5
" But either way, the fruit of turning to God—before we sin, after we’ve sinned, even right there in the middle of our sin—is where Christians go to experience the flavors of God-fearing honor, gratitude, dependence, worship, confidence, trust, freedom, revival. Even those sins from our past that have been the most regrettable, the most difficult to move beyond—the ones we’d give anything if we could go back and do over again—Christ is able to redeem and rewrite even those into masterful sequels and come-from-behind victories. He takes what’s given us fits for so long and gives us instead a reason to celebrate what He’s done. To celebrate our redemption. To celebrate our Redeemer. "
― Matt Chandler , Recovering Redemption: A Gospel Saturated Perspective on How to Change
7
" This is why the Word of God is so essential in the daily, ongoing life of a believer. Because from the minute you close your Bible in the morning, you’re entering a world that’s fighting every truth and teaching it represents. At every turn. And if God’s message is not deep inside you, where you can meditate on it, return to it, and frequently call it back to mind, you won’t be able to discern what’s really true from what may be really intriguing, really alluring, really convincing, but really false. And really defeating. "
― Matt Chandler , Recovering Redemption: A Gospel Saturated Perspective on How to Change
11
" The next sound you hear in the Garden of Eden is the heaving, lurching, ear-splitting shatter of shalom, of God’s peace, screeching violently out of phase with the pitch-perfect rhythm and harmony of His original creation. Outright rebellion had been declared against the King of glory. And suddenly, these experiences we know all too well now ourselves—guilt, regret, panic, disbelief, nervousness, blame, self-hatred, hypocrisy—all came shuddering through Adam and Eve’s bloodstreams for the first time in their lives. Like ice water. And both of them ran. And hid. And hoped to God they’d somehow gotten away with it. "
― Matt Chandler , Recovering Redemption: A Gospel Saturated Perspective on How to Change
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" The gospel gives it all. Justification for our guilt. Sanctification for deconstructing our false ideals. Adoption for the red face of our secret shame. And suddenly, in place of the raw emotions that continually joined forces against us, knocking us around like a nickel in a clothes dryer, the sun can now rise in the morning on a truly perfect storm, as God’s grace feeds in us a new passion for Him, and passion responds by feeding us even more grace—a revitalizing shower where the only water seeping into our hearts is from the fountain of living waters, replenishing our once-guilty, once-shameful hearts with sheer joy, acceptance, and freedom. Let it rain. "
― Matt Chandler , Recovering Redemption: A Gospel Saturated Perspective on How to Change
