Private Judgment # 8

Private Judgment # 8

I have set forth in plain language two things: One, the right, the duty, and necessity of private judgment. The other is the duty and necessity of keeping firm hold upon truth.

It only remains to APPLY these things to the individual consciences.

1. For one thing, if it is our duty to "prove all things" - then let me beseech and exhort all Christians to arm themselves with a thorough knowledge of the written Word of God.

There is no royal road to a knowledge of the Bible. There must be patient, daily, systematic reading of the Book - or the Book will not be known. 

The devil can quote Scripture. He could go to our Lord and quote a text when he wished to tempt Him. A man must be able to say, when he hears Scripture falsely quoted, perverted, and misapplied, "It is written again!" lest he be deceived.

2. For another thing, if it is aright to "prove all things" - then let us take special care to try every false doctrine, by whoever put forward by the written Word of God. Let us believe nothing, however specially advanced - believe nothing,with whatever weight of authority brought forward - believe nothing, though supported by all the Fathers - believe nothing, unless it can be proved to us out of the Scripture. The Bible alone is infallible. That alone is light. That alone is God's measure of truth and falsehood. "Let God be true, and every man a liar."

All the learning in the world could never have supplied a better answer than that. Latimer, or Knox, or Owen, could never have made a more crushing reply. Let this be our rule when we are attacked by non-believers and false-preachers. Let us hold fast the sword of the Spirit and say, in reply to all their arguments, "It cannot be true, because it is not in the Bible."

3. Last of all, if it is right to "hold fast that which is true" - then let us make sure that we have each laid hold personally upon Christ's truth for ourselves. It will not save us to know all controversies, and to be able to detect everything which is false. Head knowledge will never bring us to Heaven. It will not save us to be able to argue and reason, or to detect the errors of our Christian religion. Let us see that we each lay hold upon Jesus Christ for ourselves, by our own personal faith. Let us see to it that we each flee for refuge, and lay hold upon the hope set before us in His glorious gospel. Let us do this, and then all things are our's. The Church may fail. The state may go to ruin. The foundations of all establishments may be shaken. The enemies of truth may for a season prevail. But as for us - all shall be well. We shall have in this world peace, and in the world which is to come, life everlasting; for we shall have Christ, and having Him, we have all!

This is real "good," lasting good, good in sickness in health, good in life, good in death, good in time, and good in eternity. All other things are but uncertain. They all wear out. They fade. They droop. They wither. They decay. The longer we have them - the more worthless we find them; and the more satisfied we become that everything here below is "vanity and vexation of spirit." But as for hope in Christ, that is always good. The longer we  use it, the better it seems. The more we wear it in our hearts, the brighter it will look. It is good when we first have it. It is far better when we grow older. It is better still in the day of trial, and the hour of death. And it will prove best of all in the day of judgment!

~J. C. Ryle~

(The End)