"It is only when you see the desire to be your own Savior and Lord - lying beneath both your sins and your moral goodness - that you are on the verge of understanding the gospel and becoming a Christian indeed. When you realize that the antidote to being bad is not just being good, you are on the brink. If you follow through, it will change everything: how you relate to God, self, others, the world, your work, your sins, your virtue. It’s called the new birth because it’s so radical."
Tim Keller, The Prodigal God, p.78
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3 comments:
"When you realize that the antidote to being bad is not just being good, you are on the brink"
That is such a powerful sentence. For me, that is the default reaction to my bad behavior(just be good!). If I truly evaluate its effectiveness, I could/can see its fruitlessness.
I need the Savior and Lord everyday, all day but especially in repentance and sanctification.
Jimmy - thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree from personal experience - "just be good" doesn't work.
ESI,
Good quote.
I like Tim Keller's thought here and interestingly expressed. We need nothing less than a new birth.
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