John R. Rice Quotes of the Week

 When the truth is known, no one truly honors Christ who does not honor the Bible. And nobody believes in Christ in the sense of historical Christianity who does not believe the Bible. - John R. Rice [A Coffer of Jewels About the Bible, pg. 36-37]

The simple truth is that the Old Testament very clearly foretold ahead of time the coming of the Saviour, and all the Jews knew about the Messiah, which was promised, the Son of Abraham, the Son of David, the suffering Servant of Isaiah 53, the Prophet Moses talked about, the Lamb of God pictured in all the animal sacrifices, the High Priest pictured in the Jewish priesthood, the Light of the world pictured in the golden candlestick in the Tabernacle and temple, the Bread of life pictured by the manna, by the shewbread and by offerings. And when the New Testament speaks of "the Christ," it refers clearly and unmistakably to the Christ or Messiah (Greek and Hebrew terms respectively) pictured in the Old Testament. - John R. Rice [A Coffer of Jewels About the Bible, pg. 37]

One could not even know that Jesus claimed to die for the sins of the world unless he believed the Bible. One could not even know that Jesus claimed to be God in human form without believing the Bible. Men could not even know anything about the sermon on the mount or John 3:16 unless they believe the Bible. One would have no clear statement of the universality of human sin and the Hell that unrepentant sinners go to or Heaven where God in mercy will take those who trust Christ, without the Bible. There is no such thing as Christianity without the Bible. There is no Christ, no Saviour, no Son of God come into the world unless it be as revealed in the Word of God. - John R. Rice [A Coffer of Jewels About the Bible, pg. 37]

Any rejection of the Bible is a rejection of Jesus Christ. This is taught in II John, verses 7-11, as follows:

"For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." 

- John R. Rice [A Coffer of Jewels About the Bible, pg. 37]

Note [in II John 7-11] the two names, Jesus and Christ. Jesus is the human name given at the Saviour's birth, announced to Joseph by the angel. But Christ is the term meaning "the anointed," referring to the one promised throughout the Old Testament Scriptures. So all the Jews understood the term even before Jesus came. And so they used it. And so John uses the term here. And one who "confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh" is one who did not believe that the Christ prophesied in the Old Testament had come. They did not believe that He was born of a virgin as it was foretold in Isaiah 7:14. They did not believe He would die for man's sins as Isaiah 53 plainly taught. They did not believe He was the Son of God as the Second Psalm claimed. They did not believe that Jesus rose from the dead as Psalm 16:9, 10 clearly prophesied. Those who denied that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh denied the Scriptures about His coming were fulfilled. - John R. Rice [A Coffer of Jewels About the Bible, pg. 38]

Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 2 John 9

Here the Scripture says that one who does not abide in the Bible teaching or doctrine of Jesus Christ does not have God, that is, he is unconverted. Any one who denies what the Bible teaches about the person and work of Jesus Christ, that is, His virgin birth, His deity, His blood atonement as a substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, His resurrection from the dead--one who denies these great facts about Christ as taught in the Bible "hath not God." But one who does abide steadfastly in the Bible teaching (the doctrine) of Christ has both the Father and the Son. - John R. Rice [A Coffer of Jewels About the Bible, pg. 39]

It is no Christmas where people talk about Jesus but do not love Him. It is no Christmas where people celebrate a day without knowing Jesus as their own Saviour. Away with the folly, the hypocrisy, the false tinsel of the commercialized Christmas without a Saviour! Make sure that this Christmas you come to the Saviour for yourself and know Him and trust Him and go away with His peace and joy, yea, with the Saviour Himself in your heart forever! - John R. Rice [Immanuel--God With Us, pg. 21]