John R. Rice Quotes of the Week

Somebody says, "Brother Rice, I don't feel like it." Then you had better change your feelings. You are going to have to answer to God for that decision. Somebody says, "I am afraid I can't live right." No, you are not. You are just afraid people are going to expect you to live right and you don't intend to do it. You don't plan to give up your sins. Oh, how silly those excuses! But you are going to answer yes or no to God. You are invited to the heavenly supper. I am going to be there. Are you? - John R. Rice

Somebody said, "Dr. Rice, I don't believe in your kind of religion." I don't care whether you believe in my kind of religion or not. What about you and Jesus Christ? What about your sin? What about Heaven and Hell? You are still going to have to settle that. You don't have to answer John R. Rice, but you have to answer Jesus; and I beg you in Jesus' name, turn and do it. I am not discussing what church; I am talking about the only Saviour, and will you accept His invitation or turn it down? It's as simple as that, and you can't dodge that. A wicked heart has to say "Yes" or "No" to Jesus Christ; so it is not the church. - John R. Rice

Somebody says, "But Brother Rice, I don't believe the Bible." You don't? Let me show you how senseless that is. You don't believe the Bible? You never read it; what do you know about it? I found this very interesting thing, that all the people who talk about not believing the Bible don't know what is in the Bible. The truth is, they HOPE the Bible is not all true. That is like Tom Paine, who was in jail in Paris, France, the there in jail he wrote the book, The Age of Reason. In it he set out to answer all the Bible, and he didn't even have a Bible and couldn't even get a copy of the New Testament there; and from memory he answered what he thought was in the Bible. He who didn't know the Bible, didn't have a copy of the Bible, couldn't borrow a copy even, and wrote a book about it! Isn't that a senseless, wicked and insincere, hypocritical way to talk about it? - John R. Rice

You say, "I don't believe the Bible"? Well, I would just say, "Lord, I am still a poor old sinner, and I've got to die and meet God; I'd better do something about it." You had better be finding out about the Bible, because you are going to meet an angry God one day. To say you do not believe the Bible is no excuse for going to Hell! - John R. Rice

Suppose Simon Peter had said, "I believe Judas is a hypocrite." (He was.) Suppose Simon Peter had said, "All right, I am going to Hell with him and burn in Hell forever with Judas, because he is a hypocrite in the church." Don't you see? All your excuses are lying, insincere excuses. - John R. Rice

There is no good reason for turning down Jesus - only wicked excuses - and they all come from a bad heart. And if you believe the excuses yourself, you have just deceived yourself. And that is a sorry way to go to Hell, isn't it? - John R. Rice

"Well," somebody says, "Brother Rice, I am just afraid I can't hold out." In that case (and it is true; you can't), don't you think it would be a good idea to get a Saviour who loves you and died for you, and have Him hold out for you? No, if you were really saying, "I have tried my best, and I just can't do right; I'm afraid I couldn't be a Christian," and if you are honest in that, couldn't you say, "O God, give me a Saviour who will hold me; I can't hold myself"? Why, that is one of the best reasons for turning to Jesus.
I thank God the prodigal son, when he got down to starvation, said, "I can't feed myself, and I can't do anything; I am going home to my father." Now that's for the fellow who can't hold out. - John R. Rice