Doctrine Is Useless If Not Accompanied By a Holy Life

I'm preparing to preach on the book of Titus. In doing so, I've been reminded of the importance of holiness in our lives as believers. Titus was living on the ungodliest of islands--but Paul makes no excuses for the Christian's behavior. Rather he teaches and then affirms that sound doctrine must be accompanied by godly living. In short, what we believe should affect how we behave.

I'm reading J.C. Ryle's volume entitled Holiness. I'll be sharing excerpts from it over the next while. He writes in the introduction:

I have had a deep conviction for many years that practical holiness and entire self-consecration to God are not sufficiently attended to by modern Christians in this country. Politics, or controversy, or party-spirit, or worldliness, have eaten out the heart of lively piety in too many of us.

The subject of personal godliness has fallen sadly into the background. The standard of living has become painfully low in many quarters. The immense importance of "adorning the doctrine of God our Savior" ( Titus 2:10), and making it lovely and beautiful by our daily habits and tempers, has been far too much overlooked. Worldly people sometimes complain with reason that "religious" persons, so-called, are not so amiable and unselfish and good-natured as others who make no profession of religion.

Yet sanctification, in its place and proportion, is quite as important as justification. Sound Protestant and Evangelical doctrine is useless if it is not accompanied by a holy life. It is worse then useless; it does positive harm. It is despised by keen-sighted and shrewd men of the world, as an unreal and hollow thing, and brings religion into contempt. It is my firm impression that we want a thorough revival about Scriptural holiness, and I am deeply thankful that attention is being directed to the point.