R.C. Sproul > Quotes

“If I hope in anything or anyone less than One who has power over suffering and, ultimately, death, I am doomed to final disappointment. Suffering will drive me to hopelessness. What character I have will disintegrate.
It is the hope of Christ that makes it possible for us to persevere in times of tribulation and distress. We have an anchor for our souls that rests in the One who has gone before us and conquered.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“Do you not know that God dwells in light inaccessible? We weak and ignorant creatures want to probe and understand the incomprehensible majesty of the unfathomable light of the wonder of God. We approach; we prepare ourselves to approach. What wonder then that his majesty overpowers us and shatters!”13”
― R.C. Sproul, The Holiness of God

“The attention at the beginning of these petitions is on the exaltation of God and His concerns. In the initial phrases of the Lord's Prayer, Jesus fixes our gaze not on ourselves but on God.
People”
― R.C. Sproul, The Prayer of the Lord

“Once we are reconciled and justified we can rejoice even when people slander us and wound us deeply. We can glory in it because of Christ and our justification. We glory in tribulation because we know what tribula-tion does. Paul understood, because he believed in the sovereignty and providence of God. There are no accidents in this world. No matter how many injustices are heaped upon us this side of heaven, they do not mean anything compared to the crown of glory that God has prepared for his people. Paul is saying that when we go through afflictions and tribulations we can glory in them, not because we enjoy pain but because we know what tribulation yields. For most people, tribulation breaks the spirit, leads them to despair, and causes them to abandon all hope. Not so for the Christian.”
― R.C. Sproul, Romans

“Our joy is to come from the assurance that we have redemption in Christ. The greatest joy that a person can have is to know that his name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, that he is saved and will live forever with Christ.”
― R.C. Sproul, Can I Have Joy In My Life?

“Faith is also the means by which we live in response to the commands of God.”
― R.C. Sproul, What Is Faith?

“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)”
― R.C. Sproul, Chosen by God

“Even if it were decided in extreme cases that abortion is an ethical option, the extreme cases should not dictate the general law.”
― R.C. Sproul, Abortion: A Rational Look at An Emotional Issue

“The work of perfecting our spiritual state is called glorification. Glorification does not take place in this life.”
― R.C. Sproul, Pleasing God: Discovering the Meaning and Importance of Sanctification

“la fuente originaria de la Escritura es Dios. Por”
― R.C. Sproul, Las grandes doctrinas de la Biblia - ¿Conoce las verdades fundamentales de la fe cristiana?

“Even if the budget is never balanced, even if the stock market crashes, even if food prices skyrocket, even if my child never recovers from her illness, even if I lose my job, and even if we lose our home--yet will I rejoice in the God of my salvation.”
― R.C. Sproul, The Holiness of God

“if grace is obligated it is no longer grace.”
― R.C. Sproul, Chosen by God

“If we asked one hundred Christians to answer this question, “Which comes first, regeneration or repentance?” I imagine that ninety out of a hundred would say repentance comes first. However, it doesn’t make sense that people who are dead in their sins and trespasses would incline themselves naturally to repentance. The New Testament teaches that God the Holy Spirit first quickens our souls, making us alive spiritually, and the fruit of this work is godly repentance and faith.”
― R.C. Sproul, What Is Repentance?

“The study of theology is simply the study of the character of God, whose crowning virtue is love. Sound theology actually teaches the central importance of love and inclines us to love the God of the Scriptures and other people as well.”
― R.C. Sproul, Who Is The Holy Spirit?

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor” (Ps. 8:3-5).”
― R.C. Sproul, The Holiness of God

“if God is not sovereign, God is not God.”
― R.C. Sproul, Does God Control Everything?

“Good preachers work hard with the text. They want to make the sermon as accurate as possible. They also want to make it as interesting as possible. They want to persuade, admonish, and exhort, yet nothing happens as a result of their skill. Nothing can happen—at least, nothing good. The Holy Spirit, who attends the preached Word, is the only one who moves people to changed lives and growth. The Word is where the power is. It is not in programs or human skills. We can preach this Word till we are blue in the face, but if the Holy Spirit does not work through the Word preached, noth-ing happens.”
― R.C. Sproul, Romans

“Before the Fall Adam was endowed with two possibilities: He had the ability to sin and the ability not to sin. After the Fall Adam had the ability to sin and the inability to not sin.”
― R.C. Sproul, Chosen by God

“What is a sensuous Christian? One dictionary defines sensuous as, "pertaining to the senses or sensible objects: highly susceptible to influence through the senses." The sensuous Christian is one who lives by his feelings rather than through his understanding of the Word of God. The sensuous Christian cannot be moved to service, prayer or study unless he "feels like it." His Christian life is only as effective as the intensity of present feelings. When he experiences spiritual euphoria, he is a whirlwind of Godly activity; when he is depressed , he is a spiritual incompetent. He constantly seeks new and fresh spiritual experiences and uses them to determine the Word of God. His "inner feelings" become the ultimate test of truth.”
― R.C. Sproul, Knowing Scripture

“To be dead in sin is to be in a state of moral and spiritual bondage. By nature we are slaves to sin. This does not mean that the fall has destroyed or eradicated the human will. Fallen man still has all the faculties to make choices. We still have a mind and a will. The problem is not that we cannot make choices. Natural men make choices all the time. The problem is that, in our fallen condition, we make sinful choices. We make these choices freely. We sin precisely because we want to sin, and we are capable of choosing exactly what we want to choose.”
― R.C. Sproul, What is Reformed Theology?: Understanding the Basics

“Real conversion is an experience of repentance and forgiveness before God. It is not merely praying a prayer, joining a Christian church, or receiving a sacrament. It is being brought to our knees by the conviction of God the Holy Spirit.”
― R.C. Sproul, John

“Somewhere, somehow, something must have the power of being. If not, we are left with only two options: (1) being comes from nothing or (2) nothing is (a contradiction). These options would be more miraculous than miracles if such were possible.
Some”
― R.C. Sproul, Who Is Jesus?

“The Christian is not a Stoic. Neither does he flee into a fantasy world that denies the reality of suffering.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“How awesome is this place!" This was Jacob's response to being in the house of God. People do not normally feel that way in church. There is no sense of awe, no sense of being in the presence of One who makes us tremble. People in awe never complain that church is boring.”
― R.C. Sproul, The Holiness of God

“No somos libres para hacer lo que a nosotros nos parezca bien. Estamos llamados hacer lo que es bueno delante de Dios.”
― R.C. Sproul, ¿Puedo conocer la voluntad de Dios?

“Love God? Sometimes I hate Him." This is a strange quote to hear from the lips of a man as respected for his religious zeal as Luther.”
― R.C. Sproul, The Holiness of God

“Built into our concept of justice is the idea that punishment must fit the crime. If the punishment is more severe than the crime, then an injustice has been committed.”
― R.C. Sproul, The Holiness of God

“Almost every natural man that hears of hell, flatters himself that he shall escape it. JONATHAN EDWARDS”
― R.C. Sproul, The Holiness of God

“One can go through the
external motions of a profession but not truly be in possession of the inward reality of salvation.”
― R.C. Sproul, Can I Be Sure I'm Saved?

“Seek the kingdom. Seek righteousness. These are the priorities of the Christian life.”
― R.C. Sproul, Pleasing God: Discovering the Meaning and Importance of Sanctification