Classic Christian Quotes from Classic Christian Ministers

Classic Christian Quotes from Classic Christian Ministers

Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. (Galatians 5:1 NLT)

Legalism always crucifies Christ afresh because legalism cuts out the greatest word in Christianity. The word over the door into true Christianity is the word: "Grace." Legalism always wipes out "Grace," and puts in its place "Law." Grace is the chief word in the vocabulary of the Christian. Do you notice that where legalism reaches its fullest expression, it always puts the crucifix in the place of the empty tomb? The badge of the Christian is the empty tomb. That is "Life from the dead." The badge of legalism is a crucifix, "a dead Christ." Legalism always brings death, and the chief thing about Christ is resurrection. It is Life from the dead. This was something that Paul came to see when it pleased God to reveal His Son in him. And he said, "Let me get out of all this legalistic system. Jesus of Nazareth Whom we crucified is alive. He has been revealed alive in my heart."

If we really see the Lord Jesus, we shall be emancipated. Some of us have had that experience. We were in legal systems; our horizon was that system. Then the day came when the Lord opened our eyes to really see the significance of Christ. And that whole system fell away as being all nonsense. No, it is not our business to say, "Come out of this and that, and come into this other." The word "must" or "thou shall" does not belong to this realm. That belongs to the old legal realm. The "must" becomes a spiritual thing, not a legal thing. We could say of Paul, there was a mighty "must" in his spirit. "I have seen the Lord, and I am seeing more and more of what the Lord is, and this is creating in me this great imperative. 'This one thing I do, leaving the things which are behind, I press on toward the mark of the prize of the on-high calling.'" So we do not say, "Change your system." But we do say, "Ask the Lord to reveal His Son in you." Then the great work of emancipation will begin.

By T. Austin-Sparks
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The Midas touch!

(Thomas Brooks)

Faith is the most useful grace--it is the Christian's . . .
  right eye, without which he cannot see for Christ; 
  right hand, without which he cannot act for Christ; 
  tongue, without which he cannot speak for Christ; 
  strength, without which he cannot live for Christ.

It is fabled of King Midas, that whatever he touched would be turned into gold. 
I am sure that whatever faith touches, it turns into gold; that is, into our good. 

Whatever faith lays its hand upon, it appropriates to itself, and turns it into the soul's good! 

If our faith touches the promises, it turns them into our good.

If faith looks upon God, it says, "This God is my God forever and ever--He shall be my guide unto death!" 

When it looks upon Christ, it says, "My Lord and Redeemer!" 

When it looks upon the crown of righteousness, it says, "This crown is laid up for me!" 

Faith is . . .
  bread to nourish us,
  wine to cheer us, 
  a cordial to strengthen us, 
  a sword to defend us,
  a guide to direct us,
  a staff to support us,
  a remedy to heal us,
  a friend to comfort us, and
  a golden key to open Heaven unto us.

Faith, of all graces, is the most useful grace to the soul of man. 
All those services are lost, wherein faith has not a hand. 
You may write 'loss' . . .
  upon all the prayers you make, and 
  upon all the sermons you hear, and
  upon all the tears you shed, and
  upon all the alms you give, 
--if all are not managed by a hand of faith. 
"Without faith it is impossible to please God!" Hebrews 11:6 
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1 Corinthians 8:1-3

(1) Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. (2) And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. (3) But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.
New King James Version   

These seemingly innocuous words may be the central issue in this whole book (or both books to the Corinthians) because this was the sin that led Satan to separate from God's government. He became puffed up about himself. Likewise, the Corinthians were puffed up about how much they knew.

Satan thought so much of himself that he became twisted in his thinking, and he attacked God. We do not attack God directly—this book shows us we attack each other! Therein lies the problem. We attack each other through gossip, rumors, accusations, and things of that nature.

We begin to draw up lists in our minds of the faults of those who have offended us, and we begin to withdraw from them. We will not associate with them. Division begins to occur because they offend us. We say to ourselves, "Well, they were mean to me," or "They aren't intelligent enough," or "They are peculiar," or "They wear garish clothing," or "They have strong opinions about unimportant things."

This is not to say that these things are right and good, or that one should be able to do his own thing at anytime, anywhere, and that others should be tolerant of it. Nevertheless, Satan can, if he is given the opportunity, lead our minds to find reasons to not associate with others—reasons that have nothing to do with sin. Satan is at work.

If the feeling continues unabated, we will eventually come to the place where we will withdraw from fellowship altogether. It will not happen quickly, necessarily, but gradually. Perhaps we stop attending Bible Studies or begin to find reasons not to come to Sabbath services, or we will arrive late to services and leave early. In this way, Satan is slowly but surely moving us toward self-indulgence rather than love.

~John W. Ritenbaugh~