The True Church # 4

The True Church # 4

1. My first word of application shall be a question. What shall that question be? How shall I approach you? What shall I ask? I ask you, whether you are a member of the one true Church of Christ? Are you a member of the Church built upon the rock. Have you received the Holy Spirit? Does the Spirit witness with your spirit, that you are one with Christ, and Christ with you? I beseech you, in the name of God, to lay to heart this question, and to ponder it well. Take heed to yourselves, dear brethren, if you cannot give a satisfactory answer to my inquiry. Take heed that you do not make shipwreck of faith. 

2. My second word of application shall be in invitation. I address it to all who are not yet true believers. Come and join the one true Church without delay. Come and join yourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ in an everlasting covenant not to be forgotten. Come to Christ and be saved. Come to my Master, Jesus Christ. Mercy is ready for you, heaven is ready for you, angels are ready to rejoice over you, Christ is ready to receive you. He will receive you gladly, and welcome you among His children. The old world will soon break into pieces! The world is but a wreck stuck on the sandbar. The night is far spent. But the life-boat is launched, and we, the ministers of the Gospel, beseech you to come into the life-boat and be saved.

Do you ask - How can I come, my sins are so many? Hear the words of that beautiful hymn: "Just as I am: without one plea. But that Your blood was shed for me, And that you bid me come to Thee, O Lamb of God I come." That is the way to come to Christ. "His that comes" to Christ, He "will not cast out." Oh! come to Jesus Christ!

3. Last of all, let me give a word of EXHORTATION to my believing hearers.  Live a holy life, my brethren. Walk worthy of the Church to which you belong. Live like citizens of heaven. Let your light shine before men, so that the world may profit by your conduct. Let them know whose you are, and whom you serve. Be epistles of Christ, known and read by all men; written in such clear letters, that none can say - we do not know whether he is a member of Christ or not. Live a courageous life, my brethren. Confess Christ before men. Whatever station you occupy, in that station confess Christ. Why should you be ashamed of Him? He was not ashamed of you on the Cross. He is ready to confess you now before His Father in heaven. Why should you be ashamed of Him? Be bold. Be very bold. The true believers ought never to be ashamed of Christ.

Live a joyful life. Live like men who look for that blessed hope - the second coming of Jesus Christ. This is the prospect to which we should all look forward. It is not so much the thought of going to heaven, as of heaven coming to us, which should fill our minds. There is a good time coming for all the people of God - a good time for all the Church of Christ - a good time for all believers. But there is a bad time coming for the impenitent and unbelieving - a bad time for those who serve their own lusts, and turn their  backs on the Lord - but a good time for true Christians. For that good time, let us wait, and watch, and pray. The Saviour and the saved shall rejoice together. The whole universe shall acknowledge, that in the building of Christ's Church all was well done!

~J. C. Ryle~

(The End)