All professing Christians should examine themselves and try their own state.
Friday, March 31, 2023
Search Your Heart: Are You Alive or Dead? By J.C. Ryle
Thursday, March 30, 2023
The Happiness of Following God by J.C. Ryle
Happiness is the gift of God—but that there is the closest connection between full following of God and full happiness, let no person for an instant doubt.
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
Suffering is the Diet of the Lord's Family by J.C. Ryle
“All the sons of God take part in suffering with Christ. What says the Scripture? ‘If children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with Him.’ (Rom. 8:17.) All the children of God have a cross to carry.
They have trials in the matter of character;—slander, misrepresentation, mockery, insinuation of false motives,—all these often rain thick upon them. They have trials in the matter of worldly interests.
They have often to choose whether they will please man and lose glory, or gain glory and offend man. They have trials from their own hearts. They have each generally their own thorn in the flesh,—their own home-devil, who is their worst foe. This is the experience of the sons of God.
Some of them suffer more, and some less. Some of them suffer in one way, and some in another. God measures out their portions like a wise physician, and cannot err. But never, I believe, was there one child of God who reached paradise without a cross.
Suffering is the diet of the Lord’s family. ‘Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth.’—’If ye are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then ye are illegitimate children and not sons.’—’Through much tribulation we must enter the kingdom of God.’—’All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.’ (Hebrews 12:6-8; Acts 14:22; 2 Timothy 3:12.)
Suffering is a part of the process by which the sons of God are sanctified. They are chastened to wean them from the world, and make them partakers of God’s holiness. The Captain of their salvation was ‘made perfect through suffering,’ and so are they. (Hebrews 2:10; Hebrews 12:10.)
Let us try to settle this down into our hearts also. The sons of God have all to bear a cross. A suffering Saviour generally has suffering disciples.
The Bridegroom was a man of sorrows. The Bride must not be a woman of pleasures and unacquainted with grief. Blessed are they that mourn! Let us not murmur at the cross. This also is a sign of sonship.”
–J.C. Ryle, Practical Religion: Being Plain Papers on the Daily Duties, Experience, Dangers, and Privileges of Professing Christians (London: Charles Murray, 1900), 418-419.
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
The Process of Holiness by J.C. Ryle
We ask that God would make us holy. It is a good request indeed. But are we prepared to be sanctified by any process that God in His wisdom may call on us to pass through?
Monday, March 27, 2023
Christ is a Complete Savior by J.C. Ryle
“Christ is a Saviour. He did not come on earth to be a conqueror, or a philosopher, or a mere teacher of morality. He came to save sinners.
Christ is a complete Saviour. He ‘taketh away sin.’ He did not merely make vague proclamations of pardon, mercy, and forgiveness. He ‘took’ our sins upon Himself, and carried them away. He allowed them to be laid upon Himself, and ‘bore them in His own body on the tree.’ (1 Peter 2:24.) The sins of every one that believes on Jesus are made as though they had never been sinned at all. The Lamb of God has taken them clean away.
Christ is an almighty Saviour, and a Saviour for all mankind. He ‘taketh away the sin of the world.’ He did not die for the Jews only, but for the Gentile as well as the Jew. He did not suffer for a few persons only, but for all mankind.
The payment that He made on the cross was more than enough to make satisfaction for the debts of all. The blood that He shed was precious enough to wash away the sins of all. His atonement on the cross was sufficient for all mankind, though efficient only to them that believe. The sin that He took up and bore on the cross was the sin of the whole world.”
–J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John, Vol. 1 (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1869/2012), 40-41. Ryle is commenting on John 1:29-34.
Sunday, March 26, 2023
Receive Christ’s Full Purchase of Forgiveness by J.C. Ryle
Christ has purchased a full forgiveness, if we are only willing to receive it. He has done all, paid all, suffered all that was needful to reconcile us to God.
Saturday, March 25, 2023
Passionate Preaching For Lost Souls by J.C. Ryle
Would you like to know the reason why we who preach the Gospel, preach so often about conversion? We do it because of the necessities of men’s souls.
Friday, March 24, 2023
Resolve to Be More Holy by J.C. Ryle
I want your Christianity to be unmistakable. I want you all to really grow, and to do more than others. Let us all then remember Sardis and Laodicea
Saturday, March 18, 2023
Remember Christ’s Resurrection by J.C. Ryle
Let us beware of regarding the Lord Jesus Christ, only as one that is dead. Here, I believe, many greatly err. They think much of His atoning death, and it is right that they should do so. But we ought not to stop short there.
Friday, March 17, 2023
The Reality of Death Bed Repentance by J.C. Ryle
I know well that many do not believe what I am saying, because they think there is an immense quantity of death-bed repentance. They flatter themselves that multitudes who do not live religious lives will yet die religious deaths.
Thursday, March 16, 2023
Do You Pray? By J.C. Ryle
Never be surprised if you hear ministers of the gospel dwelling much on the importance of prayer. This is the point we want to bring you to; we want to know that you pray. Your views of doctrine may be correct.
Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Teaching Your Child to Love Others by J.C. Ryle
Teach love to others. Press it continually on your children. Tell them the great duty of kindness, helpfulness, and considerateness, one for another. Remind them constantly that kindness, good nature, and good temper, are among the first evidences which Christ requires in children.
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Is Your Faith Towards Christ Real? By J.C. Ryle
Would you like to know whether your faith is real? Then try it by the feelings toward Christ which it produces. Nominal faith may believe that such a person as Christ existed, and was a great benefactor to mankind.
Monday, March 13, 2023
Pray With a Forgiving Heart by J.C. Ryle
The value of our prayers, we can all understand, depends exceedingly on the state of mind in which we offer them. But the point before us is one which receives far less attention than it deserves.
Sunday, March 12, 2023
Do Not Delay in Coming to Christ by J.C. Ryle
Let me speak to those who have not come to Christ—but mean to some day. I marvel at your presumption. Who are you, that talk of some day? You may be dead in a week.
Saturday, March 11, 2023
Training Children To Pray by J.C. Ryle
Parents, if you love your children, do all that lies in your power to train them up to a habit of prayer. Show them how to begin.
Friday, March 10, 2023
Tell Them All About Christ! By J.C. Ryle
Do you ever try to do good to others? If you do, remember to tell them about Christ. Tell the young, tell the poor, tell the aged, tell the ignorant, tell the sick, tell the dying—tell them all about Christ.
Thursday, March 9, 2023
Characteristics of Being Born Again By J.C. Ryle
The change which our Lord here declares needful to salvation is evidently no slight or superficial one. It is not merely reformation, or amendment, or moral change, or outward alteration of life.
Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Contentment Through Pain by J.C. Ryle
If God has given His Son to die for us, let us beware of doubting His kindness and love in any painful providence of our daily life. Let us never suppose that He can give us anything that is not really for our good.
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
The Priority of Bible Reading by J.C. Ryle
Read the Bible daily. Make it part of every day’s business to read and meditate on some portion of God’s Word. Gather your manna fresh every morning.
Monday, March 6, 2023
Pray Daily For More Faith by J.C. Ryle
Do we desire to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ? Do we wish to make progress in our religion, and become strong Christians, and not mere babes in spiritual things?
Saturday, March 4, 2023
The Plain Truth of False Doctrine by J.C. Ryle
The plain truth of false doctrine has been the chosen engine which Satan has employed in every age to stop the progress of the Gospel of Christ.
Friday, March 3, 2023
Hypocrisy Exposed on Judgement Day by J.C. Ryle
There will be no deception at the last day. The unerring eye of God will discern who are His own people, and who are not. Nothing but true faith shall abide the fire of His judgment.
Thursday, March 2, 2023
True Repentance Produces Confession of Sin by J.C. Ryle
True repentance proceeds to produce confession of sin. The tongue of a repentant person is loosed. They feel they must speak to that God against whom they have sinned.
Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Our Merciful, Compassionate Christ by J.C. Ryle
Let us take comfort in the thought that the Lord Jesus does not cast off His believing people because of failures and imperfections. He knows what they are.