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If God had perceived that our greatest need was economic, he would have sent an economist. If he had perceived that our greatest need was entertainment, he would have sent us a comedian or an artist.

D. A. Carson

We treat the Bible, not as if it’s a magic book that has to be handled like a piece of abracadabra, make sure it’s dusted, never put it on the floor, and things like that.
D. A. CARSON

Book Magic Pieces
What the Bible says is what God has disclosed and we want to approach this sacred text with cognitive reverence.
D. A. CARSON

Reverence Sacred Want
Many of us in our praying are like nasty little boys who ring front door bells and run away before anyone answers.
D. A. CARSON

Boys Doors Running
How can that be? This is quite a contrast with Islam, for example, which holds that the Koran has been dictated in Arabic by God and as a result Mohammed is nothing more than the one who memorizes the word so as to pass it on. There is nothing of human contribution.
D. A. CARSON

Dicatted Example God Memorize Person
The person who prays more in public than in private reveals that he is less interested in God’s approval than in human praise. Not piety but a reputation for piety is his concern.
D. A. CARSON

Approval Prayer Reputation
A little courage helps more than much knowledge, a little human sympathy more than much courage, and the least tincture of the love of God more than all.
D. A. CARSON

Courage God Little Love Sympathy
Draw nigh to God, so that you may dread the grave as little as your bed. Draw nigh to God, that you may live a happy and useful life.
D. A. CARSON

Blessing Drawing Prayer
Effectiveness in teaching the Bible is purchased at the price of much study, some of it lonely, all of it tiring.
D. A. CARSON

Effectiveness Lonely Teaching
Effective prayer is the fruit of a relationship with God, not a technique for acquiring blessings.
D. A. CARSON

Blessing Prayer Technique
Good praying is more easily caught than taught.
D. A. CARSON

Caught Praying Taught
Make a mistake in the interpretation of one of Shakespeare’s plays, falsely scan a piece of Spenserian verse, and there is unlikely to be an entailment of eternal consequence; but we cannot lightly accept a similar laxity in the interpretation of Scripture.
D. A. CARSON

Mistake Pain Play
It’s just that the group has accepted that document as authoritative for their group. And some documents are truthful and reliable but they are ignored, so they have no authority for that particular group.
D. A. CARSON

Accept Group Particular Truthful
If the text is God’s Word, it is appropriate that we respond with reverence, a certain fear, a holy joy, a questing obedience.
D. A. CARSON

Holy Joy Obedience
Christians come together because they have all been loved by Jesus himself. They are a band of natural enemies who love one another for Jesus’ sake.
D. A. CARSON

Another Christian Come Sake
The kingdom of heaven is worth infinitely more than the cost of discipleship, and those who know where the treasure lies joyfully abandon everything else to secure it.
D. A. CARSON

Cost Heaven Lying
A text without a context is a pretext for a proof text.
D. A. CARSON

Context Pretext Proof

If God had perceived that our greatest need was economic, he would have sent an economist. If he had perceived that our greatest need was entertainment, he would have sent us a comedian or an artist.

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If God had perceived that our greatest need was economic, he would have sent an economist. If he had perceived that our greatest need was entertainment, he would have sent us a comedian or an artist.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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