“What young men will be in all probability depends on what they are now, and they seem to forget this” (J.C. Ryle, Thoughts for Young Men, 8).
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Parenting
“I shelter my children. I would sooner have my children left out in a tornado than placed in the hands of a professional priest of the religion of the state, a government school teacher” (R.C. Sproul Jr., Eternity in Our Hearts: Essays on the Good Life, 23).
And government school teachers are professional priests of the religion of the state; fifty years ago this book demonstrated that function of American Education.
Preparing for Glorious Things
1 Corinthians 15:20, But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
Some day I’ll die. How glorious will it be?–beholding the face of God and waiting for the full redemption of my body? And how much more glorious will it be at the last day when soul is united again to resurrected self-same body? How do I begin preparing now for such glorious things?
Thoughts for Young Men, Again
“Surely none are so crazy as those who are content to live unprepared to die” (J.C. Ryle, Thoughts for Young Men, 7).
Parenting
“Children need to be sheltered, to be protected. They need to be protected from themselves, and from those who would lead them astray. They are not ready to reason out the will of God in all circumstances; far less are they ready to defeat temptation in whatever form it comes. While God certainly can and does use sin for god, just as He can use a storm, we cannot sin that providential grace might abound all the more” (R.C. Sproul Jr., Eternity in Our Hearts: Essays on the Good Life, 23).
Spiritual Reading
“Maybe force-feeding isn’t the best way to convey the distinctive quality inherent in Bible reading, in spiritual reading” (Eugene H. Peterson, Eat This Book, 9).
Aphoristic Commentary: James 3:5-6
James 3:5-6, Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
God’s tongue is the Holy Spirit, a fire that cleanses the whole body, but a sinner’s tongue lacks the Holy Spirit, so it is a fire that defiles the whole body.
Thoughts for Young Men
“Leave nothing unsettled that is eternal. Run no risk when your soul is at stake. Believe me, the salvation of the soul is no easy matter. Every one needs a “great salvation,” whether young or old; all need to be born again–all need to be washed in Christ’s blood–all need to be sanctified by the Spirit. Happy is the man who does not leave these things uncertain, but never rests until he has the witness of the Spirit within him, testifying to him that he is a child of God” (J.C. Ryle, Thoughts for Young Men, 6).
Aphoristic Commentary: Romans 5:19 & Psalm 111:1-3
Romans 5:19, For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Imputed Righteousness = “By the obedience of one [Jesus Christ] shall many be made righteous.”
Psalm 111:1-3, Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation. The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever.
The doctrine of the imputation of Christ’s righteousness is praise-worthy and comforting: a Christian knows their righteousness is Christ’s righteousness imputed to them, and, since Christ is Lord, that righteousness will endure for ever. Praise-worthy and comforting, indeed.
Parenting
“Some argue against homeschooling on the grounds that such is sheltering children. I always reply, “What are you going to accuse us of next–feeding and clothing our children?” This parenting philosophy, that we must throw our lambs to the wolves so that they might become brave, is thinly veiled folly” (R.C. Sproul Jr., Eternity in Our Hearts: Essays on the Good Life, 22).