God's grace and forgiveness, while free to the recipient, are always costly for the giver.
Interpretation
God's grace is free for those who receive it, but it requires a significant sacrifice from the one who offers it.
This quote by Timothy Keller emphasizes the profound nature of grace and forgiveness. While individuals may benefit from divine grace without cost, the act of offering such grace involves a deep personal sacrifice and struggle, highlighting the complexities of relationships and the moral weight of forgiveness in spiritual contexts.
In practice
In a sermon discussing the nature of divine forgiveness and grace.
Falling in love in a Christian way is to say,'I am excited about your future and I want to be part of getting you there. I'm signing up for the journey with you. Would you sign up for the journey to my true self with me? It's going to be hard but I want to get there.
Only in Jesus Christ do we see how the untamable, infinite God can become a baby and a loving Savior. On the cross we see how both the love and the holiness of God can be fulfilled at once.
All human problems are ultimately symptoms, and our separation from God is the cause.
While your character flaws may have created mild problems for other people, they will create major problems for your spouse and your marriage.
To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.
God's Kingdom is "present in its beginnings, but still future in its fullness. This guards us from an under-realized eschatology (expecting no change now) and an over-realized eschatology (expecting all change now). In this stage, we embrace the reality that while we're not yet what we will be, we're also no longer what we used to be.
He who does not at some time, with definite determination consent to the terribleness of life, or even exalt in it, never takes possession of the inexpressible fullness of the power of our existence.
Whatever is not forbidden is permitted.
Am I motivated by what I really want out of life - or am I mass-motivated?
The Way of Heaven does not complete, and yet it skillfully achieves victory. It does not speak, and yet it skillfully responds to things. It comes to you without your invitation.
In the U.S., while individual whites might be against racism, they still benefit from their group's control. Yes, an individual person of color can sit at the tables of power, but the overwhelming majority of decision-makers will be white. Yes, white people can have problems and face barriers, but systematic racism won't be one of them.
By suppressing differences and peculiarities, by eliminating different civilizations and cultures, progress weakens life and favors death
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