Avoiding Jesus

An excerpt from a book I've been reading called "The Prodigal God" by Tim Keller:

"... Most people think of sin as failing to keep God's rules of conduct, but, while not less than that, Jesus's definition of sin goes beyond it.

In her novel Wise Blood, Flannery O'Connor says of her character Hazel Motes that "there was a deep, black, wordless conviction in him that the way to avoid Jesus was to avoid sin." This is a profound insight. You can avoid Jesus as Savior by keeping all the moral laws. If you do that, then you have "rights." God owes you answered prayers, and a good life, and a ticket to heaven when you die. You don't need a Savior who pardons you by free grace, for you are your own Savior.

... In the same way, religious people commonly live very moral lives, but their goal is to get leverage over God, to control him, to put him in a position where they think he owes them... If... you believe that God ought to bless you and help you because you have worked so hard to obey him and be a good person, then Jesus may be your helper, your example, even your inspiration, but he is not your Savior. You are serving as your own Savior."

I hope this is encouraging and challenging, and I hope we try to avoid Jesus less - I know I hope I do

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