"And the way of peace have they not known" (Rom. 3:17). Man in himself does not know the secret of peace. "there is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked" (Isa. 57:21). Sin in the heart is responsible for all the unrest in homes and nations. War is the natural result of human nature. Man can have no peace except he gets it from above, from outside himself. Men strive for peace, but world peace is a delusion as long as men are sinners. - John R. Rice [Twelve Tremendous Themes, pg. 58]
"There is no fear of God before their eyes" (Rom. 3:18). The growing climax of man's wickedness is that he does not fear God. Man does not do God's will, does not understand God, does not seek God, but goes headlong into sin and destruction. And in the midst of sin and ruin, man still does not fear God, mocks at the thought of judgment, scorns the idea of Hell and retribution! How wicked is man! - John R. Rice [Twelve Tremendous Themes, pg. 58
One came running to Jesus and said, "Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God!" (Mark 10:17, 18). "There is none good but one, that is, God!" Jesus meant that He should not be called Master or Rabbi, but God, or the Son of God, what He claimed to be--God, in human form. Unless Jesus was the very Son of God, then He was not good, for there is none good but God. - John R. Rice [Twelve Tremendous Themes, pg. 59]
Some man says, "Well, Brother Rice, I know I am not perfect, but I really try to live up to the Ten Commandments, and I believe I will get by." In the first place, why did you say, "I try?" Because you know very well you do not succeed! You do not keep the commandments and neither did any other person that ever lived except Jesus Christ. - John R. Rice [Twelve Tremendous Themes, pg. 62-63]
The rich young ruler claimed to have kept all the commandments from his youth up. But when Jesus told him to go and sell his goods and give to the poor and come and follow Him, he turned away sorrowfully. He had great riches and his riches were his god. He had not even kept the first commandment" "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." He did not love God with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength, and he did not love his neighbor as himself. And neither do you! - John R. Rice [Twelve Tremendous Themes, pg. 63]
Perhaps you say, as many have said to me, "Well, I do the best I can." But even that is not true. You do not do what you know to do. When you were angry the other day, did you really not know better? When you neglected to read your Bible or pray, did you really do the best you could? Have you done the best you could about giving, about loving? If you are honest, you will have to say that you have not even done the best you could and the best you knew. - John R. Rice [Twelve Tremendous Themes, pg. 64]
The fact of sin, as so clearly taught in God's Word and witnessed on every hand by history and observation and the human conscience, explains why many men turn away from Christ. Men hate the Bible because it brands them as guilty sinners! Men will not come to Christ and receive Him, because He will only receive them as confessed and Hell-deserving sinners! - John R. Rice [Twelve Tremendous Themes, pg. 71]
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