A book club to encourage reading of Reformed Christian Classics at around 10-20 pages a time.
July 16, 2010
Practical Religion - Ryle - VIII - Chapter 7
Required reading Practical Religion by JC Ryle (available from Amazon or free on the internet, here for example)- Read Chapter 7 (Charity). My summary Today's reading is all about love.
Firstly, Ryle shows that the Bible attaches great importance to love.
Secondly, we see that love does not consist simply in giving to the poor or never disapproving anybody's conduct and religious opinions. Rather the love of the Bible is seen in the believer's readiness to bear evil and in the believer's general spirit and demeanour.
Thirdly, we notice that Biblical love will never be found except in a heart prepared by the Holy Spirit.
Finally, Ryle helps us to understand why love is greater than faith and hope. Love is the greatest of the graces because it is the grace: (i) in which there is some likeness between the believer and his God; (ii) that is most useful to others; (iii) that endures the longest.
What grabbed me Such an appropriate piece of advice was given for our age about judging others: 'The love of the Bible does not consist in never disapproving anybody's conduct. Here is another very common delusion! Thousands pride themselves on never condemning others, or saying they are wrong, whatever they may do. They convert the precept of our Lord, "Do not judge," into an excuse for having no unfavorable opinion at all of anybody. They pervert His prohibition of rash and censorious judgments into a prohibition of all judgment whatsoever. Your neighbor may be a drunkard, a liar, a violent man. Never mind! "It is not love," they tell you, "to pronounce him, wrong." You are to believe that he has a good heart at the bottom! This idea of love is, unhappily, a very common one. It is full of mischief. To throw a veil over sin, and to refuse to call things by their right names--to talk of "hearts" being good, when "lives" are flatly wrong--to shut our eyes against wickedness, and excuse their immorality--this is not Scriptural love.'
Biblical love confronts people in their sin.
If you want to show hatred to someone, one of the best things you can do is encourage them in their sinfulness.
Next week's reading Read Chapter 8 (Zeal).
Now it's your turn Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
1 comment:
Margo
said...
Things I loved in the chapter on 'Charity'(Love):
'True charity does want want wages. Its work is its reward.
'True charity is not always asking for my rights; "Am I treated as I deserve?" "But how can I best promote peace and how can I do that which is most edifying to others?"
This is encouraging for what we should do as wives and mothers:
‘Practice love diligently. It is one of those graces, above all, which grow by constant exercise. Strive more and more to carry it into every little detail of daily life. Watch over your own tongue and temper throughout every hour of the day,--and especially in your dealing with children and near relatives. Remember the character of the excellent woman: "She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue" (Proverbs 31:26).
This a great reminder to help our children and grandchildren:
‘…teach love to others. Press it above all on children, if you have any. Remind them constantly that kindness, good nature, and good disposition are among the first evidences which Christ requires in children. If they cannot know much, or explain doctrines, they can understand love. A child's religion is worth very little if it only consists in repeating texts and hymns. Useful as they are, they are often learned without thought, remembered without feeling, said over without consideration of their meaning, and forgotten when childhood is gone. By all means let children be taught texts and hymns; but let not such teaching be made everything in their religion. Teach them to keep their tempers, to be kind to one another, to be unselfish, good-natured, obliging, patient, gentle, forgiving. Tell them never to forget to their dying day, if they live as long as Methuselah, that without love the Holy Spirit says, "we are nothing." Tell them "over all virtues to put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity" (Colossians 3:14).
1 comment:
Things I loved in the chapter on 'Charity'(Love):
'True charity does want want wages. Its work is its reward.
'True charity is not always asking for my rights; "Am I treated as I deserve?" "But how can I best promote peace and how can I do that which is most edifying to others?"
This is encouraging for what we should do as wives and mothers:
‘Practice love diligently. It is one of those graces, above all, which grow by constant exercise. Strive more and more to carry it into every little detail of daily life. Watch over your own tongue and temper throughout every hour of the day,--and especially in your dealing with children and near relatives. Remember the character of the excellent woman: "She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue" (Proverbs 31:26).
This a great reminder to help our children and grandchildren:
‘…teach love to others. Press it above all on children, if you have any. Remind them constantly that kindness, good nature, and good disposition are among the first evidences which Christ requires in children. If they cannot know much, or explain doctrines, they can understand love. A child's religion is worth very little if it only consists in repeating texts and hymns. Useful as they are, they are often learned without thought, remembered without feeling, said over without consideration of their meaning, and forgotten when childhood is gone. By all means let children be taught texts and hymns; but let not such teaching be made everything in their religion. Teach them to keep their tempers, to be kind to one another, to be unselfish, good-natured, obliging, patient, gentle, forgiving. Tell them never to forget to their dying day, if they live as long as Methuselah, that without love the Holy Spirit says, "we are nothing." Tell them "over all virtues to put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity" (Colossians 3:14).
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