11 Inspiring Quotes from Tim Keller

With his compelling, challenging, and poignant preaching and writing, Tim Keller has been likened to none other than C. S. Lewis—though the New York pastor is quick to deflect comparisons to his hero.

Keller’s words have inspired millions of believers around the world, and he’s written more than 20 books addressing topics including apologetics, marriage, work, prayer, and a dozen more. We’ve collected 11 of his most provocative, inspiring quotations, each from one of his most influential, best-loved titles.

Here are 11 of Tim Keller’s most inspiring, provocative quotes from his best-selling books.

“The church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.” —Tim Keller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism

“Properly understood, Christianity is by no means the opiate of the people. It’s more like the smelling salts.” —Tim Keller, The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith

“As many have learned and later taught, you don’t realize Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.” —Tim Keller, Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters

“. . . if you have been assigned the goods of this world by God and you don’t share them with others, it isn’t just stinginess, it is injustice.” —Tim Keller, Generous Justice: How God’s Grace Makes Us Just

“. . . you’re more wicked than you ever believed, but at the same time more loved and accepted than you ever dared to hope.” —Tim Keller, Jesus the King: Understanding the Life and Death of the Son of God

“Love without truth is sentimentality; it supports and affirms us but keeps us in denial about our flaws. Truth without love is harshness; it gives us information but in such a way that we cannot really hear it.” —Tim Keller, The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God

“If God’s purpose for your job is that you serve the human community, then the way to serve God best is to do the job as well as it can be done.” —Tim Keller, Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work

“All the beauty we have looked for in art or faces or places—and all the love we have looked for in the arms of other people—is only fully present in God himself.” —Tim Keller, Walking with God through Pain and Suffering

“Unless we preach Jesus rather than a set of ‘morals of the story’ or timeless principles or good advice, people will never truly understand, love, or obey the Word of God.” —Tim Keller, Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism

“It is because Jesus Christ experienced cosmic thirst on the cross that you and I can have our spiritual thirst satisfied.” —Tim Keller, Encounters with Jesus: Unexpected Answers to Life’s Biggest Questions

“To pray is to accept that we are, and always will be, wholly dependent on God for everything.” —Tim Keller, Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God