Timothy Keller Quotes

Timothy Keller is an American pastor, theologian, and best-selling author who has written numerous books on Christianity and is widely respected for his thoughtful and engaging approach to the faith.

“The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”

“The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me.”

“Humility is so shy. If you begin talking about it, it leaves.”

“The gospel is not just the minimum required doctrine necessary to enter the kingdom, but the way we make all progress in the kingdom.”

“Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God.”

“The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, ‘O God, forgive me,’ or ‘Help me.'”

“Love without truth is sentimentality; it supports and affirms us but keeps us in denial about our flaws. Truth without love is harshness; it gives us information but in such a way that we cannot really hear it.”

“To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God.”

“Jesus did not come to earth just to die, but to teach us how to live.”

“The gospel is the announcement that Jesus is the true King of the world who has come to inaugurate the kingdom of God.”

“The gospel is not a way to get people to heaven; it is a way to get people to God.”

“God never promises to remove us from our struggles. He does promise, however, to change the way we look at them.”

“The gospel is this: We are not saved because we have faith, as if faith were a work that we do. We are saved because we trust in Jesus, who has done all the necessary work for us.”

“The gospel is not about us being able to save ourselves. It is about Jesus saving us.”

“Grace is not simply leniency when we have sinned. Grace is the enabling gift of God not to sin. Grace is power, not just pardon.”

“Jesus did not come primarily to solve the economic, political, and social problems of the world. He came to forgive our sins.”

“The gospel is not just a message about individual salvation; it is a message about social justice.”

“We can only know God well when we know our own sin.”

“The Christian life is a journey of ongoing conversion.”

“The gospel is good news, not good advice. It is an announcement, not an invitation to earn God’s favor.”