“You can run from God either by breaking his rules or by keeping them. The difference between the religious person and the true Christian is that the religious person obeys God to get control over God, and to get things from God, but the Christian obeys just to get God. Religious persons obey to get leverage over God, to control him, to put him in a position where they think he owes them. Therefore, despite their moral and religious fastidiousness, they are actually attempting to be their own saviors. Christians, who know they are only saved by grace and can never control God, obey him out of a desire to love and please and draw closer to the one who saved them.”
~ Timothy Keller, Paul’s Letter to the Galatians: Living in Line with the Truth of the Gospel (Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2003), 38.
2 responses so far ↓
Andy Iversen // February 10, 2009 at 4:08 pm |
Hey, I just thought I would point out a pretty substantial typo in this posting. The second sentence reads “The difference between the religious person and the true Christian is that the Christian obeys God to get control over God, and to get things from God, but the Christian obeys just to get God.” I am guessing
that it should read that the religious person obeys God to get control over… as opposed to both the positive and the negative referring to the Christian. Thanks for your site and the encouragement it brings. – AI
fredeaton // February 10, 2009 at 4:15 pm |
Thanks a lot Andy! Really appreciate it.
Fred