Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties and Roots

by J.C. Ryle

We must place ourselves in His hands, as in the hands of a good physician, and cry to Him for mercy and grace.

if we would grow in holiness and become more sanctified, we must continually go on as we began, and be ever making fresh applications to Christ. He is the Head from which every member must be supplied.

To live the life of daily faith in the Son of God, and to be daily drawing out of His fulness the promised grace and strength which He has laid up for His people – this is the grand secret of progressive sanctification.

Believers who seem at a standstill are generally neglecting close communion with Jesus, a...

He that prayed, “Sanctify them,” the last night before His crucifixion, is infinitely willing to help everyone who by faith applies to Him for...

let us not expect too much from our own hea...

The more light we have, the more we shall see our own imperfection.

Sinners we were when we began, sinners we shall find ourselves as we go on; renewed, pardoned, justified – yet sinners to the very last.

Finally, let us never be ashamed of making much of sanctification, and contending for a high standard of holiness.

While some are satisfied with a miserably low degree of attainment, and others are not ashamed to live on without any holiness at all – content with a mere round of church-going and chapel-going, but never getting on, like a horse in a mill

let us stand fast in the old paths, follow after eminent holiness ourselves, and recommend it boldly to others. This i...

Let us feel convinced, whatever others may say, that holiness is happiness, and that the man who gets through life most ...

As a general rule, in the long run of life, it will be found true that “sanctified” people are the happiest people on earth.

They have solid comforts which the world can neither give nor take away. “The ways of wisdom are ways of pleasantness.” – “Great peace have they that love Thy law.” – It was said by One who cannot lie, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – But it is also written, “There is no peace unto the wicked.” (Proverbs 3:17; Psalm 119:165; Matthew 11:30; Isaiah 48:22).

That subject is practical holiness. It suggests a question which demands the attention of all professing Christians – Are we holy? Shall we see the Lord?

It is a solemn thing to hear the Word of God saying, “Without holiness no man shall see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14).

Holiness is the habit of being of one mind with God, according as we find His mind described in Scripture. It is the habit of agreeing in God’s judgment – hating what He hates – loving what He loves – and measuring everything in this world by the standard of His Word. He who most entirely agrees with God, he is the most holy man.

A holy man will endeavour to shun every known sin, and to keep every known commandment.

“I delight in the law of God after the inward man”

“I esteem all Thy precepts concerning all things to be right, and I hate every false way.”

A holy man will strive to be like our Lor...

It will be his aim to bear with and forgive others, even as Christ forgave us – to be unselfish, even as Christ pleased not Himself – to walk in love, even as Christ loved us – to be lowly-minded and humble, even as Christ made Himself of no reputation and humbled Himself.

“He that saith he abideth in Christ ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked”

“Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow His steps.”

“What would Christ have said and done, if He were in my place?”

A holy man will follow after meekness, long-suffering, gentleness, patience, kind tempers, government of his tongue.

A holy man will follow after temperance and self-denial. He will labour to mortify the desires of his body – to crucify his flesh with his affections and lusts – to curb his passions – to restrain his carnal inclinations, lest at any time they break loose.

A holy man will follow after charity and brotherly kindness.

Alas, what condemning words are those of 1 Corinthians 13, and the Sermon on the Mount, when laid alongside the conduct of many professing Christians!

A holy man will follow after a spirit of mercy and benevolence towards others.

A holy man will follow after purity of heart.

He knows his own heart is like tinder, and will diligently keep clear of the sparks of temptation. Who shall dare to talk of strength when David can fall?

A holy man will follow after humility. He will desire, in lowliness of mind, to esteem all others better than himself. He will see more evil in his own heart than in any other in the world.

A holy man will follow after faithfulness in all the duties and relations in life.

Holiness is worth little indeed, if it does not bear this kind of fruit. The Lord Jesus puts a searching question to His people, when He says, “What do ye more than others?” (Matthew 5:47).

Last, but not least, a holy man will follow after spiritual-mindedness. He will endeavour to set his affections entirely on things above, and to hold things on earth with a very loose hand.

He will aim to live like one whose treasure is in heaven, and to pass through this world like a stranger and pilgrim travelling to his home.

But it is the excellence of a holy man that he is not at peace with indwelling sin, as others are. He hates it, mourns over it, and longs to be free from its company. The work of sanctification within him is like the wall of Jerusalem – the building goes forward “even in troublous times.”

Sanctification is always a progressive work.

The gold will never be without some dross – the light will never shine without some clouds, until we reach the heavenly Jerusalem.

Their life is a continual warfare with sin, the world, and the devil; and sometimes you will see them not overcoming, but overcome.

And this I do boldly and confidently say, that true holiness is a great reality. It is something in a man that can be seen, and known, and marked, and felt by all around him. It is light: if it exists, it will show itself. It is salt: if it exists, its savour will be perceived. It is a precious ointment: if it exists, its presence cannot be hid.

I dare not call anyone “holy” who makes a habit of wilfully neglecting known duties, and wilfully doing what he knows God has commanded him not to do.

“I do not understand how a man can be a true believer unto whom sin is not the greatest burden, sorrow, and trouble.”

Can holiness save us? Can holiness put away sin – cover iniquities – make satisfaction for transgressions – pay our debt to God? No: not a whit. God forbid that I should ever say so. Holiness can do none of these things.

For one thing, we must be holy, because the voice of God in Scripture plainly commands it.

We must be holy, because this is one grand end and purpose for which Christ came into the world.

“Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it.” (

In short, to talk of men being saved from the guilt of sin, without being at the same time saved from its dominion in their hearts, is to contradict the witness of all Scripture.

He does not merely take away the guilt of a believer’s sin, He does more – He breaks its power. (1 Peter 1:2; Romans 8:29; Ephesians 1:4; Hebrews 12:10).