C.S. Lewis: Should Christians Embrace His Theology?

"You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!"

 James 2:19

While navigating through Facebook one day, I came upon a recent post by Mike Gendron of Proclaiming the Gospel.  As usual, the comments ranged from complete agreement with Mike to vitriolic outrage from the Catholics he witnesses to, but one of his "friends" provided a link in a comment on Mike's post to add support to the topic being discussed and Mike's analysis of C.S. Lewis.  It's a long read, but if you believe that Lewis was a evangelical Christian who defended the truth of the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it should be read in its entirety, merely because after reading it, you may change your mind.  

However, before we delve into the theology of C.S. Lewis, let me remind you that I am not claiming to have divine knowledge about whether or not he was saved.   Nor am I "judging" the man, as so many, I'm sure, will accuse me (I do sincerely wish that professing Christians would study that particular passage in order to exegete it properly).   I will leave Lewis' salvation to God, as we all should.

C.S. Lewis began his writing career creating fantasy stories for children, yet ended it by defining his faith, his world view, and his interpretation of Scripture.  My first real notice of C.S. Lewis came after reading the first book of his "Narnia" series because of the appeal they had to Christians.  Regardless of the fact that the seven book series written between 1939 and 1951 were intended for children, and that over 100 million copies in over 47 languages have been sold, my critique of the first book caused me to not want to continue with the other six, and forced me to place them on the immaturely and mundane written back shelf to collect dust.  It must be noted, however, that Lewis initially did not have the intention of making the books allegorical, but preferred to term their Christian similarities as "supposition."  In a letter he wrote in 1958, in which he responded to the allegorical question, Lewis maintains that the books weren't allegory:

"If Aslan represented the immaterial Deity in the same way in which Giant Despair [a character in The Pilgrim's Progress] represents despair, he would be an allegorical figure.  In reality however he is an invention giving an imaginary answer to the question, 'What might Christ become like, if there really were a world like Narnia and He chose to be incarnate and die and rise again in that world as He actually has done in ours?'  This is not allegory at all."

Besides finding no enjoyment in reading the Narnia books, I also view them as a spiritual deception.  Like many fictional stories that borrow from Scripture, there is often a departure from the Truth and embellishments are inserted to keep the reader hooked - including the line and sinker.  Whether intentionally or not, C.S. Lewis drew his story line from Scripture, and also from Greek, Turkish, and Roman mythology.  Because of the pagan themes that run throughout the books, he has been accused by many Christian leaders of promoting "soft-sell paganism and occultism".  He had a fascination with medieval cosmology, astrology, and Celtic pagan tales, and most of his fictional writings reflect aspects from each culture.

Many will disagree with me, especially after Hollywood decided to capitalize on the "Chronicle" series and people flooded the theaters to engage themselves in the fantasy.  Although as a child I always loved good fantasy and fairy tales, I found the movies to be a waste of my money and time.  Following the release of the movies, Lewis made it back to the top of the renowned author throne and his books began a new cycle on the Best Seller list, where they once again were being touted by the church as a metaphor of Jesus Christ and His Gospel.  I'm still waiting for someone to provide me with Biblical evidence of this claim, other than drawing from a title given to our LORD, "the Lion of the tribe of Judah" (Hosea 5:14, Rev 5:5) and comparing the death and "resurrection" of the lion, "Aslan," to Christ and His atonement.  I consider that argument to be a fanciful twist of the Truth, and a way for professing Christians to minimize our Savior's redeeming act.

Mature Christians would have no problem rightly dividing the man Jesus Christ from the image of a Lion.  But the books and movies were aimed at children, and for children, the reality of the humanity and divine nature of Jesus Christ which they should be taught is muddied with unrestrained fancy, throwing the King of kings and LORD of lords into the same category as Superman, Sponge Bob Square Pants, or Harry Potter.  In other words, without proper guidance and instruction, when a small child who has overheard the comparison of the Narnia fantasy with Jesus Christ and is asked to describe Him, he will immediately draw from his own experience: that of sitting in a dark theater, his eyes glued to a massive screen with popcorn in his lap, and the image of children traveling through a mirror to bounce between alternate universes where they meet a huge talking lion who saves mankind.

It wasn't until later in his life that C.S. Lewis became a "convert" to Christianity.  Setting aside his fictional writing and fascination with the occult and fantasy, this is the C.S. Lewis we should examine.  Born an Irishman in 1898 and baptized at birth in the Church of Ireland (Anglican Communion), he quickly rejected Christianity in his adolescence and declared himself to be an atheist.  But at the age of 32, Lewis returned to the Anglican Communion and much of his writing reflected his renewed faith.  It has been said that the faith he re-embraced faltered upon the death of his wife from cancer in 1960.  From "A Grief Observed," and written under a pseudonym in order not to be recognized, Lewis lashed out in anger at God:

Talk to me about the truth of religion and I'll listen gladly. Talk to me about the duty of religion and I'll listen submissively. But don't come talking to me about the consolation of religion or I shall suspect that you don't understand. The conclusion is not "So there's no God, after all" but "So this is what God is really like, the Cosmic Sadist. The spiteful imbecile?"

Although Lewis' grief, anger, and distrust of God was vehemently expressed, it is commonly viewed that his faith was later restored.  Three years following his wife's death, C.S. Lewis died on the same day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.  Because of this sensational headline and also the death of Aldous Huxley, Lewis' death was barely noticed.

Upon his professed conversion, Lewis authored a number of Christian apologetics. (For a complete list of his books, including anthologies written after his death, click here.) His book, "Mere Christianity," was placed third in Christianity Today's list of most influential evangelical books since 1945.  The book is more of a testimony of Lewis' journey from atheism to belief, than a tome full of godly wisdom.  Although Lewis believed that God's moral law and man's inability to keep it must first be understood and acknowledged before Christ's atonement can be embraced, it's his philosophical pondering and insistence that much of the Bible is from the imaginations of men that brings into question his world view and understanding of the Gospel.  Regardless of his desire to write fictional fantasy stories for children, it is his understanding of the Word of God that begs, by us,  a second look.

As mentioned, the following are excerpts from an article by The Trinity Foundation, entitled "Did C.S. Lewis Go to Heaven?" that was shared on Mike Gendron's post.   I have broken them down to give you a clearer understanding of Lewis' position(s).  They should be viewed using the only reliable source available to us, the Bible, and given careful examination and compared against the Word of God.   They include just a few glaring errors that Lewis embraced and wrote about in his four books on apologetics, which are described as "encyclopedic," and letters written by him while conversing with other theologians, and they reinforced within me why I have always felt a little distrust of C.S. Lewis.

1.  The Psalms were characterized by Lewis as “fatal confusion,” “devilish,” “diabolical,” “contemptible,” petty,"  "vulgar," full of "contradiction," and written with "naivety," and "error."

2.  Lewis rejected the doctrine of Scriptural inerrancy, claiming that the Bible is not the Word of God, that all Christian literature is "inspired," and that in order to be led to Christ (who, according to Lewis, is the "real" Word of God, which John rightly ascribes to Jesus, yet is misconstrued by Lewis), one must read it in the "right spirit."  According to Lewis, the Bible "does not speak for itself, but only through its interpreters."   He went on to say, “Somehow, when we least expect it but truly need it for our 'spiritual life,' we will know whether a particular passage is rightly translated or is myth (but of course myth specially chosen by God from among countless myths to carry a spiritual truth) or history.... But we must not use the Bible (our fathers too often did) as a sort of Encyclopedia out of which texts...can be taken for use as weapons."

3.  Regarding the Book of John, Lewis wrote: “Either this [John’s Gospel] is reportage – though it may no doubt contain errors – pretty close up to the facts; nearly as close as Boswell. Or else, some unknown writer in the second century, without known predecessors or successors, suddenly anticipated the whole technique of modern, novelistic, realistic, narrative.”  In other words, the Apostle John, who was an eye witness of Jesus' teaching, miracles, and atonement, used creative license in writing his account of Jesus Christ and made many "errors" in his narration.

4.  Lewis overtly avoided the doctrine of justification by faith alone in all four of his massive books, only mentioning it in one sentence in a radio interview, yet never addressing his position to clarify it.

5.  Lewis believed that “Humanity is already ‘saved’ in principle..."  This particular section is enough to make you see his gross errors, including his belief that what Christ did for us we should have done for ourselves.

6.  Lewis called salvation a "good infection":  "Jesus does it 'in us and for us.'   If we get 'close enough' to him, whatever that means, we catch the 'new life,' as one catches an infection."  He also asserted that we can accept or reject any or all of the truths regarding salvation, depending upon what "appeals" to us, thereby falling into the trap of subjectivism and relativism.  He further asserts that we should not quarrel with another who holds a different theological "formula" for salvation.

7.  Lewis insists that one must employ the heresy of mysticism and pass through the "dark night of the soul" before he is converted.

8.  Lewis called God's sovereignty in choosing who does and does not go to Heaven "frightfully unfair," and by contradicting Christ's own words that only those who know the Son will be saved (John 3:14-18), he rejects that Christian faith is the only way to salvation.  Lewis insisted that there are others in other belief systems that are "being led by God’s secret influence to concentrate on those parts of their religion which are in agreement with Christianity, and who thus belong to Christ without knowing it."   In other words, the Holy Spirit's work in the heart is kept secret from the pagan recipient of God's grace, making it unnecessary for the recipient to acknowledge his depravity and need for repentance while the work is being done, and free to continue to worship false gods.  (If someone can provide me with a better explanation of Lewis' thoughts here, feel free to do so!)  Furthermore, he goes on to state, "I think that every prayer which is sincerely made even to a false god or to a very imperfectly conceived true God, is accepted by the true God and that Christ saves many who do not think they know Him."

9.  Lewis believed that even Jesus Christ erred, particularly regarding Mark 13:32, whereby he stated that it is "certainly the most embarrassing verse in the Bible."  Continuing on this heresy, he wrote, “The one exhibition of error and the one confession of ignorance [Mark 13:32] grow side by side. That they stood thus in the mouth of Jesus himself, and were not merely placed thus by the reporter, we surely need not doubt.... The facts, then, are these: that Jesus professed himself (in some sense) ignorant, and within a moment showed that he really was so.”

10.  Lewis wrote that God sends "good dreams" in the form of mythology, which reveals his intention for writing the Narnia series.

The following is the author's conclusion to this article:

"Lewis taught and believed in purgatory (despite the fact that Article 22 of the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England describes the doctrine of purgatory as 'repugnant to the Word of God'), said prayers for the dead, believed in the physical presence of Christ’s body and blood in the bread and wine, a sacrament that he came to call 'Mass,' practiced and taught auricular confession, believed in baptismal salvation, and free will. As we have seen, he rejected the inerrancy of Scripture and justification by faith alone, as well as the doctrines of total depravity and the sovereignty of God.

"So we ask again: Did C. S. Lewis go to Heaven? And our answer must be: Not if he believed what he wrote in his books and letters."

For an even deeper look into the beliefs Lewis adhered to, I would encourage everyone to read the entire article, which touches on more of his un-Scriptural beliefs. 

I found it interesting, and a little bit comforting, that I may not be alone in my distrust of C.S. Lewis.  No one wants to cast aspersions on another, nor ever assume to know their eternal destination.  At this point and without speaking directly to the man, all of my discomfort over Lewis is conjecture, and I must leave it at that.  But in my attempt to give him the benefit of the doubt, I did some more online research looking for reliable sources with the same opinion as my own.  Pastor John MacArthur, in his recent article, "A Redeemed Soul," uses Lewis as an example of grossly misunderstanding sanctification and glorification, and perpetuating the myth of "purgatory":

Moreover, the holiness our sanctification produces could never be sufficient to fit us for heaven by itself.  In heaven we will be perfectly Christlike.  Sanctification is the earthly process of growth by which we press toward that goal; glorification is the instantaneous completion of it.  God graciously, summarily glorifies us and admits us into His pres­ence.  There is no waiting period, no soul sleep, and no purgatory.

           Misunderstanding on this point runs deep.  No less a scholar than C. S. Lewis  wrote:

"Our souls demand purgatory, don’t they?  Would it not break the heart if God said to us, 'It is true, my son, that your breath smells and your rags drip with mud and slime, but we are charitable here and no one will upbraid you with these things, nor draw away from you. Enter into the joy'?  Should we not reply, 'With submission, sir, and if there is no objection, I’d rather be cleaned first.'   'It may hurt, you know.' — 'Even so, sir.' (C. S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer [New York: Harcourt, 1964], 108–109.)

Lewis was no theologian.  He was prone—like too many Anglicans—to water down the clarity of biblical truth with Roman Catholic tradi­tion.  But this is surely one of his most glaring and baffling errors. It is as if he were totally oblivious to the biblical promise of glorification.

Nothing in Scripture even hints at the notion of pur­gatory, and nothing indicates that our glorification will in any way be drawn out or painful.  On the contrary, the moment a believer dies, his soul is instantly glorified and he enters God’s presence.  To depart this world is to be with Christ (Philippians 1:23).  And upon seeing Christ, we become like Him.  It is a graceful, peaceful, painless, instantaneous transition. Paul says that to be ab­sent from the body is to be “at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).

C.S. Lewis was baffling, indeed.  The myriad quotes from Lewis that are seen and shared on Facebook and the web definitely give us the impression that his theology was sound and without error.  But when we take a deeper look into the mind of this man, there is no solid footing to be found; no place to rest and feel satisfied that his faith was genuine, that he understood the Gospel, and that he's at peace for eternity.  There are too many variables; too many, "Yes, but..."  Because he was considered a "religious skeptic" and actually given the title "The Apostle to the Skeptics," there's no wonder that many of us question him.  Therein lies my discomfort with and distrust of Lewis, along with that little voice in the back of my head uttering caution.

Are some Christians so bent on proving that Lewis was no different than all of us who occasionally express doubt, fear, or anger with God, or become briefly convinced of an error, that they only pick and choose the most positive from amongst his writings?  Or is there an underlying shadow of deception and confusion beneath what we perceive to be the man and what he believed, and an unwillingness for Christians to acknowledge it?

Other than his confession of faith in Jesus Christ, albeit "skeptical," and his fine-sounding quips and quotations that are so highly viewed, we must be content that the state of C.S. Lewis' soul remains known to only him and the God with whom he had such a tumultuous relationship.  However, we should never take a man's word at face value.  Rather, we should dig deeper to see if what he is saying is aligned with God's Word and whether or not it should be embraced by us, to ensure we are on God's solid ground and our hearts, minds, and souls are in the safety of His hands.

My conclusion?  I'm not sure, but I'm leaning heavily towards an answer to the title of this post, and that answer is, "No".  If C.S. Lewis' writings are any indication, his theology should not be embraced.  And as was stated at the conclusion of the above article, if Lewis truly held to the things he wrote in his books and letters to the day of his death, then the question of his salvation remains.

Eternity will tell. 

"Strive To Enter" - Part II

Do you see the connection between my last post, "The Coming Storm," and Ryle's exhortation in Part 1 that is built upon the dire warning given by Jesus to those who were present to hear Him?  I hope you do.  I personally know far too many people who either refuse to hear the Gospel, or worse yet, have heard it and continue to be as stubborn and hardhearted as they always have been when it comes to believing that the day of their death is as imminent as the day of their birth, and repenting of their offenses and asking forgiveness of God.

Of course, the apathy, complacency, and/or unbelief isn't common to only this period in history.  From the very beginning an untold number of mankind has discovered, far too late, that the warnings presented in Scripture are not mere suggestions.  God's Word, which cannot be questioned, altered, or ignored, is sealed in eternity.  "Life as usual" is a dangerous motto.  "There will be time, later" is a dangerous attitude.  "I'm a good person" is a foolishly dangerous statement.  "God would never send someone like me to hell" is dangerous ignorance of His righteous and divine judgment and, as Jesus warned the Pharisees of His day that the narrow door would be closed against them, so shall He close it to those who believe their halfhearted, works-based, broad-road religions will gain them entry.

In the last post, we learned from J.C. Ryle why we must "Strive to enter through the narrow door..." and why "many...will seek to enter but will not be able."  In summary, Ryle impresses upon us the following:

1. As the prophecies in the Old Testament have come to pass without fail and to the letter, so shall Jesus' prediction in Luke 13:22-30 be fulfilled.
2. There will come a time when it will be too late to seek salvation.
3. There will come a time when Heaven's door will forever be closed to all but God's children.
4. Repentance will come too late.
5. Faith will come too late.
6. "A desire for salvation will come too late."
7. Man will see that the things he treasured here on this earth are but worthless dust, compared to the treasures of Heaven.

Ryle concludes the first portion of his chapter by speaking to the unbelievers, who will eventually see the value of what they were being offered but, like the ten Virgins who allowed their lamps to run out of oil (Matt 25:1-13),  it will be too late.   He then exhorts the believers, who may currently be suffering from trials or persecution, to "take courage [and] look forward to the LORD's second coming" and to "not fear the reproach of men."

And now, without further ado, let's see the answer Ryle provides for such a predicament.

Part 2

And now let me offer to every one who reads this paper a few parting words, in order to apply the whole subject to his soul.   You have heard the words of the LORD Jesus unfolded and expounded.  You have seen the picture of the way of salvation:  it is a narrow door.  You have heard the command of the King: "Make every effort to enter in."  You have been told of His solemn warning: "Many will try to enter in, and will not be able to."  Bear with me a little longer while I try to impress the whole matter on your conscience.  I still have something to say on God's behalf.

 (1)  For one thing, I will ask you a simple question.  "Have you entered in through the narrow door or not?"  Old or young, rich or poor, religious or atheist, I repeat my question, "Have you entered in through the narrow door?"

I do not ask whether you have heard of it, and believe there is a door.  I do not ask whether you have looked at it, and admired it, and hope one day to go through.  I ask whether you have gone up to it, knocked on it, been admitted, and "are now inside?"

If you are inside, what good have you got from your religion?  You are not pardoned and forgiven.  You are not reconciled to God.  You are not born again, sanctified, and suitable for heaven.  If you die as you are, you will live in the same place of torment as the devil will: forever, and your soul will be eternally miserable.

Oh, think, think what a state this is to live in!  Think, think above all things, what a state this is to die in!  Your life is but a vapor.  A few more years at most and you are gone; your place in the world will soon be filled up; your house will be occupied by another.  The sun will go on shining, the grass and daisies will soon grow thick over your grave, your body will be food for worms, and your soul will be lost for all eternity.

And all this time there stands open before you a door of salvation.  God invites you.  Jesus Christ offers to save you.  All things are ready for your deliverance.  Only one thing is lacking, and that is that you should be willing to be saved.   Oh think of these things, and be wise!

(2)  For another thing, I will give plain advice to all who are not yet inside the narrow door.  That advice is simply this:  "to enter in without a day's delay."

Tell me, if you can, of anyone who ever reached heaven except through "the narrow door."  I know of none.  From Abel, the first who died, down to the end of the list of Bible names, I see none saved by any way but faith in Christ.

Tell me, if you can, of any who ever entered through the narrow door without "making every effort."  I know of none except those who die in infancy.  He that would win heaven must be content to fight for it.

Tell me, if you can, of anyone who ever strove earnestly to enter, and failed to succeed.  I know of none.  I believe that however weak and ignorant men may be, they never seek life heartily and conscientiously, at the right door, and are left without an answer of peace.

Tell me, if you can, of anyone who ever entered through the narrow door, and was sorry afterwards.  I know of none.  I believe the footsteps on the threshold of the door are all one way.  All have found it a good thing to serve Christ, and have never regretted taking up His cross.

If these things are true, seek Christ without delay, and enter through the door of life while you can!  Make a beginning this very day.  Go to that merciful and mighty Savior in prayer, and pour out your heart before Him.  Confess to Him your guilt and wickedness and sin.  Open your heart freely to Him; keep nothing back.  Tell Him that you put yourself and all your soul's affairs wholly on His promise, and [to] put His Holy Spirit within you.

There is everything "to encourage you to do this."  Thousands as bad as you have applied to Christ in this way, and not one of them has been sent away and refused.  They have found a peace of conscience they never knew before, and have gone on their way rejoicing.  They have found strength for all the trials of life, and none of them have been allowed to perish in the wilderness.  Why shouldn't you also seek Christ?

There is everything to encourage you to do what I tell you, "at once."  I know no reason why your repentance and conversion should not be as immediate as that of others before you.  The Samaritan woman came to the well an ignorant sinner, and returned to her home a new creature (John 4:1-44.  The Philippian jailer turned from darkness to light, and became a professed disciple of Christ in a single day (Acts 16:16-30).  And why shouldn't others do the same?  Why shouldn't you give up your sins and trust in Christ this very day?

I know that the advice I have given you is good.  The grand question is, "Will you take it?"

(3)  The last thing I have to say will be a request to all who have really entered through the narrow door.  That request is that you will tell others of the blessings which you have found.

I want all converted people to be missionaries.  I do not want them all to go out to foreign lands and preach to the heathen; but I do want all to be of a missionary spirit, and to make every effort to do good at home.  I want them to testify to all around them that the narrow door is the way to happiness, and to persuade them to enter through it.

 When Andrew was converted, he found his brother Peter, and said to him, " 'We have found the Messiah' (that is, the Christ).  And he brought him to Jesus (John 1:41-42).  When Philip was converted, he found Nathaniel, and said to him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." ' Nazareth!  Can anything good come from there?' Nathaniel asked.  'Come and see,' said Philip."  (John 1:45-46).  When the Samaritan woman was converted, "Leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 'Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did.  Could this be the Christ?' "  (John 4:28-29).  When Saul the Pharisee was converted, "At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God."  (Acts 9:20)

I long to see this kind of spirit among Christians in the present day.  I long to see more zeal to commend the narrow door to all who are yet outside, and more desire to persuade them to enter through and be saved.  Happy indeed is that Church whose members not only desire to reach heaven themselves, but desire also to take others with them!

The great door of salvation is still ready to open, but the hour draws near when it will be closed forever.  Let us work while it is called today, for "night is coming, when no one can work" (John 9:4).  Let us tell our relatives and friends that we have accepted the way of life and found it pleasant; that we have tasted the bread of life and found it good.

I have heard it calculated that if every believer in the world were to bring one soul to Christ each year, the whole human race would be converted in less than twenty years.  I make no comment on such a calculation.  Whether such a thing might be or not, one thing is sure:  that thing is, that many more "souls might probably be converted to God, if Christians were more zealous to do good."  This, at least, we may remember, that God does "not want anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2Peter 3:9).  He that endeavors to show his neighbor the narrow door is doing a work which God approves.  He is doing a work which angels regard with interest, and with which the building of a pyramid will not compare in importance.  What does the Scripture say?  "Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins."  (James 5:20)

Let us all awaken to a deeper sense of our responsibility in this matter.  Let us look around the circle of those among whom we live, and consider their state before God.  Are there not many of them yet outside the door, unforgiven, unsanctified, and not prepared to die?  Let us watch for opportunities of speaking to them.  Let us tell them of the narrow door, and entreat them to "make every effort to enter in."

Who can tell what a "word spoken at the right time" may do?  Who can tell what it may do when spoken in faith and prayer?  It may be the turning point in some man's history.  It may be the beginning of thought, prayer, and eternal life.  Oh, for more love and boldness among believers!  Think what a blessing to be allowed to speak one converting word!

I do not know what the feelings of my readers may be on this subject.  My heart's desire and prayer is that you may daily remember Christ's solemn words, "For many, I tell you, will seek to enter but will not be able."

 Keep those words in mind.

End of Chapter

Although the words above are not my own, they reflect the yearnings my heart contains:  "to be allowed to speak [or write] one converting word!" and the amazing blessing for doing so!  My readers are few, but it's always my desire that an unbelieving wanderer searching for truth and answers will stumble upon this blog, will find what he or she is looking for, and his or her heart will be opened to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  As Ryle states, a genuine Christian desires that others are brought with him into glory.  We don't count the number we have helped draw, for that privilege solely belongs to God, and it would the height of arrogance and pride to assume we have anything to do with conviction, other than being the bearer of the Good News.  But when Christ's Gospel is received and the evidence of a new life is present,  the true Christian delights in unimaginable and unspeakable ways, and rejoices with the "angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:10).

For my unbelieving family, friends, and readers, may this brief excerpt from J.C. Ryle be the "turning point" in your future:  an eternity of peace and perfection in the presence of our LORD Jesus Christ.

And to my family, friends, and readers who are attempting to enter the narrow door by any other way than through the One Who holds the key, the door will one day be shut forever and you will find yourself locked out with no hope.

In conclusion, I would like to add the following from C.H. Spurgeon's "Morning and Evening" devotional.  I hope and pray that you will keep both Ryle's and Spurgeons "words in mind."

"The LORD shut him in." ~ Genesis 7:16

Noah was shut in away from all the world by the hand of divine love.  The door of electing purpose interposes between us and the world which lieth in the wicked one.  We are not of the world, even as our LORD Jesus was not of the world.  Into the sin, the gaiety, the pursuits of the multitude we cannot enter; we cannot play in the streets of Vanity Fair with the children of darkness, for our heavenly Father has shut us in.

Noah was shut in with his God.  "Come thou into the ark," was the LORD's invitation, by which He clearly showed that He Himself intended to dwell in the ark with His servant and his family.  Thus all the chosen dwell in God and God in them.  Happy people to be enclosed in the same circle which contains God in the Trinity of His persons, Father, Son, and Spirit.  Let us never be inattentive to that gracious call, "Come, My people, enter thou into they chambers, and shut thy doors about thee, and hide thyself as it were for a little moment until the indignation be overpast."

Noah was so shut in that he could not even desire to come out, and those who are in Christ Jesus are in Him forever.  They shall go no more out forever, for eternal faithfulness has shut them in, and infernal malice cannot drag them out.  The Prince of the house of David shutteth and no man openeth; and when once in the last days as Master of the house, He shall rise up and shut the door, it will be in vain for mere professors to knock, and cry, "LORD, LORD open unto us!", for that same door which shuts in the wise virgins will shut out the foolish forever.

LORD, shut me in by Thy grace.

"Strive To Enter" - Part I

For the last year, I have been reading on my Kindle J.C. Ryle, the first Anglican Bishop of Liverpool, England, until his death on June 10, 1900.  Prior to that period, Ryle held other noteworthy positions within the church between 1838 and 1880.  However, I believe Ryle's achievements were eclipsed by his position as the leader of the evangelical party in the Church of England, and was well known for his doctrinal essays and polemical writings, in which he aggressively attacked the teachings of the church of Rome, vehemently opposing its ritualistic doctrines and un-biblical papist leadership, and encouraging the Church of England congregants to stand firm on the truth of Scripture.

Although noted for his "Expository Thoughts" on the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, perhaps Ryle's best literary works are his doctrinal essays, including "Old Paths," "Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots," and "Practical Religion," (all MUST READs, and kindly made free on the links!), to name just a few.  Ryle's writings are chock full of good exegesis and expository teaching on the foundations of God's character and holiness, the Gospel of salvation, worship, and communion with God, as well as clear and precise warnings against false shepherds and deceivers.

What I found truly amazing among the books I have read is the parallel between what Ryle was seeing, during his day, within and without the body of Christ and His true church, compared to what we are experiencing in today's Christian society.  It's obvious that Satan, when he devises a certain deception and finds it very effective in deceiving masses, continues to use that weapon in his attempt to tear down the church.  One would think that Ryle was writing about today's church, instead of the church he led over a century ago.

I am currently plowing through "Practical Religion: Being Plain Papers on the Daily Duties, Experience, Dangers, and Privileges of Professing Christians" that was written by Ryle in 1878.  I say "plowing," because when I read apologetics, such as this book, I take my time, absorbing one section of a chapter at a time, allowing it to soak in and benefit my mind, heart, and soul.  As I read this morning's portion, it occurred to me that it would be an excellent addition to my last post.   The warning contained within this section of the chapter of Ryle's book is drawn from Luke 13:22-30, and aptly applies to what Jesus said many can expect when they depart this world, or when the storm that is coming soon upon this world makes its entrance:

He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem.   And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them,  “Strive to enter through the narrow door.  For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.   When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’  Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’   But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’  In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out.   And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God.   And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” 

I would like to share with you an excerpt from Ryle's paper on these all-important verses.  Because of its length, I will do as I did in previous posts on Ryle's book, "Holiness," where I divided the chapter into more than one post (if you missed those posts on "What It Means To Count the Cost," here is Part I, Part II, and Part III).

Specifically, Ryle begins the third part of this chapter by begging the question, "At what period will the door of salvation be shut forever?  When will the 'making of every effort' to enter in be of no use?"  And, as Ryle continues in his introduction to this section, "These are serious questions.  The door is now ready to open to the chief of sinners, but a day comes when it will open no more."  (Please note that I use the English Standard Version for all Scripture verses.)

Part I

The time foretold by our LORD is the time of His own second coming to judge the world.  The patience of God will at last have an end.  The throne of grace will at last be taken down, and the throne of judgment will be set up in its place.  The fountain of living waters will finally be closed.  The narrow door will at last be barred and bolted.  The day of grace will be passed and over.  The day of reckoning with a sin-laden world will finally begin.  And then will be brought to pass the solemn prediction of the LORD Jesus, "For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able."

All prophecies of Scripture that have been fulfilled up to this time, have been fulfilled to the very letter.  They have seemed to many unlikely, improbable, impossible, up to the very time or their accomplishment; but not one word of them has ever failed.

 The promises of "good things" have come to pass, in spite of difficulties that seemed impossible:

1.  Sarah had a son when she was well past the age for the bearing of children.
2. The children of Israel were brought out of Egypt and planted in the promised land.
3. The Jews were redeemed from the captivity of Babylon, after seventy years, and enabled once more to build the temple.
4. The LORD Jesus was born of a pure virgin, lived, ministered, was betrayed, and cut off, precisely as Scripture foretold.

 The Word of God was promised in all these cases, that it should be.  And so it was.  The predictions of judgments on cities and nations have come to pass, though at the time they were first spoken they seemed incredible.  Edom is a wilderness; Tyre is a rock for drying nets; Nineveh, that "greater than great city," is laid waste, and become a desolation; Babylon is a dry land and a wilderness - her extensive walls are utterly broken down.  In all these cases the Word of God foretold that it should be so.  And so it was.

The prediction of the LORD Jesus Christ, which I press on your attention this day, will be fulfilled in like manner.  Not one word of it will fail when the time of its accomplishment is due.  "For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able."

There is a time coming when seeking God will be useless.  Oh, that men would remember that!  Too many seem to believe that the hour will never arrive when they will seek and not find; but they are sadly mistaken.  They will discover their mistake one day to their own confusion, except they repent.  When Christ comes "...many...will seek to enter and will not be able."

There is a time coming when many will be shut out from heaven forever.  It will not be the lot of a few, but of a great multitude; it will not happen to one or two in this area, and one or two in another, it will be the miserable end of a immense crowd.  "For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able."  Knowledge will come to many too late.   They will see at last the value of an immortal soul, and the happiness of having it saved.  They will understand at last their own sinfulness and God's holiness, and the glorious fitness of the Gospel of Christ.  They will comprehend at last why ministers seemed so anxious, and preached so long, and implored them so earnestly to be converted.  But to their grief, they will know all this "too late!"

Repentance will come to many too late.  They will discover their own surpassing wickedness and be thoroughly ashamed of their past folly.  They will be full of bitter regret and hopeless wailings, of keen convictions, and of piercing sorrows.  They will weep, and wail, and mourn, when they reflect on their sins.  The remembrance of their lives will be grievous to them; the burden of their guilt will seem intolerable.  But, to their grief, like Judas Iscariot, they will repent "too late!"

Faith will come to many too late.  They will no longer be able to deny that there is a God, and a devil, and a heaven, and a hell.  False religion, and skepticism, and unfaithfulness will be laid aside forever; scoffing, and joking, and free-thinking will cease.  They will see with their own eyes and feel in their own bodies that the things of which ministers spoke were not cleverly devised fables, but great real truths.  They will find out to their cost that evangelical religion was not lip service, extravagance, fanaticism, and enthusiasm: they will discover that it was the one thing they needed, and that the lack of it will cause them to be lost forever.  Like the devil, they will finally believe and tremble, but "too late!"

A desire of salvation will come to many too late.  They will long after forgiveness, and peace, and the favor of God, when they can no more be had.  They will wish they might have one more Sunday over again, have one more offer of forgiveness, have one more call to prayer.  But it will matter nothing what they think, or feel, or desire then: the day of grace will be over; the door of salvation will be bolted and barred.  It will be "too late!"

I often think what a change there will be one day in the price and estimation at which things are valued.  I look around this world in which my lot is the case; I note the current price of everything this world contains; I look forward to the coming of Christ, and the great day of God.  I think of the new order of things, which that day will bring in; I read the words of the LORD Jesus, when He describes the master of the house rising up and shutting the door; and as I read, I say to myself, "There will be a great change soon."

What are the "dear things" now?  Gold, silver, precious stones, bank notes, mines, ships, lands, houses, horses, cars, furniture, food, drink, clothes, and the like.  These are the things that are thought valuable; these are the things that command a ready market; these are the things which you can never get below a certain price.  He that has a lot of these things is counted a wealthy man.  Such is the world!

And what are the "cheap things" now?  The knowledge of God, the free salvation of the Gospel, the favor of Christ, the grace of the Holy Spirit, the privilege of being God's son, the title to eternal life, the right to the tree of life, the promise of a room in the Father's House in heaven, the promises of an incorruptible inheritance, the offer of a crown of glory that does not fade away.

These are the things that no man hardly cares for.  They are offered to the sons of men without money and without price: they may be had for nothing - freely and generously.  Whosoever will may take his share.  But, sadly, there is no demand for these things!  They go begging.  They are scarcely looked at.  They are offered in vain.  Such is the world!

But a day is coming upon us all when the value of everything will be altered.  A day is coming when banknotes will be as useless as rags, and gold will be as worthless as the dust of the earth.  A day is coming when thousands will care nothing for the things for which they once lived, and will desire nothing so much as the things which they once despised.  The mansions and palaces will be forgotten in the desire of a "house not made with hands."  The favor of the rich and great will be remembered no more, in the longing for the favor of the King of kings.  The silks, and satins, and velvets, and laces, will be lost sight of in the anxious need of the robe of Christ's righteousness.  All will be altered, all will be changed in the great day of the LORD'S return.  "For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able."

It was a weighty saying of some wise man, that "hell is truth known too late."  I fear that thousands of those who profess to be Christians in this day will find this out by experience.  They will discover the value of their souls when it is too late to obtain mercy, and see the beauty of the Gospel when they can derive no benefit from it.  Oh, that men would be wise early in life!  I often think there are few passages of Scripture more awful than that in the first chapter of Proverbs:

Because I have called and you refused to listen,
    have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
²⁵ because you have ignored all my counsel
    and would have none of my reproof,
²⁶ I also will laugh at your calamity;
    I will mock when terror strikes you,
²⁷ when terror strikes you like a storm
    and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
    when distress and anguish come upon you.
²⁸ Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
    they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
²⁹ Because they hated knowledge
    and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
³⁰ would have none of my counsel
    and despised all my reproof,
³¹ therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,
    and have their fill of their own devices. ~ Prov 1:24-31 (ESV)

Some reader of this paper may be one of those who neither like the faith nor practice which the Gospel of Christ requires.  You think that we are extreme when we implore you to repent and be converted.  You think we ask too much when we urge you to come out from the world, and take up the cross, and follow Christ.  But take notice that you will one day confess that we were right.  Sooner or later, in this world or the next, you will acknowledge that you were wrong.  Yes!  It is a sad consideration, for the faithful minister of the Gospel, that all who hear him will one day acknowledge that his counsel was good.  Mocked, despised, scorned, neglected as his testimony may be on earth, a day is coming which will prove that truth was on his side.  The rich man who hears us and yet makes a god of this world; the tradesman who hears us and yet makes his ledger his Bible; the farmer who hears us and yet remains cold as the clay on his land; the worker who hears us and feels no more for his soul than a stone - all, all will in time acknowledge before the world that they were wrong.  All will in time earnestly desire that very mercy which we now set before them in vain.  "For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able."

Some reader of this paper may be one of those who love the LORD Jesus Christ in sincerity.  Such a one may well take comfort when he looks forward.  You often suffer persecution now for Christianity's sake.  You have to bear hard words and unkind insinuations.  Your motives are often misrepresented, and your conduct slandered.  The reproach of the cross has not ceased.  But you may take courage when you look forward and think of the LORD's second coming.  That day will make amends for all.  You will see those who now laugh at you because you read the Bible, and pray, and love Christ, in a very different state of mind.  They will come to you as the foolish virgins came to the wise, saying, "Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out." (Matt 25:8)

You will see those who now hate you and call you fools because, like Caleb and Joshua, you bring up a good report of Christ's service.  Some day they will say, "Oh, that we had taken part with you!  You have been the truly wise, and we the foolish."

Then do not fear the reproach of men.  Confess Christ boldly before the world.  Show your colors, and do not be ashamed of your Master.  Time is short: eternity rushes on.  The cross is only for a short time: the crown is forever.  "For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able."

End Part I

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

I hope you will return to read the conclusion of Ryle's chapter regarding the door to salvation and its eventual closing.    Ryle ends his chapter with very pointed and precise questions that, prayerfully, will encourage you to "Strive to enter through the narrow door." (Luke 13:24)  It is imperative to your soul to remember that there is only One way to enter salvation's door, and the Holder of key, Jesus Christ, desires that you enter it while there is still time.

Part 3: What It Means To "Count the Cost"

In the last segment, J.C. Ryle began by addressing the importance in understanding that "counting the cost" of our relationship with Jesus Christ is vital to our soul's spiritual health.  He states, ""that no duty enjoined by Christ can ever be neglected without damage," and that it "costs a 'great sum' to be a true Christian."

Far too many souls initially look upon their profession of Christ as an easy transition from being worldly to striving for His righteousness.  They believe that it will be a simple matter to maintain their walk with Jesus; that they will be able to put behind them their sins and desires, only to discover, after a time, that they were mistaken and their feet caught in the quagmire of the yearnings of sinful flesh.  As Ryle states regarding those who continue in this pattern until late in life and death hovers at the door, "...they open their eyes too late and discover for the first time that they are ruined because they never 'counted the cost.'"

However, Ryle goes on to address a particular class of Christian, one who is not "thoughtless about religion" and what is required of him to genuinely profess Christ Jesus.  This type of person knows his religion inside and out, perhaps from being raised in a Christian family, or was persuaded through sentiment, emotions, a trial in his life, or a desire to be like the next guy - a sort of fanciful clique who meets each Sunday to socialize and be fed only enough to keep him coming back.  Sadly, the world is littered with churches that neglect the duty that has been given them in exhorting their congregations to "count the cost."   I must thoroughly agree with Ryle in his declaration that those churches whose only goal is a head count and "instantaneous conversions," without a true understanding of the immense importance of what the so-called convert is acting out, is doing great "mischief" to the body of Christ, and bringing grave danger to the soul of the one who has been misguided.

Preaching the Gospel in its fullness is vital to the health of the church.  To disregard it by avoiding the "hard" teachings is to deceive and destroy what God is building up: a body of Christians who truly know the meaning behind "counting the cost" and are prepared and equipped to face whatever adversity comes their way.  The shepherds of Christ's flock must attend to it, to "tell the truth, and the whole truth," or there will be many who will stand in judgment one day and be told, "You did not  count the cost."

Now, on to the final installment of chapter 5.

V.  THE COST

 III.  The third and last thing which I propose to do is to give some hints which may help men to "count the cost" rightly.

Sorry indeed should I be if I did not say something on this branch of my subject.  I have no wish to discourage anyone, or to keep anyone back from Christ's service.  It is my heart's desire to encourage everyone to go forward and take up the cross.  Let us "count the cost by all means, and count it carefully.  But let us remember, that if we count rightly, and look on all sides, there is nothing that need make us afraid.

Let us mention some things which should always enter into our calculations in counting the cost of true Christianity.  Set down honestly and fairly what you will have to give up and go through, if you become Christ's disciple.  Leave nothing out.  Put it all down.  But then, set down side by side the following sums which I am going to give you.  Do this fairly and correctly, and I am not afraid of the result.

(a)  Count up and compare, for one thing, the profit and the loss, if you are a true-hearted and holy Christian.  You may possibly lose something in this world, but you will gain the salvation of your immortal soul.  It is written, "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"  (Mark 8:36)

(b)  Count up and compare, for another thing, the praise and the blame, if you are a true-hearted and holy Christian.  You may possibly be blamed by man, but you will have the praise of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.  Your blame will come from the lips of a few erring, blind, fallible men and women.  Your praise will come from the King of kings and Judge of all the earth.  It is only those who He blesses who are really blessed.  It is written, "Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven."  (Matthew 5:11-12)

(c)  Count up and compare, for another thing, the friends and the enemies, if you are a true-hearted and holy Christian.  On the one side of you is the enmity of the devil and the wicked.  On the other, you have the favour and friendship of the LORD Jesus Christ.  Your enemies, at most, can only bruise your heal.  They may rage loudly, and compass sea and land to work your ruin, but they cannot destroy you.  Your Friend is able to save to the uttermost all them that come unto God by Him.  None shall ever pluck His sheep out of His hand.   It is written, "Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.  But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear Him, which after He hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, fear Him."  (Luke 7:5)

(d)  Count up and compare, for another thing, the life that now is and the life to come, if you are a true-hearted and holy Christian.  The time present, no doubt, is not a time of ease.  It is a time of watching and praying, fighting and struggling, believing and working.  But it is only for a few years.  The time future is the season of rest and refreshing.  Sin shall be cast out.  Satan shall be bound.  And, best of all, it shall be a rest forever.  It is written, "Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; the but things which are not seen are eternal."  (2Cor 4:17-18)

(e)  Count up and compare, for another thing, the pleasures of sin and happiness of God's service, if you are a true-hearted and holy Christian.  The pleasures that the worldly man gets by his ways are hollow, unreal, and unsatisfying.  They are like the fire of thorns, flashing and crackling for a few minutes, and then quenched forever.  The happiness that Christ gives to His people is something solid, lasting, and substantial.  It is not dependent on health or circumstances.  It never leaves a man, even in death.  It ends in a crown of glory that fadeth not away.  It is written, "The joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment." and,  "As the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool."  (Job 20:5; Eccl 7:6)  But it is also written, "Peace I leave with you, My peace give I unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  (John 14:27)

(f)  Count up and compare, for another thing, the trouble that true Christianity entails, and the troubles that are in store for the wicked beyond the grave.  Grant for a moment that Bible-reading, praying and repenting, and believing, and holy living, require pains and self-denial.  It is all nothing compared to that "wrath to come" which is stored up for the impenitent and unbelieving.  A single day in hell will be worse than a whole life spent carrying the cross.  The "worm that never dies, and the fire that is not quenched" are things which it passes man's power to conceive fully or describe.  It is written, "Son, remember that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and thou art tormented."  (Luke 16:25)

(g)  Count up and compare, in the last place, the number of those who turn from sin and the world and serve Christ, and the number of those who forsake Christ and return to the world.  On the one side, you will find thousands; on the other you will find none.  Multitudes are every year turning out of the broad way and entering the narrow.  None who really enter the narrow way grow tired of it and return to the broad.  The footsteps in the downward road are often to be seen turning out of it.  It is written, "The way of transgessors is hard."  (Prov 4:19; 13:15)  But it is also written, "The path of the just is as the shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day."  (Prov.4:8)

Such sums as these, no doubt, are often not done correctly.  Not a few, I am well aware, are ever "halting between two opinions."  They cannot make up their minds that it is worthwhile to serve Christ.  The losses and gains, the advantages and disadvantages, the sorrows and the joys, the helps and the hindrances with that faith we shall set things down at their true value.  Filled with that faith we shall neither add to the cross nor subtract from the crown.  Our conclusions will be all correct.  Our sum total will be without error.

(1)  In conclusion, let every reader of this paper think seriously whether his religion costs him anything at present.  Very likely it costs you nothing.  Very probably it neither costs you trouble, nor time, nor thought, nor care, nor pains, nor reading, nor praying, nor self-denial, nor conflict, nor working, nor labour of any kind.  Now mark what I say.  Such a religion as this will never save your soul.  It will never give you peace while you live, nor hope while you die.  It will not support you in the day of affliction, nor cheer you in the hour of death.  A religion which costs nothing is worth nothing.  Awake before it is too late.  Awake and repent.  Awake and be converted.  Awake and believe.  Awake and pray.  Rest not till you can give a satisfactory answer to my question, "What does it cost?"

(2)  Think, if you want stirring motives for serving God, what it cost to provide a salvation for your soul.  Think how the Son of God left heaven and became Man, suffered on the cross, and lay in the grave, to pay your debt to God, and work out for a complete redemption.  Think of all this and learn that it is no light matter to possess an immortal soul.  It is worthwhile to take some trouble about one's soul.

Ah, lazy man or woman, is it really come to this, that you will miss heaven for lack of trouble?  Are you really determined to make shipwreck forever, from mere dislike to exertion?  Away with the cowardly, unworthy thought.  Arise and play the man.  Say to yourself, "Whatever it may cost, I will, at any rate, strive to enter in at the strait gate."  Look at the cross of Christ, and take fresh courage.  Look forward to death, judgment, and eternity, and be in earnest.  It may cost much to be a Christian, but you may be sure it pays.

(3)  If any reader of this paper really feels that he has counted the cost, and taken up the cross, I bid him persevere and press on.  I dare say you often feel your heart faint, and are sorely tempted to give up in despair.  Your enemies seem so many, your besetting sins so strong, your friends so few, the way so steep and narrow, you hardly know what to do.  But still I say, persevere and press on.

The time is very short.  A few more years of watching and praying, a few more tossings on the sea of this world, a few more deaths and changes, a few more winters and summers, and all will be over.  We shall have fought our last battle, and shall need to fight no more.

The presence and company of Christ will make amends for all we suffer here below.  When we see as we have been seen, and look back on the journey of life, we shall wonder at our own faintness of heart.  We shall marvel that we made so much of our cross, and thought so little of our crown.  We shall marvel that in "counting the cost" we could ever doubt on which side the balance of profit lay.  Let us take courage.  We are not far from home.  IT MAY COST MUCH TO BE A TRUE CHRISTIAN AND A CONSISTENT BELIEVER, BUT IT PAYS.

End of Chapter 5

~ ~ ~ 

In order to save space in these installments, I chose not to include the notes at the end of the chapter.  However, I felt it essential to impress Ryle's disdain for what not only was occurring during his day, but also what we see harming today's church: "instantaneous conversion," the "invitation of unconverted sinners to come to Christ," and "the possession of inward joy and peace as a test of conversion."

Ryle goes on to clarify that the "nearness of peace and comfort in Christ should be proclaimed to all men," but that too much emphasis is placed on the "triumphant feelings" many claim to experience without first understanding "the holiness of God's law, the depth of their sinfulness, and the real guilt of sin."  Mere "feelings" is not true faith; "pressure" from others, "animal excitement and temporary feelings," including mass conversions in revivals, lead to false conversions.  "And all this time, the thoughtless and ungodly look on with contempt, and find fresh reasons for neglecting religion altogether."

Ryle's summation in his notes are thus:

1. "Let all the counsel of God be taught in Scriptural proportion, and let not two or three precious doctrines of the Gospel be allowed to overshadow all other truths."
2. "Let repentance be taught fully as well as faith, and not thrust completely into the background.  Our LORD Jesus Christ and St. Paul always taught both."
3. "Let the variety of the Holy Ghost's works be honestly stated and admitted; and while instantaneous conversion is pressed on men, let it not be taught as a necessity."
4. "Let those who profess to have found immediate sensible peace be plainly warned to try themselves well, and to remember that feeling is not faith, and that 'patient continuance in well-doing' is the great proof that faith is true."  (emphasis added) (John 8:31)  
5. "Let the great duty of 'counting the cost' be constantly urged on all who are disposed to make a religious profession, and let them be honestly and fairly told that there is warfare as well as peace, a cross as well as a crown, in Christ's service..."

I will end with a word from our Savior Jesus Christ, and pray that all who read this will consider the weight of His words:

Now great crowds accompanied Him, and he turned and said to them,  “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.   Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be my disciple..."  Luke 14:15-27 ESV

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.   So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?”   Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,   and we have believed, and have come to know, that You are the Holy One of God.”  John 6:66-69 ESV

Examine yourselves.  Test that which is good and lasting, lest you be found to be lacking the very thing that gives you the right and privilege of bearing the name "Christian."  (2Cor 13:5 ESV)

May you count the cost, and count it well.