TRUTH IN THE WILDERNESS

J.C. Ryle:

Do not put implicit confidence in any man’s opinion, merely because he is a minister.

What are the best of ministers but men; dust, ashes and clay, men with a nature like our own, men exposed to temptations, men liable to weaknesses and failings.

They have often driven the truth into the wilderness, and decreed that to be true, which was false. The greatest errors have been begun by ministers.

Peace without truth is a false peace; it is the very peace of the devil. Unity without the gospel is a worthless unity; it is the very unity of hell.

Condemned or Forgiven?

Quoting Charles H. Spurgeon:

Will you do me a little favor? Will you take a little time alone, perhaps this evening – Get a paper and pencil, and after you have honestly and fairly thought on your own spiritual state, and weighed your own condition before the Lord, will you write down one of these two words.

If you feel that you are not a believer write down this word “Condemned.” And if you are a believer in Jesus, and put your trust in him alone, write down the word “Forgiven.” Do it, even though you have to write down the word condemned.

We lately received into Church-fellowship a young man, who said —

“Sir, I wrote down the word condemned, and I looked at it; there it was; I had written it myself — ‘Condemned.’” As he looked the tears began to flow, and his heart began to break; and before long he fled to Christ, put that paper in the fire, and wrote down on another paper, “Forgiven.”

Remember you are either one or the other; you are either condemned or forgiven. Do not stand between the two. Let it be decided, and remember if you are condemned today, yet you are not in hell. There is hope yet. Blessed be God, still is Christ lifted up, and whoever believes on him shall not perish but have everlasting life. The gate of glory is not closed; the proclamation of mercy is not hushed; the Spirit of God still goes forth to open blind eyes and to unstop deaf ears, and still is it preached to you, to every creature under heaven — Whoever believes on the Son of God has everlasting life; he that believes and is baptized shall be saved; he that believes not shall be damned. Believe! God help you to believe. Trust Jesus; trust him now; and may the Lord grant that your name may be written among the some that believe, and not among the some that believe not. (“The Minister’s Stock-taking”)