Real Men Love Pink - A Collection of Quotes by A. W. Pink

No Degrees

AWP — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:00:15 +0000

“The prayer of Christ,

“Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth” (John 17:17),

is fulfilled as we obtain a spiritual knowledge of the Truth by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is not by self-efforts, by any “consecration” of our own, by attempts to “lay our all on the altar” that we enter into what Christ has procured for His people, but by faith’s appropriation of what God’s Word sets before us. In Christ, and in Him alone, does the believer possess a perfect purity. Christ has consecrated us to God by the offering of Himself unto Him for us. His sacrifice has delivered us from defilement and the ensuing estrangement, and restored us to the favor and fellowship of God. The Father Himself views the Christian as identified with and united to His “Holy One.” There are no degrees and can be no “progress” in this sanctification: an unconverted person is absolutely unholy, and a converted person is absolutely holy. God’s standard of holiness is not what the Christian becomes by virtue of the Spirit’s work in us here, but what Christ is as seated at His own right hand.” —A. W. Pink (1886–1952)

Taken from “The Doctrine of Sanctification” by A. W. Pink (1886–1952)

Foot-washing?

AWP — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:44:08 +0000

“For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15).

“It is well known that not a few have regarded this as a command from Christ for His followers now to practice literal foot-washing, yea, some have exalted it into a “Church ordinance.” While we cannot but respect and admire their desire to obey Christ, especially in a day when laxity and selfpleasing is so rife, yet we are fully satisfied that they have mistaken our Lord’s meaning here. Surely to insist upon literal foot-washing from this verse is to miss the meaning as well as the spirit of the whole passage. It is not with literal water (any more than the “water” is literal in John 3:5; 4:14; 7:38) that the Lord would have us wash one another. It is the Word (of which “water” is the emblem) He would have us apply to our fellow disciples’ walk. This should not need arguing, but for the benefit of those who think that the Lord here instituted an ordinance which He would have practiced today, we would ask them to please weigh carefully the following points:

That that which the Lord Jesus here did to His disciples looked beyond the literal act to its deep symbolic significance is clear from these facts:

First, the Lord’s word to Peter, “What I do thou knowest not now” (John 13:7): certainly Peter knew that his feet had been literally washed!

Second, the further words of Christ to Peter, “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me” (John 13:8): certainly there are multitudes of believers that have a part with Christ who have never practiced footwashing as a religious ordinance.

Third, His words, “Ye are clean, but not all” (John 13:10): Judas could never have been thus excepted if only literal foot-washing was here in view.

Fourth, His question, “Know ye what I have done to you?” clearly intimates that the Lord’s act in washing the feet of the disciples had a profound spiritual meaning.

Fifth, note that here in John 13:15 the Lord does not say “Ye should do what I have done unto you,” but “as I have done to you!” Add to these considerations the fact that this incident is found in John’s Gospel, which is, pre-eminently, the one which treats of spiritual relationships under various figures — bread, water, Shepherd and sheep, vine and the branches, etc., and surely all difficulty disappears.” —A. W. Pink (1886–1952)

Taken from “An Exposition of the Gospel of John” by A. W. Pink (1886-1952)

The Great Danger of the Pulpit

AWP — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:42:41 +0000

“Infidelity in the ministry is like unsavory salt: ineffectual, worthless, despicable, subject to a fearful curse. This is the great danger of the pulpit: to become men-pleasers, to yield unto the demand for smooth speaking, to tickle the ears of their auditors with novelties. Such preachers become unsavory salt, unprofitable in their ministry, failing to season souls so that they are acceptable to God. Salt is useless when it loses its virtue and acrimony. Ministers become such when through lack of prayer and continuous study they fail to increase in spiritual knowledge, or when adopting false doctrine they preach error, or when they cease to denounce sin, or when they fail to practice what they preach.

The greatness of the danger attending ministers who become unfaithful and unprofitable is here pointed out by Christ in His words “wherewith shall it be salted.” Those who depart from fidelity are very seldom, and then only with great difficulty, recovered and restored. Read what is recorded of the false prophets in the Old Testament and of false apostles in the New and where is there an instance that any repented?” —A. W. Pink (1886–1952)

Taken from “The Sermon on the Mount” by A. W. Pink (1886–1952)

More Than One

AWP — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 02:27:10 +0000

“It has been far too little recognized that God has more than one design in sending forth the Gospel. First, it is for the glory of Christ—a worldwide proclamation of His excellencies. God intends that a universal testimony shall be borne to the person and work of the One who so superlatively honored Him. Second, the preaching of the Gospel is made a further test of corrupt nature, demonstrating that men love darkness rather than light. Third, God uses the Gospel as a remedial agency in curbing the wickedness of the world, for many are reformed by it who are never savingly transformed in this way, making this scene a safer place for His people to pass through. It is also the means by which He calls out His elect: the sieve in which the wheat is separated from the chaff.” —A. W. Pink (1886–1952)

Taken from “The Doctrine of Reconciliation” by A. W. Pink (1886-1952)

Only Court of Appeal

AWP — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 23:54:10 +0000

“When God has spoken, that settles the matter. No room is left for debating or reasoning. It is vain for us to discuss and dispute. Our duty is to submit. The Word itself must regulate our worship and service, as well as everything else. Human opinions, human traditions, custom, convenience, have nothing to do with it. Divine revelation is our only Court of Appeal.” —A. W. Pink (1886–1952)

Taken from “Gleanings in Exodus” by A. W. Pink (1886–1952)

Judge Righteous Judgement

AWP — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:12:20 +0000

“Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24).

“Is not this a word which is much needed today by both writer and reader? There is a twofold danger to be guarded against. First, to form too favorable a judgment of people, particularly of those who profess to be Christians. Words are cheap, and gushiness is never a mark of reality. That a man calls himself a Christian, and sincerely thinks himself to be so, does not make him one. The fact that he is a great reader of the Bible, a regular attender of religious services, and is sound in his morals, is no proof that he has been born again. “Lay hands suddenly on no man” (1 Timothy 5:22): look for the marks of regeneration and be satisfied you have found them, before you address any one as a Brother or Sister in Christ. It is our own fault if we are imposed upon by wolves in sheep’s clothing.

On the other hand, there is just as real a danger of forming too harsh a judgment of people, and imputing to hypocrisy what is genuine. A man is not to be made an offender for a word, nor does he deserve to be snubbed because he fails to fawn upon and flatter you. We must not expect everyone to pronounce our shibboleths or see eye to eye with us in everything. A kindly heart often beats beneath a gruff exterior. A babbling brook is very shallow, but still waters run deep. Not all are endowed with five talents. Others may not have had the same opportunities and privileges you have enjoyed. Let not a single action alienate a friend: bear in mind the general tenor of his conduct towards you. Be as ready to forgive as you desire to be forgiven. Remember there is still much in you which grates upon others. When wronged pray over it before you pass a verdict. Many a person has afterwards bitterly regretted a hasty decision. Take all the circumstances into account and “judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” —A. W. Pink (1886–1952)

Taken from “The Life of David, Volume 2” by A. W. Pink (1886-1952)

Painful To Unlearn

AWP — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:00:08 +0000

“Bring your beliefs to the test of the Scriptures, and you are likely to discover that it is much harder and more painful to unlearn some things than it is to learn new ones.” —A. W. Pink (1886–1952)

Taken from “Practical Christianity” by A. W. Pink (1886-1952)

The Prolific Error

AWP — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 02:12:30 +0000

“There is a continual need to return to the great fundamental of the faith. As long as the age lasts the Gospel of God’s grace must be preached. The need arises out of the natural state of the human heart, which is essentially legalistic. The cardinal error against which the Gospel has to contend is the inveterate tendency of men to rely on their own performances. The great antagonist to the truth is the pride of man, which causes him to imagine that he can be, in part at least, his own savior. This error is the prolific mother of a multitude of heresies. It is by this falsehood that the pure stream of God’s truth, passing through human channels, has been polluted. Now the Gospel of God’s grace is epitomized in Ephesians 2:8-9,

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”

All genuine reforms or revivals in the churches of God must have as their basis a plain declaration of this doctrine. The tendency of Christians is like that of the world, to shy away from this truth which is the very sum and substance of the Gospel.” —A. W. Pink (1886–1952)

Taken from “Gleanings in the Godhead” by A. W. Pink (1886-1952)

Impostures

AWP — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:58:55 +0000

“In 2 Timothy 3:8, we read, “Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth; men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.” Here we learn the names of two of the magicians (doubtless the principal ones) who worked miracles in Egypt. Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses. They did this not by having him turned out of the king’s palace, not by causing him to be imprisoned or slain, but by duplicating his works. And, says the Holy Spirit, there are those now who similarly resist the servants of God — “as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these (the ones mentioned in vv. 5 and 6 also resist the truth”. This is one of the Divinely-delineated characteristics of the “perilous times”. The reference is to men (and women) supernaturally endowed by Satan to work miracles. Such are found to-day, we believe, not only among Spiritualists and Christian Scientists, hut also in some of the leaders of the Faith-healing cults. There are men and women now posing as evangelists of Christ who are attracting large crowds numbered by the thousand. Their chief appeal is not the message they bear, but their readiness to “anoint” and pray over the sick. They claim that “Jesus” (they never own Him as “the Lord Jesus”), in response to their faith, has through them removed paralysis, healed cancers, given sight to the blind. When their claims are carefully investigated it is found that most of the widely-advertised “cures” are impostures.” —A. W. Pink (1886–1952)

Taken from “Gleanings in Exodus” by A. W. Pink (1886–1952)

Afflictions are Blessings

AWP — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 03:26:38 +0000

“Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept Thy Word” (Psalm 119:67). “It is in seasons of temporal prosperity that we are most apt to decline spiritually, and generally we have to pass through deep waters of trouble before we are restored — the snapping dog of adversity is employed to recover the strayed sheep. Afflictions are blessings in disguise when they cool our lusts, wean us from the world, make us realize our weakness, and cast us back immediately upon God. So declared the Psalmist: “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn Thy statutes” (Psalm 119: 71). Then “despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him” (Hebrews 12:5).” —A. W. Pink (1886–1952)

Taken from “An Exposition of Hebrews” by A. W. Pink (1886-1952)