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The great basis of Christian assurance is not how much our hearts are set on God, but how unshakably his heart is set on us.

Timothy Keller

The basic premise of religion– that if you live a good life, things will go well for you– is wrong. Jesus was the most morally upright person who ever lived, yet He had a life filled with the experience of poverty, rejection, injustice, and even torture.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Basic Good Jesus Life Live Morality Most Person Premise Religion Upright Wrong
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
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Access Child Children Glass Kind King Person Water
If I have the smile of God, all other frowns are inconsequential.
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Frown God Inconsequential Other Smile
In religion, you obey because God is useful. In Christianity, you obey because God is beautiful.
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Beautiful Christianity God Obey Religion Useful
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
The Bible’s purpose is not so much to show you how to live a good life.
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Bible Good Life Live Much Purpose Show
Everyone says they want community and friendship. But mention accountability or commitment to people, and they run the other way.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Accountability Commitment Everyone Friendship People Run Running Say Way
When Job was prospering, he prayed. When he was suffering, he still prayed.
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Pray Proper Still Suffer
The sin that is most destructive in your life right now is the one you are most defensive about.
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Destructive Life Now Right Sin
If you love anything in this world more than God, you will crush that object under the weight of your expectations.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Anything Crush Expectation Love More Object Under Weight World
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

Bless Eternal Experience Many People Promise Succes Thing Time
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
Jesus Christ was treated as we deserved so that when we believe in Jesus, God treats us as Jesus deserves.
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Believe Christ Deserve God Jesus Treat
The prerequisite for receiving the grace of God is to know you need it.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Actual Faith Grace Need Object Prerequisite Receiving Save
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
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
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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Christ Good Identity Performance Person Record Religion
It’s impossible to have met the real Jesus and be indifferent. You either bow down in wonder OR go away offended.
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Away Down Impossible Indifferent Jesus Met Offended Real Wonder
When we grasp that we are unworthy sinners saved by an infinitely costly grace, it destroys both our self-righteousn ess and our need to ridicule others.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Both Cost Destroy Grace Grasp Infinitely Need Ridicule Righteousness Save Self Sinner Unworthy
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 cross is the place where the Judge takes the Judgment.
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Cross Judge Judgment Place Take
We tend to see God as a means through which we get things to make us happy. For most of us, He has not become our happiness.
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Become God Happiness Happy Mean Most Tend Thing
Christ did not suffer so you wouldn’t suffer. He suffered so when you suffer you will become like Him.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Become Christ Like Suffer
Prayer should be done regularly, persistently, resolutely, and tenaciously at least daily, whether we feel like it or not.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Daily Done Feel Least Like Persistently Prater Regularly Resolutely Tenaciously
Prayer is the way to experience a powerful confidence that God is handling our lives well, that our bad things will turn out for good, our good things cannot be taken from us, and the best things are yet to come.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Bad Experience God Good Handle Live Our Out Powerful Prayer Taken Thing Turn
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
How does Satan accuse us? By causing us to look at our sin rather than our Savior.
TIMOTHY KELLER

Accuse Cause Look Our Satan Savior Sin

The great basis of Christian assurance is not how much our hearts are set on God, but how unshakably his heart is set on us.

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The great basis of Christian assurance is not how much our hearts are set on God, but how unshakably his heart is set on us.

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