Top 381 Quotes & Sayings by J. C. Ryle - Page 5

The rulers of the earth plan, and scheme, and make laws, and change laws, and war, and pull down one, and raise up another. But they little think that they rule only by the will of Jesus, and that nothing happens without the permission of the Lamb of God.

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.

The devil has more knowledge than any of us, and yet is no better for it.

The resurrection of Christ is one of the foundation stones of Christianity. It was the seal of the great work that He came on earth to do. It was the crowning proof that the ransom He paid for sinners was accepted, the atonement for sin accomplished, the head of him who had the power of death bruised, and the victory won.

Children are very quick observers; very quick in seeing through some kinds of hypocrisy, very quick in finding out what you really think and feel, very quick in adopting all your ways and opinions. You will often discover that, as the father is, so is the son.

The harvest of the Lord’s field is seldom ripened by sunshine only. It must go through its days of wind, rain and storm.

The incorruptible things are all within the narrow gate. The peace of God which passed all understanding - the bright hope of good things to come - the sense of the Spirit dwelling in us - the consciousness that we are forgiven, safe, insured, provided for in time and eternity, whatever may happen - these are true gold, and lasting riches.

The Bible in the pulpit must never supersede the Bible at home.

The first step towards attaining a higher standard of holiness is to realize more fully the amazing sinfulness of sin.

Let it be a settled principle ...that men's salvation, if saved, is wholly of God; and that man's ruin, if lost, is wholly of himself.

The children of God all have a cross to bear. A suffering Savior generally has suffering disciples.

A tree may always be known by its fruit, and a true Christian may always be discovered by their habits, tastes & affections.

A right knowledge of sin lies at the root of all saving Christianity.

The Christian who keeps his heart diligently in little things shall be kept from great falls.

We are all so sunk in sin, and so wedded to the world, that we would never turn to God and seek salvation, unless He first called us by His grace. Without a divine call, no one can be saved.

Solid scriptural theology should be valued in the church. Books in which Scripture is reverently regarded as the only rule of faith and practice-- books in which Christ and the Holy Ghost have their rightful office-- books in which justification, and sanctification, and regeneration, and faith, and grace, and holiness are clearly, distinctly, and accurately delineated and exhibited, these are the only books which do real good. Few things need reviving more than a taste for such books as these among readers.

Churches may decay and perish; riches may make themselves wings and fly away-but he who builds their happiness on Christ crucified and union with Him by faith, that person is standing on a foundation which shall never be moved, and will know something of true peace.

If we would have good ministers, we must remember our Lord’s example, and pray for them. Their work is heavy. Their responsibility is enormous. Their strength is small. Let us see that we support them, and hold up their hands by our prayers.

Two-thirds of all the strifes, quarrels, and lawsuits in the world arise from one simple cause-money.

Nothing is so fickle and uncertain as popularity. It is here today and gone tomorrow. It is a sandy foundation, and sure to fail those who build upon it.

If you train your children to anything, train them, at least, to a habit of prayer.

The key to understanding the Bible is Jesus Christ.

Hearken, my believing reader. What is the cause of your weakness? Is it not because the fountain of life is little used? Is it not because you are resting on old experiences, and not daily gathering new manna—daily drawing new strength from Christ?

People will never set their faces decidedly towards heaven, and live like pilgrims, until they really feel that they are in danger of hell.

Love should be the silver thread that runs through all your conduct. Kindness, gentleness, long suffering, forbearance, patience, sympathy, a willingness to enter into childish troubles, a readiness to take part in childish joys, - these are the cords by which a child may be led most easily, - these are the clues you must follow if you would find the way to his heart.

If we would know whether our faith is genuine, we do well to ask ourselves how we are living.

Let us resolve to talk more to believers about the Bible when we meet them. Alas, the conversation of Christians, when they do meet, is often sadly unprofitable! How many frivolous, and trifling, and uncharitable things are said! Let us bring out the Bible more, and it will help to drive the devil away, and keep our hearts in tune. Oh, that we may all strive so to walk together in this evil world; that Jesus may often draw near, and go with us, as He went with the two disciples journeying to Emmaus!

Of all the doctrines of the Bible none is so offensive to human nature as the doctrine of God's sovereignty.

Millions of people profess and call themselves Christians, whom the Apostle Paul would not have called Christians at all.

In justification the word to be addressed to man is believe - only believe; in sanctification the word must be 'watch, pray, and fight.'

The surest mark of true conversion is humility.

The more I read, the less I admire modern theology. the more I study the productions of the new schools of theological teachers, the more I marvel that men and women can be satisfied with such writings. There is a vagueness, a mistiness, a shallowness, an indistinctness, a superficiality, an aimlessness, a hollowness about the literature of the 'broader and kinder systems', as they are called, which to my mind stamps their origin on their face. They are of the earth, earthy.

Where no visible fruit can be found, there you may be sure is no conversion.

Health is a good thing; but sickness is far better, if it leads us to God.

We are evidently no friends of Satan. Like the kings of this world, he wars not against his own subjects. The very fact that he assaults us should fill our minds with hope.

To be Christian it will cost a man his love of ease.

Parents, do you wish to see your children happy? Take care, then, that you train them to obey when they are spoken to, -to do as they are bid.... Teach them to obey while young, or else they will be fretting against God all their lives long, and wear themselves out with the vain idea of being independent of His control.

If you show me a man deliberately living an unholy and licentious life, and yet boasting that his sins are forgiven, I answer, 'He is under a ruinous delusion, and is not forgiven at all.' I would not believe he is forgiven if an angel from heaven affirmed it, and I charge you not to believe it too. Pardon of sin and love of sin are like oil and waterthey will never go together. All who are washed in the blood of Christ, are also sanctified by the Spirit of Christ.

There are very few errors and false doctrines of which the beginning may not be traced up to unsound views about the corruption of human nature. Wrong views of the disease will always bring with them wrong views of the remedy. Wrong views of the corruption of human nature will always carry with them wrong views of the grand antidote and cure of that corruption.

God has linked holiness and happiness; and what God has joined together we must not think to put asunder.

We must be holy, because this is the only sound evidence that we have a saving faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Election is always to sanctification. Where there is no visible fruit of sanctification, we may be sure there is no election.

He that would be conformed to Christ's image, and become a Christ-like man, must be constantly studying Christ Himself.

A man's state before God may always be measured by his prayers.

A Bible reading laity is a nation's surest defence against error.

The minister who keeps back hell from his people in his sermons is neither a faithful nor a charitable man.

The faith that has not a sanctifying influence on the character is no better than the faith of devils.

Let us never measure our religion by that of others, and think we are doing enough if we have gone beyond our neighbors.

True worship leads to a more full knowledge of self, God, heaven, duty, doctrine, practice and experience.

A sin...consists in doing, saying, thinking, or imagining anything that is not in perfect conformity with the mind and law of God

The work of the preacher resembles that of the sower. Like the sower, the preacher must sow good seed, the Word of God.

Amidst the flood of dangerous reading, I plead for my Master's book; I call upon you not to forget the book of the soul. Do not let newspapers, novels, and romances be read, while the prophets and Apostles be despised. Do not let the exciting and sensual swallow up your attention, while the edifying and the sanctifying can find no place in your mind.

Hell itself is truth known too late

Christ is never fully valued, until sin is clearly seen. We must know the depth and malignity of our disease, in order to appreciate the great Physician.

The Christianity that saves is a thing personally grasped, personally experienced, personally felt and personally possessed.

The true cure for self-righteousness is self-knowledge.

Knowledge of the Bible never comes by intuition.

When I speak of a man growing in grace, I mean simply this - that his sense of sin is becoming deeper, his faith stronger, his hope brighter, his love more extensive, his spiritual mindedness more marked.

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.

The last day will prove that some of the holiest men that ever lived are hardly known.