Quotes from William Wilberforce

The problem with this way of thinking is that authentic faith cannot be inherited.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests" (Luke 2:14). How can you measure the value of the good news of Christ? It is spoken of in the Bible as light in the darkness, freedom from slavery and life from death.

The result is that in the Christian world in the West, we settle for a cultural version of Christianity that is far from the real thing.

It teaches that man is an apostate creature, fallen from his original innocence, degraded in his nature, depraved in his thinking, prone toward evil, not good, and impacted by sin to the very core of his being.

Nor is it only in prophane history that instances like these are to be found, of persons committing the greatest crimes with a sincere conviction of the rectitude of their conduct. Scripture will afford us parallels; and it was surely to guard us against the very error which we have been now exposing, that our blessed Saviour forewarned his disciples: "The time cometh, that whosoever [Pg 13] killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out" (Rom. 7:18). As someone has said, even the spirituality we do possess is corrupted by our nature. We have nothing to brag about. On the contrary, God must always give us grace to bear with our faults and mercy to forgive our sins.

Some are obviously living in bondage. Others give the appearance that they have overcome such problems. But the fact remains that even if it is not apparent in a person's outward behavior, this is the true state of all our hearts.

When we come to grips with the true state of our condition, we are ready to fully appreciate what God has done to rescue us from ourselves. It is imperative that we take seriously our true condition as fallen human beings.

If we don't understand how seriously ill we are, we don't pursue the remedy with the required diligence. If we are slightly ill, we take an aspirin. If we are dying, we passionately pursue a cure. The cure is not forced on us; it is offered to us.4

Only an unwillingness to be open and honest can keep us from the conclusion that both reason and experience tell us that what the Bible says about us is true. We are without excuse if we remain in denial.

When we see around us the tragedy of not taking this truth seriously and when we experience within ourselves the veracity of the truth, we will be positioned to move forward in our spiritual progress. We also will have a different attitude toward those who more obviously struggle in areas where we might only secretly have a problem. Day by day, an awareness of our condition will help us grow spiritually.

The Bible specifically states that sin cannot be blamed on how God made us. "When tempted, no one should say 'God is tempting me' " (Jas. 1:13). God wants us to come to terms with our sin and embrace the solution He has provided that can save us from judgment.

We are too young to realise that certain things are impossible.

When you put it together, it looks like this: Our natural condition is weak and fallen and our temptations are numerous; God is infinitely holy, yet He offers forgiveness, grace and enabling power to those who get honest with Him and are willing to repent.

Christianity itself has been too often disgraced. It has been turned into an engine of cruelty, and amidst the bitterness of persecution, every trace has disappeared of the mild and beneficent spirit of the religion of Jesus.

Some things God has revealed; others remain mysteries.

we know that our Sovereign is "Long suffering, and easy to be entreated;" more ready to grant, than we to ask, forgiveness.

Men of authority and influence may promote good morals. Let them in their several stations encourage virtue. Let them favor and take part in any plans which may be formed for the advancement of morality.

What is good is only a matter of opinion in secular society. Using society's own standard of goodness, careful observation of the bigger picture may reveal that a particular good has been outweighed by general evil. When a society defines its own morality and then applies it to itself, that society can justify its own serious breaches of character. It is able to lower the standard to the detriment of all.

I would suggest that faith is everyone's business. The advance or decline of faith is so intimately connected to the welfare of a society that it should be of particular interest to a politician.

Surely the principles of Christianity lead to action as well as meditation.

There is no shortcut to holiness; it must be the business of our whole lives.

Life as we know it, with all its ups and downs, will soon be over. We all will give an accounting to God of how we have lived.

The first years in Parliament I did nothing - nothing to any purpose. My own distinction was my darling object.