The true man of God is heartsick. He is . . .
grieved at the worldliness of the Church,
grieved at the toleration of sin in the Church,
grieved at the prayerlessness in the Church.
– Leonard Ravenhill –
Turn your soul’s vision to Jesus, and look and look at Him, and a strange dimness will come over all that is apart from Him.
– Lilias Trotter –
(note: this is the quote that inspired the song “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”)
The wonder of the grace of God is that God can take an unholy man out of a unholy world — and make that man holy — and put him back into a unholy world, and keep him holy!
– Leonard Ravenhill –
Sin is a poisonous weed that throws the whole nature out of order. The inner life disintegrates; the flesh lusts after forbidden pleasures; the moral judgment is distorted so that often good appears evil and evil good; time is chosen over eternity, earth over heaven and death over life.
– AW Tozer –
We want more men and women who walk with God and before God, like Enoch and Abraham. Though our numbers at this date far exceed those of our evangelical forefathers, I believe we fall far short of them in our standard of Christian practice. Where is the self-denial, the redemption of time, the absence of luxury and self-indulgence, the unmistakable separation from earthly things, the manifest air of being always about our Master’s business, the singleness of eye, the simplicity of home life, the high tone of conversation in society, the patience, the humility, the universal courtesy, which marked so many of our forerunners seventy or eighty years ago? Yes: where is it indeed? We have inherited their principles, and we wear their armour, but I fear we have not inherited their practice. The Holy Ghost sees it, and is grieved; and the world sees it, and despises us. The world sees it, and cares little for our testimony. It is life, life–a heavenly, godly, Christ-like life–depend on it, which influences the world. Let us resolve, by God’s blessing, to shake off this reproach. Let us awake to a clear view of what the times require of us in this matter. Let us aim at a much higher standard of practice. Let the time past suffice us to have been content with a half-and-half holiness. For the time to come, let us endeavour to walk with God, to be ‘thorough’ and unmistakable in our daily life, and to silence, if we cannot convert, a sneering world.
– JC Ryle –
When we shift from personal purity to personal happiness, we lose biblical hope because we are not focusing on God’s agenda, we are focusing on our own.
– NT Wright –
How diligently the cavalry officer keeps his sabre clean and sharp; every stain he rubs off with the greatest care. Remember you are God’s sword, His instrument … a chosen vessel unto Him to bear His name. In great measure, according to the purity and perfection of the instrument, will be the success.
– Robert Murray M’Cheyne –
God would not rub so hard if it were not to fetch out the dirt that is ingrained in our natures. God loves purity so well He had rather see a hole than a spot in His child’s garments.
– William Gurnall –
I do not preach any new truth. I do not have any new doctrine … We must have a revival that will mean purity of heart as a normal standard for everybody. We must be clean people, and not only clean outside.
– AW Tozer –