Practical Religion by JC Ryle (available from Amazon or free on the internet, here for example)
Today's chapter is an exposition of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus from Luke 16.
We observe:
I. “How different the conditions are which God allots to different persons.”
II. that “a person's worldly condition is no test of the state of their soul.”
III. how “all classes of persons will eventually come to the grave.”
IV. “How precious a believer's soul is in the sight of God.”
V. “what a dangerous and soul-ruining sin is the sin of selfishness.”
The first point was basically an extended rebuttal against communism:
'Universal equality is a very artificial expression and a favorite idea with visionary men. Many in every age have disturbed society by stirring up the poor against the rich, and by preaching the popular doctrine that all men ought to be equal. But so long as the world is under the present order of things this universal equality cannot be attained. Those who speak against the vast inequality of men's fates will doubtless never lack an audience; but so long as human nature is what it is, this inequality cannot be prevented....Settle it in your mind that the main cause of all the suffering you see around you is sin. Sin is the great cause of the enormous luxury of the rich, and the painful degradation of the poor-of the heartless selfishness of the highest classes, and the helpless poverty of the lowest class. Sin must first be cast out of the world. The hearts of all men must be renewed and sanctified. The devil must be locked away. The Prince of Peace must come down and take His great power and reign. All this must be done before there can ever be universal happiness, or the gulf filled up that now divides the rich and the poor.'
Equality for all men sounds good, but it fails to take into account man's great problem of sin and the consequences that come from it.
Next week's reading
Read Chapter 12 (The best friend).
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
1 comment:
I thoroughly enjoyed the chapter on 'Riches and Poverty". Ryle reminds me what being rich is ie. rich in faith and rich toward God.
This passage, I found very humbling, of how much God has done for me, and a challenge: 'What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits?':
'Does any one desire to know the remedy against that love of self which ruined the rich man's soul, and cleaves to us all by nature, like our skin? I tell you plainly there is only one remedy, and I ask you to note well what that remedy is. It is not the fear of hell. It is not the hope of heaven. It is not any sense of duty. Oh, no! The disease of selfishness is far too deeply rooted to yield to such secondary motives as these. Nothing will ever cure it but a personal and intimate knowledge of Christ's redeeming love. You must know the misery and guilt of your own sin. You must experience the power of Christ's atoning blood sprinkled on your conscience, and making you whole. You must taste the sweetness of peace with God through the mediation of Jesus, and feel the love of a reconciled Father poured in your heart by the Holy Spirit.
Then, and not until then, will the root of selfishness be destroyed. Then, knowing the immensity of your debt to Christ, you will feel that nothing is too great and too costly to give to Him. Feeling that you have been loved much when you deserved nothing; you will willingly love in return, and cry out, “How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me?” [Psalm 116:12] Feeling that you have freely received countless mercies, you will think it a privilege to do anything to please Him to whom you owe everything. Knowing that you have been “bought at a price,” and are no longer your own, you will labor to glorify God with body and spirit, which are His. [1 Corinthians 6:20]
Yes: I repeat it. I know no effective remedy for the love of self, but a committed belief in the love of Christ. Other remedies may soften the pain of the disease: this alone will heal it. Other remedies may hide its deformity: this alone will work a perfect cure.
An easy, good-natured temper may cover over selfishness in one man. A love of praise may conceal it in a second. A self-righteous spirit of self-denial may keep it out of sight in a third. But nothing will ever cut out selfishness by the roots but the love of Christ revealed in the mind by the Holy Spirit, and felt in the heart by simple faith. Once you let a man see the full meaning of the words, “Christ loved me and gave Himself for me,” then he will delight to give himself to Christ, and all that he has to His service. He will live to Him, not in order that he may be secure, but because he is secure already. He will work for Him, not that he may have life and peace, but because he already has life and peace.
Go to the cross of Christ, all you that want to be delivered from the power of selfishness. Go and see what a price was paid there to provide a ransom for your soul. Go and see what an astounding sacrifice was made there, that an open door to eternal life might be provided for poor sinners like you. Go and see how the Son of God gave Himself for you, and give yourself to Him.'
This is soooo good for the heart!
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