This year my plan is to highlight inspiring quotes from twelve of my favorite theologians, featuring a different theologian each month, along with a short commentary about each quote.
J.C. Ryle (John Charles Ryle) is my featured theologian for the month of January. He lived from 1816 to 1900 and was an Anglican bishop, a well known preacher of his day, and an author of many Christ-centered writings. Here below is the first of five quotes from J.C. Ryle for this month. The remainder of this year’s collection will be added weekly to this initial January blog post.
Q: What do poison, false doctrine, and sin have in common?
A: All three have harmful outcomes and all three need a remedy.
The remedy for poison is an antidote.
The remedy for false doctrine is the truth of God’s word, the Bible.
And the remedy for sin is forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ.
While only God and Jesus have the power and authority to forgive sins, faith in Jesus Christ as God’s Son is a prerequisite. “If you do not believe that I am [God], you will indeed die in your sins.” John 8:24. So while Jesus’ sacrificial death made it possible for us to be forgiven and to live into eternity with Him, we must possess a saving faith that includes repentance in order for this to be true in our own life. This is the central theme of the gospel message and the very heart of what we are to explain to the world. If a person never comes to the understanding that they are a sinner in need of forgiveness through faith in Jesus, they will die in their sins. No amount of good works or forgiveness from any other source can remedy the imperative problem of sin. #SaturdaySayings
Trials are intended to make us think, to wean us from the world, to send us to the Bible, to drive us to our knees. #JCRyle
I suspect if given a choice most of us would prefer to go around a trial rather than through it. Thank God it’s not up to us, but a part of God’s plan; a divine plan to get our attention. Contrary to popular belief, a life of ease, comfort, and pleasure does not result in a blessed life. It is in the trials of life which drive us to our knees and send us to God’s word, which helps us turn away from the world and turn our eyes to Jesus, that results in a blessed life.
Laura Story captures this truth in the chorus of her 2011 song, Blessings, which she presents in the form of four questions.
“’Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?”
“Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
And “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.” James 1:2
#SaturdaySayings
This quote reminds me of an attitude I had in my heart when I was a teenager and into my early twenties. I remember, whether it was consciously or subconsciously, seeing others doing things that were morally wrong and thinking that I wasn’t as bad as them. In reality, and just like what the quote mentions, I was cheating myself into wrong thinking about sin, and wrong thinking about myself. I too was doing some things that were morally wrong and was justifying them by thinking they weren’t as bad as so-and-so. God doesn’t grade our sins on a sliding scale, and instead of looking at others I should have been looking to Jesus and His word. James 2:10 tells us, “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.” Thankfully, in my mid-twenties, I came to right thinking about sin and about myself. I received the gift of repentance and faith, and understood that I was a sinner in need of a Savior. #SaturdaySayings
JC Ryle reminds us that when we approach the Bible, as one searches for hidden treasure, we find treasures such as,
That which is more precious than gold: “More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.” Psalms 19:10.
That of the knowledge of God: “My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments… if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasure; then you will… find the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:1-5
That of the Parable of the Hidden Treasure: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Matthew 13:44
The truth is the only true treasures are those that are of heaven, as found in the Bible. It is more than wise for us to store up our treasures in heaven, and not on earthy treasures. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21 #SaturdaySayings
A steady diet of secular books and romance novels in JC Ryle’s day is probably the equivalent of today’s binge-watching TV or endlessly scrolling through social media on smart phones. Catching an occasional Bible verse or sermon clip here or there does not hold a candle to actually studying your Bible, nor does it equate to being a follower of Jesus. If you consider yourself a Christian but you’re not in a regular routine of studying your Bible, ask yourself why not.
“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? -unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” 2 Corinthians 13:5
#SaturdaySayings
Treasure In Jars of Clay 