Practical Religion: Being Plain Papers on the Daily Duties, Experience, Dangers, and Privileges of Professing ChristiansRyle, J. C. (John Charles)
Religion
Practical Religion: Being Plain Papers on the Daily Duties, Experience, Dangers, and Privileges of Professing Christians
Ryle, J. C. (John Charles)
Christian life -- Anglican authors
Christ's freemen are free from the _slavish fear of God_. They no longer
look at Him with dread and alarm, as an offended Maker; they no longer
hate Him, and get away from Him, like Adam among the trees of the
garden; they no longer tremble at the thought of His judgment. Through
the Spirit of adoption which Christ has given them, they look on God as
a reconciled Father, and rejoice in the thought of His love. They feel
that anger is passed away. They feel that when God the Father looks down
upon them, He sees them in Christ, and unworthy as they are in
themselves, is well-pleased. This is true liberty. This is to be free.
Christ's freemen are free from the _fear of man_. They are no longer
afraid of man's opinions, or care much what man thinks of them; they are
alike indifferent to his favour or his enmity, his smile or his frown.
They look away from man who can be seen, to Christ who is not seen, and
having the favour of Christ, they care little for the blame of man. "The
fear of man" was once a snare to them. They trembled at the thought of
what man would say, or think, or do: they dared not run counter to the
fashions and customs of those around them; they shrank from the idea of
standing alone. But the snare is now broken and they are delivered. This
is true liberty. This is to be free.
Christ's freemen are free from the _fear of death_. They no longer look
forward to it with silent dismay, as a horrible thing which they do not
care to think of. Through Christ they can look this last enemy calmly in
the face, and say,--"Thou canst not harm me." They can look forward to
all that comes after death,--decay, resurrection, judgment, and
eternity,--and yet not feel cast down. They can stand by the side of an
open grave, and say, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy
victory?" They can lay them down on their death-beds, and say, "Though I
walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil."
(Ps. xxiii. 4.) "Not a hair of my head shall perish." This is true
liberty. This is to be free.
Best of all, Christ's freemen are _free for ever_. Once enrolled in the
list of heavenly citizens, their names shall never be struck off. Once
presented with the freedom of Christ's kingdom, they shall possess it
for evermore. The highest privileges of this world's freedom can only
endure for a life-time; the freest citizen on earth must submit at
length to die, and lose his franchise for ever: but the franchise of
Christ's people is eternal. They carry it down to the grave, and it
lives still; they will rise again with it at the last day, and enjoy the
privileges of it for evermore. This is true liberty. This is to be free.
Does anyone ask how and in what way Christ has obtained these mighty
privileges for His people? You have a right to ask the question, and it
is one that can never be answered too clearly. Give me your attention,
and I will show you by what means Christ has made His people free.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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