Cool Blog - Of First Importance

I stumbled upon a neat blog called 'Of First Importance'. Its premise is to provide a daily shot of Gospel Centered excerpts/quotes . One of the recent posting was an excerpt called 'More Than We Ever Dared Hope' from Tim Keller's Paul's Letter to the Galatians: Living in Line with the Truth of the Gospel. I received this bible study a long time ago, but I never got around to it. I guess it might be time to pick it up.

Regardless, as I was reading this entry, I couldn't help but think how radical and counter intuitive the Gospel can be. Many times I get caught up in what feels good to me not realizing the Gospel's work in my life is suppose to renew me and help me not see myself first, but God first. After I see God, I see myself in my true form, in my very needy form. However, this new vision cost a huge price.

The Cross allows me now to see myself as I should see, but I think I have trouble at times accepting how hopeless I am. But that's not all. The Cross shows me a hope that doesn't focus on me or my improvement, but on Jesus and how he has perfectly done it all.

Early on, when I first believed, this was a big problem I experienced. With every failure, I exerted effort to improve my situation, which ended in another failure, not realizing that the failures ought to have signified to me an ever increasing need for God, not an ever increasing need to find the solution in myself.

I guess we all have to go through something like this, in my case rapidly, until I understood God's grace. But still I need more. Whether its my character, deeds, words, or thoughts, may I not try to 'defend' myself, but accept my sin and come to the Cross and God's grace and believe in what is of first importance.

Have You Truly Embraced the Gospel?

While on the exercise bike this morning, I was reading chapter 2 of God is the Gospel by John Piper (click the link for online version at DesiringGod.org). And again, Piper did the usual thing to me when I read his books. I was thinking, "Man, I need to read this over again". The chapter titled "The Gospel - The Biblical Scope of its Meaning" went over the substance and the promises of the Gospel. Some of the section headings are:
-There is a Living God
-The Arrival of God's Imperial Authority
-Jesus: A Savior Who is Christ, The LORD
-Christ Died for Our Sins in Accordance with the Scriptures
-Jesus, Risen from the Dead...
-...The Promise of the Spirit
-The Promise of Salvation For All Who Believe
-What the Cross Purchased makes the Cross Good News
-The Good News of Peace with God and Each Other
-The Good News Promises Eternal Life

I hope you are getting the weightiness and value of this chapter. However, Piper makes something very clear that there is an awfully dangerous way of 'not knowing' the Gospel. He ends the chapter with this clarification:
"Now the point of this book must be pressed. The point is that the precious gospel events and gospel blessings that I have outlined in this chapter do not suffice to make the gospel good news. What makes the gospel finally and supremely good news has not yet been mentioned. ... But for the most part the good things mentioned in this chapter as essential parts of the gospel are not the final good of the gospel and would not prove to be good for us at all if the unmentioned supreme good were not seen and embraced. That good is God himself seen and savored in all his glory. Focusing on facets of a diamond without seeing the beauty of the whole is demeaning to the diamond. If the hearers of the gospel do not see the glory of Christ, the image of God, in all the events and gifts of the gospel, they do not see what finally makes the gospel good news. If you embrace everything that I have mentioned in this chapter about the facets of the gospel, but do it in a way that does not make the glory of God in Christ your supreme treasure, then you have not embraced the gospel."

Well that final statement is a very telling one. Is the Gospel serving my selfish intentions, or am I embracing God as the ultimate gift of the Gospel? I don't have an absolutely positive answer right now. Lord willing as I learn more and more to pick up my cross and follow Christ, the gospel will be as it should be in my life.