Surprised by Grace

I just finished Surprised by Grace by Tullian Tchividjian, pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. It is a great read and resonated with me in a powerful way. Here are some of the highlights:

"Real change does not and cannot come independently of the gospel, which is the good news that even though we're more defective and lost than we ever imagined, we can be more accepted and loved than we ever dared hope, because Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose again for sinners like you and me."

"To flee from God is to rise against God."

"In all of human history, there has been only One who concluded-at every point, and in every way-that God's way is always best and God's call is always right."

"We see how those who flee from God become increasingly thin and insubstantial and see-through, while those who pursue him become progressively more real and intense and solid."

"God's mercy is massive. This storm tells us that God spares no expense in going after those who run away."

"Jesus is God's gracious intervention for those who are enslaved to themselves."

"The hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men, and His compulsion is our liberation." -from C.S. Lewis' Surprised by Joy

"Real life begins when we transfer our trust from our own efforts to the efforts of Christ."

"The immoral try to save themselves by breaking the law; the moral try to save themselves by keeping it. But neither way is strong enough to save anybody."

"Only the gospel can truly save you. The gospel doesn't make bad people good. It makes dead people alive."

"He always welcomes-with open arms-those who realize that their only hope is to turn from themselves and race towards him."

"In his infinite mercy, God exchanged our corruption and sin for Christ's righteousness and perfection."

"His grace is experienced when we come to realize that his perfect demands for each of us have already been met by Jesus."