{mosimage}One more thing from JC Ryle‘s book on Holiness that I’ve been meaning to post…
In chapter 2, Ryle deals particularly with what sanctification is, as compared to justification, the corresponding evidences of sanctification, and what is the true nature of sanctification. In his second major point, he discusses the visible evidence of genuine sanctification. Here’s the short version…
- True sanctification then does not consist in talk about religion.
- True sanctification does not consist in temporary religious feelings.
- True sanctification does not consist in outward formalism and external devoutness.
- Sanctification does not consist in retirement from our place in life, and the renunciation of our social duties.
- Sanctification does not consist in the occasional performance of right actions.
- Genuine sanctification will show itself in habitual respect to God’s law, and habitual effort to live in obedience to it as the rule of life.
- Genuine sanctification will show itself in a habitual endeavour to do Christ’s will, and to live by His practical precepts.
- Genuine sanctification will show itself in an habitual desire to live up to the standard which St. Paul sets before the Churches in his writings.
- Genuine sanctification will show itself in habitual attention to the active graces which our Lord so beautifully exemplified, and especially to the grace of charity.
- Genuine sanctification, in the last place, will show itself in habitual attention to the passive graces of Christianity.
If you’d like to read the whole chapter and get all the explanations of these headings, it’s available as a PDF for download.
