Category Archives: Ryle, J.C.

Evangelical Religion

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JC. Ryle (1817-1900) was a doughty supporter and proponent of ‘evangelical religion’ (i.e. evangelical faith).

In his celebrated work, Knots Untied, Ryle set out what he regarded as the leading features of such faith:-

“These I consider to be five in number.

a) The first leading feature of Evangelical Religion is the absolute supremacy it assigns to Holy Scripture, as the only rule of faith and practice … Show us anything plainly written in that Book, and, however trying to flesh and blood, we will receive it, believe it, and submit to it.…

Ryle and Ritualism

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Throughout his long ministry, J.C. Ryle (1817-1900) had to defend evangelical (that is to say, gospel) truth on a number of fronts.  One of these concerned the threat posed by the Ritualism of the Anglo-Catholic movement.

Ian Farley reports that in 1877 Ryle identified five key teachings of the Ritualists:

  1. They seek to turn the Communion Table into an ‘Altar’ and the Lord’s Supper into a ‘Sacrifice’ and encourage the idea of a real material presence of Christ’s body and blood, under the forms of the consecrated bread and wine.
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Assurance to be desired

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Although one can have faith without assurance, belief without confidence, nevertheless assurance of salvation is much to be desired.  It provides comfort and strength in challenging times.  So writes J.C. Ryle:-

1. Assurance will help a man to bear poverty and loss. It will teach him to say, “I know that I have in heaven a better and more enduring substance. Silver and gold have I none, but grace and glory are mine, and these can never make themselves wings and flee away.

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Train a child

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1. Train them in the way they should go, and not in the way they would.

2. Train up your child with all tenderness, affection and patience.

3. Train up your children with an abiding persuation on your mind that much depends on you. “Beware of that miserable delusion into which some have fallen – that parents can do nothing for their children, that you must leave them alone, wait for grace, and sit still … The devil rejoices to see such reasoning.”…

Counting the cost

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In his celebrated book Holiness, J.C. Ryle urges ‘the true-hearted and holy Christian’ to count up and compare,

1. The profit and the loss. You may possibly lose something in this world, but you will gain the salvation of your immortal soul. It is written: “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36.)

2. The praise and the blame. You may possibly be blamed by man, but you will have the praise of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.…

Self-inquiry

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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

Introduction

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.

Questions for self-inquiry

1.  …

Love – the greatest thing

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‘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).…

Passive graces

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‘When I speak of passive graces (writes J.C. Ryle in his celebrated book, Holiness), I mean those graces which are especially shown in submission to the will of God and in bearing and forbearing towards one another. Few people, perhaps, unless they have examined the point, have an idea how much is said about these graces in the New Testament and how important a place they seem to fill. This is the special point which St.…

Growing in grace

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See 2 Pet 3:18

‘The saints are not only compared to stars for their light, but to trees for their growth’ (Watson), Isa 61:3, ‘They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.’ Hos 14:5f. ‘Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots; his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.’

Christian growth is organic, and needs therefore to be both nourished and exercised.…

Shall we know one another in heaven?

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For many Christians the prospect of being re-united with loved ones in the life to come is one of the greatest comforts in the face of bereavement.

Of course, this prospect ought not to overshadow that fellowship with our Lord which ought to be pre-eminent.  After all, the Psalmist could pray, “Whom have I in heaven but thee?’ (Psa 73:25), and Paul’s great desire was to depart and ‘being with Christ’, Phil 1:23; 1 Thess 4:17. …