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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

Many times people think if God has called you to something, he’s promising you success. He might be calling you to fail to prepare you for something else through the failure.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Call People Promise Something Success Think Time
We are regularly in danger of having too light a view of our sin and also too light a grasp of what Jesus has done to free us from our sin.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Danger Free Grasp Jesus Light Regularly Sin View
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
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
When Job was prospering, he prayed. When he was suffering, he still prayed.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Pray Proper Still Suffer
If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Changing Dead Everything Jesus Life Rose Said Teach Worry
The basic purpose of prayer is not to bend God’s will to mine, but to mold my will into His.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Bais Bend God Into Mine Mold Prayer Purpose
When Jesus looked down from the cross, he didn’t think “I am giving myself to you because you are so attractive to me.”
TIMOTHY KELLER

Attractive Cross Down Give Jesus Look Myself Think
Success and suffering will either darken your heart or make you wise, but they won’t leave you where you were.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Access Darken Heart Leave Make Suffer Wise
The only person who dares wake up a king at 3:00 AM for a glass of water is a child. We have that kind of access
TIMOTHY KELLER

Access Child Children Glass Kind King Person Water
When love of one’s people becomes an absolute, it turns into racism. When love of equality turns into a supreme thing, it can result in hatred and violence toward anyone who has led a privileged life. It is the settled tendency of human societies to turn good political causes into counterfeit gods.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Absolute Good Hatred Love People People Become Political Racism Society Tendency Turn
If I have the smile of God, all other frowns are inconsequential.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Frown God Inconsequential Other Smile
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
The key question in order to change you is not ‘What would Jesus do?’ but “What has Jesus done for you?”
TIMOTHY KELLER

Change Done Jesus Key Order Question
The infallible test of spiritual integrity, Jesus says, is your private prayer life.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Infallible Integrity Jesus Life Prayer Private Spiritual Test
In the original language, ‘Fear the Lord’ doesn’t mean be afraid. It means sustaining a joyful, astonished awe, and wonder before Him.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Astonished Before Fear Joyful Language Lord Mean Original Sustain Wonderful

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.

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Popular Authors

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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Timothy Keller Quotes