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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).

Timothy Keller

If our identity is in our work, rather than Christ, success will go to our heads, and failure will go to our hearts.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Failure Go Head Heart Identity Rather Success Work
The gospel does not promise you better life circumstances; it promises you a better life.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Better Circumstance Gospel Life Promise
After creation God said, ‘It is finished’-and he rested. After redemption Jesus said, ‘It is finished’-and we can rest.
TIMOTHY KELLER

After Creation Finish God Jesus Redemption Rest
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
What you do today is shaped by what you believe about tomorrow.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Believe Christ Jesus Shape Today Tomorrow
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
Where you find your significance is where you find your salvation.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Find Salvation Significance
It is impossible to forgive someone if you feel superior to him or her.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Forgive Her Him Impossible Someone Superior
If anything becomes more fundamental than God to your happiness, meaning of life, and identity then it is an idol.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Anything Become Fundamental God Identity Idol Idols Life Meaning
The Gospel is news of what God has done to reach us. It is not advice about what we must do to reach God.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Advice Done God Gospel News Reach Rech
Every single emotion you have should be processed in prayer.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Emotion Every Prayer Processed Single
As long as we think we are not that bad, the idea of grace will never change us.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Change Grace Ideas Long never Think
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
No, he was in agony, and he looked down at us – denying him, abandoning him, and betraying him – and in the greatest act of love in history, he STAYED. He said, “Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing.” He loved us, not because we were lovely to him, but to make us lovely.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Aband Agony Betray Do Down Father Greatest History Look Love Make
This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself nor less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Anyone Deed Humanity Less Myself Nothing Superior Swagger Think Undermine
There is no way to have a real relationship without becoming vulnerable to hurt. Christmas tells us that God became breakable and fragile.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Become Believe Hurt Real Relationship Vulnerable
The sin that is most destructive in your life right now is the one you are most defensive about.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Destructive Life Now Right Sin
Since they were saved by sheer grace, not by their perfect doctrine or strong moral character.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Character Doctrine Grace Perfect Save Sheer Since Strong
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
Trust is accepting what God sends into your life whether you understand it or not.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Accept Defensive God Life Most Now Send Trust
The lack of joy in your life is due to your lack of mission.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Due Joy Lack Life Mission
The resurrection was God’s way of stamping PAID IN FULL right across history so that nobody could miss it.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Access Dull God History Miss Nobody Paid Resurrection Right Stamp
When I forget the gospel I become dependent on the smiles and evaluation of others.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Dependent Evaluation Forget Other Smile
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!
TIMOTHY KELLER

Christian Guilt Motivate Motivation Other Say Shoes Tend
Suffering can refine us rather than destroy us because God himself walks with us in the fire.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Destroy Fire God Himself Refine Suffering Walk
Jesus didn’t come to tell us the answers to the questions of life, he came to be the answer.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Answer Came Come Jesus Life Question Tell
The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Believe Christ Dare Flawed Gospel Jesus Ourselves 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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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).

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Timothy Keller Quotes