Thursday, May 20, 2010

The Fruits of Public Worship

Does our corporate worship make us holy at home? According to Ryle, that is the test for whether or not our public worship is doing us good.
The best public worship is that which produces the best private Christianity. The best church services for the congregation are those which make its individual members most holy at home and alone. If we want to know whether our own public worship is doing us good, let us try it by these tests. Does it stimulate our conscience? Does it send us to Christ? Does it add to our knowledge? Does it sanctify our life? If it does, we may depend on it; it is worship of which we have no cause to be ashamed.

-- J.C. Ryle
HT: Erik Kowalker