A noteworthy quote by J.C. Ryle
"We must be holy, because our present comfort depends much upon it. We cannot be too often reminded of this. We are sadly apty to forget that there is a close connection between sin and sorrow, holiness and happiness, sanctification and consolation. God has so wisely ordered it that our well-being and our well-doing are linked together. He has mercifully provided that even in this world it shall be man's interest to be holy. Our justification is not by works; our calling and election are not according to our works; but it is vain for any one to suppose that he will have a lively sense of his justification, or an assurance of his calling, so long as he neglects good works, or does not strive to live a holy life..."and again... "A believer may as soon expect to feel the sun's rays upon a dark and cloudy day, as to feel strong consolation in Christ while he does not follow him fully...He that follows Jesus most fully will always follow Him most comfortably."
I've been thinking alot about personal Holiness lately, and this quote really stuck out in my mind. If you are anything like me, you can remember times in your life that you think of as the 'Golden days' or maybe a season that was particularly sweet to remember. And inevitably, when things turn ugly or aren't as 'sweet' we try and remember what we were doing in those golden days so that we can emulate it and return. For Christians, this usually means that we'll wake up 30 minutes earlier than usual to get some more Bible reading in, or maybe to find the prayer life that we once had, and after a week of losing sleep, we get burned out and are discouraged again. But what if "He that follows Jesus most fully will always follow Him most comfortably" is true? What if the reason that we long to return to the good days is that we were having a particularly comfortable time of following Jesus?
I as a person holding to Reformed thoughts and theology, tend to think that if I'm not fretting over some looming, perpetual sin in my life, then I must not becoming more sanctified or holy. True, as we understand the gospel more and more, we understand our sin more and more, and thus we have to rely on the gospel more. But in actively putting to death the sins of our flesh, there is reason to be happy, and there is reason that in 6 months I should look back at the present and remember, "Hey, life was really great and I really enjoyed fellowship with the Lord when I wasn't _______ or when I was ________." And I don't have to feel bad about wishing for the Golden days. Perhaps, just maybe I should pray for them to return, and for the disciplines of grace to capture my heart once again!
posted by corbs @ 10:42 PM
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