Forty Days of Mourning: “I cried through putting her ring on, even as I cry in taking mine off.” – R. C. Sproul, Jr

“What does it cost to be a Christian? I grant freely that it costs little to be a mere outward Christian. A man has only got to attend a place of worship twice on Sunday, and to be tolerably moral during the week, and he has gone as far as thousands around him ever go in religion. All this is cheap and easy work – it entails no self-denial or self-sacrifice. If this is saving Christianity and will take us to Heaven when we die–we must alter the description of the way of life, and write, “Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to Heaven!” But it does cost something to be a real Christian, according to the standard of the Bible. There are enemies to be overcome, battles to be fought, sacrifices to be made, an Egypt to be forsaken, a wilderness to be passed through, a cross to be carried, a race to be run. Conversion is not putting a man in a soft armchair, and taking him pleasantly to Heaven. It is the beginning of a mighty conflict, in which it costs much to win the victory. Hence arises the unspeakable importance of “counting the cost.” True Christianity will cost a man his self-righteousness, his sins, his love of ease, and the favor of the world. A religion which costs nothing –is worth nothing! A cheap, easy Christianity, without a cross, will prove in the end a useless Christianity, without a crown!” – J. C. Ryle

“No man is greater than his prayer life. The pastor who is not praying is playing; the people who are not praying are straying. The pulpit can be a shop window to display one’s talents; the prayer closet allows no showing off.” – Leonard Ravenhill

“I bless the Lord that all our troubles come through Christ’s fingers, and that He casteth sugar among them: and casteth in some ounce weights of heaven and of the spirit of glory in our cup.” – Samuel Rutherford

“So great is the depravity of unregenerate man that, although there is nothing that he needs more than the gospel, there is nothing that he desires less.” – R. B. Kuiper

“If Christ died for many whose salvation He didn’t secure, that doesn’t give me assurance.” – Dr. Sinclair Ferguson

“If He’s not saving you, then He’s not your Savior.” – Dr. Sinclair Ferguson

“To test the genuineness of a diamond, jewelers often place it in clear water, which causes a real diamond to sparkle with special brilliance. An imitation stone, on the other hand, will have almost no sparkle at all. When the two are placed side by side, even an untrained eye can easily tell the difference. In a similar way, even the world can often notice the marked differences between genuine Christians and those who merely profess faith in Christ. As with jewels, there is a noticeable difference in radiance, especially when people are undergoing difficult times. Many people have great confidence in their faith until it is severely tested by hardships and disappointments. How a person handles trouble will reveal whether his faith is living or dead, genuine or imitation, saving or non-saving.” – Dr. John Macarthur

“If you are superficial about sin, then you will also be superficial about salvation.” – Dr. John MacArthur

“The sum of their [Arminians] endeavor is, to prove that the will of man is so absolutely free, independent, and uncontrollable, that God doth not, nay, with all his power cannot, determine it certainly and infallibly to the performance of this or that particular action, thereby to accomplish his own purposes, to attain his own ends. Truly, it seems to me the most unfortunate attempt that ever Christians lighted on; which, if it should get success answerable to the greatness of the undertaking, the providence of God, in men’s esteem, would be almost thrust quite out of the world. The new goddess contingency could not be erected until the God of heaven was utterly despoiled of his dominion over the sons of men, and in the room thereof a home-bred idol of self-sufficiency set up, and the world persuaded to worship it. But that the building climb no higher, let all men observe how the word of God overthrows this Babylonian tower.” – John Owen

“You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say.” – Martin Luther

“Sin would have few takers if its consequences occurred immediately.” – T.W. Purkiser

“Blessed be God, our calamities are matters of time, but our safety is a matter of eternity.” – C. H. Spurgeon

“No person ever said, at the end of their days, ‘I have read my Bible too much, I have thought of God too much, I have prayed too much, I have been too careful with my soul.'” – J. C. Ryle

More than the Five Points: “If you actually believe that God’s glory and the demonstration of the full spectrum of the glorious attributes of God is the first and foremost principle to be observed and sought in all of life, that has to impact everything else, including your worship, your church order, your preaching… everything, then you are Reformed.” – Dr. James White

“It was I who kept you from sinning against me.” Genesis 20:6. He can stop all acts of sin. And what he permits is wise. – John Piper

“Burning hearts are not nourished by empty heads.” – R. C. Sproul
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