Q/A Friday: What Book (outside of the Bible) Has Impacted You the Most?

Holiness: Its Nature, Difficulties and Roots by J.C. Ryle (originally published in 1877).

This book has had the most impact upon my walk with the Lord because Ryle’s writing style is so simplistic as he addresses the core subject for every Christian: becoming like God. And his choice for where to start in Chapter 1 – the subject of sin – is masterful. We cannot know what it means to become like God until we know how far we must travel.

When I read this book for the 1^st time, I was overcome by the hard work it is to be holy and become holy. Ryle taught me that the process of sanctification is something I am either gaining or losing ground on every minute of every day. He challenges me to become like God, to hate sin and to tell as many others about this journey.

He wrote the book because, unfortunately, too many people were enraptured with the 19^th century second blessing movement of instant holiness. Many thought you instantly became holy with no work, no blood, no sweat and no tears – called the Keswick movement. Ryle saw holiness as a practical outworking of sanctification and the Keswick movement saw it as instantaneous when one came to Christ.

All of this led Ryle’s writing of Holiness. He wrote it to answer and protest this movement and it still educates, challenges and rebukes the seeker-friendly church, the post-modern church, the liberal church and even the reformed church.

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