JOHN R. RICE QUOTES OF THE WEEK

 Some suppose that Luke talked to Mary and thus she told him about the virgin birth. But Mary's word would be human, frail and fallible. We could not trust it in such a divine and eternal matter as the deity of Christ and how God became man. No, Luke himself said that he, "having had perfect understanding of all things FROM ABOVE"--not "from the very first" as the King James Version has it, but anothen, "from above" (Luke 1:3). Do not make the prologue to Luke's Gospel contradict this plain statement about sources of the Scripture. They did not come from eyewitnesses, not from what men heard others say, nor from handed-down "oral tradition," as the liberals say. - John R. Rice [The Church of God at Corinth, pg. 33]

Some untaught Christians say, "Ye shall know them by their fruits," and assume the right and ability to judge who is saved and who is not by their works. But they pervert and misuse the statement of Jesus in Matthew 7:15-20, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. . . . Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." You can know a false teacher by his teaching. That does not mean that any man is wise enough to see the heart and tell who is born again and who is not. "Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart" (I Sam. 16:7). - John R. Rice [The Church of God at Corinth, pg. 40]

The Spirit of God dwells in the body of a Christian. This began the very day Jesus arose from the dead and when He came and breathed on the disciples and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost" (John 20:19-23). From that hour every Christian has the Holy Spirit dwelling within him. - John R. Rice [The Church of God at Corinth, pg. 40]

O Christian, you are bought with a price! At an awful cost, Jesus Christ suffered for us and bought us for God. It would be dishonest then for any Christian to claim that he had rights to live his own life undirected, uncontrolled, unsupervised by the blessed Spirit of God. - John R. Rice [The Church of God at Corinth, pg. 40]

No man can call Jesus Lord but by the Spirit. That means really, no man can make Jesus the Lord of his life, can seriously and truly pronounce Jesus his Lord, except by the Holy Spirit. The heart attitude cannot be right except as the Holy Spirit has control. Not simply to say the word "Lord" but to say yes in the heart to the Lord is what one must have the Holy Spirit's help to do. - John R. Rice [The Church of God at Corinth, pg. 116]

We should remember certain facts about divine healing.

Healing is provided in the atonement, as "with his stripes we are healed" (Isa. 53:5; see also Matt. 8:17). But that complete, permanent healing is provided only at the resurrection, in out resurrection bodies. All healing there and now is limited and temporary in this body.

God does not promise now healing for every purpose. Paul's thorn in the flesh was not taken away. No one has the right to promise healing in a particular case except as God gives the faith for it. "And the prayer of faith shall save the sick" (James 5:15). - - John R. Rice [The Church of God at Corinth, pg. 118]

"To another prophecy" (1 Cor. 12, vs. 10). It is clear that all Christian men, women and children may have the enduement of power that enables one to witness in the Holy Spirit called prophecy (Acts 2:16-18). These Corinthians are encouraged that "if all prophesy" (I Cor. 14:24) wonderful results will appear and they, and we, are urged to "seek earnestly the best gifts but rather that ye may prophesy." Certainly all are to win souls and all may have anointing and be "endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:49). But still there are "diversities of gifts" and not all are endued alike, or in equal measure. - John R. Rice [The Church of God at Corinth, pg. 119]