Tullian Tchividjian

Christian Post Columnist

Latest

Jul 13, 2013
We Don't Find Grace, Grace Finds Us
The Gospel is not a story of God meeting sinners half-way, of God desperately hoping to find that one righteous man on whom he can bestow his favor. The news is so much better than that.
Jun 11, 2013
Reading The Bible Narcissistically
Contrary to popular assumptions, the Bible is not a record of the blessed good, but rather the blessed bad. That's not a typo. The Bible is a record of the blessed bad. The Bible is not a witness to the best people making it up to God; it's a witness to God making it down to the worst people.
Jun 8, 2013
Introduction to One-Way Love
Performancism is the mindset that equates our identity and value directly with our performance and accomplishments. The Christian church has sadly not proven to be immune to performancism. Far from it, in fact. In recent years a handful of books have been published urging a more robust, radical, and sacrificial expression of the Christian faith.
May 11, 2013
How Do I Know?
I had a few people raise this question: "Once God saves us and the Spirit begins his renewing work in our lives, shouldn't that work of inward renewal become a source of our assurance? Isn't that at least one way we can know we're right before God?"
May 8, 2013
The Cause And Cure for Our Exhaustion
As I mentioned in my last post, I had the privilege of speaking at the 6th annual Mockingbird Conference in NYC a few weeks ago. Below is my opening talk on the subject of our exhaustion and how God's inexhaustible grace is the only hope for our inescapable weariness.
Apr 16, 2013
Brennan Manning of 'The Ragamuffin Gospel:' All Is Grace
Long before the recent resurgence of interest in "gospel-centrality", Brennan was a voice calling out in the wilderness–a voice reminding us that we are great sinners but God is a greater Savior.
Apr 15, 2013
Confessions of a Performancist
Urban Meyer's story may be a bit extreme, but perhaps you can relate. Perhaps you had a demanding father or mother, for whom nothing was ever good enough. Perhaps they are long gone but you still hear their voice in your head. Perhaps you have a spouse that never seems to let up with the demand, for whom successes are not really successes; they're simply non-failures.
Apr 14, 2013
Set Free by the Judgement of God
Of the book, Michael Horton writes, "Aside from a few slogans and provocative quotes, Luther's theology is largely unknown in the land that Bonhoeffer called 'Protestantism without the Reformation.' Christianity in America desperately needs the wisdom and penetrating insight into gospel logic that is winsomely introduced in this rewarding volume." I couldn't agree more.
Apr 5, 2013
Grace Prevails Despite Our Big and Little 'L' Laws
When talking about "the law," we need to make an important distinction. We can call it big "L" Law and little "l" law. Big "L" law comes from God and is outlined in the Ten Commandments, reiterated in the Sermon on the Mount, and summarized by Jesus as the command to "Love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength…and love our neighbor" (of course, one could say more but that's the gist of it). But there's another law (little "l") that plays out in all kinds of ways in daily life.
Mar 23, 2013
The Fruit of Grace
Thankfully, when it comes to God's grace, there is not even a hint of exchange. No suggestion of payback, or pay it forward. There are no strings attached. Only grace can change a heart and produce law-fulfilling works of mercy, but grace is not dependent on a changed heart or law-fulfilling works of mercy.