Heirs of God | J. C. Ryle

Deep Dive into Practical Religion: Being Plain Papers on the Daily Duties, Experience, Dangers, and Privileges of Professing Christians by J. C. Ryle - Heirs of GodIn his exploration of Romans 8:14-17, J.C. Ryle explains that the greatest privilege a person can have is to become a child and heir of God. He emphasizes that people are not born as children of God by nature, but rather they inherit sin from birth. A person only enters this glorious relationship when the Holy Spirit leads them to place their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. Ryle strongly rejects the theological notion that all of humanity are universally God's children regardless of their faith, arguing instead that there is no sonship without Christ.To help individuals evaluate their spiritual state, Ryle outlines four primary evidences of true sonship. First, the children of God are actively led by the Holy Spirit away from sin and self-righteousness, and guided toward holiness and Christ. Second, they possess a spirit of adoption, meaning they are delivered from a slavish fear of God's wrath and instead relate to Him with peace, looking upon Him as a reconciled Father. Third, they experience the inward witness of the Spirit, which provides them with a positive hope and an assurance of restored peace. Finally, true Christians will inevitably take part in suffering with Christ, bearing earthly crosses and enduring trials that serve to sanctify them and detach them from the world.The ultimate privilege of this relationship is becoming a joint-heir with Christ. Unlike earthly wealth, this eternal inheritance brings no disappointment and cannot be lost at the hour of death. In the glory yet to come, believers will experience perfect knowledge, complete holiness free from the corruption of sin, and everlasting rest from worldly conflicts. Furthermore, they will enjoy unbroken communion with the saints and face-to-face fellowship with Jesus. Ryle concludes by urging readers to urgently seek this sonship through faith and calls those who are already believers to live heavenly lives that reflect their Father's character.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReformedExplainerSpotify Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1t5dz4vEgvHqUknYQfwpRI?si=e-tDRFR2Qf6By1sAcMdkdwhttps://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730