J.C. Ryle Quotes » Holy Spirit

In Need of the Holy Spirit’s Presence

Erik — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:00:57 +0000

Does anyone of us desire to help the Church of Christ? Then let him pray for a great outpouring of the Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can give edge to sermons, and point to advice, and power to rebukes, and can cast down the high walls of sinful hearts. It is not better preaching, and finer writing that is needed in this day—but more of the presence of the Holy Spirit.

~ J.C. Ryle

Old Paths, “Alive or Dead?139”, [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1999], 356.

Filed under: Church, Holy Spirit

The Tragedy of a Useless Religion

Erik — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 07:00:15 +0000

There are multitudes of people, I believe, who go to church or chapel every Sunday merely as a form. Their fathers or mothers went, and so they go; it is the fashion of the country to go, and so they go; it is the custom to attend a religious service and hear a sermon, and so they go. But as to real, vital, saving religion–they neither know nor care anything about it. They can give no account of the distinctive doctrines of the Gospel. Justification, regeneration and sanctification, are “words and names” which they cannot explain. They may have a sort of vague idea that they ought to go to the Lord’s Table, and may be able to say a few vague words about Christ–but they have no intelligent notion of the way of salvation. As to the Holy Spirit, they can scarcely say more about Him than that they have heard His name. Now, I will warn you affectionately to remember that such religion is utterly useless. It will neither save, comfort, satisfy, nor sanctify your soul. And the plain advice I give you is to change it for something better without delay. Remember my words. It will not do at the last.

~ J.C. Ryle

Old Paths, “Having the Spirit”, [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1999], 315, 316.

Filed under: Holy Spirit

Humbling Praying For the Illumination of the Spirit

Erik — Tue, 10 May 2011 07:00:43 +0000

The corruption of human nature is a universal disease. It affects not only a man’s heart, will, and conscience, but his mind, memory, and understanding. The very same person who is quick and clever in worldly things, will often utterly fail to comprehend the simplest truths of Christianity. He will often be unable to grasp the plainest reasonings of the Gospel. He will see no meaning in the clearest statements of evangelical doctrine. They will sound to him either foolish or mysterious. He will listen to them like one listening to a foreign language, catching a word here and there, but not seeing the drift of the whole. “The world by wisdom knows not God” (1 Cor. 1:21). It hears, but does not understand.

We must pray daily for the teaching of the Holy Spirit, if we would make progress in the knowledge of divine things. Without Him, the mightiest intellect and the strongest reasoning powers will carry us but a little way. In reading the Bible and hearing sermons, everything depends on the spirit in which we read and hear. A humble, teachable, child-like frame of mind is the grand secret of success. Happy is he who often says with David, “Teach me Your statutes” (Psalm 119:64). Such an one will understand as well as hear.

~ J.C. Ryle

Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark, [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1985], 141. {Mark 7:14-23}

Filed under: Holy Spirit

The Insignificance of the External

Erik — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 07:00:16 +0000

Let it never be forgotten that the material part of a Christian Church is by far the least important part of it. The fairest combinations of marble, stone, wood and painted glass, are worthless in God’s sight, unless there is truth in the pulpit and grace in the congregation. The dens and caves in which the early Christians used to meet, were probably far more beautiful in the eyes of Christ than the noblest cathedral that was ever reared by man. The temple in which the Lord Jesus delights most, is a broken and contrite heart, renewed by the Holy Spirit.

~ J.C. Ryle

Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke volume 1, [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1986], 357. {Luke 21: 5-9}

Filed under: Church, Holy Spirit

Content in the Holy Spirit, Not Feelings

Erik — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 08:00:37 +0000

Feelings, no doubt, fill a most important office in our personal Christianity. Without them there can be no saving religion. Hope, joy, peace, confidence, resignation, love and fear, are things which must be felt, if they really exist. But it must never be forgotten that there are religious affections, which are spurious and false, and spring from nothing better than animal excitement. It is quite possible to feel great pleasure, or deep alarm, under the preaching of the Gospel, and yet to be utterly destitute of the grace of God. The tears of some hearers of sermons, and the extravagant delight of others, are no certain marks of conversion. We may be warm admirers of favorite preachers, and yet remain nothing better than stony-ground hearers. Nothing should content us but a deep, humbling, self-mortifying work of the Holy Spirit, and a heart-union with Christ.

~ J.C. Ryle

Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke volume 1, [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1986], 251, 252. {Luke 8: 4-15}

Filed under: Christian Walk, Holy Spirit

The Converting Power of the Holy Spirit

Erik — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 08:00:47 +0000

Let us dismiss from our minds forever the common idea that natural theology, moral persuasion, logical arguments, or even an exhibition of Gospel truth, are sufficient of themselves to turn a sinner from his sins, if once brought to bear upon him. It is a strong delusion. They will not do so. The heart of man is far harder than we fancy—the ‘old Adam’ is much more strong than we suppose.

The heart of man will never look to Christ, repent, and believe, until the Holy Spirit comes down upon it. Until that takes place, our inner nature is like the earth before the present order of creation began, “without form and void, and darkness covering the face of the deep.” (Gen. 1:2.) The same power which said at the beginning, “Let there be light—and there was light,” must work a creating work in us, or we shall never rise to newness of life.

~ J.C. Ryle

Tract: The Holy Spirit

Filed under: Conversion, Holy Spirit

Prove Your Profession By Fruits!

Erik — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 08:00:42 +0000

Is not every fruitless professor of Christianity in dreadful danger of becoming a withered fig tree? There can be no doubt of it. So long as a man is content with the leaves of religion–with a name to live while he is dead, and a form of godliness without the power–so long his soul is in great peril. So long as he is satisfied with going to church or chapel, and receiving the Lord’s supper, and being called a Christian, while his heart is not changed, and his sins not forsaken–then he is daily provoking God to cut him off without remedy. Fruit, fruit–the fruit of the Spirit, is the only sure proof that we are savingly united to Christ, and on our way to heaven. May this sink down into our hearts, and never be forgotten!

~ J.C. Ryle

Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew, [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1986], 270, 271. {Matthew 21:23-32}

Filed under: Holy Spirit, Sanctification

The Converting Power of the Holy Spirit

Erik — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 08:00:16 +0000

I have learned by mournful experience that the last thing a man finds out and understands, is his own state in the sight of God. Well says the Holy Spirit, that we are all by nature “blind,” and “deaf,” and “dumb,” and “asleep,” and “beside ourselves,” and “dead!” Nothing, nothing will ever convince man of his sin but the power of the Holy Spirit. Show him hell, and he will not flee from it; show him heaven, and he will not seek it; silence him with warnings, and yet he will not stir; prick his conscience, and yet he will remain hard. Power from on high must come down and do the work. To show man the sinner which he really is – is the special work of the Holy Spirit of God.

~ J.C. Ryle

Old Paths, “Our Sins”, [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1999], 154, 155.

Filed under: Conversion, Holy Spirit

Walk With God, Walk In Peace

Erik — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 08:00:42 +0000

Above all, grieve not the Spirit. Quench not the Spirit. Vex not the Spirit. Drive Him not to a distance, by tampering with small bad habits and little sins. Little jarrings between husbands and wives make unhappy homes, and petty inconsistencies, known and allowed, will bring in a strangeness between you and the Spirit. Hear the conclusion of the whole matter. The man who walks with God in Christ most closely will generally be kept in the greatest peace. The believer who follows the Lord most fully will ordinarily enjoy the most assured hope, and have the clearest persuasion of his own salvation.

~ J.C. Ryle

Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots, “Assurance”, [Moscow, ID: Charles Nolan Publishing, 2001], 150.

Filed under: Holy Spirit, Peace

The Need For A Complete Change

Erik — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 07:00:14 +0000

We are all by nature so weak, so worldly, so earthly-minded, so inclined to sin, that without a thorough change we cannot serve God in life, and could not enjoy Him after death. Just as ducks, as soon as they are hatched, take naturally to water, so do children, as soon as they can do anything, take to selfishness, lying, and deceit; and none pray or love God, unless they are taught. High or low, rich or poor, gentle or simple, we all need a complete change—a change which is the special office of the Holy Ghost to give us. Call it what you please—new birth, regeneration, renewal, new creation, quickening, repentance—the thing must be had if we are to be saved: and if we have the thing it will be seen.

~ J.C. Ryle

Practical Religion, “Self-Inquiry”, [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1998], 10, 11.

Filed under: Conversion, Holy Spirit