Those who look upon Jesus as an ordinary man do not know Him as I know Him. Thank God, I have seen just as wonderful things done by the hand of the Saviour as those recorded by the Gospels. I know of black hearts made white, of drunkards made sober, of harlots made pure, of infidels made into saints! I know of guidance and leading which turned out to be so infallibly correct that it was miraculous. Oh, Jesus is wonderful. I say it with the deepest devotion and worship because He has proved Himself the wonder-working, supernatural, all-powerful God in His dealings with me and other sinners. So His name shall be called Wonderful! - John R. Rice [The Birth of the Saviour, pg. 131-132]
Jesus is "The Mighty God" [Is. 9:6]. I well know that arrogant know-it-alls may stumble here. How could Jesus be both Son of God and God? Well, both my father and I were named Rice, so I am a Rice and the son of a Rice. Jesus is God and the Son of God. Both are perfect deity. But I cannot perfectly explain the infinite God. I cannot put into human terminology all the truth of the Trinity. But what the Bible teaches I can easily believe. Jesus is the mighty God. He is the Creator. He is "the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person," we are told in Hebrews 1:3. One who knows Jesus Christ knows God. One who has seen Jesus has seen the Father. One who has received the Lord Jesus and abides in His doctrine has both the Father and the Son. - John R. Rice [The Birth of the Saviour, pg. 135]
Sometimes I have heard people say to a sinner, "You should make your peace with God." It is true that every sinner should SEEK peace with God. But he cannot MAKE peace. Thank God, Jesus has already paid the debt of sin, and has made peace with God for us. We have only to accept and receive the sweet peace with God which is ours through the Prince of Peace. - John R. Rice [The Birth of the Saviour, pg. 141-142]
All Christians have the Holy Spirit dwelling in their bodies. He is the Comforter, the Guide in understanding the Scriptures. He is the prayer helper. In some measure every born-again Christian has the ministries of the Spirit. But the fullness of the Spirit, the anointing of the Spirit, the power of the Holy Spirit, is an enduement of power for soul-winning! - John R. Rice [Golden Path of Successful Personal Soul Winning [pg. 145]
Sometimes in the night I have reached to the bedside table where there is always the Word of God, and have taken it in my arms joyfully, remembering that it is this blessed Word of God that was used to keep me out of Hell! I am born again by the Word of God! That does not leave out the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit, but the Spirit does not work in this matter without the Word. - John R. Rice [Golden Path of Successful Personal Soul Winning [pg. 166]
One might differ on lesser matters and be a Christian. One could be wrong on baptism, on some doctrine of the church, on some detail of the Second Coming or other lesser matters, but still be saved. But one who is essentially wrong on the doctrine of Christ is not saved. One who is wrong on Christ's virgin birth, deity, blood atonement, and resurrection, simply "hath not God." He has not been saved since he did not receive the Gospel, "mixed with faith." And one who does not abide in the doctrine of Christ is not to be received as a Christian; we are not to bid him "God speed." He is not a Christian. - John R. Rice [Golden Path of Successful Personal Soul Winning [pg. 170]
The person of Christ and the doctrine of Christ in the Bible are inescapably connected. There is no Christ but the Christ of the Bible. There is no saving doctrine of Christ except the Bible doctrine about the person, life, atoning death, and resurrection of Jesus. One who does not believe the Bible doctrine about Christ does not have Christ and is not saved. The saving Gospel is involved in the Bible teaching about Christ and the fact that He died as God's atoning Lamb for us sinners. - John R. Rice [Golden Path of Successful Personal Soul Winning [pg. 170-171]
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