“It ought always to be remembered that there are two distinct things which the Lord Jesus Christ does for every sinner whom He undertakes to save. He washes him from his sins in His own blood, and gives him a free pardon: this his justification. He puts the Holy Spirit into his heart, and makes him an entirely new man: this is his regeneration.
“The two things are both absolutely necessary to salvation. The change of heart is as necessary as the pardon; and the pardon is as necessary as the change. Without the pardon we have no right or title to heaven. Without the change we should not be ready to enjoy heaven, even if we got there.”
~ J.C. Ryle
Regeneration, [Ross-shire, UK: Christian Focus, 2003], 22.
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That is good chewin!!! Leave it to Ryle to say something that profound in that short of a space. Okay so Paul did it in Titus 3 but still.
Grace upon grace,
JRL
How much change is necessary to be justified?
Hi Charlie, a better question maybe “what needs to change?” instead of “how much”. I need to look at is my sinful heart (breaking God’s law?)and prideful spirit… anything brewing there?
1 Peter 5:5
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
From God I need: 1 new heart and a new spirit.
Ezekiel 36:26 (ESV)
“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. ”
1 Cor. 6:11 (ESV)
And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Craig,
How does a person become regenerated? How does God “plant” His Holy Spirit into a person’s heart?
Craig,
How does a person become regenerated? How does God “plant” His Holy Spirit into a person’s heart? What role does man play in this process?
Craig,
We are all lawbreakers. We sin in thought, word and deed on a daily basis. This is a fact and is supported by 1 John 1:8-9. The proud look to sanctification as a point of boasting. However, Paul says that even sanctification is all of God’s grace working in our heart beforehand to produce an imperfect but practical holiness (Php. 2:11-13).
All the glory goes to God even in sanctification. Sanctification is the evidence to other men that we are regenerate. It is not a mark for boasting (Eph. 2:8-9).
Charlie
BTW, J. C. Ryle, being Anglican would have used the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. The Morning Prayer Service says this:
Enter not into judgment with thy servant, O Lord; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. Psalm cxliii. 2.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us; but if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 St. John i. 8, 9.
EARLY beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth us, in sundry places, to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness; and that we should not dissemble nor cloak them before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father; but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart; to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infinite goodness and mercy. And although we ought, at all times, humbly to acknowledge our sins before God; yet ought we chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet together to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy Word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. Wherefore I pray and beseech you, as many as are here present, to accompany me with a pure heart, and humble voice, unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying after me;
A general Confession to be said of the whole Congregation after the Minister, all kneeling.
LMIGHTY and most merciful Father; We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou them, O God, who confess their faults. Restore thou them that are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesu our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.
The Absolution, or Remission of sins, to be pronounced by the Priest alone, standing; the people still kneeling.
LMIGHTY God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness, and live; and hath given power, and commandment, to his Ministers, to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the Absolution and Remission of their sins : He pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel. Wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true repentance, and his Holy Spirit, that those things may please him, which we do at this present; and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure, and holy; so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Morning Prayer.
It’s important to place Ryle squarely in the context of the Reformed or Reforming Anglican tradition and that cannot be divorced from the 39 Articles of Religion and the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.
Charlie
39 Articles of Religion
[...] The Two Essentials at Conversion « J.C. Ryle Quotes jcrylequotes.com/2009/11/03/the-two-essentials-at-conversion – view page – cached “It ought always to be remembered that there are two distinct things which the Lord Jesus Christ does for every sinner whom He undertakes to save. He washes him from his sins in His own blood, and… Read more“It ought always to be remembered that there are two distinct things which the Lord Jesus Christ does for every sinner whom He undertakes to save. He washes him from his sins in His own blood, and gives him a free pardon: this his justification. He puts the Holy Spirit into his heart, and makes him an entirely new man: this is his regeneration. Read less [...]