Grace is love that seeks you out when you have nothing to give in return. Grace is love coming at you that has nothing to do with you. Grace is being loved when you are unlovable.
Christianity is not about good people getting better. If anything, it is good news for bad people coping with their failure to be good. The heart of the Christian faith is Good News, not good advice, good technique, or good behavior. Too many people have walked away from the church, not because they’re walking away from Jesus, but because the church has walked away from Jesus.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes that Christianity is fundamentally about redemption for those who struggle with their flaws, rather than just self-improvement.
Tullian Tchividjian highlights a crucial aspect of Christianity, asserting that it offers hope and salvation to those who feel inadequate or morally failing, rather than merely providing guidelines for becoming better people. He critiques the tendency of the church to focus on moral behavior and performance, suggesting that this has alienated some individuals from the faith, as they seek a more profound connection to Jesus rather than just advice on how to be 'good'.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a sermon addressing struggling congregants, this quote could be shared to remind them of the grace offered in faith.
More from Tullian Tchividjian
All quotes →Christianity is not about good people getting better. It is good news for bad people coping with their failure to be good.
Grief, of course, is not something that operates according to a specific time frame, and it seems cold to suggest otherwise. Yet when we do not grasp that God is present in pain, we eventually insist on victory or, worse, blame the sufferer for not "getting over it" fast enough. This is more than a failure to extend compassion; it's an exercise in cruelty.
Legalism says God will love us if we change. The gospel says God will change us because He loves us.
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I have become so accustomed to think "scientifically" that I am afraid even to imagine that there may be something else beyond the outer covering of life. I feel like a man condemned to death, whose companions have been hanged and who has already become reconciled to the thought that the same fate awaits him.