Tchividjian's book is stretching me

As you know, I am reading Jesus + Nothing = Everything by Tullian Tchividjian.  It is a great book on the gospel.  For those of you struggling with sin (that's all of us, right?) and legalism, I encourage you to buy the book.  Ponder these quotes from Chapter 7 entitled, "Fully Exposed":

"In Christless Christianity, Michael Horton identifies "the regular diet in many churches across America today: Do more, try harder . . . The focus still seems to be on us and our activity rather than on God and his work in Jesus Christ."

"In the Gospel -Driven Life, Michael Horton helps open our eyes to all that "in Christ" means: Paul does not say, "Be like Jesus." He says, You are like Jesus" . . .  It's easy for us to rely on the gospel for forgiveness and justification but then look elsewhere for our renewal and sanctification. However, Paul says that it's all there: "in Christ."Only after saying this does Paul then issue the imperative to live a life that is consistent with this truth . . .Being in Christ is the perpetual source of our becoming like Christ, not vice versa."

"Jerry Bridges advises: preaching the gospel to yourself every day."

"Day by day, what God wants us to experience practically only happens as we come to a deeper understanding of what we are positionally-a deeper understanding of what's already ours in Christ."

"Christian growth, in other words, doesn't happen by first behaving better, but by believing better--believing in bigger, deeper, brighter ways what Christ has already secured for sinners."

"We will be able to recognize that every temptation to sin is a temptation to not believe the gospel . . ."

"When it comes to drawing near to God and pleasing him, legalism insists that obedience precedes acceptance-that it's all up to us.  But the fresh breeze of gospel freedom announces that acceptance precedes obedience-that once we're already approved and already accepted by God in Christ, we can freely follow God's lead and grow in doing his will out of genuine gratitude for his amazing grace and without any fear of judgment or condemnation when we fail."

"But when it comes to our sanctification, suddenly we become legalists. . . We seem to inherently assume that our performance is what will finally determine whether our relationship with God is good or bad: so much good behavior from us generates so much affection from God; or so much bad behavior from us generates so much anger from God."

"We morph Christianity into something that focuses exclusively on externals and behavior--which is not Christianity and not the gospel."

"What licentious people need is a greater understanding of grace, not a governor on grace.  Contrary to what we would naturally conclude, the antidote to lawlessness isn't more rules but a deeper grasp of God's grace."

"In other words, having trusted in Christ's work to get you in, are you now trusting in your work to keep you in? Paul is helping them (Galatians) return to the truth: the Christian life begins with the Spirit's work, it continues in the Spirit's work, and it culminates by the Spirit's work."

"When we transfer trust from our success to Christ's success for us, we experience the abundant freedoms that come from not having to measure up."

I don't know about you, but this chapter was refreshing and powerful for me.  God is definitely stretching me to better understand the gospel and what it means for me today.