Ryle on sanctification

[KMK]

I would appreciate comments on this passage from Ryle's "Holiness", chapter 2:

(11) Sanctification, again, is a thing which will be found absolutely necessary as a witness to our character in the great day of judgment. It will be utterly useless to plead that we believed in Christ, unless our faith has had some sanctifying effect, and been seen in our lives. Evidence, evidence, evidence, will be the one thing wanted when the great white throne is set, when the books are opened, when the graves give up their tenants, when the dead are arraigned before the bar of God. Without some evidence that our faith in Christ was real and genuine, we shall only rise again to be condemned. I can find no evidence that will be admitted in that day, except sanctification. The question will not be how we talked, and what we professed; but how we lived, and what we did. Let no man deceive himself on this point. If anything is certain about the future, it is certain that there will be a judgment; and if anything is certain about judgment, it is certain that men’s “works” and “doings” will be considered and examined in it. (John v. 29; 2 Cor. v. 10; Rev. xx. 13.) He that supposes works are of no importance, because they cannot justify us, is a very ignorant Christian. Unless he opens his eyes, he will find to his cost that if he comes to the bar of God without some evidence of grace, he had better never have been born.

 

[christiana]

What a great book!

Scripture tells us 'without holiness no man shall see the Lord'. That very holiness is the evidence and verification of our sanctification and justification. Our works are 'evidence' of our standing in Christ. They are not a means to acheive anything at all but are done as proof positive of our ownership!

As said in Romans, 'We are slaves to Him who we obey' and 'Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness' and 'But now "being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life'.

Therefore it is obvious how important our works are as they demonstrate who we are already!

 

[AV1611]

I would appreciate comments on this passage from Ryle's "Holiness", chapter 2:

(11) Sanctification, again, is a thing which will be found absolutely necessary as a witness to our character in the great day of judgment. It will be utterly useless to plead that we believed in Christ, unless our faith has had some sanctifying effect, and been seen in our lives. Evidence, evidence, evidence, will be the one thing wanted when the great white throne is set, when the books are opened, when the graves give up their tenants, when the dead are arraigned before the bar of God. Without some evidence that our faith in Christ was real and genuine, we shall only rise again to be condemned. I can find no evidence that will be admitted in that day, except sanctification. The question will not be how we talked, and what we professed; but how we lived, and what we did. Let no man deceive himself on this point. If anything is certain about the future, it is certain that there will be a judgment; and if anything is certain about judgment, it is certain that men’s “works” and “doings” will be considered and examined in it. (John v. 29; 2 Cor. v. 10; Rev. xx. 13.) He that supposes works are of no importance, because they cannot justify us, is a very ignorant Christian. Unless he opens his eyes, he will find to his cost that if he comes to the bar of God without some evidence of grace, he had better never have been born.

Excellent stuff

 

[Calvibaptist]

I think John Piper has done an excellent job (for someone in the present) in explaining this. He says that justification is by faith but final judgment is based on works. All those who are truly justified by faith will have the works that faith produces and, therefore, be judged holy.

This takes into account all the verses on imputation, which is involved in justification, and some of the troubling passages where Jesus and Paul talk about being judged by our works, without going Dispensational on them.

 

[KMK]

Is Ryle's view confessional?

WLC Q. 77. Wherein do justification and sanctification differ?

A. Although sanctification be inseparably joined with justification, yet they differ, in that God in justification imputeth the righteousness of Christ; in sanctification his Spirit infuseth grace, and enableth to the exercise thereof; in the former, sin is pardoned; in the other, it is subdued: the one doth equally free all believers from the revenging wrath of God, and that perfectly in this life, that they never fall into condemnation; the other is neither equal in all, nor in this life perfect in any, but growing up to perfection.

WLC Q. 78. Whence ariseth the imperfection of sanctification in believers?

A. The imperfection of sanctification in believers ariseth from the remnants of sin abiding in every part of them, and the perpetual lustings of the flesh against the spirit; whereby they are often foiled with temptations, and fall into many sins, are hindered in all their spiritual services, and their best works are imperfect and defiled in the sight of God.

The Confession of Faith REVISED IN THE NATIONAL SYNOD, HELD AT DORDRECHT,

Article 24 — Man’s Sanctification and Good Works.
We believe that this true faith, being wrought in man by the hearing of the Word of God and the operation of the Holy Ghost, doth regenerate and make him a new man, causing him to live a new life, and freeing him from the bondage of sin. Therefore it is so far from being true that this justifying faith makes men remiss in a pious and holy life, that, on the contrary, without it they would never do anything out of love to God, but only out of self-love or fear of damnation. Therefore it is impossible that this holy faith can be unfruitful in man; for we do not speak of a vain faith, but of such a faith which is called in Scripture a faith that worketh by love, which excites man to the practice of those works which God has commanded in His Word.
These works, as they proceed from the good root of faith, are good and acceptable in the sight of God, forasmuch as they are all sanctified by His grace; howbeit they are of no account towards our justification. For it is by faith in Christ that we are justified, even before we do good works; otherwise they could not be good works, any more than the fruit of a tree can be good before the tree itself is good.
Therefore we do good works, but not to merit by them (for what can we merit?), nay, we are beholden to God for the good works we do, and not He to us, since it is He that worketh in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Let us therefore attend to what is written: When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants; we have done that which was our duty to do. In the meantime, we do not deny that God rewards our good works, but it is through His grace that He crowns His gifts.
Moreover, though we do good works, we do not found our salvation upon them; for we do no work but what is polluted by our flesh, and also punishable; and although we could perform such works, still the remembrance of one sin is sufficient to make God reject them. Thus, then, we would always be in doubt, tossed to and fro without any certainty, and our poor consciences continually vexed, if they relied not on the merits of the suffering and death of our Savior.

I know I am probably missing something here...

 

[MW]

WCF 16:6, "Yet notwithstanding, the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in Him, not as though they were in this life wholly unblameable and unreprovable in God's sight; but that He, looking upon them in His Son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere, although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections."

 

[panta dokimazete]

WCF 16:6, "Yet notwithstanding, the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in Him, not as though they were in this life wholly unblameable and unreprovable in God's sight; but that He, looking upon them in His Son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere, although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections."

and thank you, Lord!

 

[toddpedlar]

I think Ryle's not saying anything unconfessional - not that he needed to, being an Anglican.

His words are completely in line with chapters 16 and 33 of the WCF.

This subject is one of the more important in the FV controversy - the confusion of "last judgment" with "justification" is a grave confusion..

not to plug my own blog too much, but many of my posts discussing John Owen's "Justification by Faith" concern this particular issue.. (see here)

Todd

 

[KMK]

WCF 16:6, "Yet notwithstanding, the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in Him, not as though they were in this life wholly unblameable and unreprovable in God's sight; but that He, looking upon them in His Son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere, although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections."

Let it be known that I am in no way disagreeing with Ryle. I assume it is my own ignorance that is getting in the way here.

When Ryle speaks of our sanctification being 'evidence' is He speaking in a forensic sense? I just don't understand how one can have Christ's perfect righteousness imputed to him and have God look down from the Great White throne and say, "More! I need more evidence!"

I understand that according to James my sanctification is evidence to ourselves and other men of my justification. But I am struggling with the idea that God requires more evidence.

 

[MW]

When Ryle speaks of our sanctification being 'evidence' is He speaking in a forensic sense? I just don't understand how one can have Christ's perfect righteousness imputed to him and have God look down from the Great White throne and say, "More! I need more evidence!"

It may just be the way you're stating it, Pastor Klein. It's not a matter that God needs more evidence. Rather, God Himself works this evidence in the justified, so that the justified themselves should bring it forth to the glory of God. Those therefore who make no place for good works in the Christian life are deceiving themselves.

 

[KMK]

Those therefore who make no place for good works in the Christian life are deceiving themselves[/B].

This I understand. I guess my question is this: Is God going to look at me on that day and say, "Let's see if this man is justified or not. Let me see the evidence of My sanctifaction in his life!"

 

[MW]

This I understand. I guess my question is this: Is God going to look at me on that day and say, "Let's see if this man is justified or not. Let me see the evidence of My sanctifaction in his life!"

Perhaps it is best to see it more as a demonstration that an investigation. God accepts them as righteous in His sight, and here are His works to prove it. The parable of the sheep and goats comes to mind, where the sheep are separated from the goats and gathered to the side of Christ, whereupon He commences giving evidence they are His.

 

[toddpedlar]

This I understand. I guess my question is this: Is God going to look at me on that day and say, "Let's see if this man is justified or not. Let me see the evidence of My sanctifaction in his life!"

Perhaps it is best to see it more as a demonstration that an investigation. God accepts them as righteous in His sight, and here are His works to prove it. The parable of the sheep and goats comes to mind, where the sheep are separated from the goats and gathered to the side of Christ, whereupon He commences giving evidence they are His.

Indeed.

Think of who is going to be in the gallery. This is vindication - evidence of a life well lived to the glory of God. It is NOT as though God needs some evidence that He did His work in us - clearly He knows well enough that He initiated it all by beginning work in us, and completing it. Rather, our evidence demonstrates to all who are in the courtroom that God did indeed justify and sanctify us. We are vindicated on that day, with a declaration of "just". Not on the BASIS of those evidences, but in concert with them... and all will agree that God's verdict is correct - and it must be, for it is a truthful declaration.

 

[AV1611]

That Ryle was premillennial may have some bearing on this in that premills believe that believers will be rewarded in the Millennium for their good works.

 

[KMK]

This I understand. I guess my question is this: Is God going to look at me on that day and say, "Let's see if this man is justified or not. Let me see the evidence of My sanctifaction in his life!"

Perhaps it is best to see it more as a demonstration that an investigation. God accepts them as righteous in His sight, and here are His works to prove it. The parable of the sheep and goats comes to mind, where the sheep are separated from the goats and gathered to the side of Christ, whereupon He commences giving evidence they are His.

Indeed.

Think of who is going to be in the gallery. This is vindication - evidence of a life well lived to the glory of God. It is NOT as though God needs some evidence that He did His work in us - clearly He knows well enough that He initiated it all by beginning work in us, and completing it. Rather, our evidence demonstrates to all who are in the courtroom that God did indeed justify and sanctify us. We are vindicated on that day, with a declaration of "just". Not on the BASIS of those evidences, but in concert with them... and all will agree that God's verdict is correct - and it must be, for it is a truthful declaration.

All of this represents what I have understood also, especially through the picture of the separating of the sheep and the goats. But in this scenario, the evidence is more for the benefit of those in attendance than it is for God Himself. It is evidence that is seen and brings glory to God similar to Matt 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, tht they may see your good work, and glorify your Father Which is in heaven."

However, I also see how my limited view fails to adequately deal with passages such as Rev 20:13 "And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works."

I obviously have a long way to go. Anyone care to recommend some reading for me on the evidence required in judgment?

 

[KMK]

That Ryle was premillennial may have some bearing on this in that premills believe that believers will be rewarded in the Millennium for their good works.

Possibly, but Ryle speaks in the contest of the Great White throne. Do premills believe that the rewards are handed down at that point?

 

[Gryphonette]

This I understand. I guess my question is this: Is God going to look at me on that day and say, "Let's see if this man is justified or not. Let me see the evidence of My sanctifaction in his life!"

Perhaps it is best to see it more as a demonstration that an investigation. God accepts them as righteous in His sight, and here are His works to prove it. The parable of the sheep and goats comes to mind, where the sheep are separated from the goats and gathered to the side of Christ, whereupon He commences giving evidence they are His.

Indeed.

Think of who is going to be in the gallery. This is vindication - evidence of a life well lived to the glory of God. It is NOT as though God needs some evidence that He did His work in us - clearly He knows well enough that He initiated it all by beginning work in us, and completing it. Rather, our evidence demonstrates to all who are in the courtroom that God did indeed justify and sanctify us. We are vindicated on that day, with a declaration of "just". Not on the BASIS of those evidences, but in concert with them... and all will agree that God's verdict is correct - and it must be, for it is a truthful declaration.

How does this square with 1 Corinthians 3, though?

14 If anyone's work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved; yet it will be like an escape through fire.

I'm missing how there can be believers such as Paul speaks of here, who wind up having all their works burnt up as worthless, leaving them only a foundation of faith in Christ, so that they are still saved but maybe arrive in heaven in a slightly scorched condition.

Maybe because there are still some sort of works TO be burnt up?

 

[MW]

How does this square with 1 Corinthians 3, though?

Notice in this passage the emphasis is on works of the ministry. So it is not a differentiation of good and evil works, as in the parable of the sheep and goats. It sets forth an examination of the good works of the ministry. So it is the nature of these good works which is tested -- whether they are Christ-centred or have the approval of men mixed in with them.