In referring to J.C. Ryle’s book, Holiness, in recent blog comments, I was reminded how much I enjoyed his book and was also excited to find that the full text is in the public domain. So I thought it would be a worthwhile exercise to lightly abridge and edit it to make it more accessible (there is already an abridged version, but it is, in my opinion, too abridged. It lacks many of the beautiful details that make J.C. Ryle’s writing so compelling. My attempt is to lightly modernize his vocabulary and writing style and only strip a few paragraphs, where I think it appropriate. Here’s my take on the introduction (which is a chapter in itself!). Let me know what you think!
These twenty chapters are a humble contribution to a cause that’s recently received a lot of attention: the cause of Biblical holiness. It’s a cause that everyone who loves Jesus & everyone who wants to advance His kingdom should be working for. Everybody can do something and I want to add my “two copper coins”.
You won’t find much that’s directly controversial in these chapters, as I’ve carefully avoided naming modern teachers and books. I’ve been content to give the result of my own Bible study, private meditations, prayers for light, and reading of old saints. If in anything I’m still in error, I hope I’ll be shown it before I leave the world. We all see only partially and have our treasure in jars of clay. I trust that I’m still willing to learn.
I’ve had a deep conviction for many years that modern Christians in this country aren’t applying themselves enough to practical holiness. Arguments, taking sides and worldliness have eaten the heart out of energetic godliness in too many of us. The subject has fallen sadly into the background and our personal standards have become painfully low. The immense importance of “decorating the doctrine of God our Savior” (Titus 2:10) and making it lovely by our daily habits and attitudes has been grossly overlooked. Non-Christians sometimes complain, and with good reason, that “religious” people aren’t as friendly, unselfish and good-natured as those who don’t call themselves Christians. Yet sanctification, in its place and proportion, is just as important as justification. Sound evangelical teaching is useless if it’s not accompanied by a holy life. In fact, it’s worse than useless; it does real harm. Smart men of this world despise it as hollow and it brings religion into contempt. It’s my firm belief that we need a thorough revival of Biblical holiness and I’m deeply thankful that attention is being given in this direction.
It is, however, of great importance that the subject is placed on the right foundation and that the movement isn’t damaged by crude, one-sided statements. If we see such things, we shouldn’t be surprised: Satan knows the power of true holiness and the damage it will do to his kingdom. It’s his desire, therefore, to promote controversy and confusion about this part of God’s truth. Just as he confused justification in the past, so now he’s laboring to “darken counsel by words without knowledge” about sanctification. May the Lord rebuke him! However, I can’t give up hope that good will be brought out of evil, that discussion will bring out the truth and that variety of opinion will lead us to search the Scriptures, pray and work harder at discerning God’s mind on the subject.
I now feel it my duty, in publishing this book, to offer a few introductory hints to those whose attention is specially directed to the subject of sanctification because of recent events. I know I do this at the risk of seeming presumptuous and possibly offending, but something must be risked in the interests of God’s truth. I shall therefore put my hints into the form of questions, and I’ll request my readers to take them as “Cautions for the Times on the subject of holiness”.[1]
- Is it wise to speak of faith as the one thing necessary or required, as many seem to do recently, in handling the teaching of sanctification? Is it wise to proclaim in so naked and unqualified a way that holiness of Christians is by faith only, and not at all by personal exertion? I doubt it.
- Is it wise to make so little, as some appear to do, of the many practical urgings to holiness in daily life in the Sermon on the Mount and in the latter part of most of Paul’s letters? I doubt it.
- Is it wise to use vague language about perfection and to impress on believers that perfection is attainable in this life, when there is no basis either in Scripture or experience? I doubt it.
- Is it wise to state so positively and violently, as many do, that Romans 7 doesn’t describe an advanced saint, but rather a non-Christian or a weak and unestablished believer? I doubt it.
- Is it wise to use the language often used in the present day about the doctrine of “Christ in us”? I doubt it. Is not this doctrine often exalted to a position which it does not occupy in Scripture? I am afraid that it is.
- Is it wise to draw such a deep, wide and distinct line of separation between conversion and consecration (or the “higher life”), as many do? I doubt it.
- Is it wise to teach believers that they shouldn’t think so much about fighting & struggling against sin, but instead should “yield themselves to God,” and be passive in the hands of Christ? I doubt it.
I confess that I lay down my pen with sorrow and anxiety. There is much in the attitude of professing Christians today that fills me with concern and fear for the future.
There is an amazing ignorance of the Bible among many, and as a result a lack of established, solid religion. This is the only way I can explain the ease with which people are “carried by the waves and blown around by every shifting wind of teaching” (Ephesians 4:14). There is an Athenian love of novelty and a morbid distaste for anything old and regular, in the beaten path of the previous generation. Thousands will crowd to hear a new voice or teaching, without considering for a moment whether it’s true. There’s a non-stop craving for teaching that’s sensational or exciting. There’s an unhealthy appetite for spastic, hysterical Christianity. The religious life of many is little better than a “spiritual” addiction to excitement and the “meek and quiet spirit” which Peter recommends is totally forgotten (1 Peter 3:4). Big crowds, many tears, hot rooms, high-flown singing and the incessant rousing of emotions are the only things that many people want. Inability to distinguish differences in doctrine is spreading far and wide. So long as the preacher is “clever” and “earnest”, hundreds seem to think it must be alright and call you dreadfully “narrow and uncharitable” if you hint he’s unsound. All this is sad, very sad. But if, in addition to this, the true-hearted advocates of increased holiness are going to fight and misunderstand each other, it will be sadder still. We shall indeed be in a bad predicament.
For myself, I’m aware that I’m no longer a young minister. My mind perhaps stiffens and I can’t easily receive any new doctrine. “The old is better”. I suppose I belong to the old school of Evangelical theology and I’m content with such teaching about sanctification as I find in The Life of Faith (Sibbes & Manton) and The Life, Walk and Triumph of Faith (William Romaine). But I must express a hope that my younger brothers who have taken up new views of holiness will beware of creating causeless divisions. Do they think that a higher standard of Christianity is needed in the present day? So do I. Do they think that clearer, stronger, fuller teaching about holiness is necessary? So do I. Do they think that Christ ought to be more exalted as the root and author of sanctification as well as justification? So do I. Do they think that believers should be urged more and more to live by faith? So do I. Do they think that a very close walk with God should be more pressed on believers as the secret of happiness and usefulness? So do I. In all these things we agree. But if they want to go further, then I ask them to take care where they tread and to explain very clearly and distinctly what they mean.
Finally, I must discourage the use of new-fangled terms and phrases in teaching sanctification. I plead that a movement in favor of holiness cannot be advanced by newly-coined phrases or by one-sided statements or overstraining and isolating particular verses or exalting one truth at the expense of another or allegorizing and accommodating verses and squeezing out of them meanings which the Holy Spirit never put in them or by speaking disdainfully about those who don’t entirely see things the way they do. These things don’t make for peace, instead they repel many and keep them at a distance. The cause of true sanctification isn’t helped – it’s hindered – by weapons like these. A movement for holiness which produces arguments among God’s children is somewhat suspicious. For Christ’s sake and in the name of truth and charity, let’s endeavor to follow after peace as well as holiness. “What God has joined, let no man tear apart.”
It’s my heart’s desire and prayer to God daily that personal holiness may increase greatly among professing Christians in England. But I trust that all who work to promote it will stick closely to the Scripture and carefully distinguish things that differ and will separate “the precious from the disgusting” (Jeremiah 15:19).
