Ryle asks, “Are we holy? Shall we see the Lord?…It is a solemn thing to hear the Word of God saying, ‘Without holiness no man shall see the Lord.’”

Chapter 2 dealt with the command to be holy and chapter 3 deals with a more practical definition of true holiness. What sort of persons are those whom God calls holy?

1) Holiness is the habit of being of one mind with God.
2) A holy man will endeavor to shun every known sin, and to keep every known commandment.
3) A holy man will strive to be like our Lord Jesus Christ.
4) A holy man will follow after meekness, longsuffering, gentleness, patience, kind tempers, government of his tongue.
5) A holy man will follow after temperance and self-denial.
6) A holy man will follow after charity and brotherly kindness.
7) A holy man will follow after a spirit of mercy and benevolence towards others.
8) A holy man will follow after purity of heart.
9) A holy man will follow after the fear of God.
10) A holy man will follow after humility.
11) A holy man will follow after faithfulness in all the duties and relations of life.
12) A holy man will follow after spiritual mindedness.

I do not say for a moment that holiness shuts out the presence of indwelling sin…It is the greatest misery of a holy man that he carries about with him a “body of death;”–that often when he would do good “evil is present with him”; that the old man is clogging all his movements, and, as it were, trying to draw him back at every step he takes. (Romans 7:21).

Neither do I say that holiness comes to ripeness and perfection all at once, or that these graces I have touched on must be found in full bloom and vigour before you can call a man holy…Sanctification is always a progressive work…We must never despise “the day of small things.”

But still, for all this, I am sure that to have such a character as I have faintly drawn, is the heart’s desire and prayer of all true Christians. They press towards it, if they do not reach it. They may not attain to it, but they always aim at it. It is what they strive and labour to be, if it is not what they are.

I am so glad he finally got to that last paragraph. I am far from the holy man he describes, but it is my heart’s desire and prayer. It is who I labor to be. I am finding that this school of motherhood is perfect for it. I am tested every single day. There are any number of opportunities to prove whether or not I am a true Christian. Will I deny myself? Will I neglect my duties? Will I willfully do what I know God has commanded me not to do? (Ahem–will I self-medicate with extra helpings of cookie dough? Will I excuse myself from rightly dealing with a discipline issue because I have dealt with something else today? Will I stay up late doing something that does not serve my family because I “deserve” some time to myself? Will I neglect prayer and sleep a little longer?)

“The great question is not what you think, and what you feel, but what you DO.” Ryle is clearly getting into our business, is he not?

Would I be holy? Then, says Ryle, go to Christ.

Would I remain holy? Then, says Ryle, abide in Christ.

It has become a terrible cliche, but the question that is good to ask myself in any situation is, what would Jesus do?

To know the answer to that question, I must read the gospels and become very familiar with his words and deeds. Then, when I ask the question, I must follow in His steps. It sounds so easy, but then I remember that, at the same time, I am in the middle of a fierce battle between the flesh and the Spirit. And, so, I am looking forward to the next chapter: The Fight…