J. C. Ryle Quotes
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People will never set their faces decidedly towards heaven, and live like pilgrims, until they really feel that they are in danger of hell.
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I declare I know no state of soul more dangerous than to imagine we are born again and sanctified by the Holy Ghost, because we have picked up a few religious feelings.
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What will it cost [a person] to be a true Christian? It will cost him his self-righteousn ess. He must cast away all pride and high thoughts, and conceit of his own goodness. He must be content to go to heaven as a poor sinner, saved only by free grace, and owing all to the merit and righteousness of another.
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A zealous man feels that like a lamp he is made to burn; and if consumed in burning, he has but done the work for which God appointed him. Such a one will always find a sphere for his zeal. If he cannot preach and work and give money, he will cry and sigh and pray.
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Let it never surprise true Christians if they are slandered and misrepresented in this world. They must not expect to fare better than their Lord.
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Let it be a settled principle in our minds, in reading the Bible, that Christ is the central sun of the whole book. So long as we keep Him in view, we shall never greatly err in our search for spiritual knowledge. Once losing sight of Christ, we shall find the whole Bible dark and full of difficulty.
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He that would be conformed to Christ's image, and become a Christ-like man, must be constantly studying Christ Himself.
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The fear of punishment, the desire of reward, the sense of duty, are all useful arguments, in their way, to persuade people to holiness. But they are all weak and powerless, until a person loves Christ.
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Growth in grace is one way to be happy in our religion. God has wisely linked together our comfort and our increase in holiness.
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Knowledge of the Bible never comes by intuition. It can only be obtained by diligent, regular, daily, attentive reading.
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I must honestly declare my conviction that, since the days of the Reformation, there never has been so much profession of religion without practice, so much talking about God without walking with Him, so much hearing God's words without doing them.
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HATE SIN! Instead of loving it, cleaving to it, excusing it, playing with it, we ought to hate it with a deadly hatred.
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Death is a solemn event for everyone. It is the winding up of all earthly plans and expectations. It is a separation from all we have loved and lived with. It is often accompanied by much bodily pain and distress. It opens the door to judgement and eternity - to heaven or to hell. It is an event after which there is no change, or space for repentance.
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Jesus hears us, and in His own good time will give an answer... He may sometimes keep us long waiting...but He will never send us empty away.
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Troublous times, departures from the faith, evil men waxing worse and worse, love waxing cold, are things distinctly predicted.
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Let it be a settled principle in our minds that the first and chief business of the Church of Christ is to preach the Gospel.
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No salvation without regeneration - no spiritual life without a new birth - no heaven without a new heart.
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The true Christian does not need to be reminded that he has a crucified Master. He often thinks of Him.
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True Christianity is not merely believing a certain set of dry abstract propositions: it is to live in daily personal communication with an actual living person - Jesus Christ.
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When a person’s tongue is extensively wrong, it is absurd, no less than unscriptural, to say that their heart is right.
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There are eternal consequences resulting from all our thoughts, words and actions, of which we take far too little account.
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Fear not because your prayer is stammering, your words feeble, and your language poor. Jesus can understand you.
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We never know who they are that God will draw, and have nothing to do with it. Our duty is to invite all, and leave it to God to choose the vessels of mercy.
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Imagination is the hotbed where this sin is too often hatched. Guard your thoughts, and there will be little fear about your actions.