John Stott: 10 Memorable Quotes

Though actions speak louder than words, for the late Reverend John Stott, one of the most influential evangelists of the 20th century, words held equal weight to his deeds.

Stott, who died on Wednesday at the age of 90, lived and wrote about his love of God and His Word.

He was able to balance his Christ-centered faith and encouraged Christians to do the same, challenging them to “make a robust and clear affirmation of biblical truth while at the same time emphasizing that this must be backed up with a distinctive, godly Christian life,” noted members of the Lausanne Movement, which Stott helped establish.

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In remembering the humble preacher, author, and theologian, here are a few of his lasting words:

• His authority on earth allows us to dare to go to all the nations. His authority in heaven gives us our only hope of success. And His presence with us leaves us with no other choice.
• The truth is that there are such things as Christian tears, and too few of us ever weep them.
• Every Christian should be both conservative and radical; conservative in preserving the faith and radical in applying it.
• Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us, we have to see it as something done by us.
• We should not ask, ‘What is wrong with the world?’ for that diagnosis has already been given. Rather we should ask, "What has happened to salt and light?"
• Social responsibility becomes an aspect not of Christian mission only, but also of Christian conversion. It is impossible to be truly converted to God without being thereby converted to our neighbor.
• Sin and child of God are incompatible. They may occasionally meet; they cannot live together in harmony.
• Good conduct arises out of good doctrine.
• The very first thing which needs to be said about Christian ministers of all kinds is that they are "under" people as their servants rather than "over" them (as their leaders, let alone their lords). Jesus made this absolutely plain. The chief characteristic of Christian leaders, he insisted, is humility not authority, and gentleness not power.
• We must allow the Word of God to confront us, to disturb our security, to undermine our complacency and to overthrow our patterns of thought and behavior.