Apr
29
Pursuit of holiness.
Filed by Becky Albrecht Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
This past Saturday, I was privileged to gather with several women for the study of God’s Word.
To help us in our study, we are using J. C. Ryle’s book _Holiness_.
Chapter 1 of Mr. Ryle’s book is on the topic of sin. About sin, Mr. Ryle writes: “It is a family disease, which we all inherit from our first parents, Adam and Eve, and with which we are born.”
The Bible tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). As I read this verse, I know that it applies to me.
Sin is doing what I should not do, and not doing what I should do. As I read the Bible, it becomes clear to me that there are things that I should do, that I have not done; as well as things I should not do which, sadly, I have done.
For direction here, the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) is a good place to start.
Another place is I Corinthians 13, where God tells me that: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
When I consider my thoughts and actions in light of this, I know for sure that I have missed the mark. As I consider the gravity of sin, I wonder more about the love of God. The Bible tells us that “…God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
Ryle writes: “Once we see that sin is far viler and far nearer to us and sticks more closely to us than we supposed, we will be led, I trust and believe, to get nearer to Christ. Once drawn nearer to Christ, we will drink more deeply out of His fullness and learn more thoroughly to ‘live the life of faith’ in Him, as St. Paul did. Once taught to live the life of faith in Jesus, and abiding in Him, we will bear more fruit, will find ourselves more strong for duty, more patient in trial, more watchful over our poor weak hearts, and more like our Master in all our little daily ways. Just in proportion as we realize how much Christ has done for us, will we labor to do much for Christ. Much forgiven, we will love much.”
We were reminded of a hymn written by Robert Murray McCheyne, one stanza of which is written here:
When I stand before the throne,
Dressed in beauty not my own,
When I see Thee as Thou art,
Love Thee with unsinning heart,
Then Lord, shall I fully know—
Not till then—how much I owe.
Ryle writes: “I am persuaded that the more light we have, the more we see our own sinfulness; the nearer we get to heaven, the more we are clothed with humility.”
May God continue to bless each of us as we seek to know Him more.
