Tag: Paul David Tripp

The Celebrations in Eternity

On By BrianIn PASSION Quotes

ForeverThe celebrations in eternity that are recorded in Scripture are not about human position, power, or achievement. They are about God’s position, God’s power, God’s faithfulness, and God’s grace. They celebrate God’s victory over evil and the eternal life God gives us. These celebrations remind us of what is essential and truly important, and they welcome us to live in light of these values today…

In a world that idolizes power, position, fame, and material wealth, we constantly need our sense of what is important clarified and reoriented. The celebrations of eternity provide for us a check of our internal importance meter and call us to live and work in light of what is truly eternally important. They remind us not to let things that are meant to point to Jesus become the things that replace Jesus in the here and now.

– Paul David Tripp in Forever

 

The Destructive Force of Self-Glory

On By BrianIn PASSION Quotes

ForeverThere is no more destructive force in a relationship than self-glory. When I make everything all about me – all about the things I want, the things I feel, and the things I need – I will be endlessly demanding and dissatisfied. When I am in the center of my world, I won’t so much love you as I will work to co-opt you into the service of my little kingdom of one. I will be much more concerned about my agenda for you than about God’s will for you. I will judge you, not by the laws of God’s kingdom, but by the laws of my kingdom. If you help me get what I want, I will be kind to you, but if you get in the way of what I want, I will do what is necessary to get you back in line with the purposes of my kingdom of one.

– Paul David Tripp in Forever

Who Is the Center?

On By BrianIn PASSION Quotes

ForeverA relationship in which both parties have inserted themselves into the center of their worlds so that everything is all about them will be one of constant conflict, hurt, discouragement, frustration, and anger. Eternity reminds us that life has not and will not work according to our plan, for the world is moving according to the plan of Another. Eternity humbles us with the inescapable reality that we have been born into a universe that, by its very nature, is a celebration of Another.

– Paul David Tripp in Forever

Searching for Hope

On By BrianIn PASSION Quotes

ForeverSeparated from God, who was to be the source of their hope, Adam and Eve and the generations they birthed began to search for hope horizontally. So we look for hope in the temporary situations, locations, relationships, and possessions of the broken world. We hook ourselves to things that give temporary hope, or no hope at all, going back again and again until we become enslaved and addicted. In searching for hope horizontally, we are shopping for God replacements. But just like wooden idols that cannot see, hear, or speak, these God replacements have no capacity whatsoever to deliver. They quickly leave us empty, always craving for more….
How different would your life and mine be if we remembered that everything that exists in the created world is meant to be a finger pointing us to the only place where hope can be found?

– Paul David Tripp in Forever

What We Were Made For

On By BrianIn Identity, PASSION Quotes

ForeverWe were not created for our own liberty, happiness, or fulfillment.  We were not created to find our own way and to discover our own joy.  We were not designed to define what our needs are and to give our lives to meet them.  We were not made to treat the world like an endless buffet of delights for our consumption.  We were made for God, made to live for his glory, and made to find the fullest expression of our humanity in loving, worshipful community with him….  Every day billions of us get up and ignore the love relationship with God for which we were created.  Because we do not love him as we should, we do not have the motivation to please him.  Because we are not motivated to please him, we find it easy, in small moments and big, to replace him with something else.  We replace love of God with a life-dominating love of self.  We replace concern for the glory of God with self-glory….  Inserting ourselves in the center of our world is the ultimate delusion.  Sin not only denies the structure of the world as God made it, but it also denies our very identity as human beings.  We are God’s image bearers.  We were made for him.
– Paul David Tripp in Forever

A Finger Pointing

On By BrianIn PASSION Quotes

ForeverAll of creation is a finger pointing to the Lord of creation, in whom life can be found.  Creation was made to introduce us to him over and over again.  The temporary pleasures of this present world are meant to point you to the lasting pleasure of knowing God.

– Paul David Tripp in Forever