R. C. Sproul Goes To Heaven
BY Herschel Smith
6 years, 11 months ago
He was one of the great defenders of historic Christianity of our times. It is fair to say that R.C. was the greatest and most influential proponent of the recovery of Reformed theology in the last century. He was a stalwart defender of the Word of God, and one of the primary architects of the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy in 1978. His tapes were soon accompanied by his books and the vastly expanding influence of Ligonier Ministries.
When he taught about the holiness of God, a generation of evangelicals was rescued from the emaciated and desiccated theology of cultural Christianity. When he defended Reformed theology, he taught us all how to understand the gospel in terms of God’s eternal purpose to save, consistent with his sovereignty. He was rigorously biblical and ruthlessly logical . . . with a smile.
He loved to introduce Christians to both the splendors and the humbling lessons of church history. He wanted evangelical Christians to stand in a line of faithfulness that began with the apostles and continued to the present. He had the heart and courage of Martin Luther and the theological precision and passion of John Calvin. He was a proud son of the Reformation, and the solas of the Reformation were the architecture of his mind. He urged and taught Christians toward the development of the Christian mind, and ideas were his battleground.
There were many theologians responsible (humanly speaking) for a resurgence of reformed theology in the twentieth century, including Cornelius Van Til, R. J. Rushdoony, Gordon Clark, Greg Bahnsen, Alvin Plantinga, and many others. However, from the perspective of the popularization of theological ideas and the ability to see the future and react quickly to the changes in how people would be educated, Sproul was unsurpassed. He was also unsurpassed as a communicator and teacher.
His legacy is cemented, but I’m sure he isn’t concerned about his legacy right now. I don’t believe in the term RIP (rest in peace). There is no rest. Sproul is busy worshipping at the throne of glory right now. Good.
On December 15, 2017 at 9:34 am, Houston said:
This is sad to hear. I remember how much his books helped me in my own search. He opened my eyes in reading the Sovereignty of God and the Holiness of God. He will be missed but then he just did get a job promotion.
On December 15, 2017 at 9:54 am, Backwoods Engineer said:
Back when his programs were on the radio, I used to listen every time, even though we aren’t of the same denomination. That man had me riveted. I didn’t agree with everything R.C. said, but his taking the Word of God seriously appeals to me, for that is what the Restoration Movement (my background) is about. His “Holiness of God” is on my bookshelf, even now.