Hope worth having: short reflections inspired by Tim Keller

Tim Keller, who died in May 2023, was known for explaining the Christian faith with compassion and intellectual honesty. Three themes recur in his work, and they are worth sitting with.

1. Christianity offers a great deal

Keller spoke of a meaning that suffering cannot remove, a satisfaction not based on circumstances, an identity that does not crush you or exclude others, and “a hope that can face anything, even death.”

2. Jesus is God come to find us

Everything in the Jewish worldview resisted the idea that a human being could be God. Yet Jesus’s life, claims and resurrection convinced his closest Jewish followers that he was not only a prophet pointing the way to God, but God himself come to find us.

3. Grace, not performance

Keller observed that saying “Doctrine doesn’t matter; what matters is that you live a good life” is itself a doctrine: salvation by our own works. Christianity says something different: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). That also means security: when everything else is taken from us, including in death, Christ does not let go of those who trust him.

Keller also taught that sin is, at root, a refusal to trust that God is for us and knows what is good for us better than we do. The remedy is not trying harder, but trusting the One who gave himself for us (Romans 5:8).

Scripture quotations are from the ESV®. See our Scripture and copyright notes.

Further reading: Tim Keller, The Reason for God and Making Sense of God.

If Jesus is love, why do some Christians seem so judgmental?

It is a fair question, and sometimes the criticism is deserved. Jesus himself warned against hypocrisy (Matthew 7:1-5), and a Christian who looks down on others has forgotten the gospel.

The gospel begins with love

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 John 4:16). “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8).

Why Christians speak at all

Christians believe that separation from God is real and serious. A person who sincerely believed a friend was in danger would speak up, and the aim would be rescue, not condemnation. Tim Keller argued that this is an act of love rather than judgment, offered with humility by people who know they are sinners too.

Sin, justice and mercy

Christians believe God is perfect and just, and that every one of us, the speaker included, has fallen short of his standard. Justice means we are accountable; mercy means that Jesus took the punishment himself (Isaiah 53; 1 Peter 2:24). Because every Christian is a forgiven sinner, there is no room for superiority.

What we hope you will find

Beyond the warning, we want you to know the joy and peace of knowing Jesus. His invitation is: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Scripture quotations are from the ESV®. See our Scripture and copyright notes.

Further reading: Tim Keller, The Reason for God (the chapter on how a loving God can judge) and Making Sense of God.

Why the creeds matter: staying true to Jesus

Religions have always borrowed from one another; the practice is called syncretism. For Christians the question is a loving one: if Jesus truly revealed God, we want to describe him as he is.

What the creeds are

The Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed are short summaries of what the apostles taught: one God in three persons, the incarnation, the cross, the resurrection and the return of Christ. Later confessions, such as the Thirty-Nine Articles and the Westminster Confession, set out the Bible’s teaching in more detail. They act as guardrails, so that the message we pass on stays the message we received.

Why accuracy matters

The Bible warns against adding to or subtracting from God’s word (Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:18-19) and urges us to “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). When core teaching is blended with ideas from elsewhere, Jesus can become someone he never claimed to be. The test applies to every group, and we apply it to our own teaching first.

A contemporary example

Archbishop Desmond Tutu is rightly honoured for his courage against apartheid, and we do not question his sincerity. Yet on the uniqueness of Christ his teaching departed from the creeds and from Scripture, and we regard it as heresy. At the World Council of Churches assembly in Porto Alegre in 2006 he was reported as saying, “God is not a Christian,” and, “Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, atheist, all belong, all are held in a divine embrace that will not let us go – all, for God has no enemies” (as reported by The Layman Online, 22 February 2006). He later used the first phrase as the title of a book, God Is Not a Christian and Other Provocations (2011), and is quoted elsewhere as saying that “to claim God exclusively for Christians is to make God too small and in a real sense is blasphemous” (as reported by Baptist News Global).

Jesus and the apostles taught otherwise: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6); “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The Thirty-Nine Articles say the same (Article 18, “Of obtaining eternal Salvation only by the Name of Christ”). Everyone is invited into God’s family, but the door is Christ. In fairness, Tutu also said that God respects human freedom so deeply that he will let a person choose hell rather than compel them to heaven (reported by The Catholic Register, 2013, from Victor Chan’s The Wisdom of Compassion), so he was not a simple universalist. We critique the teaching, not the man.

With love

Holding doctrine firmly should never make us harsh toward people who disagree. It should make us careful in how we speak about Jesus, always “with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

Scripture quotations are from the ESV®. See our Scripture and copyright notes.

Further reading: the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds; the Thirty-Nine Articles; the Westminster Confession of Faith; Tim Keller, The Reason for God.

What the Bible teaches about sexuality, and why everyone is welcome

Every person is made in the image of God and loved by him (Genesis 1:27). Whatever your story, you are welcome to read and to ask questions here.

The Bible’s teaching on sexuality is old, clear and countercultural, and the church has not always spoken about it well. We want to set it out plainly and kindly.

What Scripture teaches

Scripture presents marriage as a lifelong union of one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6), and teaches that sexual intimacy belongs within it. For that reason the Bible treats same-sex sexual relations as outside God’s design (Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Leviticus 18:22), alongside every other sexual sin, including sexual sin outside marriage by anyone and lust. This is not a message aimed at one group: the same chapters say that all of us fall short (Romans 3:23).

Good news for every sinner

Paul writes to the Corinthians, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11). Forgiveness, new life and a place in God’s family are offered to all who turn to Jesus. Following him costs every one of us something, and it asks for lifelong trust, not instant perfection.

The church’s calling

Churches are called to hold to Scripture and to welcome people warmly: speaking “the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15) and restoring those who struggle “in a spirit of gentleness” (Galatians 6:1). Where Christians have been harsh, mocking or unkind, we repent and ask forgiveness.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV®. See our Scripture and copyright notes.

Further reading: John MacArthur’s sermon on this subject at Grace to You (offered as a resource; the wording above is our own).

What "Lux Vita Caritas" means

“Lux Vita Caritas” (Light, Life, Love) is a motto that names a person: Jesus the Christ, known as Yeshua (ישוע) to Jews and Isa (عيسى) to Muslims. Everything on this site tries to point to him.

Lux (Light)

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). He shows us the truth about God and about ourselves.

Vita (Life)

“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). Jesus is not only a giver of life; he is its source, and he meets our deepest longings.

Caritas (Love)

“God is love” (1 John 4:8), shown most fully at the cross: “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

The cornerstone

Jesus also said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6), and Peter declared, “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). We say this because we believe it, not to shut anyone out: the invitation is for everyone.

In knowing and following Jesus we find the fullness of light, life and love.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV®. See our Scripture and copyright notes.

Further reading: John Piper, Desiring God and Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ.

Jesus, the only way: a narrow gate with a wide welcome

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

In the original Greek it reads:

Λέγει αὐτῷ ‹ὁ› Ἰησοῦς “Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή· οὐδεὶς ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα εἰ μὴ δι’ ἐμοῦ.”

אָמַר אֵלָיו יֵשׁוּעַ אֲנִי הַדֶּרֶךְ וְהָאֱמֶת וְהַחַיִּים אֵין אִישׁ בָּא אֶל־הָאָב כִּי אִם־בִּי׃

John 14:6

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The ONLY way. It follows, then, that salvation and the knowledge of God cannot be found in any other worldview or religion. Not Islam, not Judaism, not Roman Catholicism, not Hinduism, not Buddhism, not Confucianism, etc. We say this because Jesus said it, and we say it humbly and with respect for the people who hold those faiths. He also spoke of a narrow gate: “the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:14). Yet the gate opens to everyone: “Let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price” (Revelation 22:17).

Jesus as Lux Vita Caritas

Why then do we speak of Jesus as Lux Vita Caritas (Light Life Love)?

Lux (Light)

The Lux, or Light, refers to Jesus being the ultimate Truth. He illuminates our understanding and restores us to God. Just as a light in the darkness shows the way, Jesus shows us the way to God and exposes the reality of our condition and need for salvation.

Vita (Life)

The Vita, or Life, refers to the eternal life found in Jesus alone. He said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25). In Jesus, we find life that is both abundant and everlasting, a life that overcomes the power of sin and death.

Caritas (Love)

The Caritas, or Love, refers to the way in which Jesus is the only means to be reconciled to the Father in His love and by His love for us. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Through Jesus' sacrificial death and resurrection, we experience the profound love of God that redeems and restores us.

Why Jesus Alone Can Save Us from Our Sins

Billy Graham consistently emphasized the uniqueness and sufficiency of Jesus Christ for our salvation. Let's delve deeper into why Jesus alone is able to save us from our sins:

1. Jesus' Sinless Life:
Billy Graham often spoke about the sinless life of Jesus as the foundation of His ability to save us. Jesus, being fully God and fully man, lived a perfect and sinless life. Hebrews 4:15 tells us, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” Because Jesus was without sin, He was the only one qualified to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins.

2. The Atoning Sacrifice:
Billy Graham highlighted the significance of Jesus' death on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. In 1 Peter 2:24, it says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” Jesus took upon Himself the punishment that we deserve, satisfying the justice of God and demonstrating His profound love for us.

3. The Power of the Resurrection:
The resurrection of Jesus is central to the Christian faith and was a frequent focus of Billy Graham's preaching. Romans 4:25 states, “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” Jesus' victory over death through His resurrection confirms His divine nature and His power to grant eternal life to all who believe in Him. The resurrection assures us that Jesus has conquered sin and death, providing us with the hope of eternal life.

4. The Exclusivity of Christ:
Billy Graham often emphasized the exclusive nature of salvation through Jesus Christ. In Acts 4:12, we read, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Jesus Himself declared that He is the only way to the Father (John 14:6). This exclusivity is not about excluding others but about recognizing the unique role of Jesus as the Savior of the world.

5. The Transformative Power of Faith in Jesus:
Billy Graham witnessed countless lives transformed by faith in Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” When we place our faith in Jesus, we are made new, forgiven, and reconciled to God. This transformation is a testament to the power of Jesus to save and change lives.

Billy Graham’s message was always rooted in the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. He urged people to come to Jesus, to repent of their sins, and to receive the free gift of salvation that Jesus offers. Lux Vita Caritas – Light, Life, and Love – are found in their truest, deepest sense in Jesus Christ alone.

#luxvitacaritas

Scripture quotations are from the ESV®. See our Scripture and copyright notes.

Further reading: Billy Graham, Peace with God.

Why we need grace: what "total depravity" means

The doctrine of total depravity is uncomfortable, yet it explains much about the world and about us. It does not say that people are as bad as they could be, or that they have no kindness. It says that sin has touched every part of us (mind, heart and will), so that we cannot rescue ourselves.

What Scripture says

“None is righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). Before Christ we were “dead in the trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1), and Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44). Left to ourselves we are unable, and often unwilling, to turn to God.

The good news

This doctrine is only the dark background to the gospel: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:4-5). Salvation is God’s work from first to last, which is why no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is also why no one is beyond hope: if our rescue rests on his mercy, then no sinner is too far gone.

Where this sits in our confessions

Articles 9 and 10 of the Thirty-Nine Articles (original sin, and free will) and chapters 6, 9 and 10 of the Westminster Confession of Faith (the fall and sin, free will, and effectual calling).

Scripture quotations are from the ESV®. See our Scripture and copyright notes.

Further reading: Jonathan Edwards, Freedom of the Will and Original Sin; the Thirty-Nine Articles; the Westminster Confession of Faith.

Worthless or Loved

Do you believe you are star dust, the product of a mindless, random, chance Universe?

If that were true, it would be hard to say why any of us has worth at all.

Or do you believe that you were carefully designed and purposely given life by someone who loves you deeply and wants to reveal Himself to you, to know you and to be with you in perfect relationship?

There really are only two choices:

Worthless; or

Loved.

The more we investigate, the more the, ever-increasing, evidence points to God and His love in Jesus.

By careful observation and measurement, we now know that this world and the Universe could not exist if any of the very many critical measurements were even slightly different.

If any of the following measures were changed we could not exist:

• gravity;
• the rate of expansion of the Universe;
• the force holding sub-atomic particles together;
• the force by which objects are attracted to each other.

There are many compelling reasons to believe in God. Once you do, you should consider whether, he has, in fact, already revealed Himself to us, in person.

Untold Millions believe that Jesus is God. We believe God has revealed Himself to us and that we are greatly loved.

Listen to Dr Jason Lisle, as he examines the ultimate proof of creation.

#luxvitacaritas

If you are loved by the One who made you, then your worth does not depend on what you achieve: “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). And God showed that love at the cross: “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Scripture quotations are from the ESV®. See our Scripture and copyright notes.

Further reading: our Secular and atheist worldview articles, which take the question further.