When the mask of self-righteousness has been torn from us and we stand stripped of all our accustomed defenses, we are candidates for God's generous grace.
Erwin W. LutzerRead
The ability to make judgments lies at the heart of Christian living. Unless we are able to judge doctrine, lifestyles, and entertainment, unless we are able to distinguish between outer appearance and inner character, we just might miss the purpose for which God placed us on this earth. We might end up accepting a stone for bread and a snake for a fish.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Judgment is essential for understanding true values and purpose in life.
This quote emphasizes the importance of discernment in Christian life, urging individuals to recognize the significance of making judgments about beliefs, behaviors, and superficial appearances. It suggests that without the ability to see beyond the surface, one risks missing life's true purpose and may settle for harmful substitutes in a spiritual sense, illustrated by the metaphor of choosing a stone instead of bread.
Themes
JudgmentDiscernmentValuesPurposeCharacter
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be shared during a sermon to encourage deeper reflection on personal values.
More from Erwin W. Lutzer
All quotes →At death we cross from one territory to another, but we'll have no trouble with visas. Our representative is already there, preparing for our arrival. As citizens of heaven, our entrance is incontestable.
Erwin W. LutzerRead
Only those who see themselves as utterly destitute can fully appreciate the grace of God.
Erwin W. LutzerRead
Similar quotes
If a plant cannot live according to its nature, it dies; and so a man.
Henry David ThoreauRead
It is precisely women’s experience of God that this world lacks. A world that does not nurture its weakest, does not know God the birthing mother. A world that does not preserve the planet, does not know God the creator. A world that does not honor the spirit of compassion, does not know God the spirit. God the lawgiver, God the judge, God the omnipotent being have consumed Western spirituality and, in the end, shriveled its heart.
Joan D. ChittisterRead
Jesus was loyal to his apostles, with full knowledge of their cowardice. He was loyal to the poor, accepting the criticism of the Pharisees, so the destitute would never feel deserted. He was loyal to his father, accomplishing his will even unto death.
Mother AngelicaRead
Buffalo Bill's defunct who used to ride a watersmooth-silver stallion and break onetwothreefourfive pigeonsjustlikethat Jesus he was a handsome man and what i want to know is how do you like your blueeyed boy Mister Death
E. E. CummingsRead
A screaming comes across the sky. It has happened before, but there is nothing to compare it to now.
Thomas PynchonRead
People working on bigger ideas on a more protracted timeline will be more on the stealth side. They aren’t releasing new PR announcements every day. The bigger the secret and the likelier it is that you alone have it, the more time you have to execute. There may be far more people going after hard secrets than we think.
Peter ThielRead