The Christian Race

Testimonials

Submit your testimonial

1. 

   Aaron Lee – 21 March 2025

   In The Christian Race, Banner of Truth presents sermons by J. C. Ryle on enduring in the faith.

   I was most pleased to read a series of three sermons on regeneration, taking all three to examine John 3:3. Ryle strikes a clear distinction between those who are born again and those who are not. He focuses on an inward change in spirit and truth, and that it is impossible to change your heart without God. Writing with urgency, he implores his hearers not to quench the Spirit and goes on to list 8 marks of a born-again believer.

   Motivating and Encouraging

   I was most excited to read a four-sermon series from Revelation. There is urgency and pleading in these sermons. Ryle speaks of heavenly glories, and the blessings and rewards that come with being included in the redeemed. I was compelled to look forward to a place of perfect unbroken happiness, no sorrows, and being with my Savior.

   The Christian Race is an excellent collection of sermons that will spur you on in your walk with God. Motivating and encouraging, it will cause you to run.

   I received a media copy of The Christian Race and this is my honest review.

2. 

   Clive Gordon – 10 April 2025

   I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone seeking to know and understand the true gospel teaching which runs through the whole Bible. Ryle is so evidently used by God to make clear to ordinary people what we all of us most need to know in order to reach our true home in heaven. This book brings together the very best of Ryle’s preaching. If you have little time to read, make time for this one book besides your bible.

3. 

   Marc Daniel Rivera (KristiyaKnow) – 9 June 2025

   Bishop J.C. Ryle is one of my favorite theologians. A contemporary of Charles Spurgeon, they are both prominent figures in the evangelical movement, often associated with the Reformed tradition during the Victorian era. Bishop Ryle’s writings are warm, pastoral, and always convicting—something akin to the writing styles of the Puritans, which I am very fond of reading.

   The Christian Race is the newest and ninth addition to the growing collection of Ryle’s works by Banner of Truth. Published in a beautiful cloth-bound format, this fully re-typeset edition was first published in 1900. It contains 24 sermons that cover a wide range of vital doctrinal and practical themes, including regeneration, saving faith, righteousness, eschatology, and the character of the Christian life. Though compiled at the close of Ryle’s long and fruitful ministry, these sermons are not dusty relics of a bygone era—they pulse with spiritual life, evangelical clarity, and pastoral wisdom.

   The context behind this collection is itself deeply moving. When Ryle announced his resignation as the first Bishop of Liverpool, his friends urged him to publish a selection of sermons as a memorial to his sixty years of gospel ministry—from rural pastor to diocesan bishop. T. J. Madden, one of Ryle’s colleagues, gladly undertook the task of selecting and editing the sermons for publication.

   This collection reflects Ryle’s well-balanced approach to ministry. The first few sermons address our fallen condition (A Bad Heart), followed by three thorough treatments on Regeneration based on John 3:3. These are particularly helpful in grounding readers in the necessity and nature of the new birth. Sermons like Saving Faith and Self-righteousness challenge complacency while upholding the simplicity of the gospel.

   The topics then transition to themes of spiritual identity and privilege in The Character of the True Christian and The Privileges of the True Christian. Later sermons, such as The Grace of God in Vain, Profit and Loss, and The Blood of the Lamb, call for both personal reflection and active faith. The book concludes on an eschatological note with The Second Advent, Heaven, and Ready to Be Offered—a fitting end for a volume birthed from the sunset years of a faithful shepherd.

   Among my favorite sermons in this volume are The Character of the True Christian, The Christian Race (from which the book takes its title), and What Think Ye of Christ?—the latter also appeared in Ryle’s Christmas Thoughts book (also published by Banner of Truth). These three sermons are particularly reflective of Ryle’s dual identity as both a theologian and a loving pastor.

   In The Character of the True Christian, Ryle offers a rich exposition of John 10:27–28, highlighting the Christian’s relationship with Christ, our Shepherd. His words cut through superficial religiosity, urging the reader to consider whether their walk matches their profession. The Christian Race, based on Hebrews 12:1–2, is a stirring exhortation to spiritual endurance. It reminds us that the Christian life is not a stroll but a race that requires focus, self-denial, and perseverance. Lastly, What Think Ye of Christ? is a profoundly Christ-centered sermon that presses the reader to wrestle with the ultimate question: what do you believe about Jesus?

   Those familiar with Ryle’s classic works—Holiness, Practical Religion, Old Paths, and Expository Thoughts on the Gospels—will feel at home in this collection. The same trademarks are present: biblical fidelity, plain language, and unwavering pastoral concern. Ryle does not indulge in speculative theology, nor does he water down the gospel to suit modern sensibilities. His style is accessible yet robust, affectionate yet firm. There is an unmistakable Puritan influence in his preaching, not in archaic expression, but in spiritual depth and scriptural saturation.

   Final thoughts:

   If you are a long-time reader of Bishop Ryle or just discovering him for the first time, The Christian Race is well worth your time. His voice still speaks clearly today and deserves to be heard afresh. I highly recommend it!