Notable Quotes July 8, 2013
In keepingwith our series “Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask,” ponder theseselections from Tim Keller’s The Reason for God:
“With time and perspective most of us can seegood reasons for at least some of the tragedy and pain that occurs inlife. Why couldn’t it be possible that, from God’s vantage point, there aregood reasons for all of them?”
“Hell, then, is the trajectory of a soul, livinga self-absorbed, self-centered life, going on and on forever. …In short, hell is simply one’s freely chosen identityapart from God on a trajectory into infinity.”
” To stay away from Christianity because part ofthe Bible’s teaching is offensive to you assumes that if there is a God hewouldn’t have any views that upset you. Does that belief make sense?”
“According to the Bible, the primary way todefine sin is not just the doing of bad things, but the making of good thingsinto ultimate things. It is seeking to establish a sense of self bymaking something else more central to your significance, purpose, and happinessthan your relationship with God.”
“Jesus is the only Lord who, if you receive him,will fulfill you completely, and, if you fail him, will forgive youeternally.”
“All other major faiths have founders who areteachers that show the way to salvation. Only Jesus claimed to actually bethe way of salvation himself.”
“The devil, if anything, prefers Pharisees–menand women who try to save themselves. They are more unhappy than either matureChristians or irreligious people, and they do a lot more spiritualdamage.”
“Forgiveness means absorbing the debt of the sinyourself. …On the Cross we see God doing visibly and cosmetically what everyhuman being must do to forgive someone, though on an infinitely greaterscale.”
“All life-changing love toward people withserious needs is a substitutional sacrifice. If you become personally involvedwith them, in some way, their weaknesses flow toward you as your strengths flowtoward them.”
“The fact that Jesus had to die for mehumbled me out of my pride. The fact that Jesus was glad to die for meassured me out of my fear.”
“If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have toaccept all he said; if he didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about anyof what he said?”