Book Review of Holiness by J. C. Ryle

I just came across this review of an edition of Ryle's book (the one Tim Challies recommended) here.

Reading for Holiness: an Interactive Summary (Chapter 2: Sanctification)

by Doug Smith

I should probably subtitle today’s post as “an outline with brief interaction” instead of “an interactive summary.” There is so much material to analyze and so much worth quoting. And there is so much I must devote myself to today that will pertain more to my sanctification than in writing the same type of article I have written the last two weeks on Ryle’s book, Holiness. What follows is an outline adapted from the chapter, with my thoughts at the end of the article.

I. The true nature of sanctification

A. Definition: “Sanctification is that inward spiritual work which the Lord Jesus Christ works in a man by the Holy Ghost, when He calls him to be a true believer. He not only washes him from his sins in His own blood, but He also separates him from his natural love of sin and the world, puts a new principle in his heart, and makes him practically godly in life. The instrument by which the Spirit effects this work is generally the Word of God, though He sometimes uses afflictions and providential visitations ‘without the Word’ (1 Pet. 3:1).”

B. Clarifications:

i. Sanctification is the invariable result of that vital union with Christ which true faith gives to a Christian.

ii. Sanctification is the outcome and inseparable consequence of regeneration.

iii. Sanctification is the only certain evidence of that indwelling of the Holy Spirit which is essential to salvation.

iv. Sanctification is the only sure mark of God’s election.

v. Sanctification is a thing that will always be seen.

vi. Sanctification is a thing for which every believer is responsible.

vii. Sanctification is a thing which admits of growth and degrees.

viii. Sanctification is a thing which depends greatly on a diligent use of scriptural means.

ix. Sanctification is a thing which does not prevent a man having a great deal of inward spiritual conflict.

x. Sanctification is a thing which cannot justify a man, and yet it pleases God.

xi. Sanctification is a thing which will be found absolutely necessary as a witness to our character in the great day of judgment.

xii. Sanctification is absolutely necessary, in order to train and prepare us for heaven.

II. The visible marks of sanctification

A. The following are not visible marks of sanctification:

i. Talk about religion

ii. Temporary religious feelings

iii. Formalism and external

devoutness

iv. Retirement from our place in life, and the renunciation of our social duties

v. The occasional performance of right actions

B. The following are visible marks of sanctification:

i. Habitual respect to God’s law, and habitual effort to live in obedience to it as the rule of life

ii. An habitual endeavor to do Christ’s will, and to live by His practical precepts

iii. An habitual desire to live up to the standard which St. Paul sets before the churches in his writings

iv. Habitual attention to the active graces which our Lord so beautifully exemplified, and especially to the grace of charity

v. Habitual attention to the passive graces of Christianity

III. A comparison and contrast of justification and sanctification

A. How they are alike:

i. Both proceed originally from the free grace of God.

ii. Both are part of that great work of salvation which Christ, in the eternal covenant, has undertaken on behalf of His people. Christ is the fountain and root of both.

iii. Both are to be found in the same persons.

iv. Both begin at the same time.

v. Both are alike necessary to salvation.

B. How they differ:

i. Justification is the reckoning and counting of a man righteous for the sake of another, even Jesus Christ the Lord. Sanctification is the actual making a man inwardly righteous, though it may be in a very feeble degree.

ii. Justification gives us a righteousness that is not our own, but Christ’s imputed to us through faith, whereas in sanctification the Holy Spirit imparts to us a righteousness that is our own, but mingled with much infirmity and imperfection.

iii. Faith alone justifies, apart from works, but we are called to work in sanctification, as God bids us fight, watch, pray, strive, take pains, and labor.

iv. Justification is finished and complete, with a man being perfectly justifies the moment he believes. But sanctification will not be finished until we reach heaven.

v. Justification cannot grow or increase; one can never be more justified than when he believes in Christ, but sanctification is a continual progress whereby believers grow as long as they live.

vi. Justification has special reference to our persons, our standing in God’s sight, and our deliverance from guilt. Sanctification has special reference to our natures, and the moral renewal of our hearts.

vii. Justification gives us our title to heaven, but sanctification prepares us for heaven.

viii. Justification is the act of God about us, and is not easily discerned by others, whereas sanctification is the work of God within us, and its effects cannot be hidden from the observation of men.

IV. Practical reflections

A. We should awake to a sense of the perilous state of many professing Christians.

B. We should make sure of our own condition and never rest until we are certain of our own sanctification.

C. If we would be sanctified, our course is clear and plain – we must begin with Christ.

D. If we would grow in holiness and become more sanctified, we must continually go on as we began, and be ever making fresh applications to Christ.

E. For another thing, let us not expect too much from our own hearts here below.

F. Let us never be ashamed of making much of sanctification and contending for a high standard of holiness.

Thoughts on Sanctification

It is obvious that Ryle does not think sanctification is an option for believers. He does not believe a person could be a true believer without being a true disciple of Jesus. He obviously would not say that one could receive Christ as Savior but not as Lord! Although we are justified by faith alone, Christ will be looking for evidence in our lives that we are His on the day of judgment.

However, Ryle does take a view that is balanced in that it recognizes the reality of degrees of growth in holiness. Although the Christian’s life should evidence an upward and forward trajectory, there are times we are less holy and times that we are more holy. The sanctified life is still a struggle. If there is not a struggle, something is wrong! Spiritual conflict does not disprove a believer’s sanctification.

Ryle is right to emphasize the “diligent use of scriptural means” for sanctification. “Bible-reading, private prayer, regular attendance on public worship, regular hearing of God’s Word, and regular reception of the Lord’s Supper” must not be neglected by the growing Christian. It is no wonder that so many make so little progress in godliness when these means are neglected.

One of Ryle’s warnings that particularly struck me was that true sanctification “does not consist in talk about religion.” (We could apply this to blogging too!) He speaks of an “unholy familiarity” with Christian truth that lends itself to people talking “so fluently about its doctrines that you might think them true Christians.” This is reminiscent of the character Talkative in John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. He could talk the talk, but would not walk the walk. I think of what Don Whitney said in the Biblical Spirituality class I took: “We are often educated beyond our obedience.” Our thirst for knowledge should not surprise our hunger for holiness!

Holiness grows in the soil of difficulty. Christ prayed for His followers, not that God would “take them out of the world, but that [He should] keep them from the evil” (John 17:15). Ryle said, “True holiness does not make a Christian evade difficulties, but face and overcome them.”

Ryle labors to show us that sanctification is shown, not in the temporary, but the habitual, steady patterns of life. Talk is not enough. Feelings are not enough. Bright, occasional bursts of obedience will not suffice. A day-by-day, constant walk with the Savior is what we are called to. The mundane, routine, cultivation of regular habits is a major part of holiness. This encompasses active obedience to God and how we react to providence and the treatment of others. Sanctification reveals itself in our love to others, self-denial, and “submission to the will of God” and “longsuffering, gentleness, and meekness” (from the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22, 23). Note a couple of Ryle’s warnings:

The selfish Christian professor, who wraps himself up in his own conceit of superior knowledge, and seems to care nothing whether others sink or swim, go to heaven or hell, so long as he walks to church or chapel in his Sunday best, and is called a “sound member” – such a man knows nothing of sanctification.

People who are habitually giving way to peevish and cross tempers in daily life, and are

constantly sharp with their tongues, and disagreeable to all around them – spiteful people, vindictive people, revengeful people, malicious people – of whom, alas, the world is only too full! – all such know little, as they should know, about sanctification.

Ryle is helpful in his comparison and contrast of justification and sanctification. He is clear that they come as a package, but that they are two different things. We are justified through faith alone by the righteousness of Christ imputed to us. This justification is complete and is apart from our works. But sanctification is a righteousness worked in us by God’s Spirit, a continual progress, and one that requires active work on our behalf. These distinctions are relevant for considering controversies such as the Lordship debate (in which one side tends to separate the two unnecessarily, making sanctification and option) and the New Perspective on Paul (which seems to confuse the two).

In my look at the introduction, I questioned whether Ryle would find John Piper’s “Christian Hedonism” a helpful term. I think he would not be impressed with it. But the truth Piper is endeavoring to convey, that “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him” (gleaned from the Bible and the theology of Jonathan Edwards), sounds like the same thing Ryle tries to convey when he writes, “Let us feel convinced, whatever others may say, that holiness is happiness, and that the man who gets through life most comfortably [not in the sense of external conveniences, but in the sense of being encouraged and content] is the sanctified man.”

Ryle does not pretend to have exhausted this topic, but refers us to John Owen’s work on “The Holy Spirit” for further study. However, this chapter is a helpful look at sanctification and gives us much to consider, much to repent of, much to praise God for, much to pray for in our own lives and in those of others, and much to obey.

For more on Holiness, read Tim Challies' article here and the comments on it. Also, I noticed that Steve Camp has recently published an excerpt of the book at his blog, Camp on This.

Ryle quotes are from J. C. Ryle, Holiness (Moscow, ID: Charles Nolan Publishers, 2001). Holiness was first published in 1877 with a revised and enlarged edition appearing in 1879.

Reading for Holiness: an Interactive Summary (Chapter 1: Sin)

by Doug Smith

Continuing the reading along with Tim Challies and company of J. C. Ryle’s Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, & Roots, this week brings us to chapter 1: “Sin” (click here for the discussion at Tim's blog).

Ryle asserts that a right understanding of holiness must begin with an examination of sin. This is a foundational matter, so the person seeking to build his view of holiness “must dig down very low if he would build high.” He further connects the understanding of holiness and sin when he says, “Wrong views about holiness are generally traceable to wrong views about human corruption.” Man needs to be enlightened about his horrible condition if he is ever to seek an adequate remedy for it. I will rephrase Ryle’s main points about sin into questions and explore them below.

What Is Sin?

1 John 3:4 tells us that “sin is the transgression of the law.” It “consists in doing, saying, thinking, or imagining anything that is not in perfect conformity with the mind and law of God” and can take place “in heart and thought, when there is no visible act of wickedness” as Christ made clear in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:21-28). Sin is not only committing forbidden acts and thoughts but is also omitting required duties. This is what Jesus addresses when He says “Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink” (Matt. 25:41, 42). In addition, ignorance does not excuse sin. Ryle commends the “deeper study of Leviticus” to those who make the ignorant assertion that there is no sin where we do not “discern it and are conscious of it,” since the Bible addresses sins of ignorance and provision is made for atonement for them (Lev. 4:1-35; 5:14-19; Num. 15:25-29).

Where Does Sin Come From?

Sin does not come from the outside, but from the inside. This addresses a fundamental issue of nature vs. nurture: It is not a man’s environment that makes him bad, but his heart. “It is not the result of bad training in early years. It is not picked up from bad companions and bad examples, as some weak Christians are too fond of saying. No! it is a family disease, which we all inherit from our first parents, Adam and Eve, and with which we are born.” Although created “innocent and righteous” in God’s image, the entry of sin through Adam corrupted his posterity.

Even babies show that sin is inherent and not something they have to be taught. “The fairest babe that has entered life this year, and become the sunbeam of a family, is not, as its mother perhaps fondly calls it, a little ‘angel,’ or a little ‘innocent,’ but a little ‘sinner.’ Alas! as it lies smiling and crowing in its cradle, that little creature carries in its heart the seeds of every kind of wickedness.” This reminds me of the preacher who said that it was an insult to compare a child to a viper. But the viper was the one being insulted, since the child is the one with the sinful nature! Ryle reminds us that observation reveals the child’s “incessant tendency to that which is bad, and a backwardness to that which is good,” which is quickly revealed by “deceit, evil temper, selfishness, self-will, obstinacy, greediness, envy, jealousy, passion – which, if indulged and let alone, will shoot up with painful rapidity.” What honest parent could disagree? For this reason, we must not lay the final blame for the crowd that a wayward child runs with and neglect to recognize that he or she is corrupt at heart.

How Pervasive Is Sin?

“Sin is a disease which pervades and runs through every part of our moral constitution and every faculty of our minds.” It infects “the understanding, the affections, the reasoning powers, the will” and “even the conscience is so blinded that it cannot be depended on as a sure guide, and is likely to lead men wrong as right, unless it is enlightened by the Holy Ghost.”

The pervasiveness of sin is demonstrated in that the same creatures who can build architectural marvels and produce magnificent works of literature can “yet be slave to abominable vices like those described in the first chapter of the Epistle to the Romans.” This may be a mystery to those who deny God’s Word, but to those who know that man is a ruined temple (which still gives “some faint idea of the magnificence of the original design”), that the image of God in him has been defaced and ruined, these things do not come as a surprise. Sin pervades the entire human race and its “power, extent, and universality” proves “the inspiration of Genesis and the Mosaic account of the origin of man.” Sin even tenaciously clings to those who have been regenerated by God’s Spirit. Although sin no longer dominates a believer in Christ, its roots remain with us until death. “Like the leprosy in the walls of the house, we never get rid of them until the earthly house of this tabernacle is dissolved.” Ryle exclaims, “Mighty indeed must that foe be who even when crucified is still alive! Happy is that believer who understands it, and while he rejoices in Christ Jesus has no confidence in the flesh; and while he says, ‘Thanks be unto God who giveth us the victory’ (1 Cor. 15:57), never forgets to watch and pray lest he fall into temptation!”

What Is God’s View of Sin?

To God, sin is never a trifle. We cannot, in this life, begin to comprehend how hateful and offensive and repulsive sin is to “that holy and perfect One with whom we have to do.” Ryle compares us to blind men who cannot distinguish a masterpiece of art from a village sign, to deaf men who cannot differentiate between a penny whistle and an organ, and to animals who have no concept that their smell disgusts us. Yet this sin is so horrible it deserves eternal punishment and took the blood of the Son of God to satisfy God’s wrath against guilty sinners. Ryle says, “Nothing, I am convinced, will astonish us so much, when we awake in the resurrection day, as the view we shall have of sin, and the retrospect we shall take of our own countless shortcomings and defects.” And when we do realize more fully the magnitude of our sin, there shall be great praise to God for His amazing redemption in Christ.

How Can We Beware of the Deceitfulness of Sin?

Men are prone “to regard sin as less sinful and dangerous than it is in the sight of God,” being ready “to extenuate it, make excuses for it, and minimize its guilt.” How many times have we confessed to a mistake or an error instead of high treason against the King of Heaven? Ryle points out expressions in his day such as “wild,” “thoughtless,” and “loose” that were (and sometimes are) used to smooth over the sinfulness of sin.

He also says that this tendency shows itself in those who “indulge their children in questionable practices” and are blinded to the dangers of the love of money, flirting with temptation, and “sanctioning a low standard of family religion.” What an indictment for our day! How often is the mantra of Christian liberty sounded to the detriment of holiness and love for God and others, being merely a veneer over our selfishness! We want to get as close as we can to those sins that are pleasurable to us without being stained, instead of “making no provision for the flesh” (Rom. 13:14). To only speak of a few examples in the electronic world, children are indulged in their risqué or immoral video games, chat rooms, websites, and participation in virtual reality fantasy worlds (in which many adults are involved as well). Family religion is almost extinct in many circles. Aside from the proverbial nod of the head on Sunday morning, many families of professing Christians give no thought to God throughout the week and in their time together and in the choices they make.

Ryle reminds us that temptation usually does not come to us “in its true colours” but presents itself as something “good and desirable” and so does not seem to be sin. We are to “exhort one another daily, lest any be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb. 3:13). How many of us have become so desensitized by the exposure to and indulgence of sin in our intake of media and harboring of pet practices and thoughts? Let us beware of the deceitfulness of sin and watch out for this Trojan horse.

Two Implications of the Bible’s Teaching on Sin

1. We have deep reasons for humiliation and self-abasement.

The Bible’s teaching on sin shows us what we are. We are miserable wretches who need to feel the weight of that neglected, non-sugarcoated word – a wretch like me! “What a mass of infirmity and imperfection cleaves to the very best of us at our very best!” Ryle references Richard Hooker’s “Learned Discourse on Justification” to point out that our sin causes us to see prayer as a burdensome duty rather than a glorious privilege to be desired and appreciated. Ryle also reminds us that those most known for their holy lives, such as Robert Murray M’Cheyne, are those who “have always been the humblest men.”

2. We ought to be deeply thankful for the glorious gospel of the grace of God.

We should also feel the weight of the amazing grace that does save wretches like us. Our sin is great, but God’s grace is greater. “There is a remedy revealed for man’s need, as wide and broad and deep as man’s disease. We need not be afraid to look at sin, and study its nature, origin, power, extent, and vileness, if we only look at the same time at the almighty medicine provided for us in the salvation that is in Jesus Christ.”

What Good Will the Teaching of the Bible on Sin Do?

1) It corrects bad theology.

A right view of sin destroys a vague, generic kind of theology which is afraid of precise definition. It makes a real change in belief and life. “People will never set their faces decidedly towards heaven, and live like pilgrims, until they really feel that they are in danger of hell.” By “bring[ing] the law to the front” and “press[ing] it on men’s attention,” as Christ did in the Sermon on the Mount, much good will be done to correct fuzzy, impotent theology. “We may depend on it, men will never come to Jesus, and stay with Jesus, and live for Jesus, unless they really know why they are to come, and what is their need.”

A right view of sin destroys a liberal theology in which “it is thought grand and wise to condemn no opinion whatsoever, and to pronounce all earnest and clever teachers to be trustworthy, however heterogeneous and mutually destructive their opinions may be.” These views that embrace all and criticize none (except views perceived as “narrow, illiberal, old-fashioned,” and obsolete). A right view of sin exposes the emptiness of bad theology.

2) It corrects a misguided view of external ceremonies.

A correct understanding of sin will show us that incense and rituals and labyrinth walking will never give us spiritual benefit. The inward must be dealt with. “A little child is easily quieted and amused with gaudy toys, and dolls, and rattles, so long as it is not hungry; but once let it feel the craving of nature within, and we know that nothing will satisfy it but food. Just so it is with man in the matter of his soul. Music, and flowers, and candles, and incense, and banners, and processions, and beautiful vestments, and confessionals, and man-made ceremonies of a semi-Romish character, may do well enough for him under certain conditions. But once let him ‘awake and arise from the dead’ (Eph. 5:14), and he will not rest content with these things. They will seem to him mere solemn triflings, and a waste of time. Once let him see his sin, and he must see his Saviour.” Those attracted to the renewed interest in ancient ceremonies like those Ryle mentioned would do well to seriously consider the truth about sin.

3) It corrects extreme views on perfection.

While we should certainly “aim high,” a right view of sin deflates us of any misguided expectation of sinlessness in this life. Ryle says, “If men really mean to tell us that here in this world a believer can attain to entire freedom from sin, live for years in unbroken and uninterrupted communion with God, and feel for months together not so much as one evil thought, I must honestly say that such an opinion appears to me very unscriptural” and “likely to depress, discourage, and keep back inquirers after salvation” by giving a false view of the Christian life. A right view of sin exposes the truth that, although we should be growing in grace, we will still struggle with sin in this earthly body.

4) It corrects low views of personal holiness

Sorrowful at the decline of “the daily standard of daily life among professing Christians,” Ryle notes that understanding sin will encourage a higher standard of godliness. He blames the affluence of a society in which the tings “once called luxuries” have become conveniences and necessities. These things have given us more distractions and dulled our awareness to the need of self-denial. Another problem is contentment “with zeal for orthodoxy” to the neglect of “the sober realities of daily practical godliness.” Doctrine and life must be considered inseparable, and remember the sinfulness of sin will help us avoid separating what God always meant to be joined.

Ryle suggests turning to the Puritans for further study on this topic, particularly Owen, Burgess, Manton, and Charnock. He warns us that there is no need to “go back to Egypt, and borrow semi-Romish practices in order to revive our spiritual life. We need not restore the confessional, or return to monasticism or asceticism. Nothing of the kind! We must simply repent and do our first works.” The better we understand the vileness and tenacity of our sin, the more we will be led to draw near to Christ. “Much forgiven, we shall love much.”

Finally, Ryle notes encouraging signs of renewed interest in spirituality but reminds us that if they are to be of lasting value, they must “begin low” to “build high.”

Concluding Thoughts

Once again, Ryle is extremely contemporary. I recently attended an institution in which the charge of “bibliolatry” was leveled against those who took seriously the inspiration and authority and inerrancy of Scripture. In addition “free inquiry” seemed to be elevated above what God’s Word says. There was an inadequate view of sin.

Ryle’s view speaks to permissive parents who allow children to watch anything and spend unmonitored time on the Internet and in chat room. It should convict those who make little or no attempt to lead their families in godliness.

This chapter is also extremely relevant to me. What an antidote to the sin of pride I struggle with is the truth about sin! I have been reminded the need to consider those duties I am omitting and repent and fulfill them. Ryle has reminded me of how inadequate I am in self-examination, and my deficiencies in humility and thanksgiving to God for His grace.

I was most helped by the section on the deceitfulness of sin. I have a decent grasp of what sin is and how God thinks of it. But it’s easy to forget how attractive sin can be and the desensitizing effect it has. I want to be more watchful, so that I am not deceived by sin. I want others, particularly in my local church, to help me on this path, and I want to help them.

I want to be more holy. So, I must labor to better understand what sin is, and how I am affected by it, and the great praise God is due for His salvation from sin.

Ryle quotes are from J. C. Ryle, Holiness (Moscow, ID: Charles Nolan Publishers, 2001). Holiness was first published in 1877 with a revised and enlarged edition appearing in 1879.

Reading for Holiness

Tim Challies has invited folks to read along with him for an
introduction and 7 chapters of Holiness by J. C. Ryle (1 chapter per week). I
started this book some time ago and needed a good reason to get back
in, so this is it. If you're interested in reading along, you can
find more information here:

http://www.challies.com/archives/reading-classics-together/reading-classics-together-holiness.php