R.C. Sproul Quotes & Sayings

Fallen man is free to choose what he desires, but because his desires are only wicked he lacks the moral ability to come to Christ. As long as he remains in the flesh, unregenerate, he will never choose Christ. He cannot choose Christ precisely because he cannot act against his own will. His fall is so great that only the effectual grace of God working in his heart can bring him to faith. — R.C. Sproul

The main problem with those who deny the existence of God is not intellectual. It is not because of insufficient information, or that God's manifestation of himself in nature has been obscured. The atheists' problem is not that they cannot know God, rather it is they do not want to know him. Man's problem with the existence of God is not an intellectual problem; it is a moral problem." For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men - Rom. 1:18" — R.C. Sproul

I had actually gone to a church-related college, but I went on a football scholarship, not because of any interest in the church. — R.C. Sproul

There's probably no concept in theology more repugnant to modern America than the idea of divine wrath. — R.C. Sproul

Every sin is an act of cosmic treason, a futile attempt to dethrone God in His sovereign authority. — R.C. Sproul

Far from God seeking to destroy the "self" as many distortions of Christianity would claim, God redeems the self. He heals the self so that it may be useful and fulfilled in the mission to which the person is called. — R.C. Sproul

There was not one way of salvation in Israel and another way in the new covenant (Christian) community. Justification is by faith now; justification was by faith back then. The meritorious ground of salvation in the Old Testament was the merit of Christ, not the merit of bulls and goats. — R.C. Sproul

Because of Christ, our suffering is not useless. It is part of the total plan of God, who has chosen to redeem the world through the pathway of suffering. — R.C. Sproul

The Word of God can be in the mind without being in the heart; but it cannot be in the heart without first being in the mind. — R.C. Sproul

It is one thing to fall victim to the flood or to fall prey to cancer; it is another thing to fall into the hands of the living God. — R.C. Sproul

The tongue is a restless evil, full o deadly poison. This was the realization of Isaiah. He recognized that he was not alone in his dilemma. He understood that the whole nation was infected with dirty mouths: "I live among a people of unclean lips." in the flash of the moment Isaiah had a new radical understanding of sin. He saw that is was pervasive, in him and in everyone else. — R.C. Sproul

Paul's favorite description of himself was doulos, which means "slave"-one purchased for service. He said the same status applies to all believers, for we all have been "bought at a price" (1 Cor. 6:20). We belong to the one who has paid for us in order to redeem us, and now we are called to serve Him. — R.C. Sproul

No sin has ever made any person happy. Sin simply cannot bring happiness, but it can deliver pleasure, and
when we confuse pleasure with happiness, we are wide open to the seduction of the enemy. — R.C. Sproul

What we call "the laws of nature" merely reflect the normal way in which God sustains or governs the natural world. Perhaps the most wicked concept that has captured the minds of modern people is the belief that the universe operates by chance. That is the nadir of foolishness. Elsewhere, I have written more extensively on the scientific impossibility of assigning power to chance, because chance is simply a word that describes mathematical possibilities.* Chance is not a thing. It has no power. It cannot do anything, and therefore it cannot influence anything, yet some have taken the word chance, which has no power, and diabolically used it as a replacement for the concept of God. But the truth, as the Bible makes clear, is that nothing happens by chance and that all things are under the sovereign government of God, which is exceedingly comforting to the Christian who understands it. — R.C. Sproul

With winsomeness and clarity this great tenet in witness to which we are gladly uniting.
-Roger R. Nicole — R.C. Sproul

God's sovereign will is not at the whim and mercy of our person and individual responses to it. — R.C. Sproul

The essence of our salvation is found in this phrase: Simul justus et pecator. — R.C. Sproul

The prayer of
faith is not a demand that we place on God. It is not a presumption of a granted request. The authentic prayer of faith is one that models Jesus' prayer. It is always uttered in a spirit of subordination. In all our prayers, we must let God be God. No one tells the Father what to do, not even the Son. Prayers are always to be requests made in humility and submission to the Father's will. — R.C. Sproul

Our natural inclination is to hide ourselves from God. — R.C. Sproul

I should adopt the ancient Christian practice of lectio continua, "continuous expositions," in my preaching. This method of preaching verse-by-verse through books of the Bible (rather than choosing a new topic each week) has been attested throughout church history as the one approach that ensures believers hear the full counsel of God. — R.C. Sproul

The Bible teaches us again and again that we are slaves to sin. Sin is not only in our nature, but it is our master. — R.C. Sproul

As the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, so the denial of God is the height of foolishness. — R.C. Sproul

Only a true faith that applies God's Word to everything-incl uding economics-will lead to the revival and reformation our culture needs so badly. — R.C. Sproul

If God says, 'I forgive you,' you are forgiven no matter how you feel, and to refuse that forgiveness is an act of arrogance. — R.C. Sproul

Repentance is not just a turning to something, it's a turning from something. — R.C. Sproul

This means that if a person fulfills his or her vocation as a steelmaker, attorney, or homemaker coram Deo, then that person is acting every bit as religiously as a soul-winning evangelist who fulfills his vocation. It means that David was as religious when he obeyed God's call to be a shepherd as he was when he was anointed with the special grace of kingship. It means that Jesus was every bit as religious when He worked in His father's carpenter shop as He was in the Garden of Gethsemane. — R.C. Sproul

Right now counts forever. — R.C. Sproul

To be conformed to this world is to risk the loss of one's eternal soul. — R.C. Sproul

We break our promises to one another. We break our promises to God. But God never breaks His promises to us. — R.C. Sproul

We live in a time of crisis in the secular culture and in the church with regard to the beautiful. — R.C. Sproul

Sin can bring pleasure, but never happiness. — R.C. Sproul

Now I know who the Holy Spirit is. — R.C. Sproul

Sproul is the founder and chairman of Ligonier Ministries, an international multimedia ministry based in Lake Mary, Florida. He also serves as senior minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew's in Sanford, Florida, and his teaching can be heard on the daily radio program Renewing Your Mind.
During his distinguished — R.C. Sproul

You have to stop thinking logically to argue that the universe came into being by itself, out of nothing. — R.C. Sproul

The doctrine of the Trinity teaches that God is one in essence and three in person, so He is one in one sense and three in another sense, and that does not violate the categories of rational thought or the law of non-contradiction. — R.C. Sproul

To be spiritual has only one real purpose. It is a means to an end, not the end itself. The goal of all spiritual exercise must be the goal of righteousness. God calls us to be holy. Christ sets the priority of the Christian life: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matt. 6:33). The goal is righteousness. — R.C. Sproul

We take comfort, however, that mystery is not a synonym for contradiction. — R.C. Sproul

The world is filled with God's glory. You can't turn without bumping into it. — R.C. Sproul

What is the difference between the Christian God, and the gods of the other religions?" He simply, yet profoundly answered, "The main difference is this: The God of Christianity exists. — R.C. Sproul

Burning hearts are not nourished by empty heads — R.C. Sproul

James 1:13 specifically says that God tempts no one. God may test, but He never tempts to evil. A test is for growth; temptation is toward evil. Not — R.C. Sproul

Nicole, and Earl D. Radmacher labored very hard — R.C. Sproul

The rapture will not be secret but open and manifest. Its purpose will not be to whisk the elect away from the earth for a while until Christ returns for a 'second' Second Coming. The purpose of the rapture is to allow the saints to meet Jesus in the air as He returns and be included in His entourage during His triumphal descent from Heaven. His coming in this manner will be attended by the general resurrection, the final judgment, and the end of the world. — R.C. Sproul

When there's something in the Word of God that I don't like, the problem is not with the Word of God, it's with me. — R.C. Sproul

If you don't delight in the fact that your Father is holy, holy, holy, then you are spiritually dead. You may be in a church. You may go to a Christian school. But if there is no delight in your soul for the holiness of God, you don't know God. You don't love God. You're out of touch with God. You're asleep to his character. — R.C. Sproul

God is working in us for his good pleasure. Paul does not say that God is working in us for our good pleasure. — R.C. Sproul

Guilt is fundamentally a depressant. It squelches any feeling of well-being. It robs us of peace. It torments our souls. It is probably the most significant barrier to real joy. Thus, when our guilt is removed, joy floods our souls. — R.C. Sproul

Anybody can believe in God. What it means to be a Christian is to trust him when he speaks, which does not require a leap of faith or a crucifixion of the intellect. It requires a crucifixion of pride, because no one is more trustworthy than God. — R.C. Sproul

them incognito. They presumed to inform Jesus about the events of the crucifixion and showed obvious impatience with His apparent ignorance of the matters. When they related the report of the women concerning the resurrection, Christ rebuked them:
"O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
When the two had their eyes opened — R.C. Sproul

The truth of Scripture is meant not only to be studied-it's meant also to be sung. — R.C. Sproul

We must see that while we are justified by faith apart from works, we are justified by faith unto works. — R.C. Sproul

When you struggle with your faith, when you face the dark night of the soul, when you are not sure of where you
stand with the things of God, flee to the Scriptures. It is from those pages that God the Holy Spirit will speak to you, minister to your soul, and strengthen the faith that He gave to you in the first place. — R.C. Sproul

When I read the Bible, the Bible criticizes me, I don't criticize the Bible. — R.C. Sproul

If you're not accountable in life that means ultimately that your life doesn't count. — R.C. Sproul

The promise of God is not that He will never give us more weight than we want to carry. The promise of God is that He will never put more on us than we can bear. — R.C. Sproul

He is the author of more than sixty books, including The Holiness of God, Chosen by God, The Invisible Hand, Faith Alone, A Taste of Heaven, Truths We Confess, The Truth of the Cross, and The Prayer of the Lord. He also served as general editor of The Reformation Study Bible and — R.C. Sproul

Frenzy, the counterfeit of fervency, is a contrived attempt to simulate godly fervor. Those who deliberately manipulate
people's emotions are served warning here. There is something holy, something sovereign, about genuine spiritual fervor that cannot be manufactured artificially. It is easy to confuse frenzy and fervor, but the confusion is deadly. — R.C. Sproul

Sometimes we behave and perform with our lives, not for God, but for an audience. — R.C. Sproul

God is serious about how we worship Him, and we must be serious about it, too. — R.C. Sproul

Your task, O preacher, is to make sure that you are faithful to the text, that you are faithful to the proclamation of that gospel, that you are faithful to set forth the whole counsel of God, and then step back and let it happen. — R.C. Sproul

Jesus was different. He possessed an awesome otherness. Lle was the supreme mysterious stranger. He made people uncomfortable. — R.C. Sproul

What makes art Christian art? Is it simply Christian artists painting biblical subjects like Jeremiah? Or, by attaching a halo, does that suddenly make something Christian art? Must the artist's subject be religious to be Christian? I don't think so. There is a certain sense in which art is its own justification. If art is good art, if it is true art, if it is beautiful art, then it is bearing witness to the Author of the good, the true, and the beautiful — R.C. Sproul

God is not going to negotiate His holiness ... in order to accommodate us. — R.C. Sproul

The only works of righteousness that serve to justify a sinner are the works of Christ. — R.C. Sproul

Justification is by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone. — R.C. Sproul

Like Muslims we assume that God will judge us "on balance." If our good deeds outweigh our bad deeds, we will arrive safely in heaven. But, alas, if our evil deeds outweigh our good ones, we will suffer the wrath of God in hell. We may be "marred" by sin but in no wise devastated by it. We still have the ability to balance our sins with our own righteousness. This is the most monstrous lie of all. — R.C. Sproul

In a universe governed by God there are no chance events. Indeed, there is no such thing as chance. Chance does not exist. It is merely a word we use to describe mathematical possibilities. But chance itself has no power because it has no being. Chance is not an entity that can influence reality. Chance is not a thing. It is nothing. — R.C. Sproul

No Christian can avoid theology. Every Christian has a theology. The issue, then, is not, dowe want to have a theology? That's a given. The real issue is, do we have a sound theology.? Do we embrace true or false doctrine? — R.C. Sproul

Faith is central to the motivation of the human heart to live in a way that honors God. — R.C. Sproul

When we understand the character of God, when we grasp something of His holiness, then we begin to understand the radical character of our sin and hopelessness. Helpless sinners can survive only by grace. Our strength is futile in itself; we are spiritually impotent without the assistance of a merciful God. We may dislike giving our attention to God's wrath and justice, but until we incline ourselves to these aspects of God's nature, we will never appreciate what has been wrought for us by grace. Even Edwards's sermon on sinners in God's hands was not designed to stress the flames of hell. The resounding accent falls not on the fiery pit but on the hands of the God who holds us and rescues us from it. The hands of God are gracious hands. They alone have the power to rescue us from certain destruction. — R.C. Sproul

Throughout history, God has demonstrated that He is supremely trustworthy. That's why, in one sense, nothing could be more foolish than not to trust in the promises of God. — R.C. Sproul

It distresses me somewhat to hear a person say, "I am a born-again Christian." What's wrong with such a statement? Well, what other kind of Christian is there? If rebirth is absolutely essential in order to get into the kingdom of God, as Jesus said it is, there cannot be such a thing as a non-born-again Christian. To say "born-again Christian" is like saying "Christian Christian." It's a redundancy, a kind of theological stuttering. — R.C. Sproul

Christ is still in Christmas, and for one brief season the secular world broadcasts the message of Christ over every radio station and television channel in the land. Never does the church get as much free air time as during the Christmas season. — R.C. Sproul

The sin of fallen man is this: Man seeks the benefits of God while at the same time fleeing from God Himself. — R.C. Sproul

Apostasy occurs when a church leaves its historic moorings, abandons its historic confessional position, and degenerates into a state where either essential Christian truths are blatantly denied or the denial of such truths is widely tolerated. — R.C. Sproul

To honor God as God, we must worship Him as He and He alone decrees. — R.C. Sproul

Sproul. These were discussed in a number of ways by groups of delegates from the Advisory Board and in various partial and plenary sessions at the summit. Furthermore, written comments were solicited and received in considerable numbers. A Draft Committee composed of Drs. Clowney, — R.C. Sproul

We persevere because we are preserved by our High Priest's intercession. — R.C. Sproul

The whole basis for our relationship with God is rooted and grounded in grace, in that which is not earned. — R.C. Sproul

This little expression, 'It doesn't matter what you believe as long as you're sincere,' is a monstrous lie. — R.C. Sproul

Any conception of a god that is less than sovereign is an idol and no god at all. — R.C. Sproul

Why do those who keep insisting Jesus hung out with sinners also keep insisting there's no such thing as sin? — R.C. Sproul

In salvation we are not only saved from sin and damnation; we are saved unto holiness. The goal of redemption is holiness. — R.C. Sproul

Satan can do only what the sovereign God allows him to do. — R.C. Sproul

Hope is called the anchor of the soul because it gives stability to the Christian life. But hope is not simply a 'wish' I wish that such-and-such would take place rather, it is that which latches on to the certainty of the promises of the future that God has made. — R.C. Sproul

The conscience is the tool that God the Holy Spirit uses to convict us, bring us to repentance, and to receive the healing of forgiveness that flows from the gospel. — R.C. Sproul

If God is the Creator of the entire universe, then it must follow that He is the Lord of the whole universe. No part of the world is outside of His lordship. That means that no part of my life must be outside of His lordship. — R.C. Sproul

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

To say that God's sovereignty is limited by man's freedom is to make man sovereign. — R.C. Sproul

Holiness provokes hatred. The greater the holiness, the greater the human hostility toward it. It seems insane. No man was ever more loving than Jesus Christ. Yet even His love made people angry. His love was a perfect love, a transcendent and holy love, but HIs very love brought trauma to people. This kind of love is so majestic we can't stand it. — R.C. Sproul

Repentance is something that is brought about in the human heart by the work of God the Holy Spirit. — R.C. Sproul

Even if it cannot be
proven that a fetus is an actual living human person, there is no doubt that it is a potential living human person. In other words, a fetus is a developing person. It is not in a frozen state of potentiality. The fetus is in dynamic process-without interference or unforeseen calamity, it surely will become a fully actualized living human person. — R.C. Sproul

The neutral view of free will is impossible. It involves choice without desire. — R.C. Sproul

Several recent books would have us believe that all we have to do is follow certain steps and God will give us whatever we ask. The authors say, in effect, "Follow this procedure or use these specific words and know for certain that God will give in to your requests." That's not prayer; that's magic. That's not faith but superstition. These are gimmicks intended to manipulate the sovereign God. — R.C. Sproul

God is never pleased with ignorant worship, with worship that is not grounded in the knowledge of God. — R.C. Sproul

One can have knowledge without having wisdom, but one cannot have wisdom without having knowledge. — R.C. Sproul

A person who is conscientiously pro-choice must understand that he or she is a legal ally, willingly or unwillingly, with the pro-abortion position. If you the reader have taken a pro-choice position to avoid either extreme camp, you must squarely
face the reality that from a legal standpoint you have chosen the pro-abortion camp. — R.C. Sproul

Prayer does change things, all kinds of things. But the most important thing it changes is us. As we engage in this communion with God more deeply and come to know the One with whom we are speaking more intimately, that growing knowledge of God reveals to us all the more brilliantly who we are and our need to change in conformity to Him. Prayer changes us profoundly. — R.C. Sproul

The God of popular religion is not holy. — R.C. Sproul

the biblical King both reigns and rules. And He carries out His rule not by referendum but by His personal sovereignty. AN — R.C. Sproul