Ultimately, in the deepest sense, for Paul “our good works” are not ours, but God’s. They are his work begun and continuing in us, his being “at work in us, both to will and to do what please him” (Phil. 2:13). That is why, without any tension, a faith that rests in God the Savior is a faith that is restless to do his will.Richard Gaffin from By Faith, Not By Sight
In 1 Corinthians 4:7 Paul puts to the church those searching rhetorical questions, “Who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (NIV). These questions, we should be sure, have the same answer for sanctification as for justification, for our good works as well as for our faith. Both, faith and good works, are God’s gift, his work in us. The deepest motive for our sanctification, for holy living and good works, is not our psychology, not how I “feel” about God and Jesus. Nor is it even our faith. Rather, that profoundest of motives is the resurrection power of Christ, the new creation we are and have already been made a part of in Christ by his Spirit.
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Thursday, January 26, 2012
A resting, restless faith...
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Walking Away From God
As someone who loves music and is currently preaching through Hebrews I found the story of David Bazan compelling and sad. Bazan is a singer/songwriter who formerly fronted the Christian indie band Pedro the Lion. This article takes a look at his journey away from faith.
I am wondering what you would say to Bazan if you had the chance to talk to him.
What might the inspired writer of Hebrews say?
* Note, the article to which I link does have a few obscenities.
Friday, May 25, 2007
The Gospel - Part 3: "Still the Power of God"
For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…
Romans 1:16
What a great promise on which the church may cling! When the power of God has been identified with everything from “holy laughter” to big budgets it is good to be reminded of the true locus of God’s power. Think of it: The conversion of sinners, the most extraordinary of miracles, is brought about by the Holy Spirit through the simple means of the Gospel made plain. What is more, proclaiming the Gospel does not require money, social status, priestly vestments, or an impressive resume`. Rather, to proclaim the Gospel we need only to understand what it is and then be willing to go and tell. We can be sure that God’s power is present, whether we feel it or not, whenever the Gospel is faithfully proclaimed in churches, living rooms, and front yards.
Unfortunately, when it comes to evangelism the church has come to rely too heavily on technique and not enough on the simple means that God has prescribed. There are I believe two primary reasons for the ascendancy of technique-driven evangelism. The first reason is a lack of confidence in God’s power to regenerate a lost heart. The second reason why evangelism tends to become technique-driven springs from a mistaken notion that the Gospel needs to be made more palatable if people are going to accept it.
A Crisis of Confidence
In recent years the church seems to have been suffering from an increasing lack of confidence in the Gospel. I fear that all too often God’s own people are not aware of the primary means by which He converts the lost. This then leads to an unhealthy reliance on techniques and a tragic neglect of the very thing God has promised to use to reach unbelievers.
Paul makes very clear in Romans that proclaiming God’s Word is the primary means by which faith is generated in the unbelieving heart: “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ But how are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’…So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (10:13-17). The proclaiming of God’s good news from pulpit, in Sunday school, in small groups, and in one-on-one conversations is God’s design for the conversion of the lost. Why is it then that so many pastors and churches seem to have confidence in almost everything but the clear proclamation of the Gospel?
Of course this trend to rely upon technique is nothing new. In his days as an evangelist during in the 19th century Charles Finney advanced the idea that many “excitements” or “enthusiasms” were needed in order to gain a response from those attending evangelistic meetings. He taught that revival was wholly the work of man and that conversion was not the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit in the human heart but was instead the work of man to change his own ways. Clearly, any theology that so diminishes God’s power in salvation while at the same time exalts man’s power will lead to a technique-driven approach to evangelism. Among the new excitements that Finney pioneered was the altar call which was almost unheard of prior to his time. Don’t misunderstand. I am a strong believer in calling people to respond to the Word of God when it is preached. Indeed, the preaching of God’s Word always demands a response. But it seems that the altar call, along with a host of other traditions and techniques, has been invested with near sacramental powers.
There is no doubt that techniques will often deliver quick and quantifiable results. But what is the fruit of such work? In or own denomination the statistics are not encouraging. Over 50% of Southern Baptist Church members do not attend church with any regularity. For all or our success in getting people to pray a prayer or walk an aisle we have not fared as well in seeing genuine converts to Christ.
Making the Gospel palatable
The second reason for the ascendancy of technique-driven evangelism arises from the conviction that the only barrier between a lost person and salvation is the church’s ability to make the Gospel attractive. However, Scripture tells us that the message of the Gospel will be downright offensive to many. Paul makes it clear that for some the Gospel is sweet while for others it is thoroughly unpleasant. Speaking of those who are privileged to proclaim the Gospel Paul writes, “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life” (II Cor 2:15-16). Also, we know that the apostles were routinely driven out of towns, arrested, beaten, and eventually killed because of the message they preached.
The message the apostles preached was the matter of “first importance” that Christ died, was buried, and rose again to save sinners (I Cor 15:3-4). Mankind will not come to know Christ through intuition or effort. In his own wisdom man will always wander away from the knowledge of Christ. “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (I Cor 1:21-24).
Preaching is folly. After all, aren’t there more relevant methods available to the church today? I recently read an article about a new church where the pastor never preaches but rather produces dramas each Sunday. Their reasoning is that no one wants to listen to preaching anymore. But this has always been the case. God’s means will never make sense to our world. To make matters worse, the message we are called to proclaim is either foolish or offensive depending on who is listening. It is true that we must not allow our own foolishness to interfere with our message. But the only way to make the Gospel palatable to the world is to remove the cross.
Over one hundred years ago J.C. Ryle wrote with characteristic clarity:
The Gospel in fact is a most curiously and delicately compounded medicine, and is a medicine that is very easily spoiled. You may spoil the Gospel by substitution. You have only to withdraw from the eye of the sinner the grand object which the Bible proposes to Faith, - Jesus Christ; and to substitute another object in His place,…and the mischief is done…
You may spoil the Gospel by addition. You only have to add to Christ, the grand object of faith, some other objects as equally worthy of honor, and the mischief is done…
You may spoil the Gospel by disproportion. You only have to attach an exaggerated importance to the secondary things of Christianity, and a diminished importance to the first things, and the mischief is done. Once alter the proportion of the part of the truth, and truth soon becomes downright error…
The Gospel is still God’s power for the salvation of all those who believe. Faith still comes from hearing the word of Christ declared. God’s gospel will always be the effective means by which Christians are birthed and upon which churches are built.
Romans 1:16
What a great promise on which the church may cling! When the power of God has been identified with everything from “holy laughter” to big budgets it is good to be reminded of the true locus of God’s power. Think of it: The conversion of sinners, the most extraordinary of miracles, is brought about by the Holy Spirit through the simple means of the Gospel made plain. What is more, proclaiming the Gospel does not require money, social status, priestly vestments, or an impressive resume`. Rather, to proclaim the Gospel we need only to understand what it is and then be willing to go and tell. We can be sure that God’s power is present, whether we feel it or not, whenever the Gospel is faithfully proclaimed in churches, living rooms, and front yards.
Unfortunately, when it comes to evangelism the church has come to rely too heavily on technique and not enough on the simple means that God has prescribed. There are I believe two primary reasons for the ascendancy of technique-driven evangelism. The first reason is a lack of confidence in God’s power to regenerate a lost heart. The second reason why evangelism tends to become technique-driven springs from a mistaken notion that the Gospel needs to be made more palatable if people are going to accept it.
A Crisis of Confidence
In recent years the church seems to have been suffering from an increasing lack of confidence in the Gospel. I fear that all too often God’s own people are not aware of the primary means by which He converts the lost. This then leads to an unhealthy reliance on techniques and a tragic neglect of the very thing God has promised to use to reach unbelievers.
Paul makes very clear in Romans that proclaiming God’s Word is the primary means by which faith is generated in the unbelieving heart: “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ But how are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’…So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (10:13-17). The proclaiming of God’s good news from pulpit, in Sunday school, in small groups, and in one-on-one conversations is God’s design for the conversion of the lost. Why is it then that so many pastors and churches seem to have confidence in almost everything but the clear proclamation of the Gospel?
Of course this trend to rely upon technique is nothing new. In his days as an evangelist during in the 19th century Charles Finney advanced the idea that many “excitements” or “enthusiasms” were needed in order to gain a response from those attending evangelistic meetings. He taught that revival was wholly the work of man and that conversion was not the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit in the human heart but was instead the work of man to change his own ways. Clearly, any theology that so diminishes God’s power in salvation while at the same time exalts man’s power will lead to a technique-driven approach to evangelism. Among the new excitements that Finney pioneered was the altar call which was almost unheard of prior to his time. Don’t misunderstand. I am a strong believer in calling people to respond to the Word of God when it is preached. Indeed, the preaching of God’s Word always demands a response. But it seems that the altar call, along with a host of other traditions and techniques, has been invested with near sacramental powers.
There is no doubt that techniques will often deliver quick and quantifiable results. But what is the fruit of such work? In or own denomination the statistics are not encouraging. Over 50% of Southern Baptist Church members do not attend church with any regularity. For all or our success in getting people to pray a prayer or walk an aisle we have not fared as well in seeing genuine converts to Christ.
Making the Gospel palatable
The second reason for the ascendancy of technique-driven evangelism arises from the conviction that the only barrier between a lost person and salvation is the church’s ability to make the Gospel attractive. However, Scripture tells us that the message of the Gospel will be downright offensive to many. Paul makes it clear that for some the Gospel is sweet while for others it is thoroughly unpleasant. Speaking of those who are privileged to proclaim the Gospel Paul writes, “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life” (II Cor 2:15-16). Also, we know that the apostles were routinely driven out of towns, arrested, beaten, and eventually killed because of the message they preached.
The message the apostles preached was the matter of “first importance” that Christ died, was buried, and rose again to save sinners (I Cor 15:3-4). Mankind will not come to know Christ through intuition or effort. In his own wisdom man will always wander away from the knowledge of Christ. “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (I Cor 1:21-24).
Preaching is folly. After all, aren’t there more relevant methods available to the church today? I recently read an article about a new church where the pastor never preaches but rather produces dramas each Sunday. Their reasoning is that no one wants to listen to preaching anymore. But this has always been the case. God’s means will never make sense to our world. To make matters worse, the message we are called to proclaim is either foolish or offensive depending on who is listening. It is true that we must not allow our own foolishness to interfere with our message. But the only way to make the Gospel palatable to the world is to remove the cross.
Over one hundred years ago J.C. Ryle wrote with characteristic clarity:
The Gospel in fact is a most curiously and delicately compounded medicine, and is a medicine that is very easily spoiled. You may spoil the Gospel by substitution. You have only to withdraw from the eye of the sinner the grand object which the Bible proposes to Faith, - Jesus Christ; and to substitute another object in His place,…and the mischief is done…
You may spoil the Gospel by addition. You only have to add to Christ, the grand object of faith, some other objects as equally worthy of honor, and the mischief is done…
You may spoil the Gospel by disproportion. You only have to attach an exaggerated importance to the secondary things of Christianity, and a diminished importance to the first things, and the mischief is done. Once alter the proportion of the part of the truth, and truth soon becomes downright error…
The Gospel is still God’s power for the salvation of all those who believe. Faith still comes from hearing the word of Christ declared. God’s gospel will always be the effective means by which Christians are birthed and upon which churches are built.
The Gospel - Part 5: "Getting the Gospel Right"
As early as His covenant with Abraham God promised to save people from every “language, tribe, people, and nation” (Gen 12:1-3; Rev 5:9-10). God has promised this and it will happen! What a wonderful source of encouragement for the church to know that her evangelistic efforts at home and around the world will ultimately not be in vain. Indeed, the church, obeying the great commission of her Lord and empowered with the message of the Gospel is God’s means to bring salvation to every corner of the world.
Scripture tells us in Romans1:16 that the Gospel is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” Later Paul explains the logic of conversion: “But how will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?...As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” In I Corinthians we are told that “it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe” (1:21). This “folly” that Paul refers to is the message of the cross or the Gospel. “We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (I:23-24).
How important it is then that we get the Gospel right. This message of the cross needs no gimmicks to help make up for its shortcomings for it has none. It must not be hidden or otherwise discarded for more “relevant” messages. If we do not hold forth the Gospel in our preaching and personal witness then we are robbing both of their only power. The following outline will help us make sure we are getting the Gospel right.
I. God
All faithful evangelism should start with God. He is, after all, the author of salvation. Salvation is not accomplished as a joint effort or partnership between God and man whereby each does his fair share. Salvation is entirely of God. “Salvation belongs to the Lord” (Ps 3:8). “On God rests my salvation” (Ps 62:7). “Salvation belongs to our God…” (Rev 7:10). “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God…”(Eph 2:8ff). “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy” (Rom 9:16).
So if salvation, and thereby evangelism, begins with God, what do we need to say about God? After all, there is no way we can tell a person everything there is to know about God when we ourselves have not even begun to know all there is to know about God. Graciously, however, God has made clear to us in Scripture those things about his character that we need to know. In his proclamation to the Athenians Paul is a model for how to introduce God to a people who do not know Him. In his message recorded in Acts 17:22-34 Paul highlights God as Creator, self-sufficient, sovereign, providential, omnipresent, righteous, Judge, and Savior. Granted, this is not the only model for how to introduce people to God. But it does fly in the face of the many one-dimensional models of God’s character that are often presented in our post-Christian culture. I have heard well-known evangelical leaders present God to unbelievers simply as One “who wants to be your forever friend.” We must do better than that. We owe it to the many people who still need to hear about the “unknown God.”
II. Man (Rom 1:18-3:20)
We all begin life with a problem. We are sinners by nature and as a consequence by choice. In other words we sin because we are sinners. As a result of this we distort the truth of God because it is the truth which spotlights our sin and reveals our guilt. Outside of Christ we are not neutral in our feelings toward God. Rather we are born runners seeking to avoid the God whose holiness exposes our corrupt hearts. So like our first parents we busily weave together the fig leaves of our own righteousness to cover over our guilt. We conclude that either our sin is not that bad or God is not all that holy. This is how sinful man suppresses the truth of God (Rom 1:18).
Much of modern evangelicalism (an almost meaningless term these days) seeks to avoid the bad news of man’s sinfulness. The pastor of America’s largest church recently told Larry King that he never uses the words “sin” or “sinner” because those are negative words. He explained that at his church they want to “lift people up not tear them down.” It makes perfect sense in the wisdom of man. After all who wants to be told that they are enemies of God? (Rom 5:10; Eph 2; Col 1:21). But it is vanity to believe that somehow we can present the Gospel in such a way as to make it inoffensive to sinners (I Cor 1:18ff). The Gospel must offend before it saves. It must confront our sin before it applies the sweet healing of Christ’s atoning work.
III. Cross (Rom 3:21-26)
If the final word in the story was our sin then we would truly have no hope for a holy God cannot have fellowship with an unredeemed sinner. From the time man sinned his fellowship with God was broken. He no longer had direct communion with God as he did in the garden. At that point in the history of redemption the great question in the universe became “How can God dwell among His people?” But God in His mercy began to call forth mediators or go-betweens that would make it possible for Him to still interact with His people without compromising his holiness or justice. All of those mediators from Moses and the prophets to the high priests and the sacrificial system itself were merely shadows pointing to the ultimate Mediator between God and man: Jesus Christ (I Tim 2:5-6; Hebrews).
On the cross Jesus would become the ultimate paschal lamb. His atoning work which satisfied the holiness and justice of God led to the final Passover. Jesus’ blood was a better covenant than that which had been made with the people of God during the days of Abraham and Moses. On the cross God was able to be uncompromising in his holiness in that sin was indeed punished. If God had left the sins of his people unpunished then he would not have been just and therefore less than God. What is more, on the cross God was uncompromising in His love. This is seen in the fact that it was not you and I hanging upon the cross of God’s wrath. The only begotten Son of God paid the price of our sin so that we could live with Him in eternally blessed fellowship (John 3:16).
IV. Response
There are two essential components to a saving response to the Gospel: repentance and faith. Repentance is a determination to turn away from sin in response to a Holy Spirit wrought conviction. Repentance is what happens in a sinner’s heart and mind when he becomes aware of his guilt before a holy God and grieves appropriately. Jesus and John the Baptist routinely called people to repent from their sins. At Pentecost the people cried out, “What must we do to be saved?” not because Peter had told them “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” Peter, by today’s standards was quite rude and thoroughly non-user-friendly. He pointed squarely in their direction and held them accountable for the death of Jesus which happened “according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:14-36). In response the people were “cut to the heart” (Acts 17:37). Even to the pagan men of Athens Paul does not shrink from calling them to repentance (Acts 17:30). There simply is no salvation apart from repentance. This is why it is a lethal error to fail to call attention to sin. From what will a sinner repent if he has yet to acknowledge and grieve over his sin? How can he look to a Savior if he has yet to know he needs saving?
The second essential part of a saving response to the Gospel is faith. This is part of the miracle of the Gospel. We are not saved by works. We are saved by God’s grace alone through the means of our faith alone (Eph 2:8-10). God never calls us to come and work for our salvation. God has done all the work through the life and death of His own Son. The Gospel is good news precisely because it is finished. Having completed all the work of salvation the Son is now seated in Heaven at the right hand of the Father in heaven signifying the completion of the work of new creation. With the work of salvation having been completed it is now left to us to believe upon the only One who can save (Jn 3:16; 8:24, 20:31; Acts 16:31; Rom 3:22, 26; 10:9-10).
If you will remember this structure of God, Man, Cross, Response and the substance behind each point you will be ready to share the Gospel faithfully. May we all be ready to proclaim the news that truly is good; the Gospel of God’s great salvation.
Recommended Rresources:
· Tell the Truth by Will Metzger. Maybe the best book on evangelism I have read.
· Operation World by Patrick Johnstone. A comprehensive guide to the world’s people groups and how to pray for their evangelistic needs. Essential reading!
· Cross Words by Paul Wells. An important new book on the biblical doctrine of the atonement with particular emphasis on Christ’s role as our sin-bearing substitute.
· Two Ways to Live. This is a great evangelistic track that will help you share the Gospel in a faithful, God-centered way. They can be ordered from http://www.mathiasmedia.com.au/.
Scripture tells us in Romans1:16 that the Gospel is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” Later Paul explains the logic of conversion: “But how will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?...As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” In I Corinthians we are told that “it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe” (1:21). This “folly” that Paul refers to is the message of the cross or the Gospel. “We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (I:23-24).
How important it is then that we get the Gospel right. This message of the cross needs no gimmicks to help make up for its shortcomings for it has none. It must not be hidden or otherwise discarded for more “relevant” messages. If we do not hold forth the Gospel in our preaching and personal witness then we are robbing both of their only power. The following outline will help us make sure we are getting the Gospel right.
I. God
All faithful evangelism should start with God. He is, after all, the author of salvation. Salvation is not accomplished as a joint effort or partnership between God and man whereby each does his fair share. Salvation is entirely of God. “Salvation belongs to the Lord” (Ps 3:8). “On God rests my salvation” (Ps 62:7). “Salvation belongs to our God…” (Rev 7:10). “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God…”(Eph 2:8ff). “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy” (Rom 9:16).
So if salvation, and thereby evangelism, begins with God, what do we need to say about God? After all, there is no way we can tell a person everything there is to know about God when we ourselves have not even begun to know all there is to know about God. Graciously, however, God has made clear to us in Scripture those things about his character that we need to know. In his proclamation to the Athenians Paul is a model for how to introduce God to a people who do not know Him. In his message recorded in Acts 17:22-34 Paul highlights God as Creator, self-sufficient, sovereign, providential, omnipresent, righteous, Judge, and Savior. Granted, this is not the only model for how to introduce people to God. But it does fly in the face of the many one-dimensional models of God’s character that are often presented in our post-Christian culture. I have heard well-known evangelical leaders present God to unbelievers simply as One “who wants to be your forever friend.” We must do better than that. We owe it to the many people who still need to hear about the “unknown God.”
II. Man (Rom 1:18-3:20)
We all begin life with a problem. We are sinners by nature and as a consequence by choice. In other words we sin because we are sinners. As a result of this we distort the truth of God because it is the truth which spotlights our sin and reveals our guilt. Outside of Christ we are not neutral in our feelings toward God. Rather we are born runners seeking to avoid the God whose holiness exposes our corrupt hearts. So like our first parents we busily weave together the fig leaves of our own righteousness to cover over our guilt. We conclude that either our sin is not that bad or God is not all that holy. This is how sinful man suppresses the truth of God (Rom 1:18).
Much of modern evangelicalism (an almost meaningless term these days) seeks to avoid the bad news of man’s sinfulness. The pastor of America’s largest church recently told Larry King that he never uses the words “sin” or “sinner” because those are negative words. He explained that at his church they want to “lift people up not tear them down.” It makes perfect sense in the wisdom of man. After all who wants to be told that they are enemies of God? (Rom 5:10; Eph 2; Col 1:21). But it is vanity to believe that somehow we can present the Gospel in such a way as to make it inoffensive to sinners (I Cor 1:18ff). The Gospel must offend before it saves. It must confront our sin before it applies the sweet healing of Christ’s atoning work.
III. Cross (Rom 3:21-26)
If the final word in the story was our sin then we would truly have no hope for a holy God cannot have fellowship with an unredeemed sinner. From the time man sinned his fellowship with God was broken. He no longer had direct communion with God as he did in the garden. At that point in the history of redemption the great question in the universe became “How can God dwell among His people?” But God in His mercy began to call forth mediators or go-betweens that would make it possible for Him to still interact with His people without compromising his holiness or justice. All of those mediators from Moses and the prophets to the high priests and the sacrificial system itself were merely shadows pointing to the ultimate Mediator between God and man: Jesus Christ (I Tim 2:5-6; Hebrews).
On the cross Jesus would become the ultimate paschal lamb. His atoning work which satisfied the holiness and justice of God led to the final Passover. Jesus’ blood was a better covenant than that which had been made with the people of God during the days of Abraham and Moses. On the cross God was able to be uncompromising in his holiness in that sin was indeed punished. If God had left the sins of his people unpunished then he would not have been just and therefore less than God. What is more, on the cross God was uncompromising in His love. This is seen in the fact that it was not you and I hanging upon the cross of God’s wrath. The only begotten Son of God paid the price of our sin so that we could live with Him in eternally blessed fellowship (John 3:16).
IV. Response
There are two essential components to a saving response to the Gospel: repentance and faith. Repentance is a determination to turn away from sin in response to a Holy Spirit wrought conviction. Repentance is what happens in a sinner’s heart and mind when he becomes aware of his guilt before a holy God and grieves appropriately. Jesus and John the Baptist routinely called people to repent from their sins. At Pentecost the people cried out, “What must we do to be saved?” not because Peter had told them “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” Peter, by today’s standards was quite rude and thoroughly non-user-friendly. He pointed squarely in their direction and held them accountable for the death of Jesus which happened “according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:14-36). In response the people were “cut to the heart” (Acts 17:37). Even to the pagan men of Athens Paul does not shrink from calling them to repentance (Acts 17:30). There simply is no salvation apart from repentance. This is why it is a lethal error to fail to call attention to sin. From what will a sinner repent if he has yet to acknowledge and grieve over his sin? How can he look to a Savior if he has yet to know he needs saving?
The second essential part of a saving response to the Gospel is faith. This is part of the miracle of the Gospel. We are not saved by works. We are saved by God’s grace alone through the means of our faith alone (Eph 2:8-10). God never calls us to come and work for our salvation. God has done all the work through the life and death of His own Son. The Gospel is good news precisely because it is finished. Having completed all the work of salvation the Son is now seated in Heaven at the right hand of the Father in heaven signifying the completion of the work of new creation. With the work of salvation having been completed it is now left to us to believe upon the only One who can save (Jn 3:16; 8:24, 20:31; Acts 16:31; Rom 3:22, 26; 10:9-10).
If you will remember this structure of God, Man, Cross, Response and the substance behind each point you will be ready to share the Gospel faithfully. May we all be ready to proclaim the news that truly is good; the Gospel of God’s great salvation.
Recommended Rresources:
· Tell the Truth by Will Metzger. Maybe the best book on evangelism I have read.
· Operation World by Patrick Johnstone. A comprehensive guide to the world’s people groups and how to pray for their evangelistic needs. Essential reading!
· Cross Words by Paul Wells. An important new book on the biblical doctrine of the atonement with particular emphasis on Christ’s role as our sin-bearing substitute.
· Two Ways to Live. This is a great evangelistic track that will help you share the Gospel in a faithful, God-centered way. They can be ordered from http://www.mathiasmedia.com.au/.
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