R.C. Sproul: If God Is Sovereign, How Can Man Be Free?
Here are some quotes from the late RC Sproul (1939-2017):
"While God-given, the conscience has certain limitations in its ability to discern right from wrong. To hold a razor's edge, it must constantly be informed by the Word of God."
"We often hear the question, 'What happens to the poor innocent native in Africa who never had an opportunity to hear the gospel?'...Nothing happens to the poor innocent native who never had an opportunity to hear the gospel. Innocent people don't need salvation."
"Does saving faith require a trust in the righteousness of Christ alone as the grounds of our justification? Or may a person have a different view of the gospel and still be a Christian?" (From Faith Alone)
"It is to Rome's credit, in my opinion, that she placed anathema on what she believed to be a false and heretical gospel. If sola fide is a distortion of the biblical gospel, surely it deserves such anathema. If the Reformers were preaching and teaching a false gospel, then they were apostate and deserved the labels put on them by Vatican I, 'schismatics and heretics.'" (from Faith Alone)
"The Reformation was waged, not over the question of justification by faith, but over the issue of justification by faith alone. It was the sola of sola fide that was the central point of dispute." (From Faith Alone)
"I said that if justification by faith alone is essential for salvation, and if Rome rejects justification by faith alone, then the conclusion follows by resistless logic that Rome rejects an essential truth of Christianity. When I use the word, if, here, I do so for the sake of the present argument. In my mind, there is no if about it. I am convinced, as were the Reformers, that justification by faith alone is essential to the gospel, and that Rome clearly rejects it." (from Faith Alone.)
"Agreement between Rome and Evangelicals can be reached in several ways. One is for Evangelicals to abandon their historic position of sola fide. A second is for Rome to adopt sola fide as its official doctrine. The third is for agreement to be reached that sola fide is not essential to the gospel." (From Faith Alone).
"To indicate that the Roman view is inadequate, or it falls short, is a gentle criticism. In my estimation, it is too gentle. One could construe this statement to mean that, though it has shortcomings and is less than adequate, the Roman 'version of the gospel' is still just that, a 'version of the gospel.' The New Testament makes it clear that there is only one gospel. An 'inadequate' gospel is not the gospel. A gospel that 'falls short' of its essence is not a true gospel and must be vigorously rejected." (From Faith Alone).
"I can imagine no Reformed theologian from the 16th century to the present day suggesting that the Roman Catholic view is not a serious threat to the gospel." (From Faith Alone).
"The Bible teaches that there are degrees in hell, and that some sins are punished more severely by God than others (John 19:11, Luke 12:47-48)...we must keep in mind that the punishment for adultery will be more severe than the punishment for lust."
