Christianity Quote by Francis A. Schaeffer
““To be really Bible-believing Christians we need to practice, simultaneously, at each step of the way, two biblical principles. One principle is that of the purity of the visible church. Scripture commands that we must do more than just talk about the purity of the visible church; we must actually practice it, even when it is costly. The second principle is that of an observable love among all true Christians. In the flesh we can stress purity without love, or we can stess love without purity; we cannot stress both simultaneously. To do so we must look moment by moment to the work of Christ and to the Holy Spirit. Without that, a stress on purity becomes hard, proud, and legalistic; likewise without it a stress on love becomes sheer compromise. Spiritually begins to have real meaning in our lives as we begin to exhibit simultaneously the holiness of God and the love of God. We never do this perfectly, but we must look to the living Christ to help us do it truly.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Church and the Future by Francis A. Schaeffer, 1970
True Christian life requires balancing church purity with genuine love, guided by Christ and the Holy Spirit, avoiding legalism or compromise.
In simple terms: Balance holiness and love in Christian practice.
Pursue both purity and love together.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- church leadership
- personal discipleship
- small group ministry
- conflict resolution
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you embody both purity and love daily?
- What practices keep you dependent on the Spirit?
Focusing on one without the other leads to pride or compromise.