Some Quotes By Oliver B. Greene

Some Quotes By Oliver B. Greene

I like this statement by Oliver B. Greene on John 3:15:

“Jesus on the cross was heaven's best for earth's worst.”

A few pages later in his commentary on the Gospel of John, he has this paragraph:

“Notice that God told Moses exactly what to do, and Moses obeyed. God also told the Israelites what to do: they were simply to ‘Look, and live.’ The only way a dying Israelite could be healed and have life was to look to the brazen serpent. He was not to touch it nor speak to it; he was simply to LOOK upon it. The only way the unbeliever can benefit from Christ’s death on Calvary is to look to Him in faith. No matter how near death an Israelite was, if he had strength enough to open his eyes and look upon the serpent of brass he was instantly healed. In the same manner, regardless of how weak one’s faith may be, any poor sinner who will look to Jesus and sincerely believe and trust will be saved. Sincere faith brings salvation.”

A little bit later:

"The invitation to the sinner is to 'whosoever' - no one is excluded. No matter how feeble the faith may be - (it is not the quantity of faith, but in WHOM we believe); no matter how sinful and wretched the person may be, if he believes he has everlasting life."

My comments:

Like a grain of mustard seed - even a little bit of true faith is noticed by our Saviour. Like several of the characters in Pilgrim's Progress, they still made it to the Celestial City, even if they were lame or afraid (example, Master Ready-to-Halt and Master Feeble-mind).

The Love Of God

The Love Of God

The following is taken from chapter 15 (Paul's Prayer for the Ephesians...) of The Epistle Of Paul The Apostle To The Ephesians by Oliver B. Greene:

- The origin of love is divine (1 John 4:8).
- Love has been from everlasting (Genesis 1:1, Psalm 90:1-2).
- The source of pure love is God (2 Corinthians 13:11).
- We love God because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).
- Love is the evidence of saving faith in Jesus (1 John 4:16).
- Love is the royal badge of true discipleship (John 13:35).
- Love is the assurance that we have passed from death unto life (1 John 3:14).
- The love of God in our heart is unmerited (Colossians 1:12-14).
- The love of God is the most costly thing known to Heaven or earth (Ephesians 1:7).
- The love of God is free to all who will receive it (Romans 3:24-25).
- The love of God is universal in its offer (John 3:16).
- The love of God is unbounded in its work (Ephesians 2:4).
- The love of God is unbroken in its ministry (Romans 8:39).
- The love of God is great (Ephesians 2:4).
- The love of God is inconceivable (Ephesians 3:19).
- The love of God is unselfish (1 John 4:10).
- The love of God is forever unchanging (John 13:1).
- The love of God is inseparable (Romans 8:35-39).
- The love of God is everlasting (Jeremiah 31:3).
- The love of God is perfect (1 John 4:18).

Do not forget that all spiritual blessings are "in Christ," and to the believer Christ is better than the best, He is richer than the richest.

The Holy Spirit describes Him thus:
- The love of Christ is unknowable (Ephesians 3:19).
- The riches of Christ are unsearchable (Ephesians 3:8).
- The joy He gives is unspeakable (1 Peter 1:8).
- The ways of Christ are untrackable (Romans 11:33).
- The grace of the Lord Jesus is inexhaustible (2 Corinthians 9:8).
- The peace of Christ is unfathomable (Philippians 4:7).
- Jesus Christ Himself is unsurpassable (Exodus 15:11).

The Lord Jesus Christ is the mightiest among the holy. The Lord Jesus Christ is the holiest among the mighty. With His pierced hands He is able to lift empires out of the mire and the muck of lust and sin. He governs all ages, from the eternity behind us through the eternity that lies ahead.

I have already made the statement that if the ocean were a giant inkwell filled with ink, and if every stalk on earth were a quill, and every person on earth were a scribe as the beautiful song declares, it would still be impossible to write the love of GOD even though the sky were parchment and we had the vastness of the blue upon which to write! We could never describe the love of GOD. The love of GOD "passeth knowledge."

It is humanly impossible for the finite mind to comprehend the love of God.

Its breadth - "God so loved the world." Can you conceive of such love? Do you dare ask yourself what it would mean to love the whole wide world? How many folks do you love? Think it over. The breadth of God's love covers the whole wide world.

Its length - "God... gave His only begotten Son." God's love reached from the portals of glory to a stable in Bethlehem. God's love placed His only Son in the womb of the virgin Mary. He was born . . . He lived . . . God gave Him. God surrendered His Son into the hands of wicked sinners, and they nailed Him to a Cross. That, in some small way, points out the length of the love of God. Do you have a son? Do you have an only child? Would you surrender your child to die for wicked men?

Its depth - "Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish." Oh, I know we say we love everybody . . . but do we? Do we really love everybody? It is easy to love the lovely. It is easy to love those who are always doing kind things for you and saying kind things about you - but God so loved that He gave His only Son, that whosoever . . . the lovely, the unlovely . . . might not perish. Christ died for the ungodly. God surrendered up Jesus when we were yet sinners.

Its height - "Everlasting life." The love of God reaches to the depth of sin and places that sinner in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. From the lowest depths to the highest height . . . only the love of God could work such a miracle!