--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we think we are usually good, then God…" description: "\"If we think we are usually good, then God is usually irrelevant... Such thinking ignores the depths of sin in my own heart, and, in essence, it elevate..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/402/edward-t-welch-2-38236_dependent_if-we-think-we-are-usually-good-then-god_522016.jpg" --- # If we think we are usually good, then God is usually… ![“If we think we are usually good, then God is usually irrelevant... Such thinking ignores the depths of sin in my own heart, and, in essence, it elevates me so that I am just a mildly flawed imitation of God rather than someone completely dependent on Him.” quote by Edward T Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/402/edward-t-welch-2-38236_dependent_if-we-think-we-are-usually-good-then-god_522016.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/402/edward-t-welch-2-38236_dependent_if-we-think-we-are-usually-good-then-god_522016.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/402/edward-t-welch-2-38236_dependent_if-we-think-we-are-usually-good-then-god_522016.jpg) > “If we think we are usually good, then God is usually irrelevant... Such thinking ignores the depths of sin in my own heart, and, in essence, it elevates me so that I am just a mildly flawed imitation of God rather than someone completely dependent on Him.” [Edward T Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-t-welch-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He argues that believing we are inherently good diminishes God's role and masks personal sin, urging humility and dependence on the divine. **In simple terms:** Recognize personal flaws and rely on God. Key Takeaway Acknowledge dependence on the divine. Themes humility spirituality self-awareness Mood contemplative solemn Type spiritual theological When to use this quote - personal prayer - confessional counseling - ethical decision-making - community worship Key Concepts theology sin divine dependence Questions to Reflect On - How does acknowledging sin affect your faith? - What role does humility play in daily life? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on humility can lead to self-deprecation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Depth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depth/) [Essence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essence/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Righteousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/righteousness/) [Self righteous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-righteous/) [Self righteousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-righteousness/) [Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sin/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > ["Sinner" is a present-tense description of everyone, including those who have put their faith in Christ. Of course, those who have called Jesus "Lord"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-t-welch-2/sinner-is-a-present-tense-description-of-everyone-including-those-who/) [Edward T Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-t-welch-2/) > [The theologians have recognized that the ideal is the imitation of God. If we be a part of such an organic thing, this thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-fort/the-theologians-have-recognized-that-the-ideal-is-the-imitation-of/) [Charles Fort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-fort/) > [It is easy today to deny God's creativity as a thing of the benighted past, overcome by science, but man's creativity, a thing much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-bloom/it-is-easy-today-to-deny-god-s-creativity-as-a-thing-of-the-benighted/) [Allan Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-bloom/) > [The heavenly bodies are nothing but a continuous song for several voices (perceived by the intellect, not by the ear); a music which... sets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-kepler/the-heavenly-bodies-are-nothing-but-a-continuous-song-for-several/) [Johannes Kepler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-kepler/) > [True art is reverent imitation of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tryon-edwards/true-art-is-reverent-imitation-of-god/) [Tryon Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tryon-edwards/) > [Like Muslims we assume that God will judge us "on balance." If our good deeds outweigh our bad deeds, we will arrive safely in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/like-muslims-we-assume-that-god-will-judge-us-on-balance-if-our-good/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [Ah, there is nothing more beautiful than the difference between the thought about sinful creatures which is natural to a holy being, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/ah-there-is-nothing-more-beautiful-than-the-difference-between-the/) [Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) > [“Yet what moved Our Blessed Lord to invective was not badness but just such self-righteousness as this…He said that the harlots and the Quislings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/yet-what-moved-our-blessed-lord-to-invective-was-not-badness-but-just/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [Self-righteousness is the most shameless slut of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/self-righteousness-is-the-most-shameless-slut-of-all/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [“You will never overcome your self righteousness if you continue to believe that God prefers you over other people. The moment you feel entitled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/you-will-never-overcome-your-self-righteousness-if-you-continue-to/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Our sin is what separates us from God, but it's our self righteousness that keeps us from running to Him for the grace He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-david-tripp/our-sin-is-what-separates-us-from-god-but-it-s-our-self-righteousness/) [Paul David Tripp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-david-tripp/) > [So when we call pain a problem, we claim we do not deserve it. We are even prepared to scuttle God to maintain our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gerstner/so-when-we-call-pain-a-problem-we-claim-we-do-not-deserve-it-we-are/) [John Gerstner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gerstner/) > [But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/but-to-be-fully-known-and-truly-loved-is-well-a-lot-like-being-loved/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [The saints are sinners still. Our best tears need to be wept over, the strongest faith is mixed with unbelief, our most flaming love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/the-saints-are-sinners-still-our-best-tears-need-to-be-wept-over-the/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [Calamity, war, famine, plague, death, adversity, disease, injury do not necessarily produce repentance. We may become better in a calamity but it does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/calamity-war-famine-plague-death-adversity-disease-injury-do-not/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) ## More by Edward T Welch > [When you are in the grips of low self-esteem, it’s painful, and it certainly doesn’t feel like pride. But I believe that this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-t-welch-2/when-you-are-in-the-grips-of-low-self-esteem-it-s-painful-and-it/) [Edward T Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-t-welch-2/) > [Fear in the biblical sense... includes being afraid of someone, but it extends to holding someone in awe, being controlled or mastered by people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-t-welch-2/fear-in-the-biblical-sense-includes-being-afraid-of-someone-but-it/) [Edward T Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-t-welch-2/) > [God is God, He is not tame and domesticated like we sometimes (try to) make Him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-t-welch-2/god-is-god-he-is-not-tame-and-domesticated-like-we-sometimes-try-to/) [Edward T Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-t-welch-2/) > [We are more concerned about looking stupid (fear of people) than we are about acting sinfully (fear of the Lord).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-t-welch-2/we-are-more-concerned-about-looking-stupid-fear-of-people-than-we-are-2/) [Edward T Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-t-welch-2/) > [Jesus did not die to increase our self-esteem. 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They come hoping for some sort of diagnostic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-t-welch-2/as-a-counselor-i-have-spoken-with-many-people-who-want-to-know-their/) [Edward T Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-t-welch-2/) > [Sanctification is like a clumsy, slow walk rather than a light switch that we turn from off to on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-t-welch-2/sanctification-is-like-a-clumsy-slow-walk-rather-than-a-light-switch/) [Edward T Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-t-welch-2/) > [If our failure to consistently worship the true God is the key feature of sin, we are sinners all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-t-welch-2/if-our-failure-to-consistently-worship-the-true-god-is-the-key/) [Edward T Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-t-welch-2/) > ["Sinner" is a present-tense description of everyone, including those who have put their faith in Christ. 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