This year is the 200th anniversary of the birth of the great writer, speaker, and Anglican theologian, J.C. Ryle. He was born into a largely unspiritual family, but was converted one day while reading Ephesians chapter 2:8-9. He wrote many books, including his most famous work “Holiness”, and eventually became the Bishop of Liverpool. If you aren’t familiar with the writings, there is a huge library of his sermons available online.
To commemorate this 200th anniversary, here are 10 J.C. Ryle quotes that will surely challenge your faith.
1. “Faith is to the soul what life is to the body. Prayer is to faith what breath is to life.”
2. “One single soul saved shall outlive and outweigh all the kingdoms of the world.”
3. “Let us remember, there is One who daily records all we do for Him, and sees more beauty in His servants’ work than His servants do themselves… And then shall His faithful witnesses discover, to their wonder and surprise, that there never was a word spoken on their Master’s behalf, which does not receive a reward.”
4. “Health is a good thing; but sickness is far better, if it leads us to God.”
5. “There is a common, worldly kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and think they have enough-a cheap Christianity which offends nobody, and requires no sacrifice-which costs nothing, and is worth nothing.”
6. “Holiness is the habit of being of one mind with God, according as we find His mind described in Scripture. It is the habit of agreeing in God’s judgment, hating what He hates, loving what He loves, and measuring everything in this world by the standard of His Word.”
7. “Beware of manufacturing a God of your own: a God who is all mercy, but not just. Such a God is an idol of your own.”
8. “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?”
9. “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.”
10. “It is useless to say you have no time. There is plenty of time, if men will employ it. Time may be short, but time is always long enough for prayer. Daniel had the affairs of a kingdom on his hands, and yet he prayed three times a day. David was ruler over a mighty nation, and yet he says, “Evening and morning and at noon will I pray” (Psalms 55:17). When time is really wanted, time can always be found.”
