A. Trevor Sutton > Quotes

“Being Lutheran is about having the theological roadblocks cleared away. No good works. No law pretending to be Gospel. No popes or piety. No moralism. Just the Gospel loudly and clearly proclaimed.”
― A. Trevor Sutton, Being Lutheran

“The call to comment, opine, and rant online has utterly eroded our ability to think deeply and reflect for a sustained period of time. Seldom do people read an entire article online before commenting or sharing. Rarely do people allow more than two mental synapses to fire before reacting to a social media post. Scarcely does anyone ponder something read online for longer than a day. Society is eager to participate online, yet reluctant to reflect. Reaction is prioritized over reflection.”
― A. Trevor Sutton, Clearly Christian: Following Jesus in this Age of Confusion

“According to the priesthood of all believers, the homeless Christian living on the outskirts of town is of the same standing before God as the corpulent cardinal in red robes of silk. Living for God is not about fleeing the work to which God has called you so that you can live in a monastery praying all day; rather, living for God is about faithfully being used by God to perform the work to which He has called you.”
― A. Trevor Sutton, Being Lutheran

“In the ash and rubble of sin’s brokenness, God bequeaths and bespeaks the Good News of Jesus Christ. The Gospel declares that we are forgiven on account of Christ’s righteousness.”
― A. Trevor Sutton, Clearly Christian: Following Jesus in this Age of Confusion

“Social media is not the most charitable place in the world. In fact, the IRS is more charitable than most digital spaces. But the followers of Jesus can shine His light into these digital spaces by turning against the tide and being charitable in how we think and speak about others. The sharp elbows on social media can be softened with kind hearts and encouraging words.”
― A. Trevor Sutton, Clearly Christian: Following Jesus in this Age of Confusion

“Theology is not some sort of esoteric, quasi-philosophical muttering. Theology is about daily life.”
― A. Trevor Sutton, Being Lutheran

“The Gospel is the Good News of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This Good News proclaims that God has come into human history and forever changed the past, present, and future of this world. Jesus has vanquished on the cross the past reality of death, decay, sin, and suffering. He has come into creation and brought healing and salvation into the present. And He has secured your future hope through the power of the empty tomb. Your past, present, and future are forever changed as a result of the Good News of Jesus. Christianity is not morality. It is not a ten-step program to becoming a good person. Christianity is the Good News of Jesus Christ proclaimed to bad people.”
― A. Trevor Sutton, Clearly Christian: Following Jesus in this Age of Confusion

“Open Communion is also a false openness. Dressed up as a nice way to welcome outsiders, open Communion says that anyone can commune regardless of belief or confession. Atheist, agnostic, and any other confession are welcomed. This dilutes the Gospel into an unrecognizable soupy mess. Open”
― A. Trevor Sutton, Being Lutheran

“As long as there are death and sin, brokenness and waywardness, guilt and guile, cancers and miscarriages, suffering and despair, the Good News of Jesus will continue to be relevant.”
― A. Trevor Sutton, Clearly Christian: Following Jesus in this Age of Confusion

“As discussed in the previous chapter, confusion and sin go together like cat memes and the internet; you cannot have one without the other.”
― A. Trevor Sutton, Clearly Christian: Following Jesus in this Age of Confusion

“Joy is far more resilient and steady than happiness. Ups and downs do not determine joy; rather, the source of Christian rejoicing is a deep well that cannot run dry even in the midst of hard times and struggles.”
― A. Trevor Sutton, Clearly Christian: Following Jesus in this Age of Confusion

“Lutherans are evangelical in the historical sense of the term. Lutherans openly confess and proclaim the Gospel. Not just to some people. Not just to white people. Not just to Germans, Norwegians, and Swedes. Not just to rich suburbanites. And not only from nine to eleven on Sunday mornings. Lutherans share the good news of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection with all people all the time. Open”
― A. Trevor Sutton, Being Lutheran

“Victorious in Jesus over the eternal sting of suffering, Christianity refuses to take a detour around suffering.”
― A. Trevor Sutton, Clearly Christian: Following Jesus in this Age of Confusion

“Princes perish. Rulers retire. And kings kick the bucket. God does not. He made all things, sustains all things, and rules all things. The plans of God transcend a single leader or generation. The reign and rule of God is not limited to a few short years. The equity and justice that He enacts is never term-limited, impeached, or assassinated. If there is any sort of central message about politics in Scripture, it is this: God reigns and rules over it all.”
― A. Trevor Sutton, Clearly Christian: Following Jesus in this Age of Confusion

“Searching for happiness by purchasing products or experiences never fully satiates our appetite. If anything, it just whets our desire for happiness all the more.”
― A. Trevor Sutton, Clearly Christian: Following Jesus in this Age of Confusion

“God tells us to be ready to respond and prepared to defend the veracity of our hope in Christ Jesus. Notice, however, that this verse does not limit our defense to intellectual argumentation. Rather, it also calls us to engage in apologetics through a living defense: “Yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame” (1 Peter 3:15b–16). The emphasis is on our actions, behaviors, and overall lifestyle.”
― A. Trevor Sutton, Clearly Christian: Following Jesus in this Age of Confusion

“There is no evangelism without the name of Jesus being proclaimed.”
― A. Trevor Sutton, Clearly Christian: Following Jesus in this Age of Confusion

“In a “post first, ask questions later” culture, the people of Jesus are called to a higher standard to pause and think about the fallout of their actions.”
― A. Trevor Sutton, Clearly Christian: Following Jesus in this Age of Confusion

“Although sin cries out for Jesus to depart from our presence, He refuses to listen. Jesus has seen it all—our sin, brokenness, mangled motives, and wayward actions—yet still He embraces us with forgiveness and mercy, salvation and redemption.”
― A. Trevor Sutton, Clearly Christian: Following Jesus in this Age of Confusion