Ryrie - So great salvation: what it means to believe in Jesus Christ

CHARLES C. RYRIE

M OODY P UBLISHERS
CHICAGO

1997 by
C HARLES C. R YRIE
1989 by SP P UBLICATIONS , I NC .

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

All Scripture quotations, unless indicated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1994 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

ISBN-10: 080247818-2
ISBN-13: 978-080247818-4

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How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him?

Hebrews 2:3 [KJV]

To that group of five, my elders
who guard and guide me;

and to
my children,
who love and support me;

and to
a circle of special friends, worldwide,
who encourage and pray for me,

I dedicate this book
with abiding love and gratitude.

I recommend this book to you because of its subject and its object, both of which are vitally important.

The subject is salvation, one of the greatest themes that could ever challenge the mind of man. Confusion about salvation means disaster, for the message of the Gospel is a matter of eternal life or eternal death. What is the Gospel? is not an academic question. It affects the destiny of every lost sinner as well as the activity of every witnessing Christian and every soul-winning ministry.

The object of this book is assurance. Charles Ryrie helps you to understand what salvation is and how God works this miracle in our lives. He shows us how we can be confident of our salvation and certain that we are forgiven by God and destined for heaven.

This book is not only important, but it is also dependable.

To begin with, the author is a theologian who has two earned doctorates in his field of study. He has served effectively on the faculty of one of Americas leading evangelical seminaries and is widely recognized and respected as a teacher, preacher, and writer. As you read these pages, you will appreciate Dr. Ryries accurate exegesis and his clear explanations of biblical texts.

An experienced and mature scholar, Dr. Ryrie quotes carefully and accurately from a wide range of writers; but his final authority is the Word of God. The cynic Ambrose Bierce once defined quoting as the act of repeating erroneously the words of another. Dr. Ryrie is too seasoned a scholar to make that mistake. You can read these pages with confidence; they are not written by an amateur.

His exceptional knowledge of the Word of God enables Dr. Ryrie to present the subject of salvation in a balanced way. He reminds us that discipleship is only one of many pictures of the Christian life found in the Bible; he warns us not to divorce it from all the counsel of God lest we create serious misunderstandings. He puts matters into their proper perspective as he explains the relationship between faith and works, justification and sanctification, and sonship and discipleship.

Finally, Dr. Ryrie writes with humility and compassion. He has not overreacted to what some extremists have written. Rather, he calmly and logically expounds the Word of God and seeks to bring clarity where there may be confusion, and gentleness where there may be harsh dogmatism. Unlike Gratiano in Shakespeares Merchant of Venice, Dr. Ryrie does not say, I am Sir Oracle, and when I ope my lips, let no dog bark! He seeks to obey the words of 2 Timothy 2:2425: The Lords bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition

In 1907, when R. J. Campbell published The New Theology, the British theologian P. T. Forsyth compared the popular but misleading book to a bad photograph that was over-exposed and under-developed. Alas, there are many bad photographs being published these days! That is why I am especially grateful for a book like So Great Salvation that presents the Gospel picture with clarity, accuracy, and maturity; and I pray that God will give it a wide and fruitful ministry.

Warren W.

Wiersbe

But where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.

Romans 5:20

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:32

Grace, grace, Gods grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, Gods grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!

Julia H. Johnston

G race is a difficult, perhaps impossible, concept to understand.

In seminary days I had a job working with underprivileged junior-high and high-school kids at the downtown YMCA. On what was then the outskirts of Dallas was a camp we used every Friday night when weather permitted. We would load a bus with forty to fifty kids, head for the camp, and enjoy an evening cookout and games. On special occasions we would sleep there overnight and return Saturday afternoon. Overnight camping trips were usually rewards given to those who had successfully passed certain requirements in our weekly Bible clubs. So the kids who stayed overnight after the others went home were rather special.