To be spiritually dead is to be diabolically alive
R. C. SproulRead
It's not the wickedness of the pagan that breaks my heart. It's the compromise of the Christian that grieves my soul.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the disappointment in the moral failures of those who claim to uphold religious values rather than the actions of those who do not believe.
R.C. Sproul expresses a profound sense of sorrow not for the wrongdoings of non-believers, but for the compromises made by those who identify as Christians. This reflects a deeper concern for integrity and genuine faithfulness among believers, suggesting that the failure to uphold one's principles in the face of temptation or societal pressures is a more grievous offense than the immorality found in those outside the faith.
Themes
WickednessCompromiseFaithIntegritySoulGrief
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in a sermon to discuss the importance of integrity in faith.
More from R. C. Sproul
All quotes βIβve often wondered where Jesus would apply His hastily made whip if He were to visit our culture. My guess is that it would not be money-changing tables in the temple that would feel His wrath, but the display racks in Christian bookstores.
R. C. SproulRead
The real crisis of worship today is not that the preaching is paltry or that it's too drafty in church. It is that people have no sense of the presence of God, and if they have no sense of His presence, how can they be moved to express the deepest feelings of their souls to honor, revere, worship, and glorify God?
R. C. SproulRead
We talk about predestination because the Bible talks about predestination. If we desire to build our theology on the Bible, we run head on into this concept. We soon discover that John Calvin did not invent it.
R. C. SproulRead
Without God man has no reference point to define himself.
R. C. SproulRead
I do not want to drive across a bridge designed by an engineer who believed the numbers in structural stress models are relative truths.
R. C. SproulRead
Similar quotes
The more we try to live in the world of words, the more we feel isolated and alone, the more all the joy and liveliness of things is exchanged for mere certainty and security. On the other hand, the more we are forced to admit that we actually live in the real world, the more we feel ignorant, uncertain, and insecure about everything.
Alan WattsRead
In the assemblies of the enlightened ones there have been many cases of mastering the Way bringing forth the heart of plants and trees; this is what awakening the mind for enlightenment is like. The fifth patriarch of Zen was once a pine-planting wayfarer; Rinzai worked on planting cedars and pines on Mount Obaku. . . . Working with plants, trees, fences and walls, if they practice sincerely they will attain enlightenment.
DogenRead
... consciousness is an ever-unfolding, deepening, and expanding process with no end point. We are infinite and complex beings, and our human journey involves not just a spiritual awakening, but the development of all levels of our being - spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical - and the integration of all these aspects into a healthy and balanced daily life.
Shakti GawainRead
The man whose whole activity is diverted to inner meditation becomes insensible to all his surroundings.
Emile DurkheimRead
Our countrymen have all the folly of the ass and all the passiveness of the sheep.
Alexander HamiltonRead
Parents realize their wealth should be used for social good rather than children's good.
Azim PremjiRead