J.C. Ryle on Christ and Creation

"Christ is all" (Col. 3:11).

"There came a time when this earth was created in its present order.  Sun, moon and stars, sea, land, and all their inhabitants were called into being, and made out of chaos and confusion.  And, last of all, man was formed out of the dust of the ground.

"And where was Christ then?

"Hear what the Scripture says: 'All things were made by Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made' (John 1:3).  'By Him were all things created, that are in heaven and that are in the earth' (Col. 1:16).  'And You, Lord, in the beginning have laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of your hands' (Heb. 1:10).  'When He prepared the heavens, I was there; when He set a compass upon the face of he depth; when He established the clouds above; when He strengthened the foundations of the deep; when He gave the sea His decree, that the waters should not pass His commandment; when He appointed the foundations of the earth, then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him' (Prov. 8:27-30).  Can we wonder that the Lord Jesus, in His preaching, should continually draw lessons from the book of nature?  When He spoke of the sheep, the fish, the ravens, the corn, the lilies, the fig tree, the vine, He spoke of things which He Himself had made" (Holiness, J.C. Ryle)

J.C. Ryle on Christ Before Creation

"Christ is all" (Col. 3:11)

"There was a time when this earth had no being.  Solid as the mountains look, boundless as the sea appears, high as the stars in heaven look, they once did not exist.  And man, with all the high thoughts he now has of himself, was a creature unknown.

"And where was Christ then?

"Even then Christ was 'with God' and 'was God' and was 'equal with God' (John 1:1; Phil. 2:6).  Even then He was the beloved Son of the Father.  'You loved me,' He says, 'before the foundation of the world.'  'I had glory with You before the world began.'  'I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was' (John 17:5, 24; Prov. 8:23).  Even then He was the Savior if 'foreordained before the foundation of the world' (1 Pet. 1:20), and believers were 'chosen in Him' (Eph. 1:4)" (Holiness, J.C. Ryle).

Closed Doors and an Open Heart

This week we will be studying Acts 16:6-15.  Paul, Silas, and Timothy are on their way to a place called Bithynia but are thwarted in their efforts by the Holy Spirit.  This isn’t the first time God has closed a door on the group.  They desired to go to Asia and speak the Gospel Message but were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to utter a word.  All this seems strange until Paul has a dream.  This dream is the catalyst to a “chance” meeting with a woman named Lydia.

There are times in our lives that we are prevented from fulfilling what we believe to be the right thing.  Sometimes our own sinful nature gets in the way.  Other times the enemy and his dominion are hard at work.  But still other times God is the one stepping into the picture.  This seems counter to what we understand about God.  After all, doesn’t He want us to do good things?

We who are Christ’s disciples need to trust the Word of God and His guidance.  But to know, hear, and understand His will takes more than a dream.  It takes effort, sacrifice, and a willingness to let go of ourselves in favor of God’s will for our lives.

Do we know what God desires for our lives?  Are we willing to accept God’s will when He closes doors around us?  Remember that one closed door may lead to an open door where we may see the work of God in the heart of one individual.  We may be witness to the salvation of another.

May we be prayerfully ready to head through the open doors when they are revealed to us and may we be prepared for whatever the Spirit may speak to us through His Word.