Holiness - Ryle - XVIII - Chapter 18

Required reading
Holiness by J C Ryle (available from Amazon or free on the internet, here for example) - Read Chapter 18 (Unsearchable riches).

My summary
Ryle now unpacks Ephesians 3:8 "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ."

Firstly Ryle looks at what Paul means by calling himself the least of all saints.

Secondly Ryle examines what Paul says of his ministerial office, that he is a preacher.  Ryle then adds a few points of his own about the ministerial office.  It is a:
(i) Scriptural institution;
(ii) most wise and useful provision of God;
(iii) honourable privilege.

Thirdly we try to understand what Paul means is the subject of his preaching when he calls it the unsearchable riches of Christ.  Ryle is honest in saying that what Paul 'precisely intended must necessarily be a matter of conjecture', but Ryle proposes five things that were probably in Paul's mind:
(i) Christ's person;
(ii) Christ's work for us when he lived on earth, died and rose;
(iii) Christ's offices (e.g. mediator, advocate, priest etc)
(iv) Christ's titles (e.g. Lamb of God, bread of life, rock etc)
(v) Christ's characteristic qualities, attributes, dispositions and intentions of mind towards man (e.g. mercy, love, compassion etc).

What grabbed me
Ryle was careful to allow the full force of Paul's statement about himself.  Paul was not speaking with some false humility, but rather truly understood his own sin: 'The plain truth is that Paul saw in his own heart of hearts far more defects and infirmities than he saw in anyone else. The eyes of his understanding were so fully opened by the Holy Spirit of God, that he detected a hundred things wrong in himself, which the dull eyes of other men never observed at all. In short, possessing great spiritual light, he had great insight into his own natural corruption, and was clothed from head to foot with humility (1 Peter 5:5). Now let us clearly understand that humility like Paul’s was not a peculiar characteristic of the great apostle of the Gentiles. On the contrary, it is one leading mark of all the most eminent saints of God in every age. The more real grace men have in their hearts, the deeper is their sense of sin. The more light the Holy Spirit pours into their souls, the more do they discern their own infirmities, defilements and darkness. The dead soul feels and sees nothing; with life comes clear vision, a tender conscience and spiritual sensibility.'

If we wish to be a great servant of the Lord, we must have an ever increasing sense of our own sin.  Oh that God would open our eyes to how wretched we truly are!

Next week's reading
Read Chapter 19 (Want of the times).

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.