Albert Barnes (1798 – 1870) was an American pastor, theologian, author, and staunch abolitionist. He is best known for his insightful Bible commentary and notes, which consisted of 14 volumes and was published in the 1830’s.
He was known as an exceptional preacher and was ordained as a Presbyterian minister. Not only was he known for his great compassion and humility but his sermons and biblical teachings, as well as his influence, went far beyond his local congregation.
Below are many of his thoughtful quotes on Christian living, the Bible, and how to live a joyful life.1
“The aim of the Christian life is not self-fulfillment, but the glorification of God.”
“In our manner of speech, our plans of living, our dealings with others, our conduct and walk in the church and out of it–all should be done as becomes the gospel (Phil. 1:27).”
“Christianity may produce agitation, anger, tumult as at Ephesus; but the diffusion of the pure gospel of Christ, and the establishment of the institutions of honesty and virtue, at whatever cost, is a blessing to mankind.”
“The Bible is a living book, and the Holy Spirit breathes life into its words.”
“There is nothing more foolish than an act of wickedness; there is no wisdom equal to that of obeying God.”
“Our earthly possessions will indeed perish in the final wreck of all things; but let the ship perish, let all we have sink in the deep, if we may come ‘safe to land.’ From these storms and billows–these dangerous seas–these tempestuous voyages–may we all be brought at last safe to heaven.”
“To be a Christian means to surrender yourself completely to Christ, to give Him your whole heart.”
“When life has been well spent; when there is a conscience without reproach; when there is faith in the Saviour; when there is a well-founded hope of heaven, there can be nothing that should disquiet us.”
“Life, if properly viewed in any aspect, is great, but mainly great when viewed in its relation to the world to come.”
“Praise now is one of the great duties of the redeemed. It will be their employment forever.”
“It does not require great learning to be a Christian and be convinced of the truth of the Bible. It requires only an honest heart and a willingness to obey God.”
“The Bible, as a revelation from God, was not designed to give us all the information we might desire, nor to solve all the questions about which the human soul is perplexed, but to impart enough to be a safe guide to the haven of eternal rest.”
“It is, in a great measure, by rising up and endowing great minds that God secures the advance of human affairs, and the accomplishment of His own plans on earth.”
“Many a barren church owes its present sad estate to its inconsistent behavior, and many a barren Christian has come into this mournful condition by a careless, unsanctified walk before the Lord. Let not saints who are now useful run the risk of enduring the loss of their mercies, but let them be watchful that all things may go well with them.”
“The gospel is the grand instrument that God uses to guide and influence the world.”
“In the Bible, God has given us a perfect standard of doctrinal truth.”
“Christ gives us a religion of love, which brings peace to the soul and joy to the heart.”
“Faith is not merely an intellectual acceptance of truth, but a heartfelt trust and reliance on God.”
“True happiness is found in serving and glorifying God.”
“God’s grace is greater than any sin, and His forgiveness knows no limit.”
1 All of these quotes are from the websites below:
Inspirational Quotes by Albert Barnes
The 21st Century Christian, by Albert Barnes: not just how we live, but why: instructions before leaving Earth
…From the Auditor’s Desk.
To me, Albert Barnes reads like the kind of huge-presence old-school orator who refused to let faith become either (a) a private hobby or (b) a fog machine…a pastor-theologian with a serious mind (14-volume commentary) and a public conscience (staunch abolitionist)…and it matters big time because his life and work signal a faith that speaks, teaches, and acts in history, not just in stained-glass theory.
Kinda like a hero, …yah?
Coming correct like a railgun in a foggy valley of a battlefield for lost souls; compassion, humility, and sermons that outgrew the walls of his local congregation – big time.
Being a Christian abolitionist in Albert Barnes’ lifetime (1798–1870) was like preaching repentance to a room where half the crowd owns the sin, the other half profits from it indirectly, and everyone is offended you brought it up during “polite church.”
Barnes is remembered as a Presbyterian minister who publicly, loudly, opposed slavery. He wrote entire treatments aimed at forcing the church to stop treating slavery like a “political issue” instead of a moral one.
Socially, he got branded a troublemaker and often treated like one.
Back then, Abolitionists were mocked, harassed, and targeted by anti-abolition mobs, even in Northern cities. Riots and mob violence aimed at black communities and abolitionist efforts were a recurring feature of the 1830s–1840s.
…get that? Mob Violence aimed at black communities and abolitionists (of any ethnic group) was an acceptable recurring theme.
Politically, the American system literally tried to muzzle him and those who shared his ethics and beliefs.
Antislavery petitioning got so intense that Congress adopted the infamous House gag rule (1836–1844) to automatically table slavery-related petitions without hearing them.
Get that? Citizens begged for action – Congress hit the “mute” button.
And if you thought “free states” meant “free,” the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 made the federal government and local authorities part of the slave-catching machine and threatened penalties for people who aided fugitives.
That shoved Christian conscience into a legal vice: obey God or comply with man.
Ecclesiastically, Barnes and leaders like him risked division, discipline, and losing the “nice church.”
Churches didn’t just debate slavery, they split over it.
Methodism fractured into northern and southern bodies under the pressure.
Baptists also broke when missionary eligibility and slavery finally detonated the “we don’t talk about it” truce.
So if you were a Christian abolitionist, you weren’t merely “taking a stand.” You were often taking a stand against your own denominational comfort, donor base, and sometimes your own colleagues and family.
Spiritually, you fought a Bible-war, not just a culture war.
The ugliest part was that pro-slavery leaders commonly claimed slavery was sanctioned by Scripture, forcing abolitionist Christians to do hard, careful apologetic work: argue from the Bible that slavery was evil and that the church had a duty to confront it as sin.
That’s exactly the express lane Barnes is associated with through his published work on slavery and the church.
So what was it like back then in the olden days?
Costly. Socially unsafe. Institutionally divisive. Morally clarifying. It demanded a Christianity that wasn’t decorative. Times and stance demanded one that could stare down mobs, laws, and “respectable” silence, and still call evil what it was – and is.
Albert Barnes was a shining gilt-edge example that grace doesn’t make a Christian quiet. It makes a Christian defiant enough to tell the truth without hating the people who need to hear it.
What are our take-aways from that period of American Christian history, and how we apply them to 21st century Christian style?
1. The Christian lifestyle shall be fundamentally Godward, not a self-project or self fulfillment, but the glorification of God.
2. Our everyday behavior must match the message: speech, dealings, plans, and church-life “should be done as becomes the gospel.”
3. Christians shall consider Scripture as living revelation, illumined by the Holy Spirit, and sufficient as a guide.
4. Christianity will cause agitation and tumult, but the spread of the pure gospel and building honesty and virtue is a blessing “at whatever cost.”
The gospel disrupts darkness. If nobody’s bothered, something’s missing.
5. Praise is the duty of the redeemed. Life is greatest when viewed in relation to the world to come. God’s grace and forgiveness have no limit.
Our 21st Century Christian “Walk” is a God-centered, Scripture-anchored Christian life that proves its faith through obedience, gospel witness, and an eternal horizon, all held together by grace.
A 21st century Christian style is not manners, and it’s not “being nice.” It is a Word-fed, faith-held, gospel-driven, prayer-powered, grace-soaked way of walking in the Light. Saved by Grace.
(Curt – you hit the bulls-eye again, thanks!)
Thanks for these great quotes. Thank you for your faithfulness to find these nuggets and to share them daily without fail. I pray that your ministry continues and grows exponentially. I also pray that your new book finds favor with the publisher!
Have a blessed, joyous, and safe Christmas. Jesus is the reason for the season, and we know that he provides these things for us as we trust in Him!