“To merely present a God who is willing to be reconciled to sinners is a wretched and wicked perversion of the Gospel.” —A. W. Pink (1886–1952)
Taken from “The Satisfaction of Christ: Studies in the Atonement” by A. W. Pink (1886-1952)
Filed under: Attributes of God, Election, Eternal Security, Gospel, Grace, Love, Sovereignty of God
“Let us now look more distinctly at some of the operations of God’s love. First, in election, “We are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit [His quickening] and belief of the truth” (1 Thes 2:13). There is an infallible connection between God’s love and His selection of those who were to be saved. That election is the consequence of His love is clear again from Deuteronomy 7:7: “The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people.” So again in Ephesians 1:4-5: “In love: having predestinated us into the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.” Second, in redeeming them. As we have seen above from 1 John 4:10, out of His sovereign love, God made provision of Christ to render satisfaction for their sins, though prior to their conversion, he was angry with them in respect of His violated Law, and provoked holiness by their transgressions. And “how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Rom 8:32)—another clear proof that His Son was not “delivered up” to the cross for all mankind, for He gives them neither the Holy Spirit, a new nature, nor repentance and faith.
Third, effectual calling. From the enthroned Saviour, the Father sends forth the Holy Spirit (Act 2:33). Having loved His elect with an everlasting love, therefore with lovingkindness does He draw them (Jer 31:3), quickening into newness of life, calling them out of darkness into His marvelous light, making them manifestatively His children, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John 3:1). If filiation does not issue from God’s love as a sure effect thereof, to what purpose are those words? Fourth, healing their backslidings: “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely” (Hos 14:4)—without reluctance or hesitation. “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it” (Song 8:7). Such is God’s love unto His people—invincible, unquenchable. Not only is there no possibility of its expiring of itself, but the black waters of their backslidings cannot extinguish it, nor the floods of their unbelief put it out.
“Love is strong as death” (Song 8:6). Nothing more irresistible than death in the natural world, nothing so invincible as the love of God in the realm of grace.” —A. W. Pink (1886–1952)
Taken from “Studies in the Scriptures” March 1951 edition by A. W. Pink (1886-1952)
“The servants of God are to “preach the Gospel” (Mark 16:15), which is a proclamation of mercy through Christ. The Gospel is a Divine revelation of the way of salvation by free grace through the Lord Jesus. It announces deliverance from condemnation and the bestowment of eternal life upon all who comply with its terms. The Gospel presents not a system of philosophy, but the person of the God-man as the Object of faith. It makes known how the thrice holy God may be just and yet the Justifier of lawbreaking sinners. The things of our eternal concernment are therein proposed to us. A compliance with this Divine revelation is made of
“repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21).
Remission of sins is freely promised to all who thus comply with it. But it also implies and denounces tidings of the very opposite nature to all who neglect it: “he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16);
“the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel” (2 Thessalonians 1:7, 8).
Now in preaching the Gospel to a single individual (which is, usually, more difficult than preaching to a crowd) it is in nowise necessary to say to him, Christ died for you, He bore your sins on the Cross. Neither the Lord Jesus nor the apostles adopted such a mode of procedure. Take one pertinent illustration from each of them. In His discourse to Nicodemus, Christ did not say, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so shall the Son of man be lifted up for you, “but” even so shall the Son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish” (John 3:14), thus pressing the responsibility of His hearer. So too when the Philippian jailer cried, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,” but he did not add “who died for you.” It is not until after we have truly believed, that we learn we are among that favored company for whom the incarnate Son shed His precious blood.” —A. W. Pink (1886–1952)
Taken from “The Satisfaction of Christ: Studies in the Atonement” by A. W. Pink (1886-1952)
Filed under: Gospel, Grace, Law, Modern Pulpits, Sanctification, Spiritual Growth
“Healthy Christianity can only be maintained where the balance is properly preserved between a faithful exposition of the holy Law of God and a pressing of its claims upon the conscience, and by tenderly preaching the Gospel and applying its balm to stricken hearts. Where the former predominates to the virtual exclusion of the latter, self-righteous pharisaism is fostered; and where the proclamation of the Gospel ousts the requirements of the Law, Antinomian licentiousness is engendered. During the past hundred years Christendom has probably heard fifty Gospel sermons or addresses to one on the Law, and the consequence has indeed been disastrous and deplorable: a light and backboneless religion, with loose and careless walking.” —A. W. Pink (1886–1952)
Taken from “The Sermon on the Mount” by A. W. Pink (1886–1952)
“Grace is the very essence of the Gospel—the only hope for fallen men, the sole comfort of saints passing through much tribulation on their way to the kingdom of God. The Gospel is the announcement that God is prepared to deal with guilty rebels on the ground of free favor, of pure benignity; that God will blot out sin, cover the believing sinner with a robe of spotless righteousness, and receive him as an accepted son: not on account of anything he has done or ever will do, but of sovereign mercy, acting independently of the sinner’s own character and deservings of eternal punishment. Justification is perfectly gratuitous so far as we are concerned, nothing being required of us in order to it, either in the way of price and satisfaction or preparation and meetness. We have not the slightest degree of merit to offer as the ground of our acceptance, and therefore if God ever does accept us it must be out of unmingled grace.” —A. W. Pink (1886–1952)
Taken from “The Doctrine of Justification” by A. W. Pink (1886–1952)
“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)
“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)
Filed under: Exposition of The Gospel of John, Faith, Gospel, Grace, Soteriology
“The natural man has a “wine” of his own. There is a carnal happiness enjoyed which is produced by “the pleasures of sin” — the merriment which this world affords. But how fleeting this is! How unsatisfying! Sooner or later this “wine,” which is pressed from “the vine of the earth” (Revelation 14:18), gives out. The poor sinner may be surrounded by gay companions, he may be comfortably circumstanced financially and socially, yet the time comes when he discovers he has “no wine.” Happy the one who is conscious of this. The discovery of our own wretchedness is often the turning point. It prepares us to look to that One who is ready
“to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isaiah 61:3).
Unbelieving friend, there is only One who can furnish the true “wine,” the “good” wine, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. He can satisfy the longing of the soul. He can quench the thirst of the heart. He can put a song into thy mouth which not even the angels can sing, even the song of Redemption. What then must you do? What price must you pay? Ah, dear friend, listen to the glad tidings of grace: “Repent ye, and believe the Gospel” (Mark 1:15).” —A. W. Pink (1886–1952)
Taken from “An Exposition of the Gospel of John” by A. W. Pink (1886-1952)
Filed under: Exposition of The Gospel of John, Faith, Gospel, Soteriology, Total Depravity
“The new birth is an imperative necessity because the natural man is altogether devoid of spiritual life. It is not that he is ignorant and needs instruction: it is not that he is feeble and needs invigorating: it is not that he is sickly and needs doctoring. His case is far, far worse. He is dead in trespasses and sins. This is no poetical figure of speech; it is a solemn reality, little as it is perceived by the majority of people. The sinner is spiritually lifeless and needs quickening. He is a spiritual corpse, and needs bringing from death unto life. He is a member of the old creation, which is under the curse of God, and unless he is made a new creation in Christ, he will lie under that curse to all eternity. What the natural man needs above everything else is life, Divine life; and as birth is the gateway to life, he must be born again, and except he be born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. This is final.” —A. W. Pink (1886–1952)
Taken from “An Exposition of the Gospel of John” by A. W. Pink (1886-1952)
“Sad is it to see the anti-Christian cults flourishing on every side; but far more grievous is it, for those who are taught of God, to discover that much of the so-called “Gospel” which is now being preached in many “fundamentalist churches” and “gospel halls” is but a satanic delusion.” —A. W. Pink (1886–1952)
Taken from “Practical Christianity” by A. W. Pink (1886-1952)
Real Men Love Pink - A Collection of Quotes by A. W. Pink 