Mark Leberfinger

“To be spiritual has only one real purpose. It is a means to an end, not the end itself. The goal of all spiritual exercise must be the goal of righteousness. God calls us to be holy. Christ sets the priority of the Christian life: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matt. 6:33). The goal is righteousness.”
― R.C. Sproul, The Holiness of God

“Some people think they can imagine a creature which was free but had no possibility of going wrong; I cannot. If a thing is free to be good it is also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having. A world of automata—of creatures that worked like machines—would hardly be worth creating.”
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

“Christians are called to be Bible interpreters, but our interpretations must not be based simply on “what I want the Bible to say.” We need God’s Spirit to discipline our reading of Scripture.”
― John P. Burgess, Confessing Our Faith: The Book of Confessions for Church Leaders

“The confessions matter, because they “guide the church in its study and interpretation of Scripture, . . . summarize the essence of Christian tradition, . . . direct the church in maintaining sound doctrine, [and] equip the church for its work of proclamation” (G-2.0100).”
― John P. Burgess, Confessing Our Faith: The Book of Confessions for Church Leaders