Tim Keller | January 26, 2014
I’ve heard people say, “Oh, I wish I had his faith, or her faith,” as if faith is a talent. And I do think there’s a kind of faith that’s a temperament—people who are more trusting or more skeptical—but that’s not saving faith.
There is no type of person who becomes a Christian. Saving faith, the faith that brings you eternal life, is for everyone. And Jesus’ miraculous sign in John 4 teaches us about this faith.
In this passage, we learn that life-giving faith 1) starts with reason, 2) has to move beyond reason to trust, 3) grows beautiful and pure where gold grows beautiful and pure, 4) saves by its object, not its quality, and 5) comes to love Jesus for who he is in himself, not for the benefits he gives.
This Month's Featured Book
In The Prodigal God, Tim Keller examines the way Jesus presents the parable to speak both to those who run from God and to those who try to earn his love by being good. It reveals the heart of the gospel—a message of hope for both the rebellious younger brother and the judgmental older brother, and an invitation for all to experience God’s grace.