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If the church does not identify with the marginalized, it will itself be marginalized. This is God’s poetic justice.

Timothy Keller

Religion: ‘My identity is built on being a good person.’ Gospel: ‘My identity is not built on my record or my performance but on Christ’s.’
TIMOTHY KELLER

Christ Good Identity Performance Person Record Religion
…the essence of gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Essence Gospel Humility Less More Myself Religious Think
Religion operates on the principle ‘I obey-therefore I am accepted by God.’ But the operating principle of the gospel is ‘I am accepted by God through what Christ has done-therefore I obey.’
TIMOTHY KELLER

Accept Acceptable God Gospel Obey Operate Principle Religion
The Bible’s purpose is not so much to show you how to live a good life.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Bible Good Life Live Much Purpose Show
The way to find your calling is to look at the way you were created. Your gifts have not emerged by accident.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Accident Calling Create Emerge Gift Look Way
Jesus warns people far more often about greed than about sex, yet almost no one thinks they are guilty of it.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Almost Greed Guilty Jesus More People Sex Think Warm
I am going to judge my circumstances by Jesus’ love, not Jesus’ love by my circumstances.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Circumstance Go Jesus Judging Love
Religion is ‘if you obey, then you will be accepted’. But the Gospel is, ‘if you are absolutely accepted, and sure you’re accepted, only then will you ever begin to obey’. Those are two utterly different things. Every page of the Bible shows the difference.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Accept Accepted Bible Different Every Gospel Page Religion Show Utterly
Faith is living out and believing what truth is despite what you feel.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Despite Faith Feel Living Out Truth
Forgiveness always comes at a cost to the one granting the forgiveness. To not retaliate is to absorb the cost.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Absorb Always Come Cost Forgiveness Grant One Retaliate
Pride is the carbon-monoxide of Sin. It silently and slowly kills you without you even knowing.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Carbon Kiss Pride Silently Sin Slowly
Religion says earn your life. Secular society says create your life. Jesus says, ‘My life for your life.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Create Earn Jesus Life Religion Say Secular Society
Religion makes us proud of what we have done. The Gospel makes us proud of what Jesus has done.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Done Jesus Make Proud Religion
If you don’t feel like praying, pray to God to give you the desire.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Desire Feel God Pray
You can’t live the Christian life without a band of Christian friends, without a family of believers in which you find a place.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Band Believer Christian Family Friend
The world values power, comfort, success, and recognition. Jesus frees us to value grief, sacrifice, weakness, and exclusion.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Comfort Grief Jesus Power Recognition Sacrifice Success Value World

If the church does not identify with the marginalized, it will itself be marginalized. This is God’s poetic justice.

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If the church does not identify with the marginalized, it will itself be marginalized. This is God’s poetic justice.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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