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The Great Separation
Grace Gems ^ | J.C. Ryle

Posted on 03/21/2010 8:00:57 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege

Let this thought be engraved deeply in the mind of every reader of this paper, whatever else he forgets. Remember there are only two kinds of people in the world. There are wheat, and there are chaff.

I know full well that the world dislikes this way of dividing professing Christians. The world tries hard to convince us that there are three classes of people and not two. The first class of people are the very good and the very strict; however, this does not suit the world: they cannot and will not be saints. Yet, the third class, which has no religion at all, does not suit the world either: it would not be respectable. "Thank God," they will say, "we are not as bad as they are." Then there is the second class—a safe middle class, the world thinks—and in this middle class the majority of men persuade themselves is where they belong. In this class a person only needs enough religion to be saved, and yet not go into extremes—to be minimally good, and yet not be exceptional—to have a quiet, easy-going, moderate kind of Christianity, and go comfortably to heaven when they die—this is the world's favorite class.

I denounce this notion of a middle class as an immense and soul-ruining delusion. I warn you strongly not to be carried away by it...It is a refuge of lies—a castle in the air—a Russian ice-palace—a vast unreality—an empty dream. This middle class is a class of Christians that is nowhere spoken of in the Bible.

There were two classes in the day of Noah's flood: those who were inside the ark, and those who were outside; two in the parable of the Gospel-net: those who are called the good fish, and those who are called the bad; two in the parable of the ten virgins: those who are described as wise, and those who are described as foolish; two in the account of the judgment day: the sheep and the goats; two sides of the throne: the right hand and the left; two abodes when the last sentence has been passed: heaven and hell.

And just as there are only two classes in the visible Church on earth—those who are in their natural state of unbelief and sin, and those who are in the state of grace; those who are on the narrow road, and those who are traveling on the broad road; those who have faith, and those who do not have faith; those who have been converted, and those who have not been converted; those who are with Christ, and those who are against Him; those who gather with Him, and those who scatter; those who are "wheat," and those who are "chaff,"—into these two classes the whole professing Church of Christ may be divided. Apart from these two classes there is none.

You must examine yourselves! Are you among the wheat, or among the chaff? Neutrality is impossible. Either you are in one class, or in the other. Which is it of the two?

Perhaps you attend church. You go to the Lord's table. You like good people. You can distinguish between good preaching and bad...You attend Christian meetings. You sometimes read Christian books. It is good: it is all very good. It is more than can be said of many. But still this is not a straightforward answer to my question—are you wheat or are you chaff?

Have you been born again? Are you a new creature? Have you put off the old man and put on the new? Have you ever felt convicted of your sins and repented of them? Are you looking only to Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and eternal life? Do you love Christ? Do you serve Christ? Do you hate your sins and fight against them? Do you long for perfect holiness and strive after it? Have you come out from the world? Do you delight in the Bible? Do you wrestle in prayer? Do you love Christ's people? Do you try to do good to the world? Are you vile in your own eyes and willing to take the lowest place? Do you live like a Christian at work, and on weekdays, and also in the privacy of your own home? Oh, think, think, think on these things, and then perhaps you will be better able to tell the state of your soul.

I implore you not to turn away from my question, however unpleasant it may be. Answer it, though it may prick your conscience and convict your heart. Answer it, though it may prove you in the wrong and expose your fearful danger. Do not rest, do not rest, until you know how it is between you and God. It is a thousand times better to find out that you are living an evil life of sin, and repent immediately, than live on in uncertainty and be eternally lost...


TOPICS: Apologetics; Theology
KEYWORDS: easter; jesuschrist; judgmentday; secondcoming
"His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." ~ Luke 3:17
1 posted on 03/21/2010 8:00:58 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

Nice. Thanks for posting. Now more than ever I must cling to my faith.


2 posted on 03/21/2010 8:04:32 PM PDT by rabidralph
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To: CondoleezzaProtege
Let this thought be engraved deeply in the mind of every reader of this paper, whatever else he forgets. Remember there are only two kinds of people in the world. There are wheat, and there are chaff.

That's true..., in God's eternal world -- there are only two classes of living beings... those who are saved, and those who are not. There is no in-between.

The wheat are the saved and the chaff are the unsaved.

As we are told in the Bible... about salvation...

Romans Chapter 10

6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in
your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' " (that is, to bring Christ
down from above)

7 or, " 'Who will descend into the abyss?' " (that is, to bring Christ
up from the dead).

8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in
your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach):

9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in
your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the
mouth confession is made unto salvation.

11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to
shame."

12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord
over all is rich to all who call upon Him.

13 For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

3 posted on 03/21/2010 8:12:19 PM PDT by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

Thank you for this.


4 posted on 03/21/2010 8:20:13 PM PDT by reasonisfaith (Hey you noble leftists. You can't be honest about your agenda because you're not confident in it.)
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

Good post.


5 posted on 03/21/2010 9:00:34 PM PDT by Cedar
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To: Jeremiah Jr; sheik yerbouty; null and void

The Great Separation<<<

March 21, 2010 (Nisan 6 to 7) marks the dividing of time. It is the “black” space between (erev) evening and (boqer) morning. The parting of the ways, the place from which to go back [to Egypt, or Sodom] or to move forward [to the Promised Land].

Genesis 19:14-15 And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law. 15 And when the morning (shachar) arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.


6 posted on 03/21/2010 10:11:01 PM PDT by Ezekiel (The Obama-nation began with the Inauguration of Desolation.)
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To: Ezekiel

Do you think it’s time to “flee to the mountains”? Is the abomination of desolation being exalted?

Jesus said as the days of Lot, so shall His coming be. Your post reminded me of that, and also in the same instructions Jesus said to flee to the mountains. Are we nearing that time as Lot and his family had to separate from the wicked, God’s people will separate?


7 posted on 03/22/2010 12:20:23 AM PDT by Cedar
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To: Cedar
Are we nearing that time as Lot and his family had to separate from the wicked, God’s people will separate?

We are here and NOW is the time for everyone to turn in his homework and close his books for the final exam.

Revelation 6:14-17

14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

8 posted on 03/22/2010 1:40:05 AM PDT by Ezekiel (The Obama-nation began with the Inauguration of Desolation.)
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To: Ezekiel

What about the 3rd and 4th seals?


9 posted on 03/22/2010 12:17:29 PM PDT by Cedar
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