Tim Keller, Author

One more post dedicated to the life and ministry of Timothy Keller – a trilogy of sorts, which is appropriate given Keller’s love of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and C.S. Lewis’s Space trilogies. Keller was a prolific writer – something that didn’t happen for him until the sixth decade of his life. I tend to pay more attention to people that write later in their faith journey when they possess a more fully developed theology. In the same manner, I like reading the epistles that the Apostle Paul wrote later in his ministry (e.g., Philippians, Colossians, Ephesians).

Keller’s numerous books (and sermons) reflect a culturally thoughtful and intellectually rigorous approach to theology. I recently discovered that I have read a fair number of his books. I thought it might be interesting to capture of few great quotes from his books I’ve read – for my benefit if nothing else! You may also enjoy…

“The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”  (The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, 2008)

“A faith without some doubts is like a human body without any antibodies in it. People who blithely go through life too busy or indifferent to ask hard questions about why they believe as they do will find themselves defenseless against either the experience of tragedy or the probing questions of a smart skeptic.”  (The Reason for God)

“Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is an element of faith” and “Believers should acknowledge and wrestle with doubts… It is no longer sufficient to hold beliefs just because you inherited them.” (The Reason for God)

“Our need for worth is so powerful that whatever we base our identity and value on we essentially ‘deify.'” (The Reason for God)

“The only person who dares wake up a king at 3 am for a glass of water is a child. We have that kind of access.”  (Twitter)

“Justice without grace is only harshness. Grace without justice is only sentimentality.” (The Reason for God)

“God never said that the journey would be easy, but He did say that the arrival would be worthwhile.” (The Reason for God)

“Both brothers were lost, but only one knew it.” (The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith, 2008)

“The gospel is distinct from mere morality. Morality is about good and bad, but the gospel is about lost and found.” (The Prodigal God)

“The younger son repents because of his circumstances; the elder son does not repent despite his circumstances. The first is sorry for what he has done; the second is angry that God does not seem to have blessed him enough for his goodness. The younger son repents with his whole heart; the elder son, with only half a heart.” (The Prodigal God)

“Both the irreligious and the religious are spiritually lost, but they are lost in different ways. Religious people are lost because they don’t think they’re lost. Irreligious people are lost because they don’t know they’re lost.” (The Prodigal God)

“The gospel is not religion. Religion operates on the principle of ‘I obey, therefore I’m accepted.’ The gospel operates on the principle of ‘I’m accepted, therefore I obey.'” (The Prodigal God)

“Jesus’s teaching consistently attracted the irreligious while offending the Bible-believing, religious people of His day. However, in the main, our churches today do not have this effect. The kind of outsiders Jesus attracted are not attracted to contemporary churches, even our most avant-garde ones. We tend to draw conservative, buttoned-down, moralistic people. The licentious and liberated or the broken and marginal avoid church. That can only mean one thing. If the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishioners do not have the same effect on people that Jesus had, then we must not be declaring the same message that Jesus did.” (The Prodigal God)

“Jesus doesn’t just give us advice; He gives us Himself… Jesus doesn’t just show us the way; He is the way… Jesus doesn’t just point us to truth; He is the truth… Jesus didn’t come to make bad people good; He came to make dead people alive… Jesus doesn’t offer temporary relief from life’s struggles; He offers eternal hope in the midst of them.” (Encounters with Jesus: Unexpected Answers to Life’s Biggest Questions, 2013)

“Jesus did not come to earth simply to teach; He came to be the King… Jesus doesn’t just claim to be a king; He is the King of all kings… Jesus didn’t just talk about the kingdom of God; He brought the kingdom of God to earth… Jesus didn’t come to establish an earthly empire; He came to bring about a revolution of the heart… Understanding Jesus as King means recognizing His authority over every aspect of our lives.” (Jesus the King: Understanding the Life and Death of the Son of God, 2011)

“The desire for justice and the longing for a better world point to something beyond ourselves. They hint at the existence of a moral lawgiver.” (Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Skeptical, 2016)

“Christianity is not merely a set of beliefs; it is a story that makes sense of the world. It offers a comprehensive framework for understanding life, purpose, and the human condition.” (Making Sense of God)

“The gospel is not a transaction; it is a transformation. It is not about earning salvation through good works, but receiving God’s grace and allowing it to change us from the inside out.” (Making Sense of God)

That was fun! My pastor put me onto this book: Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation, by Collin Hansen, which just came out in February. If you are a Timothy Keller fan, I highly recommend it. I listened to it on Audible, which contains some bonus talks and sermons of Keller’s, including the message he preached the Sunday after 9/11/2001.