John R. Rice Quotes of the Week

The universality of the Great Commission indicates that the great fundamental truths of soul-winning remain forever the same. Sinners are the same in all ages. God is the same in all ages. The Gospel is the same in all ages. If a Pentecost was possible in Jerusalem, then a Pentecost is possible in Chicago, or Dallas, or Murfreesboro, or any other city or hamlet or country, in the world. I do not refer to incidental manifestations but to the conversion of many sinners. It was not easy at Pentecost, and it is not easy anywhere else. But the same price paid for victory in one place will bring victory another place. - John R. Rice

Men want revivals these days without miracles. They want revivals brought about by organizations, by personalities, by magnetism, by promotion, by learning. Revivals do not come by those means. They come by the power of the Holy Spirit of God, filling Christians and using them to win souls. - John R. Rice

Let us face the thing honestly: God has no way to save people, according to His own clear plan, except as Christians take the Gospel to lost sinners. God never saves a lost sinner without using Christians. Even if a man were saved just by reading the Bible, someone must first translate the Bible, someone must print it, someone must buy it. So, speaking about the white harvest Jesus said, "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; Pray ye therefor the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest" (Matt. 9:37, 38). God doesn't reap the harvest without reapers, without laborers! - John R. Rice

The disciples were sent just as the Father sent Jesus! They were even told, "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained." That promise is not given to Peter to make him the pope, as our Catholic friends sometimes claim. Actually the Lord is fitting the apostles in the saving business.
Dr. Mantey, famous Greek scholar, said that the form of the verb there is really future perfect, so what Jesus really said was, "Whose soever sins ye remit, they shall have been remitted," that is, one may offer salvation with the perfect assurance and tell those who trust Christ that their sins are then forgiven; and one who rejects the Gospel may face the stern warning of the Christian who witnesses that his sins are retained upon him still. - John R. Rice

This poor preacher knows that again and again as I have pleaded with God for His power, He has given it and has given many thousands of souls to trust and claim the Saviour. There is no doing work like Jesus did without the power of the Holy Spirit, as He had. - John R. Rice

Now, how am I going to know? By the record in the Bible. God loves me. Jesus died for me. My sins are all paid for. He said they would be blotted out and not held against me any more if I would come to Jesus and rely on Him. The Bible says, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life" (John 3:36). The Bible says in John 5:24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life." The believer already has it! He is not going to have it some day, but he has it now." ... HATH everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." So He said, "I have written these things that you may know that you have eternal life when you believe on Jesus." Thank God, one can know! - John R. Rice

Who knows but that all the plagues on America- World War I and II, the Korean War, the war in Vietnam, the student riots, racial disturbances, with burnings and destruction and killing of policemen, with overwhelming increase in crime waves, with uncontrollable inflation - had there been enough godly soul-winning Christians, America would have been spared these plagues? And I have no doubt that worse yet will come to America, and even as decay and fall of Babylon, Greece, of Rome, and of other modern nations, so America will decline, be torn from within and attacked from without, decaying in her heart, losing her integrity of manhood and the modesty of womanhood and the sanctity of the home, unless God raises up people who will bring revival to our cities and build great soul-winning churches and renew the Bible standards of morality! Lot was responsible for the fire and brimstone from Heaven that destroyed great cities. If he had only won ten people, that could have been avoided or postponed. Surely our family altars ought to become places of penitence and prayer, soul-winning visitation ought to scour the city to bring people to God, to avoid the judgment of God. God wants a man to make up the hedge and stand in the gap before Him for the land, that he should destroy it not. - John R. Rice