--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is an unpopular yet essential truth…" description: "\"“This is an unpopular yet essential truth. All ships that land at the shore of grace weigh anchor from the port of sin. We must start where God starts...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fc/thomas-nelson-publishers-34178_grace_this-is-an-unpopular-yet-essential-truth_3038599.jpg" --- # This is an unpopular yet essential truth. All ships that… ![“This is an unpopular yet essential truth. All ships that land at the shore of grace weigh anchor from the port of sin. We must start where God starts. We won’t appreciate what grace does until we understand who we are. We are rebels. We are Barabbas. Like him, we deserve to die. Four prison walls…” quote by Thomas Nelson Publishers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fc/thomas-nelson-publishers-34178_grace_this-is-an-unpopular-yet-essential-truth_3038599.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fc/thomas-nelson-publishers-34178_grace_this-is-an-unpopular-yet-essential-truth_3038599.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fc/thomas-nelson-publishers-34178_grace_this-is-an-unpopular-yet-essential-truth_3038599.jpg) > ““This is an unpopular yet essential truth. All ships that land at the shore of grace weigh anchor from the port of sin. We must start where God starts. We won’t appreciate what grace does until we understand who we are. We are rebels. We are Barabbas. Like him, we deserve to die. Four prison walls, thickened with fear, hurt, and hate, surround us. We are incarcerated by our past, our low-road choices, and our high-minded pride. We have been found guilty. We sit on the floor of the dusty cell, awaiting the final moment. Our executioner’s footsteps echo against stone walls. Head between knees, we don’t look up as he opens the door; we don’t lift our eyes as he begins to speak. We know what he is going to say. “Time to pay for your sins.” But we hear something else. “You’re free to go. They took Jesus instead of you.” The door swings open, the guard barks, “Get out,” and we find ourselves in the light of the morning sun, shackles gone, crimes pardoned, wondering, What just happened? Grace happened.”” [Thomas Nelson Publishers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nelson-publishers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage portrays grace as a liberating force that frees us from self‑imposed prisons of sin and pride, likening redemption to a sudden release from a dark cell. **In simple terms:** Grace frees us from our own sins and pride. Key Takeaway Embrace humility and seek grace. Themes redemption spirituality freedom pride sin Mood reflective hopeful Type spiritual inspirational When to use this quote - personal crisis - spiritual awakening - prison metaphor - forgiveness - new beginnings Key Concepts theology metaphor psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize grace in your life? - What prisons of your own making hold you back? A Different Perspective The metaphor may oversimplify complex moral responsibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appreciate Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appreciate-grace-1637979/) [Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grace/) [Grace Happened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grace-happened-3427045/) [Morning sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morning-sun/) [Shore Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shore-grace-4997890/) [Sins Hear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sins-hear-4997891/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Ur Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ur-eyes/) ## Related quotes > [“...do we realize that this cheap grace has turned back upon us like a boomerang? The price we are having to pay today in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/do-we-realize-that-this-cheap-grace-has-turned-back-upon-us-like-a/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Whenever it happens it is never late; whenever it happens it is always early. The happening is so great that you cannot claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/whenever-it-happens-it-is-never-late-whenever-it-happens-it-is-always/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Only those who see themselves as utterly destitute can fully appreciate the grace of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-w-lutzer/only-those-who-see-themselves-as-utterly-destitute-can-fully/) [Erwin W. Lutzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-w-lutzer/) > [“If you have ever sin, you will appreciate the grace of salvation through Faith in Christ Jesus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/if-you-have-ever-sin-you-will-appreciate-the-grace-of-salvation/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“...I felt inadequate to show him the way. I wanted my son to know much laughter and more love, to appreciate the grace of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/i-felt-inadequate-to-show-him-the-way-i-wanted-my-son-to-know-much/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [I have now lived long enough to know that, whatever our situation, our troubles melt and disappear like frost in the morning sun when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-e-faust/i-have-now-lived-long-enough-to-know-that-whatever-our-situation-our/) [James E. Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-e-faust/) > [“It had been easy to decide in favor of love on Bethune Street, in favor of walking proud and naked on the grass rug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/it-had-been-easy-to-decide-in-favor-of-love-on-bethune-street-in/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [“There was no sign of life round the domed emplacement of the Moonraker, and the concrete, already beginning to shimmer in the early morning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/there-was-no-sign-of-life-round-the-domed-emplacement-of-the/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Light slowly grew in the room, planted by a few seeds of morning sun that whispered through the windows. The heater struggled to catch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-willis/light-slowly-grew-in-the-room-planted-by-a-few-seeds-of-morning-sun/) [Kate Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-willis/) > [“Make morning into a key and throw it into the well, go slowly , my lovely moon, go slowly. let the morning sun forget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/make-morning-into-a-key-and-throw-it-into-the-well-go-slowly-my/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [I lay in my bed that night knowing that when I wake up, nothing would be the same again. Wishing that all of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zo-l-tz/i-lay-in-my-bed-that-night-knowing-that-when-i-wake-up-nothing-would/) [Zoë Lötz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zo-l-tz/) > [“. . . had decided what to do, which was to smile like the morning sun with a knife in its teeth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/had-decided-what-to-do-which-was-to-smile-like-the-morning-sun-with-a/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Our reality may be fabled, but surely will be fleeting, because when the storyteller looks away, the story collapses. In the end, we vanish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-vickers/our-reality-may-be-fabled-but-surely-will-be-fleeting-because-when/) [Dennis Vickers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-vickers/) > [“I cannot pray. I talk to God through my sculpture and painting.' 'That's also prayer.' He smiled faintly, the morning sun on his face.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/i-cannot-pray-i-talk-to-god-through-my-sculpture-and-painting-that-s/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [At about 10 o'clock in the morning the sun threw a bright dust-laden bar through one of the side windows and in and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/at-about-10-o-clock-in-the-morning-the-sun-threw-a-bright-dust-laden/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## More by Thomas Nelson Publishers > [“the LORD is the true God; He is †the living God and the †everlasting King.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nelson-publishers/the-lord-is-the-true-god-he-is-the-living-god-and-the-everlasting-king/) [Thomas Nelson Publishers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nelson-publishers/) > [“Grace is God as heart surgeon, cracking open your chest, removing your heart—poisoned as it is with pride and pain—and replacing it with his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nelson-publishers/grace-is-god-as-heart-surgeon-cracking-open-your-chest-removing-your/) [Thomas Nelson Publishers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nelson-publishers/) > [“8I stay close to you; you support me with your right hand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nelson-publishers/8i-stay-close-to-you-you-support-me-with-your-right-hand/) [Thomas Nelson Publishers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nelson-publishers/) > [“not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing †some have unwittingly entertained angels.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nelson-publishers/not-forget-to-entertain-strangers-for-by-so-doing-some-have/) [Thomas Nelson Publishers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nelson-publishers/) > [“God’s guilt brings enough regret to change us. Satan’s guilt, on the other hand, brings enough regret to enslave us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nelson-publishers/god-s-guilt-brings-enough-regret-to-change-us-satan-s-guilt-on-the/) [Thomas Nelson Publishers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nelson-publishers/) > [“To live as God’s child is to know, at this very instant, that you are loved by your Maker not because you try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nelson-publishers/to-live-as-god-s-child-is-to-know-at-this-very-instant-that-you-are/) [Thomas Nelson Publishers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nelson-publishers/) > [“8But we belong to the day, so we should control ourselves. We should wear faith and love to protect us, and the hope of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nelson-publishers/8but-we-belong-to-the-day-so-we-should-control-ourselves-we-should/) [Thomas Nelson Publishers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nelson-publishers/) > [“Tabernacles. 17 And it shall be”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nelson-publishers/tabernacles-17-and-it-shall-be/) [Thomas Nelson Publishers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nelson-publishers/) > [“8Come close to the one true God, and He will draw close to you. Wash your hands; you have dirtied them in sin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nelson-publishers/8come-close-to-the-one-true-god-and-he-will-draw-close-to-you-wash/) [Thomas Nelson Publishers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nelson-publishers/) > [“Parables are works of art, specifically, works of short fiction. They are intricately constructed and complex in their intent. In some ways, they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nelson-publishers/parables-are-works-of-art-specifically-works-of-short-fiction-they/) [Thomas Nelson Publishers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nelson-publishers/) > [“Those of us who need much grace come to treasure good friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nelson-publishers/those-of-us-who-need-much-grace-come-to-treasure-good-friends/) [Thomas Nelson Publishers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nelson-publishers/) > [“We will be confident when we stand before the Lord, even if our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nelson-publishers/we-will-be-confident-when-we-stand-before-the-lord-even-if-our-hearts/) [Thomas Nelson Publishers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nelson-publishers/) > [“Most importantly, love each other deeply, because love cause many sins to be forgiven. - 1 Peter 4:8”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nelson-publishers/most-importantly-love-each-other-deeply-because-love-cause-many-sins/) [Thomas Nelson Publishers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nelson-publishers/) [Explore all 14 Thomas Nelson Publishers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nelson-publishers/) ## More Grace quotes > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [“There is still a certain grace in a dead festival. It has been happy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/there-is-still-a-certain-grace-in-a-dead-festival-it-has-been-happy/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Enlightenment is lightening up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-myers/enlightenment-is-lightening-up/) [Mike Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-myers/) > [“Serve in the grace of strength within thy soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/serve-in-the-grace-of-strength-within-thy-soul/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Grace does not destroy nature, it perfects it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/grace-does-not-destroy-nature-it-perfects-it/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [There are two kinds of beauty; there is a beauty which God gives at birth, and which withers as a flower. And there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-kuyper/there-are-two-kinds-of-beauty-there-is-a-beauty-which-god-gives-at/) [Abraham Kuyper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-kuyper/) > [Grace is the wonderful spirit that imbues every fiber of our being when we practice the fruits of the spirit: kindness, patience, understanding, forgiveness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-cayce/grace-is-the-wonderful-spirit-that-imbues-every-fiber-of-our-being/) [Edgar Cayce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-cayce/) > [We are puzzled and bewildered whenever we see suffering in this world because we have become accustomed to the mercy and the long-suffering of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/we-are-puzzled-and-bewildered-whenever-we-see-suffering-in-this-world/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [Asanas bring perfection in body, beauty in form, grace, strength, compactness, and the hardness and brilliance of a diamond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patanjali/asanas-bring-perfection-in-body-beauty-in-form-grace-strength/) [Patanjali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patanjali/) > [Grace is the power of the Holy Spirit coming to us free of charge to enable you to do with ease what you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/grace-is-the-power-of-the-holy-spirit-coming-to-us-free-of-charge-to/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [ “Through the grace of a thief, one can become a thief and through the grace of a Gnani \[the enlightened one\], one can become… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/through-the-grace-of-a-thief-one-can-become-a-thief-and-through-the/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [“God reproduces and lives out His image in millions of ordinary people like us. It is a supreme mystery. We are called to bear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/god-reproduces-and-lives-out-his-image-in-millions-of-ordinary-people/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [One of the noblest words in our language is "grace," defined as "unearned blessing." We live by grace far more than by anything else.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-elton-trueblood/one-of-the-noblest-words-in-our-language-is-grace-defined-as-unearned/) [D. Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-elton-trueblood/) > [“We have grace of strength to work, to clear our cities of any dirt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-have-grace-of-strength-to-work-to-clear-our-cities-of-any-dirt/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Grace is upside-down, to-do-list wrecking, scandalous and way-too free. It's one-way love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/grace-is-upside-down-to-do-list-wrecking-scandalous-and-way-too-free/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) [Browse all 6,886 Grace quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grace/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“This is an unpopular yet essential truth. All ships that land at the shore of grace weigh anchor from the port of sin. We must start where God starts. We won’t appreciate what grace does until we understand who we are. We are rebels. We are Barabbas. Like him, we deserve to die. Four prison walls, thickened with fear, hurt, and hate, surround us. We are incarcerated by our past, our low-road choices, and our high-minded pride. We have been found guilty. We sit on the floor of the dusty cell, awaiting the final moment. Our executioner’s footsteps echo against stone walls. Head between knees, we don’t look up as he opens the door; we don’t lift our eyes as he begins to speak. We know what he is going to say. “Time to pay for your sins.” But we hear something else. “You’re free to go. They took Jesus instead of you.” The door swings open, the guard barks, “Get out,” and we find ourselves in the light of the morning sun, shackles gone, crimes pardoned, wondering, What just happened? Grace happened.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Nelson Publishers" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nelson-publishers/this-is-an-unpopular-yet-essential-truth-all-ships-that-land-at-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Grace" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nelson-publishers/this-is-an-unpopular-yet-essential-truth-all-ships-that-land-at-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fc/thomas-nelson-publishers-34178_grace_this-is-an-unpopular-yet-essential-truth_3038599.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fc/thomas-nelson-publishers-34178_grace_this-is-an-unpopular-yet-essential-truth_3038599.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fc/thomas-nelson-publishers-34178_grace_this-is-an-unpopular-yet-essential-truth_3038599.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“This is an unpopular yet essential truth. All ships that land at the shore of grace weigh anchor from the…” — Thomas Nelson Publishers", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Thomas Nelson Publishers", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nelson-publishers/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“This is an unpopular yet essential...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nelson-publishers/this-is-an-unpopular-yet-essential-truth-all-ships-that-land-at-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nelson-publishers/this-is-an-unpopular-yet-essential-truth-all-ships-that-land-at-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```