Everyone is a Theologian

“Countless times I have heard Christians say, ‘Why do I need to study doctrine or theology when all I need to know is Jesus?’ My immediate reply is, ‘Who is Jesus?’ As soon as we begin to answer this question, we are involved in doctrine and theology. Every Christian is a theologian. Perhaps not a theologian in the technical or professional sense, but a theologian nevertheless. The issue for Christians is not whether we are going to be theologians but whether we are going to be good theologians. A good theologian is one who is instructed by God.“

- R.C. Sproul, Knowing Scripture, p. 25

A Summary of the Gospel

“The gospel of Christ is the good tidings that God has revealed concerning Christ. As all mankind was lost in Adam and became the children of wrath, put under the sentence of death, God, though He left His fallen angels and has reserved them in the chains of eternal darkness, yet He has thought upon the children of men and has provided a way of atonement to reconcile them to Himself again.

The second Person in the Trinity takes man’s nature upon Himself, and becomes the Head of a second covenant, standing charged with sin. He answers for it by suffering what the law and divine justice required, and by making satisfaction for keeping the law perfectly. This satisfaction and righteousness He tenders up to the Father as a sweet savor of rest for the souls that are given to Him.

And now this mediation of Christ is, by the appointment of the Father, preached to the children of men, of whatever nation or rank, freely offering this atonement unto sinners for atonement, requiring them to believe in Him and, upon believing, promising not only a discharge of all their former sins, but that they shall not enter into condemnation, that none of their sins or unworthiness shall ever hinder the peace of God with them, but that they shall through Him be received into the number of those who shall have the image of God again to be renewed unto them, and that they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

That these souls and bodies shall be raised to that height of glory that such creatures are capable of, that they shall live forever enjoying the presence of God and Christ, in the fullness of all good, is the gospel of Christ. This is the sum of the gospel that is preached unto sinners.”

- Jeremiah Burroughs, Gospel Conversation

What is Repentance?

“It is turning from the sins you love to the holy God you are called to love. It is admitting that you not God. It is beginning to value Jesus more than your immediate pleasure. It is giving up those things the Bible calls sin and leaving them to follow Jesus.”

- Mark Dever, The Gospel & Personal Evangelism, p. 57

The Attribute the Angels Repeatedly Sing

“None is sounded out so, loftily, with such solemnity, and so frequently by angels that stand before his throne, as this. Where do you find any other attribute trebled in the praises of it, as this (Isaiah 6:3)? “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory;” and (Revelation 4:8), “The four beasts rest not day and night saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,” &c. His power or sovereignty, as Lord of hosts, is but once mentioned, but with the ternal repetition of his holiness. Do you hear, in any angelic song, any other perfection of the Divine Nature thrice repeated? Where do we read of the crying out Eternal, eternal, eternal; or Faithful, faithful, faithful, Lord God of Hosts? Whatsoever other attribute is left out, this God would have to fill the mouths of angels and blessed spirits forever in heaven.”

- Stephen Charnock, The Existence and Attributes of God, p. 112

The Church is Central to the Gospel

“The gospel which some us proclaim is much too individualistic. ‘Christ died for me,’ we say, and then sing of heaven: ‘Oh, that will be glory for me.’ Both affirmations are true. As for the first, the apostle Paul himself could write, ‘The Son of God..loved me and gave himself for me.’ (Gal. 2:20). As for the so-called ‘glory song’, the gospel does promise ‘glory’ for believers in heaven. But this is far from being the full gospel. For it is evident from Ephesians 3 that the full gospel concerns both Christ and the ‘mystery’ of Christ. The good news of the unsearchable riches of Christ which Paul preached is that he died and rose again not only to save sinners like me (though he did), but also to create a single new humanity; not only to redeem us from sin but also to adopt us into God’s family; not only to reconcile us to God but also to reconcile us to one another. Thus the church is an integral part of the gospel. The gospel is good news of a new society as well as of a new life.”

- John Stott, The Message of  Ephesians, p. 128-129

His Greatest Title of Honor

“The holiness of God is his glory, as his grace is his riches: holiness is his crown, and his mercy is his treasure. This is the blessedness and nobleness of his nature; it renders him glorious in himself, and glorious to his creatures, that understand any thing of this lovely perfection. Holiness is a glorious perfection belonging to the nature of God. Hence he is in Scripture styled often the Holy One, the Holy One of Jacob, the Holy One of Israel; and oftener entitled Holy, than Almighty, and set forth by this part of his dignity more than any other. This is more affixed as an epithet to his name than any other: you never find it expressed, His mighty name, or his His wise name; but His great name, and most of all, His holy name. This is his greatest title of honor; in this doth the majesty and venerableness of his name appear.”

- Stephen Charnock, The Existence and Attributes of God, p. 110

The Deadly Deception of Earthly Pleasures

“Go and take of your earthly pleasures if you will–you will never fiind your heart satisfied with them. There will always be a voice within, crying, like a leech in Proverbs 30:15 ‘Give! Give!’ There is an empty place there, which nothing God can fill. You will find, as Solomon did by  experience, that earthly pleasures are but a meaningless show–promising contentment but bringing a dissatisfaction of spirit–gold plated caskets, exquisite on the outside, but full of ashes and corruption within. Be wise in your youth. Write the word “poison” on all earthly pleasures. The most lawful of them must be used in moderation. All of them are soul-destroying if you give them your heart.”

- J.C. Ryle, Thoughts for Young Men, p.41-42

Two of the Strongest Incentives to Evangelism

“Indirectly in these past verses the apostle indicated two of the strongest incentives to evangelism. He began by emphasizing that the revelation and the commission which had been given to him belong indissolubly together, for what had been made known to him he must without fail make it known to others. All revealed truth is held in stewardship. It is given to be shared, not monopolized. If men cannot keep their scientific discoveries to themselves, how much less should we keep to ourselves divine disclosures? Paul went to emphasize the valuable content of the message itself. He was convinced, as we should be, that Christ never impoverishes those who put their trust in him, but always immeasurably enriches them. Here then is the double obligation that Paul felt, first to share God’s truth and secondly to share Christ’s riches. So what is needed today for a recovery of evangelistic zeal in the church is the same apostolic conviction about the gospel. Once we are sure that the gospel is truth from God and riches for mankind, nobody will be able to silence us.”

- John Stott, The Message of Ephesians, p.120-121

Be a Man and Read It

Be a man and read it!

J.C. Ryle is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I began reading some of his Expository Thoughts on the Gospels several months ago as my church was preaching through John and I was hooked. I love his writing because he writes in a way that is simple yet profound. His analogies are helpful and illustrations are vivid. Also, he is a man a conviction. Even though you may not entirely agree with every point of his doctrine, you must respect his firm convictions based on the Scripture.

All of these qualities are evident in his Thoughts for Young Men (online version). I picked this book up for a few reasons. I read it for myself. At the age of 25, I am relatively a young man (even though I don’t feel like it at times) and J.C. Ryle is an author whom I love and respect. I also read this book in order to minister to others. I lead in two contexts at my church. I lead a singles care group and men’s accountability group. I also lead as a community group leader in my church’s youth ministry and I was recently asked to address the male seniors at our semi-formal banquet.

Thoughts for Young Men did not disappoint me in my expectations. This was short read of 62 pages, but it is packed with sobering truth and wise counsel.  The book broken down into five sections:

1. Reasons for Exhorting Young Men
2. Dangers of Young Men
3. General Counsels to Young Men
4. Special Rules for Young Men
5. Conclusion

As a man himself and a father of three sons, J.C. Ryle understands the dangers and temptations that men face and is qualified to address them because of his understanding of Scripture. Reading this is like reading the book of Proverbs, a father addressing his son: “My son, do not forget my teaching…” (Proverbs 3:1). Some might perceive him as coming down hard on young men, but I believe that his heart in his exhortations is to serve and care for them by warning them of the consequences of their decisions. Although he specifically addresses young men, much of his wisdom applies to any believer, young or old, male or female alike.

Over a hundred years later, his thoughts still apply today. I read this in the span of just a few days, but I will definitely read it again to slowly digest it. I highly recommend this book so much that I will likely give it as a gift to other young men.

The Most Beautiful Example of God’s Wrath

“The Cross was at once the most horrible and the most beautiful example of God’s wrath. It was the most just and the most gracious act in history. God would have been more than unjust, He would have been diabolical to punish Jesus if Jesus had not first willingly taken on Himself the sins the world. Once Christ had done that, once He volunteered to be the Lamb of God, laden with our sin, then He became the most grotesque and vile thing on the planet. With the concentrated load of sin that He carried, He became utterly repugnant to the Father. God poured out His wrath on this obscene thing. God made Christ accursed for the sin He bore. Herein is God’s holy justice perfectly manifest. Yet it was done for us. He took what justice demanded from us. This “for us” aspect of the Cross is what displays the majesty of its grace. At the same time justice and grace, wrath and mercy. It is too astonishing to fathom. We cringe at God’s justice because its expression is so unusual. As Kung observed, God’s usually course of action is one of grace. Grace no longer amazes us. We have grown used to it; we take it for granted.”

- R.C. Sproul, The Holiness of God, p. 172-173