--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you're avoiding sin and living morally…" description: "\"If you're avoiding sin and living morally so that God will have to bless you and save you, then you may be looking to Jesus as a teacher, model, and he..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/timothy-keller-240_avoiding_if-you-re-avoiding-sin-and-living-morall_2101175.jpg" --- # If you're avoiding sin and living morally so that God will… ![“If you're avoiding sin and living morally so that God will have to bless you and save you, then you may be looking to Jesus as a teacher, model, and helper, but ironically you are avoiding him as Savior. You are trusting in your own goodness rather than in Jesus for your standing with God.” quote by Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/timothy-keller-240_avoiding_if-you-re-avoiding-sin-and-living-morall_2101175.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/timothy-keller-240_avoiding_if-you-re-avoiding-sin-and-living-morall_2101175.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/timothy-keller-240_avoiding_if-you-re-avoiding-sin-and-living-morall_2101175.jpg) > “If you're avoiding sin and living morally so that God will have to bless you and save you, then you may be looking to Jesus as a teacher, model, and helper, but ironically you are avoiding him as Savior. You are trusting in your own goodness rather than in Jesus for your standing with God.” [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Relying on personal morality replaces trust in Jesus as Savior, missing the core of faith. **In simple terms:** Good deeds alone aren't enough; need faith in Jesus. Key Takeaway Prioritize reliance on Christ over self‑righteousness. Themes faith morality trust Mood contemplative hopeful Type theological motivational When to use this quote - church life - personal prayer - evangelism - ethical decisions Key Concepts theology grace Questions to Reflect On - Are you seeking God's approval or His grace? - How does reliance on Jesus change your moral choices? A Different Perspective Self‑improvement can become self‑idolatry. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Avoiding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avoiding/) [Avoiding Savior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avoiding-savior-4198593/) [Avoiding Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avoiding-sin-4198595/) [Bless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bless/) [Gods will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gods-will/) [Goodness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodness/) [Helpers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helpers/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesus/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Models](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/models/) [Morally God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morally-god-704974/) [Savior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/savior/) [Savior Trusting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/savior-trusting-675409/) [Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sin/) [Standing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standing/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) ## Related quotes > [Being a Christan is less about cautiously avoiding sin than about courageously and actively doing God's will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/being-a-christan-is-less-about-cautiously-avoiding-sin-than-about/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“He sees by faith an unseen Savior, who . . . loved him, gave Himself for him, paid his debts for him, bore his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle-3/he-sees-by-faith-an-unseen-savior-who-loved-him-gave-himself-for-him/) [J C Ryle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-ryle-3/) > [“My belief is that, morally, God and Satan are vaguely on the same page. According to the common understanding of Satan's origins, 'holiness' is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/my-belief-is-that-morally-god-and-satan-are-vaguely-on-the-same-page/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“Being a Christian is less about cautiously avoiding sin than about courageously and actively doing God's will.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-metaxas/being-a-christian-is-less-about-cautiously-avoiding-sin-than-about/) [Eric Metaxas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-metaxas/) > [You cannot wait for someone to save you, to help you, to complete you. No one can complete you. You complete yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/you-cannot-wait-for-someone-to-save-you-to-help-you-to-complete-you/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [Defense is all about helping. No one can guard a good dribbler, You have to walk kids through how to help and then how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-knight/defense-is-all-about-helping-no-one-can-guard-a-good-dribbler-you/) [Bobby Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-knight/) > [The by-product is that they more people you help, the "richer" you become, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and definitely financially.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-harv-eker/the-by-product-is-that-they-more-people-you-help-the-richer-you/) [T. Harv Eker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-harv-eker/) > [Artists are not helper monkeys; they’re not in it to visualize 'your' story, because it stopped being 'your' story the moment you engaged in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-waid/artists-are-not-helper-monkeys-they-re-not-in-it-to-visualize-your/) [Mark Waid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-waid/) > [In a culture in which interpersonal relationships are generally considered to provide the answer to every form of distress, it is sometimes difficult to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-storr/in-a-culture-in-which-interpersonal-relationships-are-generally/) [Anthony Storr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-storr/) > [“It is a tragedy, at rate at which EBOLA VIRUS is spreading in West Africa. It is a fatal disease in the history of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/it-is-a-tragedy-at-rate-at-which-ebola-virus-is-spreading-in-west/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Learn how to cook! That's the way to save money. You don't save it buying hamburger helpers, and prepared foods; you save it by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-child/learn-how-to-cook-that-s-the-way-to-save-money-you-don-t-save-it/) [Julia Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-child/) > [Act as if the universe is a prodigious miracle created for your amusement and illumination. Assume that secret helpers are working behind the scenes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-brezsny/act-as-if-the-universe-is-a-prodigious-miracle-created-for-your/) [Rob Brezsny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-brezsny/) > [Shall we keep men in a fool's paradise? Shall we lull them into soft slumbers from which they will awake in hell? Are we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/shall-we-keep-men-in-a-fool-s-paradise-shall-we-lull-them-into-soft/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [“You can't not help people just because they're stupid or forgetful or unpleasant... If I don't help them, who will?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-can-t-not-help-people-just-because-they-re-stupid-or-forgetful-or/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Helpers in every corner, helpers in every hood. That's how we'll make the move, to reform from rude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/helpers-in-every-corner-helpers-in-every-hood-that-s-how-we-ll-make/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) ## More by Timothy Keller > [If you are trying to live a life in accordance with the Bible, the concept and call to justice are inescapable. We do justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-trying-to-live-a-life-in-accordance-with-the-bible-the/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [The more you rejoice in your own forgiveness, the quicker you will be to forgive others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-more-you-rejoice-in-your-own-forgiveness-the-quicker-you-will-be/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Evangelism will come organically in friendship if we don’t let our pride, fears, and pessimism cause us to hide our faith and heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/evangelism-will-come-organically-in-friendship-if-we-don-t-let-our/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“The coming of the messianic King occurs in two stages. At his first coming, he saved us from the penalty of sin and gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-coming-of-the-messianic-king-occurs-in-two-stages-at-his-first/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [ “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… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/24-a-few-pages-later-delbanco-writes-the-following-alexis-de/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“To stay away from Christianity because part of the Bible's teaching is offensive to you assumes that if there is a God he wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/to-stay-away-from-christianity-because-part-of-the-bible-s-teaching/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishioners do not have the same effect on people that Jesus had, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-the-preaching-of-our-ministers-and-the-practice-of-our/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“of temple, presence, and sacrifice; of covenant and faithfulness; of kingdom and victory. When we seek to communicate the gospel to a particular culture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/of-temple-presence-and-sacrifice-of-covenant-and-faithfulness-of/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Finally, you are ready to launch your church. Begin by developing action steps and goals that can be used as benchmarks to track your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/finally-you-are-ready-to-launch-your-church-begin-by-developing/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If you are a child of God, you don’t lose your status if you have a bad week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-a-child-of-god-you-don-t-lose-your-status-if-you-have-a/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [God's salvation does not come in response to a changed life. A changed life comes in response to the salvation, offered as a free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/god-s-salvation-does-not-come-in-response-to-a-changed-life-a-changed/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“When anything in life is an absolute requirement for your happiness and self-worth, it is essentially an ‘idol,’ something you are actually worshiping. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/when-anything-in-life-is-an-absolute-requirement-for-your-happiness/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Suffering is the stripping of our hope in finite things, therefore we do not put our ultimate hope in anything finite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/suffering-is-the-stripping-of-our-hope-in-finite-things-therefore-we/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Christ will do everything for you or nothing. He's either all of your righteousness or none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/christ-will-do-everything-for-you-or-nothing-he-s-either-all-of-your/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If we give God things in hope that they'll earn us blessings, we're really not doing anything for him. It's for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-we-give-god-things-in-hope-that-they-ll-earn-us-blessings-we-re/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) [Explore all 843 Timothy Keller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) ## More Avoiding quotes > [Because after you've crossed some lines, you just keep crossing them. And there's no escaping from constant escape. Distracting ourselves. Avoiding confrontation. Getting past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/because-after-you-ve-crossed-some-lines-you-just-keep-crossing-them/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. That way, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/exactly-so-what-can-t-you-take-decide-which-of-the-two-options-is/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [I've always been a very restless person. I work hard, spend too much time looking after my son, I dance like a mad thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-ve-always-been-a-very-restless-person-i-work-hard-spend-too-much/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“What I'm trying to say is that I spent the last four months learning to be alone, avoiding the world, hating pretty much anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-cremer/what-i-m-trying-to-say-is-that-i-spent-the-last-four-months-learning/) [Andrea Cremer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-cremer/) > [ I can hardly believe what these 12 caricatures \[about Prophet Muhammad\] have caused in the world. We Danes feel like we have been placed… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anders-fogh-rasmussen/i-can-hardly-believe-what-these-12-caricatures-about-prophet-muhammad/) [Anders Fogh Rasmussen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anders-fogh-rasmussen/) > [I know a bit about taxation and the remarkable effort that goes in to avoiding it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-rinder/i-know-a-bit-about-taxation-and-the-remarkable-effort-that-goes-in-to/) [Robert Rinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-rinder/) > [When you are in hard labor, remember that the length of labor is usually proportional to the number of people around. Avoid the presence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-odent/when-you-are-in-hard-labor-remember-that-the-length-of-labor-is/) [Michel Odent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-odent/) > [I don't believe in happy endings. Children have got to face death sooner or later. Granny and Grandpa die, dogs die, cats die, gerbils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-briggs/i-don-t-believe-in-happy-endings-children-have-got-to-face-death/) [Raymond Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-briggs/) > [Resisting and avoiding pain sucks energy-and time. The more you let yourself feel those minute-and-a-half hells, the quicker you'll start feeling those minute-and-a-half happinesses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-newman/resisting-and-avoiding-pain-sucks-energy-and-time-the-more-you-let/) [Leigh Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-newman/) > [Reading is sometimes an ingenious device for avoiding thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-helps/reading-is-sometimes-an-ingenious-device-for-avoiding-thought/) [Arthur Helps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-helps/) > [A day can really slip by when you're deliberately avoiding what you're supposed to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/a-day-can-really-slip-by-when-you-re-deliberately-avoiding-what-you/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [When someone starts Ignoring you, just back off without staying there with them Just to know the reason for avoiding..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vishak/when-someone-starts-ignoring-you-just-back-off-without-staying-there/) [Vishak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vishak/) > [You know what takes effort? Being kind, being patient, being respectful, telling someone how you feel politely instead of just avoiding them for six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-tapper/you-know-what-takes-effort-being-kind-being-patient-being-respectful/) [Jake Tapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-tapper/) > [It's all about being flexible, and avoiding choices whenever possible. Choices suck, they are inherently limiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-armstrong/it-s-all-about-being-flexible-and-avoiding-choices-whenever-possible/) [Craig Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-armstrong/) > [In my personal life I'm very conservative. I've been married to the same person for nearly 50 years, I'm scrupulous about paying bills, avoiding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/in-my-personal-life-i-m-very-conservative-i-ve-been-married-to-the/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) [Browse all 713 Avoiding quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avoiding/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you're avoiding sin and living morally so that God will have to bless you and save you, then you may be looking to Jesus as a teacher, model, and helper, but ironically you are avoiding him as Savior. 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