At the Center is a Cross

“In the center of the kingdom of God, you do not find a gargantuan palace inhabited by an unapproachable king. No, in the center of the kingdom of God is a bloody cross, on which hung a broken King, who welcomes us as we are.”

             - Paul David Tripp, A Quest for More (Greensboro, NC; New Growth Press, 2007), 158

Hat Tip: Of First Importance

The Holiest Saint is But a Justified Sinner

So J.I. Packer once noted that in I Corinthians (c. 54 AD), Paul calls himself the least of the apostles. In Ephesians (c. 61 AD) he calls himself the least of the saints. By I Timothy (c. 65 AD), he describes himself as the chief of all sinners.

Packer's conclusion: Holy people glory, not in their holiness, but in Christ's cross; for the holiest saint is never more than a justified sinner and never sees himself in any other way. (Keeping In Step With the Spirit, page 105)

Hat Tip: Church Matters: The 9Marks Blog