Tag Archives: Faith

“Speak, Lord, for Thy Servant Heareth.”

Posted on by under J. C. Ryle

Beware of being wise above that which is written. Beware of forming fanciful theories of your own, and then trying to make the Bible square in with them. Beware of making selections from your Bible to suit your taste —refusing, like a spoilt child, whatever you think bitter, — seizing, like a spoilt child, whatever you think sweet. What is all this but taking Jehoiakim’s penknife? What does it amount to but telling God, that you, a poor short-lived worm know what is good for you better than He. It will not do. It will not do. You must take the Bible as it is. You must read it all, and believe it all. You must come to the reading of it in the spirit of a little child. Dare not to say “I believe this verse, for I like it. I reject that, for I do not like it. I receive this, for I can understand it. I refuse that, for I cannot reconcile it with my views.” Nay! but O man, who art thou that repliest against God? By what right do you talk in this way. Surely it were better to say over every chapter in the Word, “speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth.”

J. C. Ryle (1816-1900), Wheat or Chaff?

The Reasonableness of Faith

Posted on by under John R. W. Stott

If it was reasonable for Job to trust the God whose wisdom and power have been revealed in creation, how much more reasonable is it for us to trust the God whose love and justice have been revealed in the cross? The reasonableness of trust lies in the known trustworthiness of its object. And no one is more trustworthy than the God of the Cross. The Cross assures us that there is no possibility of a miscarriage of justice or of the defeat of love either now or on the last day. “He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Rom. 8.32).

John R. W. Stott, The Cross of Christ (Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006), 320.

Do You Know Christ, or Do You Just Know a Lot about Him?

Posted on by under J. C. Ryle

It is well to be acquainted with all the doctrines and principles of Christianity. It is better to be acquainted with Christ Himself. It is well to be familiar with faith, and grace, and justification, and sanctification. They are all matters pertaining to the King. But it is far better to be familiar with Jesus Himself, to see the King’s own face, and to behold His beauty.

J. C. Ryle (1816-1900)

Learning to Obey God One Choice at a Time

Posted on by under Jerry Bridges

I readily admit it is difficult to believe God is in control when we are in the midst of anxiety, heartache, or grief. I have struggled with this many times myself. Because of my schedule, most of my writing is done on an intermittent basis, a “few hours here and a few hours there.” Because of that, this particular chapter was written and rewritten over a period of six weeks or more. During that time I had to work through God’s sovereignty on two occasions myself. In each instance I realized I knew the truth regarding God’s sovereignty. What I had to do was to decide if I would trust Him, even when my heart ached.

I realized anew that, just as we must learn to obey God one choice at a time, we must also learn to trust God one circumstance at a time. Trusting God is not a matter of my feelings but of my will. I never feel like trusting God when adversity strikes, but I can choose to do so even when I don’t feel like it. That act of the will, though, must be based on belief, and belief must be based on truth.

Jerry Bridges, Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts

HT: Reformed Quotes