Articles and thoughts by Steve Green.

Quote of the week…

October 2nd, 2009

In his study guide on Romans, Tim Keller writes:  ”If you are a moral person who is satisfied with your spiritual state, you are denying the doctrine of righteousness through faith only.  If you do not feel like a hopeless sinner, if you do not feel that God would have a perfect right to cast you off this minute because of the condition of our life and heart, then you are denying the gospel, and when it is open to you it won’t change you or lift you up.  You don’t get it.”

19 Comments »

  1. Amen! So many “preachers” today preach that we can improve ourselves. That’s just not true! We have to be shown what wretches we are before Almighty God and then shown the way to Him. God has to totally transform us through the cleansing blood of Jesus. Thanks for sharing, Steve!

    Comment by Jordan — October 2, 2009 @ 6:09 pm

  2. Totally agree. The term “pitiful” often comes to my mind when I think of my condition as a human here on Earth. Yet, there is something freeing about this - knowing the “pressure’s off” and all I need is faith as large as a mustard seed to be saved.
    As you sang in the song, “Grace and Nothing More:” “Oh God, I find no hope in me…..a smile His sweet reply.”

    Comment by Doug — October 3, 2009 @ 7:30 pm

  3. I agree with Jordan. Transformation can only occur when I realize that I am not satisfied with my present condition and continue to hunger and thirst for righteousness. The mystery of it all is that only He can produce that in me as I draw close to Him. It is all about knowing Him…He must increase so that I am willing to decrease. Holiness is what I long for…as the song says.
    Thanks for the timely quote, Steve, as always.
    Natalie

    Comment by Natalie Kleefisch — October 3, 2009 @ 9:49 pm

  4. Steve, I am strugging with Tim Keller’s concept of ‘hopeless sinner’. I feel like a sinner, I don’t feel hopeless…

    Jordan, I’m trying to understand what you are saying. I see people improve themselves all the time. I have improved my health, my carrier, and in other area’s. I could never improve enough to earn my salvation, that much is true - or is that what you’re referring too? If we can’t improve, according to your words, then why try?

    Comment by Jeff Hooper — October 4, 2009 @ 4:06 am

  5. Jeff, I’ll let Jordan answer for himself, but I believe the word ‘hopeless’ only refers to our attempts to meet God’s requirements apart from Jesus. Look at it this way. God’s standard of righteousness is fixed and unattainable, beyond our reach and impossibly foreign even to our heart’s desires. (For the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked.) Everyone has a unique life story. If we were to chart lives on a graph, maybe your life would reach pretty high. Mine, not so high. Others might even be under the starting line, in the negative having messed things up pretty good. In Jesus days those were the publicans and prostitutes. Yet regardless of how high a person’s life extends up the chart, we all fall infinitely short of what God requires. So, we are each “hopelessly lost” unable to add anything to Christ’s work of redemption. It’s really an issue of self-righteousness vs Christ’s righteousness.

    Comment by steve — October 4, 2009 @ 8:10 pm

  6. Jeff,

    What I was trying to say is so many preachers only teach self-improvement, not a total transformation that only God can do in us. Yes, we can improve our health, etc. but that’s not where a lot of preachers and teachers stop.

    If we don’t see our true state before God, then we are, indeed, denying the need for the atoning death of Christ.

    When we don’t see ourselves as sinners before God, then we might just be boosting our own ego.

    Do any of that make sense? I’m not sure I’m expressing myself well. :)

    Comment by Jordan — October 5, 2009 @ 1:14 pm

  7. Romans 7:24-25 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

    Paul feels hopeless were it not for the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ.

    Comment by Carlos Cabrera — October 5, 2009 @ 2:15 pm

  8. Great explanation, Steve.
    I appreciate what Tim says, too…because the Word of God cannot begin to change me..util I admit I need the breaking of His Word.
    Romans 12:1-2
    More and more I am learning to let the Lord guide me in His work. For those of us who love people, we can error in being people pleasers. Ultimately, it is the Lord I aim to please by guarding my heart and thoughts so as to understand His will. This is the Spirit-filled life I choose.
    Appreciate you and your ministry team.
    Have a great day in Jesus!!!
    Natalie

    Comment by Natalie Kleefisch — October 6, 2009 @ 4:53 am

  9. Great comments, folks. Thanks.

    Comment by steve — October 7, 2009 @ 10:15 pm

  10. yes indeed great comments. Jordan, I was pretty sure thats what you where referring too, but thanks for the clarification.

    Steve, the life chart really has me thinking - what a great analogy.

    Comment by Jeff Hooper — October 7, 2009 @ 10:53 pm

  11. I’d like to respond to this excerpt by Tim Keller in 2 sections:

    ”If you are a moral person who is satisfied with your spiritual state, you are denying the doctrine of righteousness through faith only…”

    – Here Tim is speaking of instances where we as Christians can become lukewarm in our faith (ie. Laodecian church effect) OR where a non-believer relies on secular humanism or a world religion to attain a virtuous character (ie. morals & ethics apart from God and/or the Bible)

    “…If you do not feel like a hopeless sinner, if you do not feel that God would have a perfect right to cast you off this minute because of the condition of our life and heart,then you are denying the gospel, and when it is open to you it won’t change you or lift you up. You don’t get it.”

    – The first part of this section addresses the initial state our hearts must be in before we can truly understand the meaning of God’s grace and our need for righteousness through faith in Jesus. Read Romans 3:22-24

    Steve - the last part of Tim Keller’s statement reminds me of a journal entry you wrote over a year ago. I think it was entitled “Feel Your Need” (or something along those lines). Unfortunately, it appears to have been removed. Could you re-post it or send it to the people who have commented here. I believe it will help put things in perspective. Thanks!

    In Christ,

    Mark La Flamme (Eph. 2:8,9)

    Comment by Mark La Flamme — November 7, 2009 @ 6:05 am

  12. I’m torn on this quote. Spending time with God, praying/reading his Word/fellowshipping with others, is not always fun for me and I have to make an effort to do it. I have tried the “leave it to God!” method and this resorted in backsliding where I allowed tv, work, my hobbies, etc to consume all the space in my life and forgot about God. I have trouble believing that Paul didn’t exercise some work to pray and sacrifice during his life and ministry, although, texts like the one here quoted from Romans seem to imply that there is no effort required on our part to be saved (once a person has surrendered to God). I’m indeed torn on this quote, and, apparently salvation as well! lol I’m open to alternative views on this, thank you,

    Comment by Adam — November 11, 2009 @ 3:05 pm

  13. Welcome to a very old debate on human responsibility and the sovereignty of God! I suppose it is good to ask ourselves what God really desires of us. In answer to the first question in the Westminster Confession, ‘What is the chief end of man?’ the answer is given, ‘To glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” John Piper has a favorite saying, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” That is not to say that effort or discipline is not involved. Our hearts are naturally self-absorbed and need to be directed toward God, but in and of ourselves we cannot do it. I think what Tim Keller is stressing is that from beginning to end the whole of our life in Christ is from Him and through Him and to Him. Paul spoke in Colossians about struggling with “all His energy” which powerfully worked in him. That is to say, he used effort, but acknowledged that the source of his energy was God himself. I ask myself daily what I am relying in. Is it my effort, my discipline, my success in climbing the spiritual ladder? Or am I still looking to Christ alone, depending on him for every aspect of life and faith?

    Comment by steve — November 11, 2009 @ 5:41 pm

  14. I completley agree that before Christ came into my life I was a hopelessly lost sinner … with no possibility of attaining any form of righteousness … but I wonder if that is what God wants us to think of ourselves now. Should I feel like a hopeless sinner now … or should I revel in the fact that I am no longer hopeless … but an adopted (His choice) child of the KING OF THE UNIVERSE. If I am a child of the King (by His great mercy!) should I still view myself as a hopeless sinner? That is who/what I used to be … and now by God’s grace I have a new name, a new relationship, a new position in Jesus Christ. It is a good thing to remember from where we came … but I hope and I expect, because of His presence and activity in my life, that as I yield to Him and obey Him I am becoming more and more like Christ with each passing day. My “true state before God” is no long that of a hopless sinner … He has made me into something new! Some of these thoughts are new to me in the past year … so I am not challenging, but truly asking how we should view ourselves as believers.

    Comment by Cindy — November 11, 2009 @ 9:56 pm

  15. Thanks for your honesty, Cindy. Good questions. My answer is “Yes!” All the above. From reading more of Keller I’m know he would never imply that we have no hope. Instead, he would exalt the hope we have in Christ. The goal of God’s grace to us is not to help us feel better about ourselves but to make much of Christ and glory in Him. How do we define growth? In his book ‘Holiness’, J. C, Ryle wrote, “When I speak of a man growing in grace, I mean simply this—that his sense of sin is becoming deeper, his faith stronger, his hope brighter, his love more extensive, his spiritual–mindedness more marked.” I think he’ right. All happen at the same time. A living hope is nourished while the sense of my own sinfulness is felt more keenly. Just some thoughts.

    Steve

    Comment by steve — November 11, 2009 @ 11:52 pm

  16. wow-it has been great to read this “conversation”! Isn’t it strange how “good” we tend to think we are??? But when you really get down to it, and examine what you and heart are really like…..

    Comment by tricia — November 12, 2009 @ 12:40 pm

  17. Salvation is transformation, not reformation. “…All things have become new…”

    Comment by Brent — November 19, 2009 @ 1:49 pm

  18. Thanks for your response Steve. My prayer today is that like the W. Confession says, I will “enjoy God.” It’s easy to become all works focused but I know that if I enjoy God, it won’t feel any effort or work at all. I’m praying for that new heart, and, to enjoy God.

    Comment by Adam — November 28, 2009 @ 7:21 pm

  19. “God and God alone, reveals the truth of all we call unknown. And all the best and worst of man won’t change the Master’s plan.” (verse 2 of God and God Alone)

    God’s master plan is that believers never lose sight of “Calvary’s Love” and the eternal salvation that comes from the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

    We are justified in God’s eyes as soon as we admit our sinfulness and need of Christ. Then by Divine grace we are sanctified/made holy, if we continually humble ourselves and admit our human weakness and complete dependency upon God.

    I believe this is what Tim Keller is addressing in the above quote. Now my prayer is that I will not forget this “seed” of wisdom in the coming week.

    Thank you Steve (and everyone who commented) for the reminder of God’s never ending love.

    “Bueno es El. Su amor es para siempre!”

    Comment by Mark La Flamme — November 29, 2009 @ 4:01 am

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