Luke 13:1-5

Luke 13:1-5

1. Let us observe how much more ready people are to talk of the deaths of others than their own.
2. Let us observe how strongly our Lord lays down the universal necessity of repentance.

"The state of our own souls should always be our first concern. It is eminently true that real Christianity will always begin at home."

"The nature of true repentance is clearly and unmistakably laid down in holy Scripture. It begins with knowledge of sin. It goes on to work sorrow for sin. It leads to confession of sin before God. It shows itself before man by a thorough breaking off from sin. It results in producing a habit of deep hatred for all sin. Above all, it is inseparably connected with lively faith in the Lord Jesus Christ."

Questions:

1. Ryle encourages us to think about ourselves when we hear the news of others. Where do our hearts go when we hear of the death of another, or a tragic accident, or of the sins of others?

2. Jesus’ call to repent: to know our sinfulness, to have sorrow over it, to confess, turn from it, and to hate it is clear in Scripture. Ryle’s serious inquiries are worth considering here again: Do we really know our own sinfulness? Do our sins cause us any sorrow? Have we cried to God about our sins, and sought forgiveness at the throne of grace? Have we ceased to do evil, and broken off from our bad habits? Do we cordially and heartily hate everything that is evil?