by J.C. Ryle
"Holiness, Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots" 1879
I believe that the time has come, when it is a positive duty to speak plainly about the reality and eternity of Hell. A flood of false doctrine has lately broken in upon us. Men are beginning to tell us that God is too loving and merciful to punish souls forever; and that all mankind, however wicked and ungodly some of them may be–will sooner or later be saved. We are invited to leave the old paths of apostolic Christianity. We are told that the views of our fathers about Hell, and the devil, and punishment–are obsolete and old-fashioned. We are to embrace what is called a "kinder theology"–and treat Hell as a pagan fable, or a bugbear to frighten children and fools!
Against such false teaching I desire, for one, to protest. I, for one, am resolved to maintain the old position, and to assert the reality and eternity of Hell.
It is a question which lies at the very foundation of the whole gospel. The moral attributes of God–His justice, His holiness, His purity–are all involved in it. Once let the old doctrine about Hell be overthrown–and the whole system of Christianity is unsettled, unscrewed, unpinned and thrown into disorder!
Continue Reading »
by A.B. Simpson
Lo, I am with you always—Matthew 28:20
This living Christ is not the person who was, but the person who still is your living Lord.
At Preston Pans, near Edinburgh, I looked on the field where, long ago, armies had been engaged in contest. In the crisis of the battle the chieftain fell wounded. When they saw their leader’s form go down, his men were about to shrink away from the field. Their strong hands held the claymore with trembling grip, and they faltered for a moment. Then the old chieftain rallied strength enough to rise on his elbow and cry: "I am not dead, my children, I am only watching you-to see my clansmen do their duty."
And so from the other side of Calvary our Savior is speaking. We cannot see Him, but He says,
Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world (Matthew 28:20).
Notice how He puts it: "I am"-an uninterrupted and continuous presence. Not "I will be," but the guarantee of an unbroken presence to remain with us forever.
Continue Reading »
by J.C. Ryle
"Holiness, Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots"
A holy man will strive to be like our Lord Jesus Christ. He will not only live the life of faith in Him, and draw from Him all his daily peace and strength–but he will also labor to be conformed to His image (Romans 8:29).
It will be his aim . . . to bear with and forgive others–even as Christ forgave us; to be unselfish–even as Christ pleased not Himself; to walk in love–even as Christ loved us; to be lowly-minded and humble–even as Christ humbled Himself.
A holy man will remember . . . that Christ would continually deny Himself in order to minister to others; that He was meek and patient under undeserved insults; that He thought more of godly poor men, than of kings; that He was full of love and compassion to sinners; that He was bold and uncompromising in denouncing sin; that He sought not the praise of men, when He might have had it; that He went about doing good; that He was separate from worldly people; that He continued instant in prayer; that He would not let even His nearest relations stand in His way, when God’s work was to be done.
Continue Reading »
by Jack Kinsella
Depending upon who you ask, Christianity accounts for just under one third of the world’s population, or about 2.2 billion people. That is a pretty impressive number, given that it represents the followers of a Jewish laborer that lived 2000 years ago in Judea, a sleepy backwater of the Roman Empire.
No person in all history made an impact even approaching that of Jesus Christ. His impact is felt far beyond Christianity. For an alleged fraud, the impact this one Man had upon the history of mankind is incalculable.
One could easily make the argument that if Jesus had not lived and died and was resurrected in what is today modern Israel, there wouldn’t be a modern Israel.
Continue Reading »
by Grant Phillips
God came to earth, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died as a substitution for all mankind, then rose from the grave and returned to Heaven. He is called Jesus, the Son of God. Is that a reason to hate Him?
While He was upon the earth as Jesus, he healed the sick, caused the blind to see, raised the dead, but yet He is hated. He wept over His friend Lazarus and He wept over Jerusalem, so why the hate? He called the little children to Him, and they loved Him. Why do the parents hate Him so?
He made provision for all who will to come to Him to share His riches in Heaven, to rule with Him, to experience all that is good, and have His protection from all that is evil. Could that be a reason for all the hatred? Surely this could not be it, since He has provided nothing but good.
Continue Reading »
by A.B. Simpson
It is I, be not afraid—Mark 6:50
A little child with a tale of woe on his heart flies to his mother’s arms for comfort-intending to tell her the whole story of his trouble. But as soon as that mother takes the child in her arms and expresses her love, the child becomes so occupied with her and the sweetness of her affection that he forgets to tell his story, and in a little while even the memory of the trouble is forgotten. It has just been loved away and the mother has taken its place in the heart of her child.
In this same manner, God comforts us. It is I, be not afraid is His reassuring word. The circumstances are not altered, but He Himself comes in their place and satisfies our every need, and we forget all things in His gracious presence as He becomes our all in all.
Continue Reading »
by Oswald Chambers
Jesus said to him, ’Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?’ —John 14:9
These words were not spoken as a rebuke, nor even with surprise; Jesus was encouraging Philip to draw closer. Yet the last person we get intimate with is Jesus. Before Pentecost the disciples knew Jesus as the One who gave them power to conquer demons and to bring about a revival (see Luke 10:18-20). It was a wonderful intimacy, but there was a much closer intimacy to come: “. . . I have called you friends . . .” (John 15:15). True friendship is rare on earth. It means identifying with someone in thought, heart, and spirit. The whole experience of life is designed to enable us to enter into this closest relationship with Jesus Christ. We receive His blessings and know His Word, but do we really know Him?
Continue Reading »
by J.C. Ryle
