Fallen man is free to choose what he desires, but because his desires are only wicked he lacks the moral ability to come to Christ. As long as he remains in the flesh, unregenerate, he will never choose Christ. He cannot choose Christ precisely because he cannot act against his own will. His fall is so great that only the effectual grace of God working in his heart can bring him to faith.
R. C. SproulManโs will is free to follow his inclinations, but fallen manโs inclinations are always and invariably away from God.
R. C. SproulI get irritated when I hear preachers say, "Come to Jesus and all your problems will be over." That's just simply a lie.
R. C. SproulIn the psalms, we have a collection of 150 prayers that were inspired originally by the Holy Ghost. If you want to know how God is pleased and honored in prayer, why not immerse yourself in the prayers that he himself has inspired?
R. C. SproulUnbelief is judged by Jesus not as an intellectual error but as a hostile act of prejudice against God himself.
R. C. SproulJesus' life was a storm of controversy. The apostles, like the prophets before them, could hardly go a day without controversy. Paul said that he debated daily in the marketplace. To avoid controversy is to avoid Christ. We can have peace, but it is a servile and carnal peace where truth is slain in the streets.
R. C. Sproul