Holiness: For the Will of God Is Your Sanctification – 1 Thessalonians 4:3 [Annotated, Updated]

by J.C. Ryle

No soldiers of Christ are ever lost, missing, or left dead on the battlefield. No mourning will ever be needed and no tears will ever need to be shed for either private or officer in the army of Christ. The list of active soldiers, when the last evening comes, will be found precisely the same as it was in the morning. The English Guards marched out of London to the Crimean campaign a magnificent body of men, but many of those brave men laid their bones in a foreign grave and never saw London again. Far different will be the arrival of the Christian army in the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11:10). Not one will be found lacking. The words of our great Captain will be found true: Of those whom thou gavest me I have lost none (John 18:9). Surely this is good!