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

by J.C. Ryle

flower. Faith is that poor trembling woman who came behind Jesus in the crowd and touched the hem of His garment (Mark 5:27). Assurance is Stephen standing calmly in the midst of his murderers, saying, I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God (Acts 7:56). Faith is the penitent thief crying, Lord, remember me (Luke 23:42). Assurance is Job sitting in the dust, covered with sores, saying, I know that my redeemer lives (Job 19:25); though he slay me, yet I will trust in him (Job 13:15). Faith is Peter’s drowning cry as he began to sink, Lord, save me (Matthew 14:30). Assurance is that same Peter later declaring before the council, This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men in which we can be saved (Acts 4:11-12). Faith is the anxious, trembling voice, Lord, I believe; help thou my unbelief (Mark 9:24). Assurance is the confident challenge, Who shall accuse the chosen of God’s elect? God is he that justifies them. Who is he that condemns them? (Romans 8:33-34). Faith is Saul praying in the house of Judas at Damascus, sorrowful, blind, and alone (Acts 9:11). Assurance is Paul, the aged prisoner, looking calmly into the grave and saying, I know whom I have believed. There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 1:12; 4:8). Faith is life. How great the blessing! Who can describe ...

Many who have “hope” that they are God’s children and have true grace, however weak, are continually perplexed with doubts in points of practice. “Should we do such and such a thing? Should we give up this family custom? Should we go into that group of people? How should we draw the line about visiting? What is to be the standard of our entertainment and how we dress? Are we never, under any circumstances, to dance, never to touch a card, and never to attend parties of pleasure?” These are the kinds of questions that seem to give them constant trouble. Very often, though, the simple root of their perplexity is that they do not feel assured that they are children of God. They have not yet settled the point of which side of the gate they are on. They do not know whether they are inside the ark or not. They believe that a child of God ought to act in a certain decided way, but they wonder if they are children of God themselves. If they only felt they were so, they would go straightforward and take a decided stand, but not being sure about it, their conscience is forever hesitating and coming to a deadlock. The devil whispers, “Perhaps you are only a hypocrite; what right do you have to take a decided course? Wait until you really are a Christian.” This whisper too often turns the scale and leads to some miserable compromise or wretched conformity to the world! I believe this is one main reason why so many today are inconsistent, uncertain, unsatisfactory, and half-hearted in ...

None are so likely to maintain a watchful guard over their own hearts and lives as those who know the comfort of living in close communion with God. They know the benefit and will fear losing it. They will dread falling from the high position and ruining their own contentment by bringing clouds between themselves and Christ. He who goes on a journey with little money takes little thought of danger and cares little how late he travels. He, on the contrary, who carries gold and jewels will be a cautious traveler. He will look well to his roads, his lodgings, and his company, and will run no risks. It is an old saying, however unscientific it may be, that the fixed stars are those that tremble most. The man who most fully enjoys the light of God’s reconciled countenance will be a man tremblingly afraid of losing its blessed consolations and jealously fearful of doing anything to grieve the Holy Spirit.

I desire to offer a few suggestions on this point, with all humility. I know that many at whose feet I would gladly sit both in earth and heaven have never attained assurance. Perhaps the Lord sees something in the natural disposition of some of His children that makes assurance not good for them. Maybe in order to be kept in spiritual health they need to be kept very low. God only knows. Still, after every allowance, I am afraid that there are many believers without an assured hope, whose case may too often be explained by causes such as those listed below.

Another common cause of the absence of assurance is slothfulness about growth in grace. I think many true believers hold dangerous and unscriptural views on this point. I do not mean that they do so intentionally, but they do hold them. Many people seem to think that once they are converted, they do not have much more to attend to. They think that a state of salvation is a kind of easy chair in which they can just sit still, lie back, and be happy. They seem to think that grace is given to them that they may enjoy it, and they forget that it is given, like a talent, to be used, employed, and improved. Such people lose sight of the many direct commands to increase, to grow, to abound more and more, to add to our faith, and similar commands; and in this condition of doing little, this state of mind of sitting still, I never marvel that they miss assurance. I believe it should be our continual aim and desire to go forward, and our watchword on every returning birthday and at the beginning of every year should be, Continue to grow (1 Thessalonians 4:1). We should desire more knowledge, more faith, more obedience, and more love. If we have brought forth thirtyfold, we should seek to bring forth sixty; if we have brought forth sixty, we should strive to bring forth a hundred (Matthew 13:23). The will of the Lord is our sanctification, and it ought to be our will, too (1 Thessalonians 4:3). One thing that we can depend upon is that there is an inseparable connection between dilig...

There are no gains without pains in spiritual things, any more than in worldly things. The soul of the sluggard desires, and attains nothing (Proverbs 13:4).

Another common cause of a lack of assurance is an inconsistent walk in life. With grief and sorrow, I feel constrained to say that I am afraid that nothing more frequently prevents people from attaining an assured hope than an inconsistent life. The stream of professing Christianity in this day is far wider than it formerly was, and I am afraid we must admit that it is also much shallower. Inconsistency of life is utterly destructive of peace of conscience. The two things are incompatible. They cannot and will not go together. If you intend to have your besetting sins and cannot make up your minds to give them up, if you will refrain from cutting off the right hand and plucking out the right eye when occasion requires it, then I will presume that you will have no assurance. A hesitant, undecided walk, a reluctance to take a bold and decided line, a readiness to conform to the world, an uncertain witness for Christ, a lingering tone of Christianity, and avoiding a high standard of holiness and spiritual life all make up a sure recipe for bringing an affliction upon the garden of your soul. It is useless to think that you will feel assured and persuaded of your own pardon and acceptance with God unless you regard all God’s commandments concerning all things to be right, and hate every sin, whether great or small. I have esteemed all thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I have hated every false way (Psalm 119:128). One Achan allowed in the camp of your heart wil...

Take advice from a minister of Christ this very day. Seek durable riches – a treasure that cannot be taken from you and a city that has lasting foundations (Hebrews 11:10). Do as the apostle Paul did. Give yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ and seek that incorruptible crown He is ready to bestow. Take His yoke upon you, and learn of Him (Matthew 11:29). Come away from a world that will never really satisfy you, and depart from sin that will bite like a serpent, if you hold on to it. Come to the Lord Jesus as lowly sinners, and He will receive you, pardon you, give you His renewing Spirit, and fill you with peace. This will give you more real comfort than the world has ever done. There is a void in your heart that nothing but the peace of Christ can fill. Enter in and share our joys. Come with us and sit down by our side.

Lastly, let me turn to all believers who read these pages and speak to them a few words of brotherly counsel. The main thing that I urge upon you is this: if you do not have an assured hope of your own acceptance in Christ, resolve this day to seek it. Labor for it. Strive after it. Pray for it. Give the Lord no rest until you know whom you have believed (2 Timothy 1:12). I really think that the small amount of assurance today among those who are considered to be God’s children is a shame and a reproach. “It is a thing to be greatly regretted,” says Robert Trail, “that many Christians have lived twenty or forty years since Christ called them by His grace, yet doubting in their life.” Let us call to mind the earnest desire expressed, that every one of the Hebrews should seek after full assurance; and let us endeavor, by God’s blessing, to roll this reproach away (Hebrews 6:11). Believing reader, do you really mean to say that you have no desire to exchange hope for confidence, trust for persuasion, and uncertainty for knowledge? Because weak faith will save you, will you therefore rest content with it? Because assurance is not essential to your entrance into heaven, will you therefore be satisfied without it upon earth? This is not a healthy condition for your soul to be in! This is not how Christians thought in the apostolic days! Arise at once and go forward. Do not remain stuck at the foundation of Christianity; go on to perfection. Do not be content with a day of small ...

Even more than this, Moses refused pleasure. Pleasure of every kind, no doubt, was at his feet, if he had wanted to take it up – sensual pleasure, intellectual pleasure, social pleasure – whatever he could imagine. Egypt was a land of artists, a residence of intellectual men, a resort of everyone who had skill or science of any description. There was nothing that could feed the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life that someone in Moses’ position might not easily have commanded and possessed as his own (1 John 2:16). Let us think again how great this temptation was also. Sadly, pleasure is the one thing for which millions live. They differ, perhaps, in their views of what makes up real pleasure, but all agree in seeking first and foremost to obtain it. Pleasure and enjoyment in the holidays is the great object to which many school children look forward. Pleasure and satisfaction in making himself independent is the mark on which many young men and women in business fix their eyes. Pleasure and ease in retiring from business with a fortune is the aim that the businessman sets before him. Pleasure and bodily comfort at his own home is what the poor man desires. Pleasure and fresh excitement in politics, traveling, amusement, friends, and books is the goal toward which the rich person is striving. Pleasure is the shadow that all alike are hunting – high and low, rich and poor, old and young, one with another – each, perhaps, pretending to despise hi...

Moses also refused riches. The treasures in Egypt is an expression that seems to tell of boundless wealth that Moses might have enjoyed if he had been content to remain with Pharaoh’s daughter. We might well suppose that these treasures would have been a mighty fortune. Enough is still remaining in Egypt to give us a little idea of the money at its king’s disposal. The pyramids, obelisks, temples, and statues are still standing there as witnesses. The ruins at Carnac, Luxor, Denderah, and many other places are still the mightiest buildings in the world. They testify to this day that the man who gave up Egyptian wealth gave up something that even our own minds would find it hard to calculate and estimate. Let us consider once more how great this temptation was. Let us consider the power of money for a moment – the immense influence that the love of money has in people’s minds. Let us look around us and observe how people covet it and what amazing effort and trouble they will go through to obtain it. Tell them of an island many thousand miles away where something may be found that might be profitable if imported, and at once a fleet of ships will be sent to get it. Show them a way to make one percent more of their money, and they will consider you among the wisest of people; they will almost fall down and worship you. To possess money seems to hide defects, to cover faults, and to clothe a person with virtues. People can look past much if you are rich! But Moses is a man who...

For one thing, he chose suffering and affliction. He left the ease and comfort of Pharaoh’s court and openly took part with the children of Israel. They were enslaved and persecuted, an object of distrust, suspicion, and hatred, and anyone who befriended them was sure to taste something of the bitter cup they were daily drinking. To the eye of sense there seemed no chance of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage without a long and doubtful struggle. A settled home and country for them must have appeared to be something never likely to be obtained, however much desired. In fact, if ever anyone seemed to be openly choosing pain, trials, poverty, need, distress, anxiety, and perhaps even death, Moses was that man. Let us think how wonderful this choice was. Flesh and blood naturally try to avoid pain. It is in us all to do so. We draw back from suffering by a kind of instinct, and we avoid it if we can. If two courses of action are set before us that both seem right, we generally take that which is the least disagreeable to flesh and blood. We spend our days in fear and anxiety when we think affliction is coming near us, and we use every means to escape it. When it does come, we often worry and complain under its burden, and if we do happen to bear it patiently, we consider it a great victory. But look here! Here is a man with the same emotions and feelings as we have, and he actually chose affliction! Moses saw the cup of suffering that was before him if he left Pharaoh’s ...

He chose to join those who were suffering

Even more than this, he chose the company of a despised people. He left the society of the great and wise, among whom he had been brought up, and joined himself to the children of Israel. He who had lived from infancy in the midst of power, riches, and luxury came down from his high position and cast in his lot with poor men – slaves, serfs, bondservants, oppressed, destitute, afflicted, tormented – laborers in the brick kiln. How wonderful this choice was! We generally think it is enough for us to carry our own troubles. We might be sorry for others who are lowly and despised. We might even try to help them. We might donate some money or even speak up on their behalf, but we generally stop there.

Here, though, is a man who does far more. Moses does not merely feel sorry for despised Israel, but he actually goes down to them, adds himself to their society, and lives with them. You would be surprised if some famous person in Washington, D.C. or London were to give up house, fortune, and position in society and go live on a small income on some crowded street in the inner city for the sake of doing good. This would convey a very faint and feeble notion of the kind of thing that Moses did. He saw a despised people, and he chose their company in preference to that...

Moses believed that God was all wise. Reason and sense might have told him that his line of action was absurd and that he was throwing away useful influence and destroying all chance of benefiting his people by breaking with Pharaoh’s daughter, but faith told Moses that if God said, “Go this way,” it must be the best.

Moses believed that God was all merciful. Reason and sense might suggest that a more pleasant manner of deliverance could be found, that some compromise might be reached, and that many hardships might be avoided, but faith told Moses that God was love and that He would not give His people one drop of bitterness beyond what was absolutely needed.

Faith told Moses that all this power and greatness was of the earth, worldly, a poor, vain, empty thing, frail, fleeting, and passing away. Moses saw by faith that there was no true greatness like that of serving God. God was the king, and Moses was the true nobleman who belonged to the family of God. It was better to be the lowest in heaven than the greatest in hell.

Faith told Moses that worldly pleasures were pleasures of sin. They were mingled with sin, they led to sin, they were ruinous to the soul, and they were displeasing to God. It would be little comfort to have pleasure while God was against him. It is better to suffer and obey God than to be at ease and sin.

Faith told Moses that these pleasures were only temporary. They could not last. They were all short-lived. They would soon weary him. He woul...

Faith told him that there was a reward in heaven for the believer far richer than the treasures in Egypt – durable riches that rust could not corrupt and where thieves could not break through and steal (Matthew 6:19-20). The crown there would be incorruptible and the weight of glory would be exceeding and eternal (1 Corinthians 9:25; 2 Corinthians 4:17). Faith move...

Faith told Moses that affliction and suffering were not real evils. They were part of the school of God in which He trains the children of grace for glory. There were the medicines that are needed to purify our corrupt wills, the furnace that must burn away our ...

Faith told Moses that all the reproach and scorn poured out on him was the reproach of the Christ, that it was honorable to be mocked and despised for Christ’s sake, that whoever persecuted Christ’s people was persecuting Christ Himself, and that the day must come when His enemies would bow before Him and lick the dust. Moses saw all this, and much more, by faith. These were the things he believed, and believing, he did what he did. He was convinced of them and embraced them. He considered them as certainties, he regarded them as actual truths, and he accepted them as certainly as if he had seen them with his own eyes. Moses acted on them as realities, and this made him the man that he was. He had faith. He believed.

For one thing, if you ever want to be saved, you must make the choice that Moses made. You must choose God instead of the world. Pay careful attention to what I say. Do not overlook this, though all the rest be forgotten. I do not say that the statesman must give up his office or that the rich man must forsake his possessions. Let no one think that I mean this. I am saying that if a person desires to be saved, no matter what his position in life is, he must be prepared for tribulation. He must make up his mind to choose much that seems troublesome and to give up and refuse much that seems good and beneficial. This probably sounds strange to some who read these pages. I know that you might have a certain form of religion and are content in your way. There is a common, worldly kind of Christianity today that many have and think is enough; it is a cheap Christianity that offends no one and is worth nothing. I am not speaking of religion of this kind. However, if you really are sincere about your soul, if your Christianity is something more than a mere fashionable Sunday coat, if you are determined to live by the Bible, and if you are resolved to be a New Testament Christian, then you will soon learn that you must carry a cross. You must endure difficult things. You must suffer on behalf of your soul, as Moses did, or you cannot be saved. The world in this century is what it always was. The hearts of people are still the same. The offense of the cross has not ceased. God’s tru...

There must be a real heartfelt belief that God’s promises are certain and can be depended on. There must be a sincere belief that all that God says in the Bible is true, and that every doctrine contrary to this is false, whatever anyone may say. There must be a real belief that all God’s words are to be received, however difficult and disagreeable they may be to flesh and blood, and that His way is right and all others wrong. There must be this, or you will never come out from the world, take up the cross, follow Christ, and be saved. You must learn to believe that God’s promises are better than worldly possessions, that things unseen are better than things seen, that things in heaven not yet in sight are better than things on earth before your eyes, and that the praise of the invisible God is better than the praise of visible man. Then, and only then, will you make a choice like Moses and prefer God to the world.

The third thing I want to say about this is that the true reason why so many people are worldly and ungodly is that they have no faith. We must be aware that multitudes of professing Christians would never think for a moment of doing what Moses did. It is useless to speak soft words and close your eyes to the truth. The person must be blind who does not see thousands around him who are daily preferring the world to God – placing the things of time before the things of eternity and the things of the body before the things of the soul. We might not like to admit this, and we try hard to pretend it is not this way, but it is so. Why do they do so? No doubt they will all give us reasons and excuses. Some will talk of the snares of the world, some of the lack of time, some of the unique difficulties of their position, some of the cares and concerns of life, some of the strength of temptation, some of the power of passions, and some of the effects of bad companions. But what do all these excuses amount to? There is a far simpler way to account for the state of their souls: they do not believe. One simple sentence, like Aaron’s rod, will swallow up all their excuses: they have no faith. They do not really think that what God says is true. They secretly flatter themselves, thinking, “It will surely not be fulfilled; there must certainly be some other way to heaven beside that which the Bible speaks of. There certainly cannot be so much danger of being lost.” Basically, they do not...