Acceptance Quote by Timothy Keller
“We do not have to make ourselves suffer in order to merit forgiveness. We simply receive the forgiveness earned by Christ. 1 John 1:9 says that God forgives us because He is ‘just.’ That is a remarkable statement. It would be unjust of God to ever deny us forgiveness, because Jesus earned our acceptance! In religion we earn our forgiveness with our repentance, but in the gospel we just receive it.”
About This Quote
Forgiveness is a gift from Christ, not earned by works; it is given because God is just.
In simple terms: Forgiveness is a divine gift.
Key Takeaway
Accept grace freely.
Themes
forgiveness
grace
justice
Mood
reverent
thoughtful
Type
theological
inspirational
When to use this quote
- church teaching
- personal repentance
- faith counseling
Key Concepts
theology
Christian doctrine
spirituality
Questions to Reflect On
- How does grace differ from merit?
- What does justice mean in forgiveness?
A Different Perspective
May conflict with other religious views.
![“We must not miss what this [Christ's once for all death on the cross] implies. It means that no religious observance or good behaviour on our part could ever earn our forgiveness. Yet a great many people accept the caricature of Christianity which claims that we can. They see religion as a system…” quote by Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e56/ritu-ghatourey-5_christianity_we-must-not-miss-what-this-christ-s-once_1720845.jpg)
![“24 A few pages later, Delbanco writes the following: [Alexis de] Tocqueville’s detection of a “strange melancholy in the midst of abundance” has a special salience today — because while we have gotten very good at deconstructing old stories (the religion that was the subject of my first chapter…” quote by Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/85a/timothy-keller-240_sad_24-a-few-pages-later-delbanco-writes-the_25320.jpg)
