JOHN R. RICE QUOTES OF THE WEEK

All the dealings of Christ with the human race were intended to result in souls being saved. To this end the Bible was written. To this end Christ came into the world, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross and rose from the dead and now intercedes for us at the right hand of God as our High Priest--all this for the one purpose of saving sinners. - John R. Rice [A Grand Success of the Christian Life, pg. 124-125]

A famous preacher has a way of saying, "Why should one person hear the Gospel twice when others have not heard it once?" That sounds like a smart saying but really it is not. The simple truth is hardly anybody is ever saved the first time they hear the Gospel. - John R. Rice [A Grand Success of the Christian Life, pg. 116-117]

How are we to abide in Christ without abiding in His Word? In the Bible we have all His commands, all His desires expressed. In the Bible we have the entire story about how Jesus lived and died, how He overcame Satan and lived a holy life as our pattern. The will and character of Christ are revealed in the Bible, and so daily feeding on the Word of God, judging self by the Word, claiming the promises of God, following the instructions of the Word, are necessary if we are to abide in Christ and bear fruit. - John R. Rice [A Grand Success of the Christian Life, pg. 127]

Everything good for the Christian is involved in abiding in Christ. This is the central thought of the entire passage in John 15:1-17. In some sense Bible reading and prayer are a part of abiding in Christ, but besides these, there should be a very deliberate effort to be conscious of the continual presence of Christ. To read the Bible is not enough. We should read it in the presence of Christ, with Him pointing out the meaning and speaking to our hearts as we read. To pray is not enough. We should be conscious of the very near presence of Christ as we pray, talk to Him personally and have Him speak to us just as definitely as we speak to Him. We should practice the presence of Christ. - John R. Rice [A Grand Success of the Christian Life, pg. 127]

Part of God's program for a long successful life is this, "Honour thy father and thy mother." Personal and national spiritual prosperity depend upon a proper relationship between godly parents and obedient, reverent children. A good Christian cannot be a rebel in the home. - John R. Rice [A Grand Success of the Christian Life, pg. 138]

Christians ought not to give Christian recognition to those who are not Christians. They ought not to call those "brethren" who are not really spiritual brethren. One who does not hold the historic Christian faith, does not accept the deity of Christ, the infallible inspiration of the Bible and has not trusted Christ personally as Saviour, is not a Christian and ought not to be called a Christian. The yoke is unequal when born-again people and unconverted cultists or liberals and modernists are in the same organization, calling each other brethren. - John R. Rice [A Grand Success of the Christian Life, pg. 155]

What a picture that is when one is baptized! One who has trusted Christ and has a new heart now follows Jesus down into the watery grave. He counts the old sinner already dead: now symbolically the old sinner and the old life are buried. Then he is raised up "to walk in newness of life." That means he believes Christ rose from the dead. It also means that the Christian expects one day to be raised from the dead or marvelously changed when Jesus comes. Still it means more: The Christian now says, "I am going to live a new life. I belong to God. Christ lives in me and I live for Christ!" - John R. Rice [A Grand Success of the Christian Life, pg. 184]