More Lost Than Imagined, More Accepted Than We Dared Hope

"...all our problems in life stem from our failure to apply the gospel.  This means we can't really move forward unless we learn more thoroughly the gospel's content and how to apply it to all of life.  Real change does not and cannot come independently of the gospel, which is the good news that even though we're more defective and lost than we ever imagined, we can be more accepted and loved than we ever dared hope, because Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose again for sinners like you and me. God intends this reality to mold and shape us at every point and in every way.  It should define the way we think, feel, and love."

       -Tulliam Tchividjian, Surprised by Grace, pages 16-17 (emphasis mine)