J.C. Ryle (1816-1900)
Luke 13:3
Except you repent, you shall all likewise perish"
The text that heads this page, at first sight, looks stern and severe: "except ye repent, ye shall all perish". "Are these glad tidings?Are these the good news of which ministers speak?" "This is a hard saying, who can hear it?" (John 6:60).
But from whose lips did these words come? They came from the lips of One Who Loves us with a love that passeth knowledge, even Jesus Christ, the Son of God. They were spoken by One Who so loved us that He left heaven for our sakes-came down to earth for our sakes-lived a poor, humble life for three and thirty years on earth for our sakes-went to the cross for us, went to the grave for us, and died for our sins. The words that come from lips like these must surely be words of love.
After all, what greater proof of love can be given then to warn a friend of coming danger? The father who sees his son tottering toward the brink of a precipice, and as he sees him cries out sharply, "stop,stop!"-does not that father love his son? The tender mother who sees her infant on the point of eating some poisonous berry and cries out sharply, "stop, stop! put it down!-does not that mother love that child? It is indifference that lets people alone and allows them to go on everyone in his own way. It is love, tender love, which warns and raises the cry of alarm. The cry of "Fire!Fire! at midnight may sometimes startle a man out of his sleep-rudely, harshly,unpleasantly. But who would complain, if that cry was the means of saving his life? The words, "Except you repent, ye shall all perish," may seem at first sight stern and severe. But they are words of love, and may be the means of delivering precious souls from hell.
I pass on now to...consider the necessity of repentance. Why is repentance needful? The text that stands at the head of this paper shows clearly the necessity of repentance. The words of our Lord Jesus Christ are distinct, express, and emphatic: "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." All, all without exception need repentance toward God. It is not only necessary for thieves, murderers,drunkards,adulterers, fornicators,and the inmates of prisons and of jails. No. All born of the seed of Adam-all without exception need repentance toward God. The queen upon her throne and the pauper in the workhouse; the rich man in his drawing room, the servant maid in the kitchen; the professor of sciences at the university, the poor ignorant boy who follows the plough-all by nature need repentance. All are born in sin; and all must repent and be converted if they would be saved. All must have their hearts changed about sin. All must repent, as well as believe the Gospel. "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter the kingdom of heaven"(Mat 18:3) "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
But whence comes the necessity of repentance? Why is such tremendously strong language used about this necessity? What are the reasons...repentance is so needful?
(a) For one thing, without repentance there is no forgiveness of sins. In saying this, I must guard myself against misconstruction. I ask you emphatically not to misunderstand me: the tears of repentance wash away no sins. It is bad divinity to say that they do. That is the office, that the work of the blood of Christ alone. Contrition makes no atonement for transgression. It is wretched theology to say that it does. It can do nothing of the kind. Our best repentance is a poor, imperfect thing and needs repenting over again. Our best contrition has defects enough about it to sink us into hell. "We are counted righteous before God only for the sake of our lord Jesus Christ, by faith and not of our own works of deservings not for our repentance , holiness, alms giving, sacrament receiving,or anything of the kind. All this is perfectly true. Still it is no less true that justified people are always penitent people and that a forgiven sinner will always be a man who mourns over and loathes his sins. God in Christ is willing to receive rebellious man and grant him peace if he only comes to him in Christ's name, however wicked he may have been.
But God requires, and requires justly, that the rebel shall throw down his arms. The Lord Jesus Christ desires to see a man hate the sins that he wishes to be forgiven. Let some men call this "legality," if they will. Let some call it "bondage," if they please. I take my stand on Scripture. The testimony of God's Word is plain and unmistakable. Justified people are always penitent people. Without repentance, there is no forgiveness of sins.
(b) For another thing, without repentance there is no happiness in the life that now is. There may be high spirits, excitement, laughter, and merriment, so long as health is good and money is in the pocket. But these things are not solid happiness. There is a conscience in all men, ant that conscience must be satisfied. So long as conscience feels that sin has not been repented of and forsaken, so long it will not be quiet and will not let a man feel comfortable within...
(c) For another thing, without repentance there can be no meetness for heaven in the world that is yet to come. Heaven is a prepared place, and they that go to heaven must be a prepared people. Our hearts must be in tune for the employments of Heaven, or else Heaven itself would be a miserable abode. Our minds must be in harmony with those of the inhabitants of Heaven, or else the society of Heaven would soon be intolerable to us...What could you possibly do in Heaven if you got there with a heart loving sin? To which of all the saints would you speak? By who's side would you sit down? Surely, the angels of God would make no sweet music to the heart of him who can bear saints upon the earth and never praise the Lamb for redeeming love! Surely, the company of patriarchs, and apostles, and prophets would be no joy to that man who will not read his bible now and does not care to know what apostles and prophets wrote. Oh, no! No!! There can be no happiness in heaven, if we get there with an impenitent heart...
I beseech you by the mercies of God to lay to heart the things that I have just been saying and to ponder them well. You live in a world of cheating, imposition, and deception. Let no man deceive you about the necessity of repentance. Oh, that professing Christians would see, and know, and feel more than they do, the necessity, the absolute necessity of true repentance before God! There are many things that are not needful. Riches are not needful. Health is not needful. Fine clothes are not needful. Noble friends are not needful. The favor of the world is not needful. Gifts and learning are not needful. Millions have reached heaven without these things. Thousands are reaching heaven every year without them. But no one ever reached heaven without "repentance towards God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" ( Acts 20:21)
Let no man ever persuade you that any religion deserves to be called the gospel, in which repentance towards God has not a most prominent place. A gospel, indeed ! That is no gospel in which repentance is not a principal thing. A gospel! It is the Gospel of man, but not of God. A gospel! It comes from earth, but not from heaven. A gospel! It is not the gospel at all. It is rank antinomianism and nothing else. So long as you hug your sins, and cleave to your sins, and will have your sins, so long as you may talk as you please about the gospel, but your sins are not forgiven. You may call that legal, if you like. You may say, if you please, you hope it will be alright at the last, God is merciful, God is love, Christ has died, I hope I shall go to heaven after all. No! I tell you, it is not alright. It will never be alright...you are trampling under foot the blood of the atonement. You have as yet no part or lot in Christ. So long as you do not repent of sin, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is no gospel to your soul. Christ is a Savior from sin, not a Savior for man in sin. If a man will have his sins, the day will come when the merciful Savior will say to him, "depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matt 25:41).
Let no man ever delude you into supposing that you can be happy in this world without repentance. Oh, no!...The longer you go on without repentance, the more unhappy will the heart of your be. When old age creeps over you and grey hairs appear upon your head, when you are unable to go where you once went, and take pleasure where you once took pleasure, your wretchedness and misery will break in upon you like an armed man...write it down in the tablets of your heart, without repentance, no peace!
I expect to see many wonders at the last day. I expect to see some at the right hand of the Lord Jesus Christ whom I once feared I should see upon the left. I expect to see some at the left hand whom I supposed to be good Christians and expected to see at the right. But there is one thing I am sure I shall not see. I shall not see at the right hand of Jesus Christ one single impenitent man.
J.C.Ryle
Luke 13:3
Except you repent, you shall all likewise perish"
The text that heads this page, at first sight, looks stern and severe: "except ye repent, ye shall all perish". "Are these glad tidings?Are these the good news of which ministers speak?" "This is a hard saying, who can hear it?" (John 6:60).
But from whose lips did these words come? They came from the lips of One Who Loves us with a love that passeth knowledge, even Jesus Christ, the Son of God. They were spoken by One Who so loved us that He left heaven for our sakes-came down to earth for our sakes-lived a poor, humble life for three and thirty years on earth for our sakes-went to the cross for us, went to the grave for us, and died for our sins. The words that come from lips like these must surely be words of love.
After all, what greater proof of love can be given then to warn a friend of coming danger? The father who sees his son tottering toward the brink of a precipice, and as he sees him cries out sharply, "stop,stop!"-does not that father love his son? The tender mother who sees her infant on the point of eating some poisonous berry and cries out sharply, "stop, stop! put it down!-does not that mother love that child? It is indifference that lets people alone and allows them to go on everyone in his own way. It is love, tender love, which warns and raises the cry of alarm. The cry of "Fire!Fire! at midnight may sometimes startle a man out of his sleep-rudely, harshly,unpleasantly. But who would complain, if that cry was the means of saving his life? The words, "Except you repent, ye shall all perish," may seem at first sight stern and severe. But they are words of love, and may be the means of delivering precious souls from hell.
I pass on now to...consider the necessity of repentance. Why is repentance needful? The text that stands at the head of this paper shows clearly the necessity of repentance. The words of our Lord Jesus Christ are distinct, express, and emphatic: "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." All, all without exception need repentance toward God. It is not only necessary for thieves, murderers,drunkards,adulterers, fornicators,and the inmates of prisons and of jails. No. All born of the seed of Adam-all without exception need repentance toward God. The queen upon her throne and the pauper in the workhouse; the rich man in his drawing room, the servant maid in the kitchen; the professor of sciences at the university, the poor ignorant boy who follows the plough-all by nature need repentance. All are born in sin; and all must repent and be converted if they would be saved. All must have their hearts changed about sin. All must repent, as well as believe the Gospel. "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter the kingdom of heaven"(Mat 18:3) "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
But whence comes the necessity of repentance? Why is such tremendously strong language used about this necessity? What are the reasons...repentance is so needful?
(a) For one thing, without repentance there is no forgiveness of sins. In saying this, I must guard myself against misconstruction. I ask you emphatically not to misunderstand me: the tears of repentance wash away no sins. It is bad divinity to say that they do. That is the office, that the work of the blood of Christ alone. Contrition makes no atonement for transgression. It is wretched theology to say that it does. It can do nothing of the kind. Our best repentance is a poor, imperfect thing and needs repenting over again. Our best contrition has defects enough about it to sink us into hell. "We are counted righteous before God only for the sake of our lord Jesus Christ, by faith and not of our own works of deservings not for our repentance , holiness, alms giving, sacrament receiving,or anything of the kind. All this is perfectly true. Still it is no less true that justified people are always penitent people and that a forgiven sinner will always be a man who mourns over and loathes his sins. God in Christ is willing to receive rebellious man and grant him peace if he only comes to him in Christ's name, however wicked he may have been.
But God requires, and requires justly, that the rebel shall throw down his arms. The Lord Jesus Christ desires to see a man hate the sins that he wishes to be forgiven. Let some men call this "legality," if they will. Let some call it "bondage," if they please. I take my stand on Scripture. The testimony of God's Word is plain and unmistakable. Justified people are always penitent people. Without repentance, there is no forgiveness of sins.
(b) For another thing, without repentance there is no happiness in the life that now is. There may be high spirits, excitement, laughter, and merriment, so long as health is good and money is in the pocket. But these things are not solid happiness. There is a conscience in all men, ant that conscience must be satisfied. So long as conscience feels that sin has not been repented of and forsaken, so long it will not be quiet and will not let a man feel comfortable within...
(c) For another thing, without repentance there can be no meetness for heaven in the world that is yet to come. Heaven is a prepared place, and they that go to heaven must be a prepared people. Our hearts must be in tune for the employments of Heaven, or else Heaven itself would be a miserable abode. Our minds must be in harmony with those of the inhabitants of Heaven, or else the society of Heaven would soon be intolerable to us...What could you possibly do in Heaven if you got there with a heart loving sin? To which of all the saints would you speak? By who's side would you sit down? Surely, the angels of God would make no sweet music to the heart of him who can bear saints upon the earth and never praise the Lamb for redeeming love! Surely, the company of patriarchs, and apostles, and prophets would be no joy to that man who will not read his bible now and does not care to know what apostles and prophets wrote. Oh, no! No!! There can be no happiness in heaven, if we get there with an impenitent heart...
I beseech you by the mercies of God to lay to heart the things that I have just been saying and to ponder them well. You live in a world of cheating, imposition, and deception. Let no man deceive you about the necessity of repentance. Oh, that professing Christians would see, and know, and feel more than they do, the necessity, the absolute necessity of true repentance before God! There are many things that are not needful. Riches are not needful. Health is not needful. Fine clothes are not needful. Noble friends are not needful. The favor of the world is not needful. Gifts and learning are not needful. Millions have reached heaven without these things. Thousands are reaching heaven every year without them. But no one ever reached heaven without "repentance towards God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" ( Acts 20:21)
Let no man ever persuade you that any religion deserves to be called the gospel, in which repentance towards God has not a most prominent place. A gospel, indeed ! That is no gospel in which repentance is not a principal thing. A gospel! It is the Gospel of man, but not of God. A gospel! It comes from earth, but not from heaven. A gospel! It is not the gospel at all. It is rank antinomianism and nothing else. So long as you hug your sins, and cleave to your sins, and will have your sins, so long as you may talk as you please about the gospel, but your sins are not forgiven. You may call that legal, if you like. You may say, if you please, you hope it will be alright at the last, God is merciful, God is love, Christ has died, I hope I shall go to heaven after all. No! I tell you, it is not alright. It will never be alright...you are trampling under foot the blood of the atonement. You have as yet no part or lot in Christ. So long as you do not repent of sin, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is no gospel to your soul. Christ is a Savior from sin, not a Savior for man in sin. If a man will have his sins, the day will come when the merciful Savior will say to him, "depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matt 25:41).
Let no man ever delude you into supposing that you can be happy in this world without repentance. Oh, no!...The longer you go on without repentance, the more unhappy will the heart of your be. When old age creeps over you and grey hairs appear upon your head, when you are unable to go where you once went, and take pleasure where you once took pleasure, your wretchedness and misery will break in upon you like an armed man...write it down in the tablets of your heart, without repentance, no peace!
I expect to see many wonders at the last day. I expect to see some at the right hand of the Lord Jesus Christ whom I once feared I should see upon the left. I expect to see some at the left hand whom I supposed to be good Christians and expected to see at the right. But there is one thing I am sure I shall not see. I shall not see at the right hand of Jesus Christ one single impenitent man.
J.C.Ryle
No doubts about it, even Job needed repentance.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.gotothebible.com/HTML/except2.html
What is at stake here is the LS definition, easily pulled out through here.
Have you turned from all sin? If not, how much sin have you turned from? Since you cannot have attained the maximum turning, have you turned from enough to satisfy the minimum requirement of repentance? What is that minimum requirement?
For instance let's rattle off a few:
Do you still have a TV?
Have you ever subjected yourself to its commercials?
What of the Lord's Day, has it been kept entirely pure?
Have you always prayed with a perfect heart?
Better yet, have you EVER prayed with a perfect heart?
Have you always exchanged good for evil?
Have you always paid more for things so that no man was defrauded his wages?
Have you always made right judgments with never an error?
Have the needs of self ever had priority over the needs of others?
Have you ever overate?
How about eating without being hungry?
How about withholding food from the hungry?
How about perfect attention to the Holy Spirit?
How about work of Christ, has anything you have ever done belittled it?
How about the Glory of God, have ever done something for another purpose?
How has your repentance been in these things? Has it been enough to measure up to the minimum standard of LS? Or is your repentance in need of repentance?
Wow!
ReplyDeleteI take it you don't like J.C. Ryle
Lee,
ReplyDeleteListen, we all still sin as believers. But when those sins manifest from the internal to the external for everyone to see, they are to be met with. First and foremost they are to be dealt with by the individual. That is why we are to live a life of repentance. It's not a one time repentance and that is it. No, that would be antinomianism. That is why accountability amongst believers is crucial. We don't know who actually is saved and who is not. That is why the bible gives us guide lines on how to approach a brother in open sin. If they are not repentant well...The book of 1 John gives us clear indications in scripture of who does not belong to Christ and who does not. Not by YOUR standards. I have allready addressed that issue with you before. I will say this again, that by the sheer volume of those whom you pronounce lost,the odds are not in your favor. So, that puts you in violation of 1 John 2:9-11 at some point along the way. You will not convince me that what Lordship teaches is incorrect. From someone who depises Lordship, and yet holds to a Sandemanian gospel presentation, thats hypocrisy in it's highest form.
I believe them to mean you are turning from your slavery of sin...from being mastered by sin and Satan to being mastered by Christ...(I know you do not like that word but its biblical and only one description for the Lord) You agree that one grows in sanctification and hates sin because we love what our father loves and hate what He hates....I have never heard anyone that you would call LS teach that these are the fruits to look for. Yes, open, active rebellion is a sign that you need to examine yourself...but there are many other signs as well and those other signs are taught...these men have not hidden what they believe to be marks of believers...do you want some examples of what they say?.....
ReplyDeleteRyle says:
All must repent, as well as believe the Gospel.
so repent and believe....your mind is changed and your heart as well,. your desires, your life....all by Gods grace and His doing......
"But when those sins manifest from the internal to the external for everyone to see, they are to be met with."
ReplyDeleteWrong! They are to be met LONG before then....
"You will not convince me that what Lordship teaches is incorrect."
That is absolutely correct!
"Wow!
ReplyDeleteI take it you don't like J.C. Ryle"
Actually J.C. Ryle had much good to say and I have several of his articles on my site, including one that you can't seem to get past.
http://www.theinvisiblechurch.ca/fundamentally/fund3/Fundc23.html
Instead of evading the questions, try answering some of the easier ones.
Do you still have a TV? Yes or no? Why?
But when those sins manifest from the internal to the external for everyone to see, they are to be met with."
ReplyDeleteActually, the rest of the statement reads..
But when those sins manifest from the internal to the external for everyone to see, they are to be met with. First and foremost they are to be dealt with by the individual. That is why we are to live a life of repentance. It's not a one time repentance and that is it. No, that would be antinomianism. That is why accountability amongst believers is crucial.
I was speaking in the context of church discipline. Which I know you have a problem with, since you don't go or see no need to assemble with believers.
I have read what you posted of J.C. Ryle, and he would,more than likely, not agree with the context in which you use it. Of course he is not here to ask. But in the context of his writings and the fact that he was a pastor, one could assume he would not approve of your use of his comments, in the context in which you use.
Yes, I actually have four televisions. Don't use them as much as we used to though.
I use them for watching football games, and some programs., not many. Even though I have what is called the Sky Angel network which is mostly Christian programming, so they say. Actually the heresey that is portrayed by what is mainstream evangelicalism is more dangerous than regular cable. We also use the t.v. for watching christian videos.
I don't know if you are trying to scoot off in some gray area or not.
I do not agree with your view of the lordship issue. I really do not want to
belabor this issue with you. I do not see it as lordship doctrine. I see it simply as biblical doctrine.
You seem to negate the fact of any human responsibility in the process of sanctification. In no way have I stated anything to think I believe in perfectionism.
At some point, for me, this will become unfruitful. I am quickly aproaching that point with you. I have discussed, as well as others, have discussed other theological issues with you in which you are unbiblical before this blog. I'm really kinda tired of it. As I study this repentance issue I am convicted of the fact that at times I take this issue way to lightly. This is a serious matter. I find myself as I discuss issues with, you in particular, since this is not the first time we have butted heads. I find myself trying to one up you. That is not God honoring. That deserves repentance on my behalf. I think it is time for us to end our discussions. If we don't I will now be in violation of my conscience.
Nolan