Quotes from Rules for Reformers

Pastor Doug Wilson's latest book is called Rules for Reformers. It is not for everyone, but anyone in Christian leadership should read the book. It has a hard, but cheerful edge to it.  Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book.

A reformer has to be the kind of man who can stand up to the clamor of the mob. 

The wise are those who take the initiative whenever they have the opportunity.

Survival should never be the goal, stalemate is not the goal, absence of collision is not the goal.

We are not to fight to the point of predominance, we are to fight to the point of complete victory.

Cultivate a robust sense of humor. [Wilson repeats this idea throughout the book.] 

Keep the pressure on, wherever you are on the line...Wake up in the morning thinking about what the fires you can set.

The work of cultural reformation is a contact sport.

A godly satirist [a man who uses sarcasm and ridicule] should know the difference between weakness and arrogance, and, as far as possible, reserve his arrows for the latter.

We need to distinguish between those who demand apologies as a weapon, and those who want to see genuine reconciliation.

Winning an argument, with documents and everything, is not what brings repentance. [Pastor Wilson is not saying that arguments have no value. He is just saying that winning them does not produce repentance.] 

The issue is never the issue. Keep your eye on the ball.

The rule is never to apologize for the truth. Never.[Emphasis his.]

Do you want to bring up endangered kids or dangerous kids...Would you like them to be smooth stones in the sling of the Son of David? Or are you just hoping they make enough money to get by, are generally nice people, and always come home for the holidays...Do you want to provide them with Jesus-centered education that will train them for the battle, the way boot camp is supposed to? 

If you do not love the present, which you have seen, how can you love the future, which you have not seen?

When forgetfulness begins, love is then in decline.

The key battle in our culture wars is the reestablishment of worship that is pleasing to God.

The reason for singling out sodomy for particular political attention right now is the homo-activists have made it their central political weapon.

All the Christians in the world, thinking sweet thoughts all at the same time, could not make a minimum wage law that didn't hurt the poor.  

All hope is lost? Good. That means the conditions for a black swan revival are improving by the day. The stone cold deader we get, the more God is hastening the day. Nothing is dying but what has needed to die for a long time. 

There is no solution to our cultural or political troubles apart from the blood that Jesus shed.