This is a summary of a paper written by J.C. Ryle, and published as the first chapter of his book Practical Religion.
Text: Acts 15:36
We live in an age of peculiar spiritual privileges. There is a great deal of interest in the Christian faith, and in the way of salvation.
We live in an age of peculiar spiritual danger. There is a great deal of nominal or superficial Christianity.
1. …
Not all prayers for healing will be answered in this age. God may withold healing for his own sovereign reasons. Though we continue to experience the ‘sufferings of this present time’, Rom 8:28, and ‘groan inwardly as we wait for…the redemption of our bodies’, Rom 8:18,23, we nevertheless ‘know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose’, Rom 8:28. Paul recognised that ‘our outer nature is wasting away’, 2 Cor 4:16, and that sometimes sickness and disease would not be healed.…
Kruse (TNTC) says that Paul speaks of five aspects of God’s righteousness in Roman. These are all aspects of the same umbrella idea: ‘God acting in accordance with his own nature for the sake of his name’:-
Summary so far
Ch. 1 (questioning, listening, disputing)
We left him (Hab 2:1) watching and waiting.
V2 – Then the LORD replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.”
This word is to be preserved, published and proclaimed
God reveals his word progressively – within Habakkuk; the OT, from OT to NT.
Bud/flower, shadow/substance, foundation/building, promise/fulfilment.
The later revelation completes the earlier.…
(1.) He adopts us to a state of excellence. It were much for God to take a clod of dust, and make it a star; it is more for him to take a piece of clay and sin, and adopt it for his heir.
(2.) God adopts us to a state of liberty. Adoption is a state of freedom; a slave being adopted is made a free man. ‘Thou art no more a servant but a son.’…
Love is:-
Slow to suspect — quick to trust.
Slow to condemn — quick to justify.
Slow to offend — quick to defend.
Slow to reprimand — quick to forbear.
Slow to belittle — quick to appreciate.
Slow to demand — quick to give.
Slow to provoke — quick to conciliate.
Slow to hinder — quick to help.
Slow to resent — quick to forgive.
(Source unknown)…
Only he:-
Can Christians learn any wisdom from other religions? Certainly! Our own Scriptures tell us that the God who spoke in many and various ways to our Jewish fathers (Heb 1:1) has not left himself without a witness among the Gentile nations. (Rom 1:19-20; Acts 17:22-28)
There are at least three good reasons for Christians to study other religions.
First, to appreciate our own religion better by contrast. We fallen creatures need contrast to appreciate anything.…
‘As a matter of methodology it is a great mistake to confine our response to [an] attack on the deity of Christ to those parts of the New Testament which specifically describe Christ as God. There is no doubt, as we shall see, that the New Testament does very often describe Christ as God. But the proof of His deity is much wider than that. We simply must not allow Jehovah’s Witnesses to limit the debate to the narrow question, Does the Bible call Jesus God?…
‘The greatest of these,’ writes Paul, ‘is love.’ (1 Corinthians 13:13)
John Stott (The Contemporary Christian) poses the question, ‘What is the chief distinguishing mark of a Christian?’ Various answers might be given:-
1. Truth. Certainly, sound doctrine is vital to the health of the church. See 1 Tim 6:12,20; 2 Thess 1:14; 2 Thess 2:15; Jude 1:3. But ‘if I…can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge,…but have not love, I am nothing’ (1 Cor 13:2).…
