Timothy Keller: Like a surgeon, friends cut you in order to heal you.

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.

Timothy Keller

accepting grace doe

The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.

Timothy Keller

believe jesus christ

The basic purpose of prayer is not to bend God's will to mine, but to mold my will into His.

Timothy Keller

mold purpose prayer

Legalistic remorse says, "I broke God's rules," while real repentance says, "I broke God's heart."

Timothy Keller

heartbreak christian god

God looks at the anxious and says, I tore my Son to shreds for you, and you're afraid I will not give you what you need?

Timothy Keller

giving son needs

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

glasses kings children

The Bible’s purpose is not so much to show you how to live a good life. 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… 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

good-life differences two

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

good-person records identity

Everyone says they want community and friendship. But mention accountability or commitment to people, and they run the other way.

Timothy Keller

running friendship commitment

No matter what precautions we take, no matter how well we have put together a good life, no matter how hard we have worked to be healthy, wealthy, comfortable with friends and family, and successful with our career — something will inevitably ruin it.

Timothy Keller

good-life pain god

When Jesus looked down from the cross, he didn't think “I am giving myself to you because you are so attractive to me.” 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

father jesus thinking

Christianity does not provide the reason for

Timothy Keller

hope christian courage

You don't fall in love. You commit to it.

Timothy Keller

dont-fall-in-love falling-in-love love-you

Money isn't an idol. It just shows you where your idols are.

Timothy Keller

idols shows

After creation God said, 'It is finished'-and he rested. After redemption Jesus said, 'It is finished'-and we can rest.

Timothy Keller

redemption creation jesus

When pain and suffering come upon us, we finally see not only that we are not in control of our lives but that we never were.

Timothy Keller

pain-and-suffering pain suffering

In religion, you obey because God is useful. In Christianity, you obey because God is beautiful.

Timothy Keller

christianity beautiful

If you have money, power, and status today, it is due to the century and place in which you were born, to your talents and capacities and health, none of which you earned. In short, all your resources are in the end the gift of God.

Timothy Keller

money-power talent today

There are some needs only you can see. There are some hands only you can hold. There are some people only you can reach.

Timothy Keller

inspirational hands people

Worry is not believing God will get it right, and bitterness is believing God got it wrong.

Timothy Keller

religious christian god