Friday, March 07, 2008

Gospel Primer, Part 1 of 3

A Gospel Primer for Christians by Milton Vincent

“Over the course of time, preaching the gospel to myself every day has made more of a difference in my life than any other discipline I have ever practiced” (p. 6).

Reasons 1-11 (of 31) to Rehearse the Gospel Daily:

1. The New Testament Model – The Apostle Paul re-preached the gospel to believers.
2. My Daily Need – My sin is so great and the Cross is so outrageous that I must overwhelm myself with daily rehearsings of the gospel.
3. The Power of God – The power of God in its highest density is found inside the gospel.
4. My Daily Protection – The Gospel is the armor of God. That God tells us to “take up” and “put on” this gospel armor alerts me to the fact that I do not automatically come into each day protected by the gospel.
5. Transformed by Glory – I am transformed as I behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
6. A Cure for Distrust – The gospel cures me of my suspicion of God, thereby disposing me to walk more trustingly on the path of obedience to His commands.
7. Sufficiency in the Gospel – The mere fact that God tells me to stay inside the gospel at all times must mean that He intends to supply all of my needs through it.
8. Freedom from Sin’s Power – The gospel slays sin at its root point and thereby nullifies sin’s power over me.
9. Resting in Christ’s Righteousness – The gospel reminds me that my righteous standing with God always holds firm regardless of my personal performance.
10. Enslaved by Christ’s Righteousness – Sanctification is the lifelong process wherein I surrender myself to God’s imputed righteousness and then do whatever this righteousness directs me to do.
11. Loving My Brothers and Sisters – The more I experience the gospel, the more there develops within me a yearning affection for my fellow-Christians.

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