Practical Religion – Self-Inquiry (Part 4) - John Charles Ryle
(5) Let me ask, in the fifth place, whether we know anything by experience of conversion to God.
Without conversion there is no salvation. \”Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall never enter the kingdom of heaven.\”– \”Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.\”–\”If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.\”–\”If any man be in Christ he is a new creature.\” (Matthew 18:3, John 3:3, Romans 8:9, 2 Corinthians 5:17)
We are all by nature so weak, so worldly, so earthly-minded, so inclined to sin, that without a thorough change we cannot serve God in life, and could not enjoy Him after death. Just as ducks, as soon as they are hatched, take naturally to water, so do children, as soon as they can do anything, take to selfishness, lying, and deceit; and none pray or love God, unless they are taught. High or low, rich or poor, gentle or simple, we all need a complete change–a change which is the special office of the Holy Ghost to give us. Call it what you please–new birth, regeneration, renewal, new creation, quickening, repentance–the thing must be had if we are to be saved: and if we have the thing it will be seen.
Sense of sin and deep hatred of it, faith in Christ and love to Him, delight in holiness and longing after more of it, love for God\’s people and distaste for the things of the world,–these, these are the signs and evidences which always accompany conversion. Myriads around us, it may be feared, know nothing about it. They are, in Scripture language, dead, and asleep, and blind, and unfit for the kingdom of God. Year after year, perhaps, they go on repeating the words of the creed, \”I believe in the Holy Ghost;\” but they are utterly ignorant of His changing operations on the inward man. Sometimes they flatter themselves they are born again, because they have been baptized, and go to church, and receive the Lord\’s Supper; while they are totally destitute of the marks of the new birth, as described by John in his first Epistle. And all this time the words of Scripture are clear and plain,–\”Except ye be converted, ye shall in no case enter the kingdom.\” (Matthew 18:3).
In times like these, no reader ought to wonder that I press the subject of conversion on men\’s souls. No doubt there are plenty of sham conversions in such a day of religious excitement as this. But bad coin is no proof that there is no good money: nay, rather it is a sign that there is some money current which is valuable, and is worth imitation. Hypocrites and sham Christians are indirect evidence that there is such a thing as real grace among men. Let us search our own hearts then, and see how it is with ourselves. Once more let us ask, in the matter of conversion, \”How do we do?\”
(6) Let me ask, in the sixth place, whether we know anything of practical Christian holiness?
It is as certain as anything in the Bible that \”without holiness no one will see the Lord\” (Hebrews 12:14). It is equally certain that it is the invariable fruit of saving faith, the real test of regeneration, the only sound evidence of indwelling grace, the certain consequence of vital union with Christ.
Holiness is not absolute perfection and freedom from all faults. Nothing of the kind! The wild words of some who talk of enjoying \”unbroken communion with God for many months, are greatly to be deprecated, because they raise unscriptural expectations in the minds of young believers, and so do harm. Absolute perfection is for heaven, and not for earth, where we have a weak body, a wicked world, and a busy devil continually near our souls. Nor is real Christian holiness ever attained, or maintained, without a constant fight and struggle. The great Apostle, who said \”I fight,-I labour,-I keep under my body and bring it into subjection\” (1 Corinthians 9:27), would have been amazed to hear of sanctification without personal exertion, and to be told that believers only need to sit still, and everything will be done for them!
Yet, weak and imperfect as the holiness of the best saints may be, it is a real true thing, and has a character about it as unmistakable as light and salt. It is not a thing which begins and ends with noisy profession: it will be seen much more than heard. Genuine Scriptural holiness will make a man do his duty at home and by the fireside, and adorn his doctrine in the little trials of daily life. It will exhibit itself in passive graces as well as in active. It will make a man humble, kind, gentle, unselfish, good-tempered, considerate of others, loving, meek, and forgiving. It will not constrain him to go out of the world, and shut himself up in a cave, like a hermit. But it will make him do his duty in that state to which God has called him, on Christian principles, and after the pattern of Christ.
Such holiness, I know well, is not common. It is a style of practical Christianity which is painfully rare in these days. But I can find no other standard of holiness in the Word of God,- no other which comes up to the pictures drawn by our Lord and His Apostles. In an age like this no reader can wonder if I press this subject also on men\’s attention. Once more let us ask–In the matter of holiness, how is it with our souls? \”How do we do?\”
John Charles Ryle