John R. Rice Quotes of the Week

Now we have a good God who remembers. Aren't you glad that God hears the sigh of every sick person? I read a very sweet promise over in Psalms that He hears the sigh of the prisoner, somebody behind bars. You say, "But he is a criminal." Yes, and I believe in punishing criminals. I believe in the death penalty for murder. I believe we ought to be strict in law enforcement. But yet God hears the sigh of the criminal behind bars. Aren't you glad God loves people who don't deserve it? He wouldn't love us if He didn't love those kind, if He didn't love people who don't deserve it. And so He hears the sigh of the prisoner. - John R. Rice

The truth is, God's people do have some trouble. The Scripture says, "In this world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
The Lord said about Adam, when he put the curse on the ground, "...cursed is the ground for thy sake (Gen. 3:17)- not because I hate you, but because you need it." Trouble is of God. "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby" (Heb. 12:11). So God means good when He allows trouble to come. - John R. Rice

Do you think that everyone who hardens his heart will die suddenly? Not necessarily everyone. Pharaoh did. Does it mean that everyone who hardens his heart will come to an awful tragic end? I don't know. Judas did. But sooner or later you will find the heart that has grown hardened in sin, is now beyond your control. You have hardened yourself against God. It isn't that God doesn't love you. It is that you do not love God. It isn't that God couldn't forgive you. You have passed the point of no return and your heart is so set you will not come. So sinners reach their judgment because a merciful God has withdrawn His offer of mercy so long and finally refused. - John R. Rice

For all of us death is coming. Ah, death is coming. It comes to old and to young. Luke, the 16th chapter, said there was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and he died. And Lazarus, a poor beggar out at the gate, died too. Both died- the rich man and the poor man. A man who is old dies; and a young person dies. "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment," says Hebrews 9:27. So everybody had better prepare to die. You say, "I'm not afraid." That doesn't change the matter a particle. You will die afraid or unafraid. You are going to meet God. Oh, and if you are not ready to meet God, you ought to be afraid. - John R. Rice

We talk a lot about the love of God, and that is well and good. But you better remember that love and mercy are on one side and judgment and punishment on the other. It is true that God is love. It is also true that "our God is a consuming fire." The Bible says, "He that believeth on Him is not condemned," but the rest of the verse says, "But he that believeth not is condemned already." And John 3:36 says, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." That is wonderful! I have it! But wait! The rest of the same verse says "..and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on Him." Oh, the heat of God's anger looks on rebellious sinners who do not turn! And so there comes at last judgment. - John R. Rice

Is baptism essential to salvation? So some people teach. They do not intend to pervert, but they do. They misunderstand the Scriptures. But however honest one is, the Bible teaches clearly that baptism is not essential to salvation.
I believe in baptism by immersion of people who are already saved and as a public profession of faith. But the Bible clearly teaches baptism is not essential for salvation. - John R. Rice

You say, "Don't you think baptism is important?" Yes, but not as important as the blood of Christ, which is all the pay it takes for salvation. Everything right is important as far as pleasing God is concerned. But as far as getting saved, the Lord does that free when you put your trust in Him. - John R. Rice

But somebody says, "Acts 2:38 says, 'Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.'" They are asking, "What must we do? We want what you people have here." All right, get saved, Repent and you will get saved, and then be baptized for the remission of sins. The word "for" is a translation of a little Greek preposition "eis". It is an indefinite preposition of reference. It may re...fer to "for, at, about, unto, into, toward," etc. It is an indefinite preposition of reference, so baptism refers to the remission of sins the believer has had. The Scripture says, "Repent, and be baptized," referring to the remission of your sins or illustrating the remission of sins. It is pointing to that, referring to that.
Even the word "for" does not mean "in order to" a lot of times. As it does not here. You praise a man "for" bravery. That is not to get him brave. It is because he is already brave. So you baptize people, not to get them saved, but referring to the fact that they are already saved. You praise a woman "for" her beauty. That does not make her beautiful. It is because she is already beautiful. You pay a man "for" his labor. That does not mean in order to get him to labor. He has already labored and earned it. So baptism is an evidence, and you are baptized because your sins are remitted or looking toward or referring to that. - John R. Rice