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Good evening, Merry Christmas.
Here we are on our Christmas Eve service via live stream,
and we're going to begin reading a couple of verses out of the
Gospel of Luke, and then we're going to hear from J.C. Ryle, and he's always excellent. Let's pray and we will begin. Father, we thank you for the
Lord Jesus Christ that we think of particularly in this Christmas
season. We remember the indescribable
gift that you've given to us in the person of your son as
he was born into this world to take on humanity and yet remain
without sin, become the God-man. And we thank you that we have
a great savior. We pray that this evening as
we hear from your word, that you would use your word and the
power of your spirit to enable us to more accurately and fully
understand just how wonderful an event this was when the Lord
Jesus came into the world. And so we ask your blessing upon
us this evening and pray that our time here would glorify you. And we pray this in Christ's
name. Amen. While you remember the old words
here, I'm gonna put my microphone on. Hopefully that was working
pretty well anyway. And I just, I thought as I would
read the account of the angels appearing to the shepherds, that
I would read it from the King James Version. Do we have sound?
No sound. Is this thing on? Yeah? All right, it was working. It's
on. Stand by, you can hear. Testing, can you hear anything?
Do we have sound? Okay, I don't know if anybody
can hear it, but we're gonna start over again. All right, hopefully we're back. Do we have sound now, Verla? Okay, here we go. This is the
account from the Gospel of Luke of the angels appearing to the
shepherds, and it's in the King James Version. And there were
in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping
watch over their flock by night. And lo, The angel of the Lord
came upon them. The glory of the Lord shone round
about them, and they were sore afraid. The angel said to them,
Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day
in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And
this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the babe wrapped
in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there
was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising
God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace,
goodwill toward men. That's probably one of the most
amazing scenes. You know, if you were gonna pick
something, some account in the Bible that would see which event
would I, have liked to have been at, that would probably rate
right up there. I just wanted to mention that,
I don't know if you've heard of Richard Sibbes before, but
he was a Puritan pastor and preacher. back in the 1500s. And he, I
just was looking earlier today in his works, and he has a very
good sermon on those verses that we just read. And reminding us,
he begins by reminding us that The heavens are not opened unless
God has some great event to communicate to us, and that was one of them. And so someday I'll have to read
this sermon to you. And I hope that this evening,
as we hear from J.C. Ryle here, that the Lord will
help us all to Grasp I guess would be the word to say grasp
and understand comprehend more Just what happened that night
when the Lord Jesus the Son of God came into the world announced
by Heavenly hosts myriads and myriads of angels I mean, that's
what happened here to these shepherds that night and Heaven was opened
and here are these choirs of angels and no wonder it says,
as it is in the King James, and they were sore afraid, right? Well, this sermon is one, actually
it was an article that he wrote, written by J.C. Ryle. He was a pastor in the
Church of England. He was actually a bishop of the
town of Liverpool, which was a pretty large metropolis at
the time. And he wrote, this is in his
book collection, Holiness here, an excellent book to have. It's the 15th chapter in this. And the text that he's using
here, You might not connect it with Christmas as such, but it
really does apply. It's just this simple verse,
Jesus speaking to Peter. Do you love me? John 21, 16. And so we don't fully appreciate
what happened that night when Christ came into the world unless
we've been born again and we love him. And so let's see what
J.C. Ryle had to say here. The question
which is at the top of this paper I'm writing was addressed by
Christ to the Apostle Peter. A more important question could
not be asked. 1900 years, now 2000, have passed
away since those words were spoken, but to this very day the inquiry
is most searching and useful. A disposition, a tendency to
love someone, is one of the commonest feelings which God has implanted
in human nature. Too often, unhappily, people
set their affections on unworthy objects. I want today to claim
a place for him who alone is worthy of all our heart's best
feelings. I want people to give some of
their love to that divine person who has loved us and gave himself
for us. In all their loving, I would
have them not forget to love Christ first of all. Permit me
to press this mighty subject upon the attention of every reader
of this paper. This is no matter for mere enthusiasts
and fanatics. It deserves the consideration
of every reasonable Christian who believes the Bible. Our very
salvation is bound up with it, life or death, heaven or hell,
depend upon our ability to answer this one simple question, do
you love Christ? There's two points which I wish
to bring forward in opening up this subject to you. First of
all, Let me show the peculiar feeling of a true Christian towards
Christ. He loves him. A true Christian
is not a mere baptized man or woman. He's something more. He's
not a person who only goes as a matter of form to a church
or chapel on Sundays and lives all the rest of the week as if
there were no God. Formality, outward form, is not
Christianity. Ignorant lip worship is not true
religion. The scripture speaks plainly. They are not all Israel, which
are of Israel. The practical lesson of those
words is clear and plain. All people are not true Christians
who happen to be members of the visible Church of Christ. The
true Christian is one whose religion is in his heart and life. It's
felt by himself in his heart. It's seen by others in his conduct
and life. He feels his sinfulness, guilt,
and badness, and he repents. He sees Jesus Christ to be that
divine savior whom his soul needs and commits himself to him. He
puts off the old man with his corrupt and carnal habits and
puts on the new man. He lives a new and holy life,
fighting habitually against the world, the flesh, and the devil. Christ himself is the cornerstone
of the true Christian's Christianity. Ask him and what he trusts for
the forgiveness of his many sins and he'll tell you in the death
of Christ. Ask him in what righteousness
he hopes to stand innocent at the judgment day, and he'll tell
you it is the righteousness of Christ. Ask him by what pattern
he tries to pattern his life, and he'll tell you that it's
the example of Christ. But besides all this, there's
one thing in a true Christian which is eminently peculiar to
him. That thing is love to Christ. Knowledge, faith, hope, reverence,
and obedience are all marked features in a true Christian's
character, but his picture would be very imperfect if you omitted
his love to the Divine Master. He not only knows, trusts, and
obeys, he goes further than this. He loves. This peculiar mark
of a true Christian is one which we find mentioned several times
in the Bible. Faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ
is an expression in which many Christians are familiar with,
but let it never be forgotten that love is mentioned by the
Holy Spirit in almost as strong terms as faith. Great as the
danger is of him that believes not, The danger of the person
that loves not is equally great. Not believing and not loving
are both steps to everlasting ruin. Hear what Paul says to
the Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 16. If any man
loves not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema. Paul allows no way of escape
to the man who does not love Christ. He leaves him no loophole
or excuse. A man may lack clear head knowledge
and still be saved. He may fail in courage at times
and be overcome by the fear of man like Peter. He may fall tremendously
like David. and yet rise again. But if a
man does not love Christ, he's not in the way of life. The curse
is yet upon him. He's on that broad road that
leads to destruction. Hear what Paul says to the Ephesians.
Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. The Apostle is here sending his
good wishes and declaring his good will to all Christians,
many of them no doubt he'd never seen. Many of them in the early
churches, we may be very sure, were weak in faith and weak in
knowledge and self-denial. How then shall he describe them
in sending his message? What words can he use which will
not discourage the weaker brethren? He chooses a sweeping expression
which exactly describes all true Christians under one common name. All had not attained to the same
degree, whether in doctrine or practice, but all loved Christ
in sincerity. Hear what our Lord Jesus Christ
Himself says to the Jews, If God were your Father, you would
love me," John chapter 8. He saw his misguided enemies
satisfied with their spiritual condition on one single ground,
that they were children of Abraham. He saw them like many ignorant
Christians of our own day, claiming to be God's children for no better
reason than this, that they were circumcised and belonged to the
Jewish church. He lays down the broad principle
that no man is a child of God who does not love God and does
not love his only begotten Son. No man has a right to call God
Father who does not love Christ. Well would it be for many Christians
if they were to remember that this mighty principle applies
to them as well as to the Jews. No love to Christ, then no Sonship
to God. Hear once more what our Lord
Jesus Christ said to the Apostle Peter after he rose from the
dead. Three times he asked him the question, Simon, son of Jonas,
do you love me? The occasion was remarkable.
He meant gently to remind his erring disciple of his thrice
repeated fall. Christ desired to call forth
from Peter a new confession of faith before publicly restoring
him to his commission to feed the church. And what was the
question that he asked him? He might have said, do you believe,
Peter? Are you converted? Are you ready
to confess me? Will you obey me? But he didn't
use any of those expressions. He simply says, do you love me? This is the point, and he would
have us know it, on which a man's Christianity hinges. Simple as
the question sounded, it was most searching, plain and easy
to be understood by the most unlearned poor man. It contains
matter which tests the reality of the most advanced Christian.
If a man truly loves Christ, everything is right. If not,
everything is wrong. Would you know the secret of
this peculiar feeling towards Christ which distinguishes the
true Christian? You have it in the words of John.
We love him because he first loved us. That text, no doubt,
applies specially to God the Father, but it's no less true
of God the Son. A true Christian loves Christ
for all that Christ has done for him. Christ has suffered
in his place and died for him on the cross. He's redeemed the
Christian from the guilt, the power, and the consequences of
sin by his blood. He's called him by his spirit
to self-knowledge, repentance, faith, hope, and holiness. He's
forgiven all his many sins, blotted them out. He's freed him from
the captivity of the world, the flesh, and the devil. He's taken
him from the brink of hell, placed him on that narrow way, and set
his face toward heaven. Christ has given him light instead
of darkness, peace of conscience instead of uneasiness, hope instead
of uncertainty, life instead of death. So is it any wonder
that the true Christian loves Christ? And he loves him besides
that for all that Christ is still doing. The Christian feels that
Christ is daily washing away his many shortcomings and infirmities,
pleading his soul's cause before God. Christ is supplying all
the needs of the Christian soul and providing him with an hourly
provision of mercy and grace. He's daily leading him by his
spirit to a city of habitation. bearing with him when he is weak
and ignorant, raising him up when he stumbles and falls, protecting
him against his many enemies, preparing an eternal home for
him in heaven. Is it any wonder the true Christian
loves Christ? Does the debtor in jail love
the friend who unexpectedly and undeservedly pays all his debts,
supplies him with fresh capital, and takes him into partnership
with himself? Does the prisoner in war love
the man who, at the risk of his own life, breaks through the
enemy's lines, rescues him, and sets him free? Does the drowning
sailor love the man who plunges into the sea, dives after him,
catches him by the hair of his head, and by a mighty effort
saves him from that watery grave? Even a child can answer those
questions. Just in the same way and upon
the same principles, a true Christian loves Jesus Christ. This love
to Christ is as inseparable of a companion of saving faith,
a faith of devils, mere intellectual faith. A man may have these without
love, but not that faith that saves. Love cannot assert the
office of faith. It can't justify. It does not
join the soul to Christ. It cannot bring peace to the
conscience. Where there is real justifying faith in Christ, there
will always be heart love to Christ. He that's really forgiven
is the man who will really love. If a man has no love for Christ,
you may be sure he has no faith. And love for Christ is the mainspring
of our work for Christ. There is little done for his
cause on earth from a mere sense of duty or from knowledge of
what's right or proper. The heart must be interested
before the hands will move and continue moving. Excitement may
galvanize the Christian's hands into a fitful and spasmodic activity,
but there will be no patient continuance in well-doing. No unwearied labor and missionary
work at home or abroad unless there is love for Christ. The
nurse in a hospital may do her duty properly and well, may give
the sick man his medicine at the right time. She may feed
him, minister to him, and attend to all of his needs. But there's
a vast difference between that nurse and a wife tending the
sickbed of a beloved husband or a mother watching over a dying
child. The one acts from a sense of
duty, the other from affection and love. The one does her duty
because she's paid for it. The other is what she is because
of her heart. It is just the same in the manner
of the service of Christ. The great workers of the church,
the men who have led forlorn hopes in the mission field, and
turned the world upside down, have all been eminently lovers
of Christ. Examine, for example, the characters
of John Owen, or of Baxter, Rutherford, George Herbert, of Leighton and
Hervey, or George Whitfield, John Wesley, Henry Martin, Judson,
Bickerseth, some of these I don't know, and Simeon. Hewitson, McShane,
Stowell, and McNeill. These men have left a mark on
the world. And what was the common feature
of their characters? They all loved Christ. They not
only held a creed, they loved a person, even the Lord Jesus
Christ. Love to Christ is the point which
we ought especially to dwell upon in teaching religion to
children. election, imputed righteousness,
original sin, justification, sanctification, and even faith
itself are doctrines which sometimes puzzle a child of the youngest
years. But love to Jesus seems far more
within reach of their understanding. that he loved them even to his
death, and that they ought to love him in return, is a creed
which meets the span of their minds. How true it is that out
of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise, Matthew
21. There are myriads of Christians
who know every article of the Athanasian Creed and the Apostles'
Creed, the Nicene Creed, And yet, they know less of real Christianity
than a little child who just knows that he loves Christ. Love
to Christ is the common meeting point of believers of every branch
and denomination of Christ's true church on earth. whether
Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Baptist, Independent, Calvinist, Arminian,
Methodist, Moravian, Lutheran, or Reformed, established, or
free, here at least we are all agreed. About forms and ceremonies,
church government, and modes of worship, we often differ widely. But on one point, at any rate,
we are united. They have all one common feeling
towards Him on whom they build their hope of salvation. They
love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Many of them perhaps
are ignorant of systematic theology and could argue but feebly in
defense of their creed, but they all know what they feel toward
Him who died for their sins. I cannot speak much for Christ,
sir, said an old, uneducated Christian to Dr. Chalmers, but
if I can't speak for him, I would die for him. And love to Christ
will be the distinguishing mark of all saved souls in heaven.
The multitude, which no man can number, will all be of one mind. Old differences will be merged
in one common feeling. Old doctrinal peculiarities,
fiercely wrangled for upon earth, will be covered over by one common
sense of debt to Christ. Luther and Zwingli will no longer
debate. Wesley and Toplady will no longer
waste time in controversy. Churchmen and dissenters will
no longer bite and devour one another. All will find themselves
joining with one heart and voice in that hymn of praise unto Him
who loved us and washed us from our sin in His own blood and
has made us kings and priests unto God and His Father. To Him
be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. The words which
John Bunyan puts in the mouth of Mr. Standfast as he stood
in the river of death are very beautiful. He said, this river
has been a terror to many. Yes, the thoughts of it also
have frightened me. But now I think I stand easy. My foot is fixed upon that on
which the priests that bear the arcs to it while Israel went
over the Jordan. The waters indeed are to the
palate bitter and to the stomach cold, yet the thoughts of what
I'm going to, and of the convoy that waits for me on the other
side, lie as a glowing coal in my heart. I see myself now at
the end of my journey. My toilsome days are ended. I'm going to see that head which
was crowned with thorns and that face which was spit upon for
me. I have formerly lived by hearing
and faith, but now I go where I shall live by sight, and be
with him in whose company I delight myself. I have loved to hear
my Lord spoken of, and wherever I have seen the print of his
shoe in the earth, there I have coveted to set my foot too. His
name has been to me a civet box, yea, sweeter than all perfumes. His voice to me has been most
sweet, and His countenance I have more desired than they that have
desired the light of the sun. Happy are they that know something
of this experience. He that would be in tune for
heaven must know something of love to Christ. He that dies
ignorant of that love, well, it would be better that he'd
never been born. Let me show you in the second
place the peculiar marks by which love to Christ makes itself known. The point is one of vast importance.
If there is no salvation without love for Christ, if he that does
not love Christ is in peril of eternal condemnation, then it
becomes us all to find out very distinctly what we know about
this matter. Christ is in heaven and we are
upon earth. In what way shall the man be
discerned that truly loves him? Happily, the point is one in
which it's not very hard to settle. How do we know whether we love
any person here upon earth? In what way and manner does love
show itself between people in this world, between husband and
wife, between parent and child, or brother and sister, friend
and friend? Let these questions be answered
by common sense and observations, and I will ask no more. Let these
questions be honestly answered, and the knot before us is untied. How does love show itself among
people? Well, first, if we love a person,
we like to think about them. We don't need to be reminded
of him. We don't forget his name, or his appearance, or his character,
or his opinions, tastes, or position, or occupation. He comes up before
our mind's eye many times in the day. Though perhaps far distant,
he's often present in our thoughts. Well, it's just so between the
true Christian and Christ. Christ dwells in his heart and
is thought of more or less every day. The true Christian does
not need to be reminded that he has a crucified master. He often thinks of him. He never
forgets that he has a day, a cause, and a people. and that of his
people he is one. Affection is the real secret
of a good memory in religion. No worldly man can think much
about Christ unless Christ is pressed upon his attention because
he doesn't have any love for him. The true Christian has thoughts
about Christ every day that he lives for this one simple reason. He loves him. And then if we
love a person, we like to hear about that person. We find a
pleasure in listening to those who speak of him. We feel an
interest in any report which others make of him. We're all
attention when others talk about him and describe his ways and
his sayings and doings and plans. Some may hear him mentioned with
utter indifference, but our own hearts abound within us at the
very sound of his name. Well, it's just so between the
true Christian and Christ. The true Christian delights to
hear something about his master. He likes those sermons best which
are full of Christ. He enjoys that company most in
which people talk of the things which are Christ. I've read of
an old Welsh believer who used to walk several miles every Sunday
to hear an English clergyman preach, though he didn't understand
a word of English. She was asked why she did so.
She replied that this clergyman named the name of Christ so often
in his sermons that it did her good. She loved even the name
of her Savior. And then, if we love a person,
we like to read about him. What intense pleasure a letter
from an absent husband gives to a wife, or a letter from an
absent son to his mother. Others may see little notice
in the letter. They can scarcely take the trouble
to read it through. But those who love the writer
see something in the letter which no one else can. They carry it
about with them as a treasure. They read it over and over again. Well, it's just so between the
true Christian and Christ. The true Christian delights to
read the scriptures because they tell him about his beloved Savior. It's no wearisome task with him
to read them. He rarely needs reminding to
take his Bible with him when he goes on a journey. He can't
be happy without it. Why is all this? It's because
the scriptures testify of him whom his soul loves, and that
is Christ. And then, if we love a person,
we like to please him. We're glad to consult his tastes
and opinions, to act upon his advice and do the things which
he approves. We even deny ourselves to meet
his wishes, abstain from things which we know he dislikes, and
learn things to do which we're not naturally inclined to because
we think it will give him pleasure. Well, it's just so between the
true Christian and Christ. The true Christian studies to
please him by being holy both in body and spirit, show him
anything in his daily practice that Christ dislikes and he will
give it up. Show him anything that Christ
delights in and he'll follow after it. He doesn't murmur at
Christ's requirements as being too strict and severe as children
of the world do. To him, Christ's commandments
are not grievous, and Christ's burden is light. And why is all
this? Well, it's because he loves Christ. If we love a person, we also
like his friends. We're favorably inclined to them,
even before we know them. We're drawn to them by the common
tie of common love to Christ, to the same person. When we meet
them, we don't feel that we're altogether strangers. There's
a bond of union between us. They love the person that we
love, and that alone is an introduction. Well, it's just so between the
true Christian and Christ. The true Christian regards all
of Christ's friends as his friends, members of the same body, children
of the same family, soldiers in the same army, travelers to
the same destination. When he meets them, he feels
as if he'd known them for a long time. He's more at home with
them in a few minutes than he is with many worldly people after
an acquaintance of many years. And what's the secret of all
this? It's simply affection for the same Savior and love to the
same Lord. If we love a person, we're jealous
about his name and honor. We don't like to hear him spoken
against without speaking up for him and defending him. We feel
bound to maintain his interest and reputation. We regard the
person who treats him ill with almost as much disfavor as if
he had ill-treated us. Well, it's just so between the
true Christian and Christ. The true Christian regards with
a godly jealousy all efforts to disparage Christ's word, or
His name, or His church, or the day of the Lord. He will confess
Him before princes, if need be, and be sensitive of the least
dishonor put upon Christ. He will not hold his peace and
permit his master's cause to be put to shame without testifying
against it. Why? Because he loves Christ. If we love a person, we like
to talk to him. Tell him all our thoughts and
pour out all our hearts to him. We find no difficulty in discovering
subjects of conversation. However silent and reserved we
may be with others, we find it easy to talk to a much-loved
friend. However often we may meet, we're
never at a loss for subjects to talk about. We have always
much to say, much to ask about, much to describe, and much to
communicate. Well, it's just this way between
the true Christian and Christ. The true Christian finds no difficulty
in speaking to his Savior. Every day he has something to
tell him. And he's not happy unless he
tells it. He speaks to him in prayer every
morning and night. He tells him his wants and desires,
his feelings and his fears. He asks counsel of him in difficulty. He asks comfort from him in trouble. He can't help it. He must converse
with his Savior continually or he would faint by the way. And
why is all of this? It's because he loves Christ. And finally, If we love a person,
we like to always be with them. Thinking and hearing, reading
and occasionally talking are all well in their way, but when
we really love people, we want something more. We long to be
always in their company. We wish to be continually in
their society and to hold communion with them without interruption
or farewell. Well, it is just so between the
true Christian and Christ. The heart of a true Christian
longs for that blessed day when he will see his master face to
face and go out no more. He longs to have done with sinning
and repenting and believing and to begin that endless life when
he shall see as he has been seen and sin no more. He's found it
sweet to live by faith and he feels it will be sweeter still
to live by sight. He's found it pleasant to hear
of Christ and talk of Christ and read of Christ. But how much
more pleasant will it be to see Christ with his own eyes and
never to leave him evermore. Better he feels is the sight
of the eyes than the wandering of the desires. And why is all
this? It's because he loves Christ. These are the marks by which
love may be discovered. They're all plain, simple, and
easy to understand. There's nothing dark, obtruse,
and mysterious about them. Use them honestly, handle them
fairly, and you cannot fail to get some light on the subject
before us. Perhaps you had a beloved son
in the army at the time of the Great War. Perhaps he was actively
engaged in that war and in the very midst of the struggle. Cannot
you remember how strong and deep and anxious your feelings were
about that son? That was love. Perhaps you've
known what it is to have a beloved husband in the Navy, often called
from home by duty and separated from you for many months, sometimes
even years. Can't you recollect your sorrowful
feelings at the time of separation? That was love. Or perhaps you
have at this moment a beloved brother in London launched for
the first time amidst the temptations of a great city in order to make
his way in business. How will he turn out? How will
he get on? Will you ever see him again?
Do you not know that you often think about that brother? That
is love. Perhaps you're engaged to be
married to a person every way suited to you, but prudence makes
it necessary to defer the marriage to a distant period, and duty
makes it necessary to be at a distance from the one you've promised
to make your wife. Must you not admit that she's
often in your thoughts? Must you not confess that you
like to hear of her and hear from her and that you long to
see her? That's love. I speak of things
that are familiar to everyone. I need not dwell upon them any
further. They're as old as the hills and understood over the
world. hardly a branch of Adam's family
that doesn't know something of affection and love, then let
it never be said that we cannot find out whether a Christian
really loves Christ and thus is really a Christian. It can
be known. It may be discovered. The proofs
are already to your hand. You've heard them in this very
day. Love to the Lord Jesus Christ is no hidden, secret, impalpable
thing. It's like the light. It will
be seen. It's like the sound. It will
be heard. It's like heat. It will be felt. Where it exists, It can't be
hid where it cannot be seen. You may be sure there is none. It's time for me now to draw
this paper to a conclusion, but I cannot end without an effort
to press its subject home to the individual conscience of
each into whose hands this paper falls. I do it in all love and
affection. My heart's desire and prayer
to God in writing this paper is to do good for your soul. First, let me ask you for one
thing, to look at the question in the face which Christ asked
of Peter, and try to answer it for yourself. Look at it seriously,
examine it carefully and honestly, weigh it well. After reading
all that I've said about it, can you honestly say that you
love Christ? It's no answer to tell me that
you believe the truth of Christianity and hold the articles of the
Christian faith. Such religion as this will never
save your soul. The devils believe in a certain
way and tremble. True, saving Christianity is
not the mere believing a certain set of opinions and holding a
certain set of notions. Its essence is knowing, trusting,
and loving a certain living person who died for us, even Christ
the Lord. The early Christians, like Phoebe
and Persis, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Gaius, and Philemon, knew little,
probably, of dogmatic theology, doctrine, but they all had this
grand leading feature in their religion. They loved Christ. And it's no answer to respond
to me that you disapprove of a religion of feelings. If you
mean by that that you dislike a religion consisting of nothing
but feelings, well, I agree with you entirely. But if you mean
to shut out feelings altogether, you can know little of true Christianity. The Bible teaches us plainly
that a man may have good feelings without any true religion, but
it teaches us no less plainly that there can be no true religion
without love towards Christ. It's vain to conceal that if
you do not love Christ, your soul is in great danger. You
can have no saving faith now while you live. You're unfit
for heaven if you die. He that lives without love for
Christ can be sensible of no obligation to him. He that dies
without love to Christ could never be happy in that heaven
where Christ is all in all. Awake to know the peril of your
position. Open your eyes. Consider your
ways and be wise. I can only warn you as a friend,
but I do it with all my heart and soul. May God grant that
this warning may not be taken by you in vain. In the next place,
if you do not love Christ, let me tell you plainly why. What is the reason? You have
no sense of debt to him. You have no feeling of obligation
to him. You have no abiding recollection
of having gotten anything from him. This being the case, it's
not likely, it's probable. Is it not probable that you should
love him? Is it not reasonable? that you
should love him. There's but one remedy for this
state of things. That remedy is self-knowledge,
the teaching of the Holy Spirit. The eyes of your understanding
must be opened. You must find out what you are
by nature. You must discover that grand
secret, your guilt and emptiness in God's sight. Perhaps you never
read your Bible at all, or you only read an occasional chapter
as a mere matter of form without interest, understanding, or self-application. Take my advice this day and change
your plan. Begin to read the Bible like
a man in earnest and never rest until you become familiar with
it. Read what the law of God requires, as expounded by the
Lord Jesus in the fifth chapter of Matthew. Read how Paul describes
human nature in the first two chapters of his letter to the
church at Rome. Study those passages like these
with prayer for the Spirit's teaching and then say whether
you are not a debtor to God and a debtor in mighty need of a
friend like Christ. Perhaps you are a person who's
never known anything of real, hearty, business-like prayer. You've been used to regard religion
as an affair of churches, chapels, outward forms, services, and
Sundays, but not as a thing requiring the serious, heartfelt attention
of the inward man. Take my advice this day and change
your plan. Begin the habit of real earnest
pleading with God about your soul. Ask Him for light, teaching,
and knowledge of yourself. Beseech Him to show you anything
you need to know for the saving of your soul. Do this with all
your heart and mind, and I have no doubt that before long you
will feel your real need of Christ. The advice I offer may seem simple
and old-fashioned, but don't despise it on that account. It
is the good old way in which millions have walked already
and found peace for their souls. Not to love Christ is to be in
imminent danger of eternal ruin. To see your need of Christ and
your amazing debt to Christ is the first step towards loving
Him. To know yourself and find out your real condition before
God is the only way to see your need. To search God's book and
ask God for light in prayer is the right course by which to
attain saving knowledge. Do not be above taking the advice
I offer. Take it and be saved. In the
last place, if you really know anything of love towards Christ,
accept two parting words of comfort and counsel. The Lord grant that
they may do you good. For one thing, if you love Christ
in deed and truth, Then rejoice in the thought that you have
good evidence about the state of your soul. Love, I tell you,
this day is an evidence of grace. Even though you're sometimes
perplexed with doubts and fears, What though you find it hard
to say whether your faith is genuine and your grace is real?
And what if your eyes are often so dimmed with tears that you
can't clearly see your calling and election of God? Still, there's
ground for hope and strong consolation if your heart can testify that
you love Christ. Where there's true love, there
is faith and grace. You would not find him if he
had not done something for you, and you would not love him. Your
very love is a token for good. And then for another thing, if
you love Christ, don't ever be ashamed to let others see it
and know it. Speak for Him. Witness for Him. Live for Him. Work for Him. If He's loved you and washed
you from your sins in His own blood, you need never shrink
from letting others know that you feel it and love Him in return. Man, said a thoughtless, ungodly
English traveler to a North American Indian convert, man, what's the
reason that you make so much of Christ and talk so much about
him? What's this Christ done for you
that you should make so much ado about him? The converted
Indian did not answer him in words. He gathered together some
dry leaves and moss and made a ring with them on the ground.
He picked up a live worm and put it in the middle of the ring.
He struck a light and set the moss and leaves on the fire.
The flame soon rose and the heat scorched the worm. It writhed
in agony and after trying in vain to escape on every side,
curled itself up in the middle as if about to die in despair.
At that moment, the Indian reached forth his hand, took up the worm
gently, and placed it outside. Stranger, he said to the Englishman,
do you see that worm? I was that perishing creature.
I was dying in my sins, hopeless, helpless, and on the brink of
eternal fire. It was Jesus Christ who put forth
his arm and his power. It was Jesus Christ who delivered
me with the hand of his grace and plucked me from everlasting
burnings. It was Jesus Christ who placed
me, a poor sinful worm, near the heart of his love. Stranger,
that's the reason why I talk of Jesus Christ and make much
of him. I'm not ashamed of it because I love him. If we know
anything of love to Christ, may we have the mind of this North
American Indian. May we never think that we can
love Christ too much. Live for him too thoroughly. Confess him too boldly. Lay ourselves
out for him too heartily. of all the things that will surprise
us in the resurrection morning, this, I believe, will surprise
us most, that we did not love Christ more before we died."
And there it is, and you see how that certainly applies to
Christmas as we consider God sending forth his son into the
world to save us worms from the fire. Father, we thank you for
these truths from your word. We pray that our love for you
would increase, that you would open our eyes more to your light
and glory. And Father, we pray this evening
for anyone that might be listening or might listen in the future
who isn't saved. Maybe they think they're saved,
but their religion is just an outward form. Their heart is
still unconverted. Father, we pray that you would,
by your Spirit, show them their perilous, perilous condition.
and show them this great Savior that these angels announced to
those lowly shepherds that night. And so, Father, that they might
be converted and not only believe in Christ, but believe in Him
because they love Him. And we pray this in Christ's
name, amen.
"Lovest Thou Me?" by J.C. Ryle
Series 2024 Non-Series Sermons
A Reading for Christmas Eve - do we truly love Christ and marvel at the Son of God coming into the world as that baby born in Bethlehem?
| Sermon ID | 12252441362736 |
| Duration | 57:46 |
| Date | |
| Category | Midweek Service |
| Bible Text | John 21:16 |
| Language | English |
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