If we think the main mission of the church is to improve life in Adam and add a little moral strength to this fading evil age, we have not yet understood the radical condition for which Christ is such a radical solution.

God is not a supporting actor in our life movie. We exist for his purposes, not the other way around.

Theology, not morality, is the first business on the church's agenda of reform, and the church, not society, is the first target of divine criticism.

The proper focus of holiness is not on being set apart from something (i.e., the world), but on being set apart for something.

Jesus and spirituality can easily become therapies that merely help us cope with life. They can serve us if we chose Him over other service providers. We even talk about "making Jesus my personal Lord and Savior," as if we could make Him anything!

At the end of the day, we need to stop thinking about what we can make of ourselves and start thinking more about who God is, what he has done and is doing in Christ for us and for our neighbors, and how he can use us and our fellow brothers and sisters to be instruments of his gift-giving.

The gospel frees us to confess our sins without fear of condemnation.