Acceptance with God: Religion vs. gospel

It is vital we recognize – and regularly remind ourselves of – the ground of our acceptance by God. Timothy Keller, senior pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, writes about this topic in his foreword to the new book Gospel by J.D. Greear, lead pastor of The Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, N.C. In part, Keller writes:

[A]s Martin Luther noted, religion forms the default mode of the human heart. It is essential, then, that we distinguish religion from the gospel. Religion, as the default mode of our thinking and practices, is based upon performance: “I obey; therefore, I am accepted by God.” The basic operating principle of the gospel, however, is, not surprisingly, an about-face, one of unmerited acceptance: “I am accepted by God through Christ; therefore, I obey.”