Monthly Archives: June 2015

Covenantal Continuity

“Scripture tells us that just before the exodus the children of Israel “sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage” [Ex. 2:23]. The Word of God represents the kindness of the Lord in taking Israel out of Egypt and establishing them as His covenant people in Canaan as a fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob [Ex. 6:4-8]. This statement is very significant, for it indicates the nature of the various covenants which God made with Noah, with Abraham, with Isaac, with Jacob, with Moses, and with Christians through Christ; that is, there is a certain continuity from one covenant to the other” (John C. Wenger, Separated unto God, 5).

Growth in Grace: Private and Public Means of Grace

“One thing essential to growth in grace is diligence in the use of private means of grace. . . . private prayer, private reading of the Scriptures, and private meditation and self-examination. . . . Another thing which is essential to growth in grace is carefulness in the use of public means of grace. . . . the ordinances of regular Sunday worship, the uniting with God’s people in common prayer and praise, the preaching of the Word, and the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper” (J.C. Ryle, Holiness, 92).

Major Thesis

“Since this book deals not only with the Scriptural principles, but also with their application to current ethical problems, there may be some who disagree with the author. . . . But let any minor disagreement be seen in the light of the major thesis — that the faith of a Christian must express itself in a life that is different because it is ordered according to the Word of God” (John C. Wenger, Separated unto God, xiv).

Holy?

“I do not ask whether you attend your church regularly — whether you have been baptized, and received the Lord’s Supper — whether you have the name of Christian — I ask something more than all this: Are you holy, or are you not?” (J.C. Ryle, Holiness, 45).

To Say and To Do

“This book meets a great need in Christendom at large. In a day when Christian faith is thought of pretty much in terms of verbal commitments and generalities, it calls Christian professors to a walk that fits our creeds. To be a Christian is not only to say, but to do” (John C. Wenger, Separated unto God, xiii).

Nonconformity

“Being nonconformed to the world is not a matter of rejecting science and inventions, nor is it the maintenance of a cultural status quo, nor is it difference for its own sake. One cannot be nonconformed to the world by adopting a few symbols of nonconformity while remaining carnal and unspiritual in heart. Nonconformity to the world is the natural outcome of having been born again and of being alert to the spiritual issues which confront Christian living in a given culture” (John C. Wenger, Separated unto God, ix).

Close to God

“If there is any point on which God’s holiest saints agree it is this: that they see more, and know more, and feel more, and do more, and repent more, and believe more, as they get on in spiritual life, and in proportion to the closeness of their walk with God” (J.C. Ryle, Holiness, 20).