter, though a brother. Where was the use of unity when pure doctrine was gone? And who shall dare to say he was wrong? For the truth’s sake Athanasius stood out against the world to maintain the pure doctrine about the divinity of Christ and waged a controversy wi...

“. . . if we would be kept from falling away into false doctrine, let us arm our minds with a thorough knowledge of God’s Word. Let us read our Bibles from beginning to end with daily diligence, and constant prayer for the teaching of the Holy Spirit, and so strive to become thoroughly familiar with their contents. Ignorance of the Bible is the root of all error, and a superficial acquaintance with it accounts for many of the sad perversions and defections of the present day. In a hurrying age of railways and telegraphs, I am firmly persuaded that many Christians do not give time enough to private reading of the Scriptures. I doubt seriously whether English people did not know their Bibles better two hundred years ago than they do now. The consequence is, that they are ‘tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine,’ and fall an easy prey to the first clever teacher of error who tries to influence their minds. I entreat my readers to remember this counsel, and take h...

In small group, we've been reading through Ordinary by Michael Horton. It's been a thought-provoking book that has led to some good discussion. We're also reading it after a sermon series on the ordinary means of grace - preaching of the Word, the sacraments, prayer, and fasting. You know, the things Christ Himself has instituted for the growth and health of the church that she often overlooks for what is a bit flashier and more touchy-feely. Tonight we will be discussing chapter 6, Practicing what we preach: No more super-apostles , which covers the issue of idolizing our leaders. I am trying to gather my thoughts about the chapter and the problem of the Christian celebrity culture for fear that I will embark on a lengthy rant in small group. If there is an edge to my writing "voice", you've read it right. On the one hand, I could chose to ignore my social media feed and avoid reports about the latest scandals. If this is your stance, I fully respect your ...

I've mentioned before that we left a church and stayed out of fellowship for a number of years. It's been more than a decade, but I had some nagging questions and recently got some answers.The more I learned about the past, the more I realized how much we practically set aside the Word of God. Sole adherence to the scriptures would have been vehemently affirmed, but when problems arose, maintaining the status quo, expediency, and man's opinion were the deciding factors. I wasn't making up the statement about God not caring about our repentance in my last post. I heard it from the pulpit. I knew something was wrong but couldn't put my finger on it, because I had no clue how to be a Berean. In a discussion group following that particular talk, I saw people twist their brains into all sorts of mental contortions to somehow make that statement jive with scripture. But sadly, those in authority were never to be questioned on any account, let alone things spoken from th...

We were discussing Acts 14 in our small group last night. We see Paul and Barnabas fearlessly preaching the gospel. Their enemies are poisoning the minds of the people against them, and they remain in the face of opposition. One minute, people want to sacrifice to them as gods and the next minute, Paul is stoned and left for dead. How do we as 21st American Christians apply this? At the moment, we are not being threatened with stoning, but should that make us complacent? Right now, I am called to me a mom. Should I view that as a lesser calling since I am not on the front lines preaching the gospel? Paul held his life as cheap for the sake of the gospel. Will I be able to do likewise? Will I be able to count all things as loss? Do I see Christ as gain? These gems from the past were very timely: True Christians must make up their minds to trouble in this world. Whether we are ministers or hearers, whether we teach or are taught, it makes little difference. We must carry “a cross.” We mu...

From Holiness by J.C. Ryle, Chapter 19 Wants of the Times: I cannot withhold my conviction that the professing church is as much damaged by laxity and indistinctness about matters of doctrine within, as it is by skeptics and unbelievers without. Myriads of professing Christians nowadays seem utterly unable to distinguish things that differ. Like people afflicted with color blindness, they are incapable of discerning what is true and what is false, what is sound and what is unsound. If a preacher of religion is only clever and eloquent and earnest, they appear to think he is all right, however strange and heterogeneous his sermons may be. They are destitute of spiritual sense, apparently, and cannot detect error. Popery or Protestantism, an atonement or no atonement, a personal Holy Spirit or no Holy Spirit, future punishment or no future punishment, "high" church or "low" church or "broad" church, Trinitarianism, Arianism, or Unitarianism, nothing comes a...

Spiritual Depression by Martyn Lloyd-Jones arrived in the mail last week. I haven't started reading it yet because I promised myself to finish some other books first. I did glance at the table of contents, though, which made it quite difficult to not start. It looks like it will be very helpful book I am two chapters away from finishing Holiness by J.C. Ryle. I have been blessed by this book as it clearly lays out basic truths about the Christian faith and Christian life. Ryle is extremely readable. His writing style is very entreatable, and yet he doesn't mince words telling it like it is. Ryle also has a knack for asking very probing and convicting questions. I know I will be returning to this book often. Here is quote from Holiness from chapter 18, Unsearchable Riches : The best Christian among us knows but little of his glorious Savior, even after he has learned to believe. We see through a glass darkly. We do not realize the "unsearchable riches" there are ...

As ever you would grow in grace, and have joy and peace in believing, beware of falling into this error. Cease to regard the Gospel as a mere collection of dry doctrines. Look at it rather as the revelation of a mighty living Being in whose sight you are daily to live. Cease to regard it as a mere set of abstract propositions and abstruse principles and rules. Look at it as the introduction to a glorious personal Friend . This is the kind of Gospel that the apostles preached. They did not go about the world telling men of love and mercy and pardon in the abstract. The leading subject of all their sermons was the loving heart of an actual living Christ . This is the kind of Gospel which is most calculated to promote sanctification and fitness for glory. Nothing, surely, is so likely to prepare us for that heaven where Christ’s personal presence will be all, and that glory where we shall meet Christ face to face, as to realize communion with Christ, as an actual living Person here on ea...

It is good to understand this clearly. It is good to understand that Christ’s service never did secure a man from all the ills that flesh is heir to, and never will. If you are a believer, you must reckon on having your share of sickness and pain, of sorrow and tears, of losses and crosses, of deaths and bereavements, of partings and separations, of vexations and disappointments, so long as you are in the body. Christ never undertakes that you shall get to heaven without these. He has undertaken that all who come to Him shall have all things pertaining to life and godliness; but He has never undertaken that He will make them prosperous, or rich, or healthy, and that death and sorrow shall never come to their family. I have the privilege of being one of Christ’s ambassadors. In His name I can offer eternal life to any man, woman or child who is willing to have it. In His name I do offer pardon, peace, grace, g...

Let us settle deeply in our minds this great truth, that Jesus Christ was verily and indeed Man. He was equal to the Father in all things, and the eternal God. But He was also Man, and took part of flesh and blood, and was made like unto us in all things, sin only excepted. He had a body like our own. Like us, He was born of a woman. Like us, He grew and increased in stature. Like us, He was often hungry and thirsty, and faint and weary. Like us, He ate and drank, rested and slept. Like us, He sorrowed and wept and felt. It is all very wonderful, but so it is. He that made the heavens went to and fro as a poor weary Man on earth! He that ruled over principalities and powers in heavenly places, took on Him a frail body like our own. He that might have dwelt forever in the glory which He had with the Father, amid the praises of legions of angels, came down to earth and dwelt as a Man among sinful men. Surely this fact alone ...

J.C. Ryle Quotes is having a giveaway of a set of Ryle's Expository Thoughts on the Gospels . Enter here .

Are you a true believer? If you are, you ought to glory in Christ. Glory not in your own faith, your own feelings, your own knowledge, your own prayers, your own amendment, your own diligence. Glory in nothing but Christ. Alas! the best of us know but little of that merciful and mighty Savior. We do not exalt Him and glory in Him enough. Let us pray that we may see more of the fullness there is in Him. From Holiness by J.C. Ryle

Nothing so hardens the heart of man as a barren familiarity with sacred things. Beware of a half–hearted religion. Beware of following Christ from any secondary motive, to please relations and friends, to keep in with the custom of the place or family in which you reside, to appear respectable and have the reputation of being religious. Follow Christ for His own sake, if you follow Him at all. Be thorough, be real, be honest, be sound, be whole–hearted. If you have any religion at all, let your religion be real. See that you do not sin the sin of Lot’s wife. From Holiness by J.C. Ryle, Chapter 8 - A Woman to be Remembered

You must learn to believe promises better than possessions, things unseen better than things seen, things in heaven out of sight better than things on earth before your eyes, the praise of the invisible God better than the praise of visible man. Then, and then only, you will make a choice like Moses, and prefer God to the world. Holiness, Chapter 8 Moses: an Example by J.C. Ryle

J. C. Ryle asks some very tough questions. This quote is from Holiness , Chapter 8 - Moses, an Example. Now are you making any sacrifices? Does your religion cost you anything? I put it to your conscience in all affection and tenderness. Are you, like Moses, preferring God to the world, or not? I beseech you not to take shelter under that dangerous word "we"—"we ought," and "we hope," and "we mean," and the like. I ask you plainly, what are you doing yourself? Are you willing to give up anything which keeps you back from God; or are you clinging to the Egypt of the world and saying to yourself, "I must have it, I must have it: I cannot tear myself away"? Is there any cross in your Christianity? Are there any sharp corners in your religion, anything that ever jars and comes in collision with the earthly–mindedness around you? Or is all smooth and rounded off and comfortably fitted into custom and fashion? Do you know anything of the aff...