Ryle’s next chapter in Holiness is on Growth in Grace. He addressed 3 topics in this chapter: the reality, marks and means of spiritual growth. His text is 2 Peter 3:18 (Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.). This should basically show the reality of spiritual growth (which is concurrent with our growth in our knowledge- both objective and subjective- of Jesus).
The marks of spiritual growth include increased humility, increased faith and love toward Jesus, increased holiness of life, increased spirituality of taste and mind. The first ones should make sense, and be obvious to any converted person. The last I mentioned may not be instantly clear.
“The ways, and fashions, and amusements, and recreations of the world have a continually decreasing place in his heart. He does not condemn them as downright sinful, nor say that those who have anything to do with them are going to hell. He only feels that they have a constantly diminishing hold on his own affections, and gradually seem smaller and more trifling in his eyes.”
He does not really specify what he means. Our hobbies should become less important to us, and we should spend more time cultivating a heart toward him, toward others etc. One does not want to say that anyone must abstain from indifferent matters (1 Tim. 4). However, I fear we (me included) have been captivated and be-dazzled by indifferent matters. We are more concerned with missing our favorite show or game than not having/finding time to be with God. We can be more focused on a new CD than a new book by someone who will spur us on to holiness and love.
Two other marks are growth in charity (love) and increased zeal and diligence in trying to do good to others. These are connected. The grace of God teaches us to say ‘no’ to ungodliness and live proper, godly lives in this present age (Titus). “One of the surest marks of spiritual decline is a decreased interest about the souls of others and the growth of Christ’s kingdom.”
I want to focus on the means of grace. We can often think that these things earn God’s grace. Modern Pharisees think this way. Antinomians avoid these means out of fear of legalism, forgetting that God uses means to give us grace. “They seem to suppose that those who grow are what they are by some special gift or grant from God. … Cast away for ever the vain thought that if a believer does not grow in grace it is not his fault.” God has appointed those means. Those means do not benefit us unless we participate in them believing God has ordained them, and that God will provide the grace He promised. We do not think the act itself provides grace, but that God does it as He sees fit. However, if we don’t utilize those means… no grace. So, what are these means?
Private Means: private prayer, private reading of the Scriptures, private meditation and self-examination. “The man who does not take pains about these three things must never expect to grow in grace.” Ryle describes briefly the “hurry, bustle” of his time. There was so much to do, even at church, that people were not devoted to private devotion. It has not gotten better, but worse. We are driven to distraction by a multiplication of opportunities, which we seem unable to resist. Spurgeon once said, “Learn to say ‘no’. It will be of more use to you than Latin or Greek.” Private devotion must receive our attention if we wish to grow in grace and mature in character.
Public Means: corporate prayer, Sunday worship, biblical preaching, the sacraments. “I firmly believe that the manner in which these public means of grace are used has much to say to the prosperity of a believer’s soul.” It is not just showing up, but showing up believing that God offers grace to you, and earnestly seeking it. “It is a sign of bad health when a person loses relish for his food; and it is a sign of spiritual decline when we lose our appetite for the means of grace.” This should alarm those who are opting out of the “organized church” (is there any other kind? is any body disorganized?). The public means are no substitute for the private, nor the private a substitute for the public. They were meant to supplement one another, like a proper diet and exercise, for good spiritual health.
Watchfulness over our conduct in the little matters of everyday life: watch over our temper, tongue, use of time. Those little decisions add up over time. Tiny decisions eat up lots of time that could be better used. We must never forget that discipleship is an everyday affair. We are to take up our cross daily. Each day is to be lived in self-denial.
Caution About Friendships: The company we keep is important. Some paint a black and white picture. We need to know and spend time with non-Christians. But the more intimate a relationship, the more we should reserve it for those who share our faith and convictions. Those are the ones we spend the most time with engaging in matters of the heart. “Disease is infectious, but health is not.” It is not as if we will catch sin, but we will drink in the polluted wisdom of the world. I’ve seen the decay of spiritual life in others as they allow themselves to become too attached to non-Christians. This is not at odds with missional living, but makes sure maintain our distinctiveness AS we engage non-Christians with the gospel. We come to them as godly people, not worldly people. “Mistakes in friendship or marriage-engagements are the whole reason some have entirely ceased to grow. … Let us seek friends that will stir us up about our prayers, our Bible-reading, and our employment of time…”.
Regular and Habitual Communion with Jesus: not the Lord’s Table alone, but engaging Him with your heart, mind and will. “It is possible to have ‘union’ with Christ, and yet to have little if any ‘communion’ with Him.” Let us not settle for something like a distant marriage with Jesus. Those people are still married, though uninvolved with each other except over the most ordinary things. Rather, we need to trust specific promises, repent of specific sins, loving Him personally.
Suffering: Ryle does not mean this until the end of the chapter. It seems an afterthought, and I wish he said more about it, particularly since the Bible says so much about it. However, it stands opposed to the other means in that those we have control over. We decided how often we will engage God in prayer, reading, listening etc. We even control how much time we will spend in particuar relationships. We don’t control how much we suffer. But we are rejoice, accepting hardship as discipline and desiring the fruit of righteousness that will grow (Hebrews 12). There are promises for those who stand up under trial (James 1). We see that suffering reveals how much farther we have to go (Romans 5), and Jesus shows us how to stand up under unjust suffering (1 Peter 3-5).
Tim Keller related a story told by The Doctor. A young pastor in Wales was getting quite the reputation as a preacher. The other pastors were excited about how much God would do through him. Then an older minister spoke up. “He has not been humbled yet.” Our ministry will follow the pattern laid by Jesus (Philippians 2). We will either humble ourselves, or be humbled, before we are used greatly. Think of just about every great person in the Bible, and there is great suffering. Moses herding sheep in disgrace for 40 years. David running for his life in the wilderness. The cross does not take that away from us. But assures us that a crown awaits if we persevere by the grace of God, which is sufficient for our trial.
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