John R. Rice Quotes of the Week

The most discouraging and heart-searching fact in all the universe is the fact of sin, and the punishment of sin. - John R. Rice

If I am ever going to Heaven, if I am ever to meet God in peace, I have to be born again. Two things must be fixed. First, God has to be satisfied because sin must be punished and the law has been broken and a just and holy God must do right. Second, if I am going to be with God, I have to be made fit for God's presence and fit to associate with God; I have to have something fixed inside. - John R. Rice

"Whosoever shall call." [Rm. 10:13] How much calling? You just call. If you believe enough to call, that is enough to be saved. If you have faith enough to ask God, that is faith enough to be saved. If you have faith enough to claim Him, that is enough to be saved. You see, the heart believes and trusts in Christ, and so you have everlasting life at once when you put your trust in Jesus. - John R. Rice

If you understand the sin question, you will know that men must be born again, that good character is not enough, that joining a church is not enough, that confessing to a priest won't do, but you must be born again, because you are born wrong. - John R. Rice

God is love and God loves sinners. That doesn't mean you don't need to repent. That doesn't mean you can get by with sin. But I am so glad God loves poor sinners and has made a plan of salvation for them. - John R. Rice

Some say it is a damnable doctrine to teach that you can be saved if you do wrong. The truth is, one is not quite honest about that because everyone knows he sins. To ignore it does not change the fact. Just to say you never do wrong doesn't change the fact that all of us are frail. You may say you never do wrong. A man gets gray hair and his teeth decay and he gets sick and dies. Do you tell me he was not a sinner? I know better and that one does, too. - John R. Rice

Two things. God through the Holy Spirit washes the sins and changes our hearts and gives the Holy Spirit to be within us. And so you need to get settled, "I am saved by grace. I did not earn it. I cannot earn it."
You say, "But you have to keep it." You cannot keep it. Somebody says, "Oh, I want to hold out faithful." You never started faithful. There was never ten seconds of your life when you were good enough to deserve Heaven. You had just as well settle it that your kind of faithfulness is frail and human and so you need help. - John R. Rice