John R. Rice Quotes of the Week

Jesus did not ask that the bitter cup of death would be avoided and taken entirely away. Rather He prayed that it should pass from Him for the time being [in the Garden of Gethsemane], that He might not die that night, "and was heard in that he feared." God the Father granted that prayer. Jesus prayed in the Father's will and not contrary to it. In fact, in the prayer itself, Jesus had plainly said He was not asking for His own will, but according to the Father's will. He said, "nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt" (Matt. 26:39). That was not a prayer of sad resignation to a duty that He did not want to perform. No, no! Rather it was fervent prayer that the Father would send help and help Him live until tomorrow to die according to the Father's own plan.
Oh, thank God, the Saviour's prayer was heard! Jesus had said, "I knew that thou hearest me always" (John 11:42). So an angel was sent and strengthened Him, and Jesus lived to die on the cross "according to the scriptures." - John R. Rice [Revival Appeals, pg. 136]

Any careful student must be profoundly impressed with the thoroughness God used in proving His case that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Born of a virgin, of the house of David, of the tribe of Judah, in Bethlehem; dying on the appointed dau, hands and feet peirced with nails after having been betrayed by a friend, fulfilling the picture of Psalm 22 perfectly, with soldiers casting lots for His garments, with the elders mocking Him, He fulfilled every detail of prophecy. And then, when He gave up the ghost, a soldier, surely not knowing what he did, took the spear and pierced His side! Thus the Scripture was fulfilled. Thus, then, "they shall look upon me whom they have pierced." - John R. Rice [Revival Appeals, pg. 137]

The unpardonable sin is committed only by lost people, and then it is the sin of those who do not want to be saved and deliberately refuse salvation. There is no other unpardonable sin. ― John R. Rice

Jesus will be the only one in Heaven with scars. His wounds will be the eternal reminder of salvation by God's wonderful grace through faith in the death of His Son. ― John R. Rice [Revival Appeals, pg. 143]

We have good reason to believe that when Jesus comes and our vile bodies are changed and glorified, we will have no more scars. In Isaiah 35:5, 6 we are told that in the happy day of the resurrection "the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing." The weakness, the frailties, the scars of our mortal bodies will all be cured in the glorified bodies. In Romans 8:23 Paul reminds us that "ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." Our bodies are to be saved then, cured from the marks of our sin. ... I believe this crooked nose which I got playing college football will be straight, and many another crooked thing about my nature, as well as scars on my body, will be cured in that good day. When I was called to the Army, in 1917, the induction papers carried a record of the scar on my right wrist cut by an axe, of the slash on the side of the left elbow cut when a bull ran into the fence with me. But in Heaven that Army record will be out of date. My scars will be gone! ― John R. Rice [Revival Appeals, pg. 143]

We have good reason to believe that when Jesus comes and our vile bodies are changed and glorified, we will have no more scars. In Isaiah 35:5, 6 we are told that in the happy day of the resurrection "the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing." The weakness, the frailties, the scars of our mortal bodies will all be cured in the glorified bodies. In Romans 8:23 Paul reminds us that "ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." Our bodies are to be saved then, cured from the marks of our sin. ... I believe this crooked nose which I got playing college football will be straight, and many another crooked thing about my nature, as well as scars on my body, will be cured in that good day. When I was called to the Army, in 1917, the induction papers carried a record of the scar on my right wrist cut by an axe, of the slash on the side of the left elbow cut when a bull ran into the fence with me. But in Heaven that Army record will be out of date. My scars will be gone! ― John R. Rice [Revival Appeals, pg. 143]

The Bible says nothing about how much sorrow one must have before he can accept Christ so I have no doctrine about that. The Bible says that "godly sorrow worketh repentance" (II Cor. 7:10), so any time one honestly turns in his heart to Christ, he has had enough sorrow for sin to be saved. Of course no one turns from his sins and turns to Christ unless he is sorry for his sin and wants to be saved. But the Bible makes no issue about that and, of course, no one else ought to. There ought to be plain preaching against sin. People ought to be taught to turn from sin in genuine repentance.
― John R. Rice, Dr. Rice, Here Are More Questions

You wonder whether you may have committed the unpardonable sin. No, you have not. First, the unpardonable sin is the sin of a lost person, one who has never accepted Christ, one who has never been saved. One whose sins are forgiven cannot commit the unforgiveable sin. Second, the fact that you are burdened and concerned and want God's blessing is proof that you have not committed the unpardonable sin. One who had committed the unpardonable sin would have no conviction, no burden, and would not want God and salvation. The unpardonable sin is a sin of rejecting Christ, after great enlightenment. Anyone who is trouble about it and trying to be right with God has not committed the unpardonable sin.
― John R. Rice, Dr. Rice, Here Are More Questions