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USELESS KINDS OF RELIGION
By J. C. Ryle
THERE are two
ways by which a man may lose his own soul. What are they? He
may lose his soul by living and dying without any religion at all. He
may live and die like a beast prayerless, godless, graceless, faithless.
This is a sure way to Hell. Mind that you do not walk in it. He may lose his
soul by taking up some kind of religion. He may live and die
contenting himself with false Christianity, and resting on a baseless hope.
This is the commonest way to Hell there is.
What do I mean by useless kinds of religion?
The first thing I
wish to say is this. A religion is entirely useless in which Jesus Christ
is not the principal object, and does not fill the principal place.
There are only too many baptized men and women
who practically know nothing about Christ. Their religion consists in a few
vague notions and empty expressions. “They trust they are no worse than
others; they keep to their Church; they try to do their duty; they do nobody
any harm; they hope God will be merciful to them! They trust the Almighty
will pardon their sins, and take them to Heaven when they die.” This is
about the whole of their religion.
But what do these people know practically about
Christ? Nothing; nothing at all? What experimental acquaintance have they
with His offices and work, His blood, His righteousness, His mediation, His
priesthood, His intercession? None; none at all. Ask them about saving faith
— ask them about being born again of the Spirit — ask them about being
sanctified in Christ Jesus. What answer will you get? You are a barbarian to
them, you have asked them simple Bible questions, but they know no more
about them experimentally than a Buddhist or a Turk.
And yet this is the religion of hundreds of
thousands of people who are called Christians, all over the world.
If you are a man of this kind, I warn you
plainly that such Christianity will never take you to Heaven. It may do very
well in the eyes of men; it may pass muster very decently at the church
meeting, in the place of business, in the House of Commons, or in the
streets; bit it will never comfort you; it will never satisfy your
conscience; it will never save your soul.
I warn you plainly that all notions and
theories about God being merciful without Christ, and excepting through
Christ, are baseless delusions and empty fancies. Such theories are as
purely an idol of man’s invention as the idol of the Juggernaut. They are of
the earth, earthy; they never came down from Heaven. The God of Heaven has
sealed and appointed Christ as the one and only Saviour and way of life, and
all who would be saved must be content to be saved by Him, or they will
never be saved at all.
I give you fair
warning. A religion without Christ will never save your soul.
But I have another thing yet to say. A religion
is entirely useless in which you join anything with Christ in the matter of
saving your soul. You must not only depend on Christ for salvation, but you
must depend on Christ only and Christ alone.
There are multitudes of baptized men and women
who profess to honour Chirst, but in reality do Him great dishonour. They
give Christ a certain place in their system of religion, but not the place
which God intended Him to fill. Christ alone is not “all in all” to their
souls. No: It is either Christ and the Church; or Christ and the Sacraments;
or Christ and His ordained ministers; or Christ and their own goodness or
Christ and their own prayers; or Christ and their own sincerity and charity,
on which they practically rest their souls.
If you are a Christian of this kind I warn you
also plainly that your religion is an offence to God. You are changing God’s
plan of salvation into a plan of your own devising. You are, in effect,
deposing Christ from His throne, by giving the glory due to Him to another.
I care not who it
is that teaches you your religion and on whose word you build. Whether he be
Pope or Cardinal, Archbishop or Bishop, Dean or Archdeacon, Presbyter or
Deacon, Episcopalian or Presbyterian, Baptist or Independent, Methodist or
Plymouth Brother — whosoever adds anything to Christ, teaches you
wrong.
I care not what it is that you add to Christ.
Whether it be the necessity of joining the Church of Rome, or of being an
Episcopalian, or of becoming a Free Churchman, or of giving up the liturgy,
or of being dipped — whatever you may practically add to Christ in the
matter of salvation, you do Christ an injury.
Take heed what you are doing. Beware of giving
to Christ’s servants the honour due to none but Christ. Beware of giving the
Lord’s ordinances the honour due unto the Lord. Beware of resting the burden
of your soul on anything but Christ, and Christ alone. Beware of having a
religion which is of no use, and cannot save.
It is an
awful thing to have no religion at all. To have an immortal soul committed
to your charge, and neglect it, this is dreadful. But it’s no less an awful
thing to be content with a religion than can do you no good. Do not let this
be your case!
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Grace Bible Baptist Church
26080 Wax Road
Denham Springs, LA 70726