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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

The Bible says that our real problem is that every one of us is building our identity on something besides Jesus.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Besides Bible Building Every Identity Jesus One Problem Real Say Something
The Gospel is news of what God has done to reach us. It is not advice about what we must do to reach God.
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Advice Done God Gospel News Reach Rech
The world values power, comfort, success, and recognition. Jesus frees us to value grief, sacrifice, weakness, and exclusion.
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Comfort Grief Jesus Power Recognition Sacrifice Success Value World
Christians tend to motivate others with guilt. We tend to say: You would do this if you were really committed Christians, indicating that we are committed and all that is needed is for others to become as good as we are!
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Christian Guilt Motivate Motivation Other Say Shoes Tend
The Bible’s purpose is to show you how God’s grace breaks into your life against your will and saves you from the sin and brokenness otherwise you would never be able to overcome…
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Able Against Bible Break Jesus Christ Overcome Purpose Save Sin
God’s grace does not come to people who morally outperform others, but to those who admit their failure to perform and who acknowledge their need for a Savior.
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Acknowledge Admit Christian Come Failure God Grace Morally Other Outperform People Religious
You are a totally loved moral failure.
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Christ Emotion Failure Gfeeling Jesus Love Moral Totally
God sees us as we are, loves us as we are, and accepts us as we are. But by His grace, He does not leave us as we are.
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Accept Doe God Grace Leave Love See
A life of gratitude to God for being saved is far more pleasing than a life based on self-righteousness over being good.
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Based Being Good Gratitude Life Over Righteousness Save Self
We were designed to know, serve, and love God supremely – and when we are faithful to that design, we flourish.
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Design Dream Faithful Flourish Love Service Supremely
There is no way to have a real relationship without becoming vulnerable to hurt. Christmas tells us that God became breakable and fragile.
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Become Believe Hurt Real Relationship Vulnerable
If we have not seen our sin and sought radical forgiveness from God, we will be unable to forgive and to seek the good of those who have wronged us.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Forgiveness Forgiving God Radical Seen Sin Thought
If the church does not identify with the marginalized, it will itself be marginalized. This is God’s poetic justice.
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Church Identity Itself Justice Poetic
How you experience your present is completely shaped by what you believe your ultimate future to be.
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Believe Experience Future Present Shape Ultimate
You are more sinful than you could dare imagine and you are more loved and accepted than you could ever dare hope.
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Accept Dare Hope Imagine More Sinful
So we find messages of self-salvation extremely attractive, whether they are religious (Keep these rules and you earn eternal blessing) or secular (Grab hold of these things and you’ll experience blessing now).
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Bless Eternal Experience Many People Promise Succes Thing Time
Are you living to justify yourself, or are you living because you are justified?
TIMOTHY KELLER

Justified Justify Living Yourself
If you don’t feel like praying, pray to God to give you the desire.
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Desire Feel God Pray
The key question in order to change you is not ‘What would Jesus do?’ but “What has Jesus done for you?”
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Change Done Jesus Key Order Question
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
Jesus Christ did not suffer so that you would not suffer. He suffered so that when you suffer, you’ll become more like him.
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Become Christ Jesus Like More Suffer
I am going to judge my circumstances by Jesus’ love, not Jesus’ love by my circumstances.
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Circumstance Go Jesus Judging Love
Christians need the gospel as much as non-Christians do.
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Christian Do Gospel Much Need
What you do today is shaped by what you believe about tomorrow.
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Believe Christ Jesus Shape Today Tomorrow
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
Fear-based repentance makes us hate ourselves. Joy-based repentance makes us hate the sin.
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Base Bases Fear Hate Joy Make Ourselves Repentance Sin
After creation God said, ‘It is finished’-and he rested. After redemption Jesus said, ‘It is finished’-and we can rest.
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After Creation Finish God Jesus Redemption Rest

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.’

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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.’

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