Long-term, gospel-motivate d obedience can only come from the grace of what Jesus has already done, not the guilt of what we must do.
Don't get me wrong - what we do is important. But it is infinitely less important than what Jesus has done for us.
Christianity is not about good people getting better. If anything, it is good news for bad people coping with their failure to be good. The heart of the Christian faith is Good News, not good advice, good technique, or good behavior. Too many people have walked away from the church, not because they’re walking away from Jesus, but because the church has walked away from Jesus.
The focus of the Christian faith is not our morality; it is Jesus, who died for our immorality.
If we read the Bible asking first, 'What would Jesus do?' instead of asking 'What has Jesus done?' we’ll miss the good news that alone can set us free.
I enjoy receiving love from my wife. I'm ecstatic when Kim loves me and expresses affection toward me. Something in me comes alive when she does that. But I've learned this freeing truth: I don't need that love, because in Jesus, I receive all the love I need.
I was spending way too much time thinking about me and what I needed to do, and far too little time thinking about Jesus and what he had already done for me.
