Give Up Trying to Earn Love from God — A Quote by Brennan Manning in “The Ragamuffin Gospel”

“How difficult it is to be honest, to accept that I am unacceptable, to renounce self-justification, to give up the pretense that my prayers, spiritual insight, tithing, and successes in ministry have made me pleasing to God! No antecedent beauty enamors me in His eyes. I am lovable only because He loves me.” –Brennan Manning, …

Grace Frees Us from Fear of Punishment — A Quote by Brennan Manning in “The Ragamuffin Gospel”

“Many today are not experiencing what Paul calls in Romans 8:21, ‘the glorious freedom of the children of God…’ We accept grace in theory but deny it in practice. Living by grace rather than law leads us out of the house of fear into the house of love. ‘In love there can be no fear, …

Salvation from Faith, Not Obedience— A Quote by Brennan Manning in “The Ragamuffin Gospel”

“We must choose either Christ or the Law as author of salvation. Does freedom come through faith in Jesus or through obedience to the Torah? The issue is momentous. ‘When Christ freed us, he meant us to remain free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery’ (Galatians 5:1).” –Brennan …

If You Don’t Believe God Loves You as You Are, You Reject the Cross — A Quote by Brennan Manning in “The Ragamuffin Gospel”

“Do you really accept the message that God is head over heels in love with you? I believe that this question is at the core of our ability to mature and grow spiritually. If in our hearts we really don’t believe that God loves us as we are, if we are still tainted by the …

God is Proud of You — A Quote by Brennan Manning in “The Ragamuffin Gospel”

“‘Has it crossed your mind that I am proud you accepted the gift of faith I offered to you? Proud that you freely chose Me, after I had chosen you, as your friend and Lord? Proud that with all your warts and wrinkles you haven’t given up? Proud that you believe in Me enough to …

Repentance and Forgiveness Reversed in Thinking by Most People — A Quote by Brennan Manning in “The Ragamuffin Gospel”

“Repentance is not what we do in order to earn forgiveness; it is what we do because we have been forgiven… It serves as an expression of gratitude rather than an effort to earn forgiveness. Thus the sequence of forgiveness and then repentance… is crucial for understanding the gospel of grace.” –Brennan Manning, “The Ragamuffin …

My Top 25 Book Recommendations for Growing in Spiritual Maturity

These are the 25 books that I would most recommend for growing in spiritual maturity. I tried to rank them in terms of priority for reading. It is genuinely hard to compare two excellent books that have different topics, so the positions could easily be moved around some. 1) The Bible. Regular reading of the …

Dealing with Disappointment with God

Introduction It seems that at some point in every believer’s life, something happens that causes us to be disappointed with God. Perhaps disappointment is too mild a word. Usually we get angry, hurt, frustrated, or disillusioned. Oftentimes, though not always, this disappointment is triggered by the death of a loved one. In what follows, I …

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