Yesterday, December 14, 2017, the world lost a man who faithfully followed God's call and influenced the world for Christ in so many ways. Pastor, author, apologist, theologian, and founder of Ligonier Ministries R. C. Sproul had been hospitalized for a serious respiratory condition and went home to be with the Lord at the age of 78.
In the wake of Sproul's passing, Christian leaders weighed in, paying tribute to this titan of Christian thought and sending condolences and prayers to his grieving family.
In a moving tribute piece, Al Mohler wrote, "R.C.’s voice was captivating. Honestly, I probably would have listened to him read the Farmer’s Almanac. But the power of his teaching was the vitality and virility of biblical Christianity, presented logically, forcefully, biblically, and passionately.
My own pilgrimage as a theologian cannot be traced without the indelible influence of R.C. Sproul. Had I never met him in the flesh, I would have been in his debt and gifted with his influence. By God’s grace, I came to know R.C. Sproul as a teacher, colleague, encourager, and friend."
Pastor and author Jared C. Wilson tweeted:
"Compared to R.C. Sproul, all of us are at the kids’ pulpit." - Some personal reflections upon the passing of a giant into glory today at @TGC https://t.co/3d7ZtNXzOu
— Jared C. Wilson (@jaredcwilson) December 15, 2017
Sproul's ministry, Ligonier, also posted a tribute to the theologian's life, influence, and commitment to the faith. "R.C. taught us this: 'God is holy, and we are not.' In between is the God-man Jesus Christ and His perfect work of obedience and His atoning death on the cross. That was the message and the legacy of R.C. Sproul," wrote Stephen Nichols for Ligionier Ministries.
Dr. Karen Swallow Prior, Christian author and professor at Liberty University tweeted a simple thanks:
Welcome home, rcsproul, and thank you. #RCSproul. https://t.co/P5HOSx6luU
— Karen Swallow Prior (@KSPrior) December 15, 2017
Russell Moore, the President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission for the Southern Baptist Convention, also shared how Sproul had influenced his life for Christ:
Early in my ministry I was discouraged, about to quit ministry. I went to a @Ligonier conf in Memphis, heard R.C. Sproul and @JohnPiper preach on God and providence. God used that to keep me in ministry. Changed my life.
— Russell Moore (@drmoore) December 14, 2017
Pastor John Piper also wrote a post in tribute to R. C. Sproul in which he proclaims, "The impact of R.C. Sproul on my life and ministry is owing to an incomparable combination of his unashamed allegiance to the absolute sovereignty and centrality of God, his total devotion to the inerrancy and radical relevance of the Christian Scriptures, his serious and rigorous attention to the actual text of Scripture in shaping his views, and his jolting formulations of biblical truth in relation to contemporary reality."
Undoubtedly, many other Christian leaders and lay people alike can say that Sproul had a great impact on their life, whether through his preaching, his theology, his books, or his friendship.
A memorial service for Sproul will be held on December 20 at 2 p.m., according to CBN News.
Photo courtesy: Facebook/R.C. Sproul
Publication date: December 15, 2017