John R. Rice Quotes of the Week

Warning after warning has fallen from the mouth of God to sinners about judgment and the result of sin. We are warned, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap!" (Gal. 6:7). We well know that man does not do all his reaping in this life. No, God has yet a trump card to play. God will yet call men, unsaved, unrepentant, unregenerate men, to judgment. There they will reap what they sow, receive their just and public sentence, and depart to a lake of fire and a Christless, hopeless, peaceless eternity. - John R. Rice

When Christians are caught up to meet Christ in the air, then we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and saved people will be rewarded according to their works. Salvation is free, and then after God gives us salvation free, He rewards us in addition according to our works. In that judgment in Heaven none but Christians will take part. - John R. Rice

Do you know why a Christian can never come to this judgment [great white throne judgment in Rev. 20:11-15] and be in danger of eternal damnation? The answer is this: Jesus Christ has been judged already for the sins of God's children. All who trust in Him are forgiven and their sins are blotted out. God is a just God who must demand that sin be paid for. But since God is a just God, He cannot demand that sin be paid for twice. If I accept the price that Jesus paid for my sins, then I shall not come into condemnation. - John R. Rice

Notice that both "the small and the great" stand before God. There will be no partiality in this court. In human courts many can hire shrewd lawyers. Sometimes a witness or a juror can be bribed. Often a witness is dead or cannot be obtained, or evidence is overlooked. Shrewd, crooked lawyers can get a case postponed, or by technicality can defeat or postpone justice. But when the sinner comes out of Hell to stand before God, the great and small are alike in His terrible presence. Sinner, you may be big or important or smart. You may have "gotten by" with sin for a long time, but I remind you that you must one day stand before God whether you are great or small! - John R. Rice

Philippians 2:9-11 says: "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
This Scripture certainly means that every angel in Heaven and all the saved who are reigning with Christ on earth and all the condemned sinners in Hell, "under the earth," will be compelled to bow in humility and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. They will not love Jesus, they will not trust Him for salvation, and it will be too late for them to be saved. But the stiff knee of every rebellious and Christ-rejecting sinner will bow before Jesus Christ in humility, and every blaspheming tongue will at that time confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord and Master that they ought to have served and loved. - John R. Rice

We remember that Jesus came first to this earth as a Lamb of God, meek and lowly in heart. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He received the name Jesus for He was to "save His people from their sins." He healed, but He did not smite. He forgave, but He did not execute judgment. But Jesus will come the second time, not as a Servant, but as a Judge, not as Prophet, but as King. - John R. Rice

For every sinner that will be dragged out of Hell to this last judgment, Jesus died. To every one of them He was offering salvation. Their sins were paid for on the cross. We are told that "He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (I John 2:2). With what agony! what love! what mercy! Jesus provided the way of escape for these sinners at infinite cost to Himself! He did not want them to come to this place of judgment. "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked" (Ezekiel 33:11). Again we are told that He is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (II Peter 3:9). Jesus came into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." All these have come to this awful moment because they would not take mercy when it was offered, they would not heed when they were called, they would not receive the salvation that was offered. To all these Jesus longed to be Saviour. Since they would not receive Him as Saviour now they must face Him as Judge. - John R. Rice