Tim Keller | October 23, 1994
Sin is not just about the wrong things we do, it’s about our whole attitude and way of thinking, often shaped by our surroundings. It’s important to realize how deep our sinfulness goes and not fool ourselves. Let’s dig deeper into how we can deal with sin.
1. Who gets help
The beautiful part of Christianity is that Jesus is our defender, and His help is available to those who admit they’re not perfect and can’t reach God on their own. Unlike other beliefs, Christianity is for the humble, not the proud. The only requirement to receive God’s love is to admit we’ve messed up. It’s not about how good or bad we are, but about realizing we need Jesus.
2. Who offers help
Jesus’ role as our defender before God is extremely important. The Bible says that God’s fairness demands a payment for sin, and forgiveness isn’t just handed out. So, the core of Christianity is understanding that Jesus had to make the ultimate sacrifice because God is always fair.
3. How help works
Jesus acts like a lawyer, standing up for justice instead of begging for mercy. He makes the case that our sins have already been paid for, so it would be unfair not to forgive us. This changes how we see ourselves and how we handle criticism, because we can say with confidence that God, with His fairness on our side, doesn’t hold our sins against us.
April Book Offer
Tim Keller’s How to Find God set of three short books on birth, death, and marriage addresses these key milestones in your life and shows you how the Scripture teaches us to face each one with God’s help. They are books of pastoral care, designed for specific life situations you or someone you know will go through.