Holiness Cannot Save
Can holiness save us? Can holiness put away sin, make satisfaction for transgressions, pay our debt to God? No, not a whit. God forbid that I should ever say so. Holiness can do none of these things. The brightest saints are all ‘unprofitable servants.’ Our purest works are not better than filthy rags, when tried by the light of God’s holy law. The white robe, which Jesus offers and faith puts on, must be our only righteousness, the name of Christ our only confidence, the Lamb’s book of life our only title to heaven. With all our holiness we are no better than sinners. Our best things are stained and tainted with imperfection. They are all more or less incomplete, wrong in the motive or defective in the performance. ‘By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is
the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast’ (Ephesians 2:8,9).
- J.C. Ryle | Holiness, pg 39
the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast’ (Ephesians 2:8,9).
- J.C. Ryle | Holiness, pg 39
