J.C. Ryle On The Eternality Of Hell

As I was reading this morning I found this by J.C. Ryle talking about Hell being eternal. This is something that we all should think about daily, because we all know many people who do not know Jesus Christ and if they die in this state, this is their end.

Jesus said:

"The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to the man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born."

Matthew 26:24

Of this verse J.C. Rule wrote:

Let us learn... from [this] verse, the hopeless condition of all who die unconverted. The words of our Lord on this subject are peculiarly solemn. He says of Judas, "It would have been better for that man, if he had not been born." This saying admits of only one interpretation. It teaches plainly, that it is better never to live at all, than to live without faith, and to die without grace. To die in this state is to be ruined forever more. It is a fall from which there is no rising. It is a loss which is utterly irretrievable. There is no change in hell. The gulf between hell and heaven is one that no man can pass. This saying could never have been used, if there was any truth in the doctrine of 'universal salvation'. If it really was true that all would sooner or later reach heaven, and hell sooner or later be emptied of inhabitants, it never could be said that it would have been "good for a man not to have been born." Hell itself would lose its terrors, if it had an end. Hell itself would be endurable, if after millions of ages there was a HOPE of freedom and of heaven. But universal salvation will find no foot-hold in Scripture. The teaching of the word of God is plain and express on the subject. There is a worm that never dies, and a fire that is not quenched (Mark 9:44.) "Except a man be born again," he will wish one day he had never been born at all. "Better," says Burkitt, "have no being, than not have a being in Christ."

Let us grasp this truth firmly, and not let it go. There are always people who dislike the reality and eternity of hell. We live in a day when a morbid charity induces many to exaggerate God's mercy, at the expense of His justice, and when false teachers are daring to talk of a "love of God, lower even than hell." Let us resist such teaching with a holy jealousy, and abide by the doctrine of Holy Scripture. Let us not be ashamed to walk in the old paths, and to believe that there is an eternal God, an eternal heaven, and an eternal hell. Once depart from this belief, and we admit the thin edge of the wedge of skepticism, and may at last deny any doctrine of the Gospel. We may rest assured that there is no firm standing ground between a belief in the eternity of hell, and downright infidelity.

J.C. Ryle

Expository Thoughts on the Gospels Vol 1: Matthew & Mark pg. 354

What Is Reformed Theology?

I have just finished listening to one of the best sermon series I have ever heard on the subject of Reformed Theology. This is not by any means an exhaustive series on the subject, but Pastor Brian Borgman gives a pretty thorough overview and I highly recommend this.

If you have any questions dealing with election, or predestination, or foreknowledge, or the free will of man this would be a good place to start. So get your Bible, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and spend a few evenings working your way through this series; you won't regret it.

And as always, feel free to leave your comments; who knows, we may even get Pastor Borgman to respond.

No One Knows That Day And Hour

This morning I was reading Matthew 24 which includes the following verses:

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
 

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 24:36-51

Here are some thought on this passage from the pen of J.C. Ryle:

The... thing that demands our attention, is the dreadful separation that will take place when the Lord Jesus comes again. We read twice over, that "one shall be taken and the other left."

The godly and the ungodly, at present, are all mingled together. In the congregation and in the place of worship--in the city and in the field--the children of God and the children of the world are all side by side. But it shall not be so always. In the day of our Lord's return, there shall at length be a complete division. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye; at the last trumpet, each party shall be separated from the other forever more. Wives shall be separated from husbands--parents from children--brothers from sisters--masters from servants--preachers from hearers. There shall be no time for parting words, or a change of mind, when the Lord appears. All shall be taken as they are, and reap according as they have sown. Believers shall be caught up to glory, honor, and eternal life. Unbelievers shall be left behind to shame and everlasting contempt. Blessed and happy are they who are of one heart in following Christ! Their union alone shall never be broken. It shall last for evermore. Who can describe the happiness of those who are taken, when the Lord returns? Who can imagine the misery of those who are left behind? May we think on these things and consider our ways...

[We also see that] True Christians ought to live like watchmen. The day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. They should strive to be always on their guard. They should behave like the sentinel of an army in an enemy's land.

They should resolve by God's grace not to sleep at their post. That text of Paul deserves many a thought--"let us not sleep, as the rest do, but let us watch and be sober." (1 Thess. 5:6.)

True Christians ought to live like good servants, whose master is not at home. They should strive to be always ready for their master's return. They should never give way to the feeling, "my Lord is delaying his coming." They should seek to keep their hearts in such a frame, that whenever Christ appears, they may at once give Him a warm and loving reception. There is a vast depth in that saying, "Blessed is that servant whom his master finds doing so when he comes." We may well doubt whether we are true believers in Jesus, if we are not ready at any time to have our faith changed into sight.

J.C.Ryle

Expository Thoughts on the Gospels Vol 1 Matthew and Mark pg 327-329

It is my prayer that you will take a few minutes today and think about what Jesus said in these few verses.

The Poor Creature Went On Eating The Cheese!

Here is a quote by the great preacher Charles Spurgeon that was sent out the other morning by the folks at Grace Gems:

"A mouse was caught by its tail in a trap the other day--and the poor creature went on eating the cheese!

"Many people are dong the same. They know that they are guilty before God, and they dread their punishment--but they go on nibbling at their beloved sins!

'Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows!' Galatians 6:7"

The Depth Of The Gospel

Here is another must hear sermon series by Paul Washer:

Here is the excerpt from John Flavel that he reads in part two:

Father. My son, here is a company of poor miserable souls, that have utterly undone themselves, and now lie open to my justice! Justice demands satisfaction for them, or will satisfy itself in the eternal ruin of them: What shall be done for these souls And thus Christ returns.

Son. O my Father, such is my love to, and pity for them, that rather than they shall perish eternally, I will be responsible for them as their Surety; bring in all your bills, that I may see what they owe you; Lord, bring them all in, that there may be no after-reckonings with them; at my hand shall you require it. I will rather choose to suffer your wrath than they should suffer it: upon me, my Father, upon me be all their debt.

Father. But, my Son, if you undertake for them, you must reckon to pay the last mite, expect no abatements; if I spare them, I will not spare you.

Son. Content, Father, let it be so; charge it all upon me, I am able to discharge it: and though it prove a kind of undoing to me, though it impoverish all my riches, empty all my treasures, (for so indeed it did, 2 Cor. 8:9. "Though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor") yet I am content to undertake it. Blush, ungrateful believers, O let shame cover your faces; judge in yourselves now, has Christ deserved that you should stand with him for trifles, that you should shrink at a few petty difficulties, and complain, this is hard, and that is harsh? O if you knew the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ in this his wonderful condescension for you, you could not do it.

And if you want to read the entire book on line it is available here: The Fountain of Life by John Flavel

The Atoning Death Of Christ

As I was reading this morning I came across another quote by J.C, Ryle on the Atonement; this time from Matthew 20:28. In this verse Jesus makes the statement, “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Of this statement Bishop Ryle wrote:

Christ's death was an atonement for sin. What says the Scripture? "The Son of Man came to give his life as a ransom for many."

This is the mightiest truth in the Bible. Let us take care that we grasp it firmly, and never let it go. Our Lord Jesus Christ did not die merely as a martyr, or as a splendid example of self-sacrifice and self-denial. Those who can see no more than that in His death, fall infinitely short of the truth. They lose sight of the very foundation-stone of Christianity, and miss the whole comfort of the Gospel. Christ died as a sacrifice for man's sin. He died to make reconciliation for man's iniquity. He died to purge our sins by the offering of Himself. He died to redeem us from the curse which we all deserved, and to make satisfaction to the justice of God, which must otherwise have condemned us. Never let us forget this!

We are all by nature debtors. We owe to our holy Maker ten thousand talents, and are not able to pay. We cannot atone for our own transgressions, for we are weak and frail, and only adding to our debts every day. But, blessed be God! What we could not do, Christ came into the world to do for us. What we could not pay, He undertook to pay for us. To pay it He died for us upon the cross. "He offered himself to God." (Heb. 9:14.) "He suffered for sin, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God." (1 Peter 3:18.) Once more, never let us forget this!

J.C.Ryle

Expository Thoughts On The Gospels, Vol 1, Pg 258

We need to keep this in mind; this is the Gospel! Jesus came into the world to give His life as a ransom. He paid to God the debt we could not pay. His death was not to give us an example, it was to pay our debt; He was our sin offering, our propitiation.

Spend a few minutes today thanking Him for the price He paid so your sin could be forgiven.

A Child Is In The Well!

Here is an article from James Smith that was posted yesterday by Grace Gems:

A Child is in the Well!

by James Smith, 1860

My brother sometimes sends me a subject for my pen, and a letter just received from him contains the following account:

"A child is in the well! A child is in the well!" It is now more than fifty years since I heard that cry. It was a terrible scream, and it is as fresh in my memory, as when it was first uttered by that affrighted woman. A boy had been sent by his mother to the well to draw water, and had taken his little brother with him, and while he was engaged in drawing it, the child unperceived by him--was looking down into the well, and fell in! The wonder was that he was not killed in the descent, by striking against the large iron bucket. The excitement was great. The neighborhood was aroused, and all were filled with alarm, as the well was unusually deep. But it happened that a young woman came for water at the very moment, and in her fright she dashed her pitcher to pieces, and screamed out, "A child is in the well! A CHILD IS IN THE WELL!"
 

This piercing cry reached the ear, and entered the heart of a laboring man, who was at his dinner nearby. He flew to the rescue, and without stopping to consider his danger--descended by the chain, just in time to catch the child, as it was sinking under the water for the third time!

Now all were at work to get the man and the child up in safety, ropes and ladders were procured, and success crowned the efforts of the kind-hearted neighbors. The child was put into the arms of its distracted mother, and the poor man was praised for his kindness and courage.

But who shall say how much depended upon that cry--that tearful scream of a woman, "A child is in the well?" The child's life hung upon that cry. Another minute--and the child would have certainly drowned! But,

            "Not a single shaft can hit, until the God of love sees fit!"

The cry of that affrighted woman aroused the man, the man fled to the rescue, the child was saved from drowning--but the hand of God was not seen or acknowledged, until years rolled on! For more than thirty years, that child has been a preacher of the gospel, and has written many useful works. He has been the instrument in the hand of a wonder-working God, of rescuing many poor ungodly sinners from a far deeper well. Through that child, thousands have heard of the name and fame of Jesus, and those thousands have in some way been useful to others, and thus the effect will be felt to the end of time. How much depended on, and resulted from, that scream, "A child is in the well!"

"God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform!"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The above account of my own preservation when but a child, is sent to me as a subject for my pen--but what can I add to it? My heart as swelled with thankful emotions, and my eyes have been moistened with tears of gratitude, while I have been copying it, and I have been ready to exclaim with Leah, "Now will I praise the Lord!" and with David, "I will sing of God's mercy!" 

I cannot but admire the wonderful working of divine providence--how perfectly everything is arranged and adjusted. How well all is timed. I do not wonder the godly say that "we are immortal until our work is done," for new proofs of this are constantly arising. Where is the Christian, the laborer in God's vineyard, who cannot find an illustration of this fact in his own experience? I can find more than one in mine.

Some may perhaps reflect upon me for publishing my brother's narrative, and think me deficient in modesty; but I am not a young man now, nor am I so much affected by what my fellow-men say, or write of me--as I once was. If God, either as the God of providence, or grace, can be glorified, by anything I write or publish--it is enough! And surely no Christian can read the above with an unprejudiced mind, without glorifying God. 

How near was I to death--yet God intended me to live. How imminent was the danger--and how simple and suitable were the means of preservation. How wondrously God wrought--and yet no one present then, appeared to see his hand, or acknowledge his intervention. 

How much often depends upon a trifling action. Take away one link--and the chain falls to pieces. Not one of the above circumstances could have been omitted--or my life would surely have been lost!

The woman must come at the exact moment; alarmed, she must scream at the top of her voice;
the laborer must be eating his meal at home nearby; in his fright, he must do, what if he had waited to reflect, he would have feared to attempt!

But the hand of God was in the whole. "He performs the thing that is appointed for me, and many such things are with him."

What effect should the bringing of this circumstance before my mind at this time, have upon me? I trust it has made me feel grateful, and has led me anew to praise my God, for his wonderful works to men. But this is not enough. I would anew in the most solemn manner dedicate myself--my life so wondrously preserved, with all my powers, talents, and opportunities, to the Lord, and to his glory. 

Often have I surrendered myself to my God, and consecrated myself to his glory and praise, and I do so with all my heart and soul, again this morning.
For the Lord--I desire to live; 

• To promote his cause--I desire to labor  
• To bring sinners to Jesus, and to comfort and to edify his people--I desire to make the one grand object of my life.

As the especial care of his providence, as well as the subject of his sovereign and distinguishing grace--I desire to be his, wholly his, only his, and his forever!

Lord, take me anew into your hands, and make me more and more like your beloved Son; not only so--but as you have used me for the good of others, and the glory of your great name--use me yet more extensively, and glorify yourself by me, ten thousand times more than you ever have done yet!

My one undying desire of my soul, is that Christ may be magnified in me, and be glorified by me, both in life and in death. Many years ago, this desire was kindled at the cross, by a sense of the infinite love of Jesus, and nothing has ever been able to extinguish it yet, nor do I believe that anything ever will.

Reader, can you look back upon any hairbreadth escape from death? Can you look back upon a deliverance, not from a well of water--but from the pit of destruction? Can you say with David, "Great is your mercy toward me, for you have delivered my soul from the lowest Hell!" What would deliverance from death be--if we are not delivered from Hell? Of what value would a few years on earth be--if spent in sin, if filled up with worldly pleasure--if the end should be a place in Hell forever?

Blessed be God, he not only saved my life, and delivered me from an early death; but he saved my soul, and condescended to employ me in his vineyard.

Beloved, life without God's favor--life without a saving interest in Christ--life unless it is spent in God's service--is not worthy the name of life. To live, is to have the life of God in the soul! To live, is to have Christ formed in the heart! To live, is to be inhabited by the Holy Spirit, and to be consecrated to God's glory and praise! O to live as Jesus lived! To keep the same end in view, to walk by the same rule, and to do the works he did!

• For this, we were redeemed by his blood
• For this, we were called by his grace
• For this, our lives are preserved in the present world, and 
• For this, his fullness is thrown open to us, and we are invited to make use of his grace.

Holy Spirit, lead us to make more use of Christ, to enjoy closer communion with Christ, and to live, walk, work, and talk, more entirely for the glory of Christ!

Blessed Jesus, accept of us as your own property, fill us with your own sweet Spirit, stamp your lovely image upon us, and use us to exalt your dear name, spread your well deserved fame, and extend your glorious cause!

Father of mercies, God of all grace, receive our praises for your wondrous love, sovereign grace, and special providence! Help us to praise you here on earth, and then take us to praise and bless you eternally in Heaven!

Pastors Telling Lies

This is a very thought provoking lecture on lying; highly recommended.

Zeal Without Knowledge

Another good sermon in Voddie Bauchman's series in Romans, this time covering Romans 10:1-4

J.C. Ryle On The Atoning Death Of Christ

"The truth is, that our Lord would have us regard the crucifixion as the central truth of Christianity. Right views of His vicarious death, and the benefits resulting from it, lie at the foundation of [Christianity]. Never forget this. On matters of church government, and the form of worship, men may differ from us, and yet reach heaven in safety. On the matter of Christ's atoning death, as the way of peace, truth is only one. If we are wrong here we are ruined forever. Error on may points is only a skin disease. Error about Christ's death is a disease at the heart. Let nothing move us from this ground. The sum of all our hopes must be, that 'Christ has died for us' (1Thessalonians 5:10). Give up that doctrine, and we have no solid hope at all."

J.C.Ryle

Expository Thoughts On The Gospels, Vol 1, Pg 200-201