Remembering the gospel

[Skeuos Eleos]

After a long absence I'm back! Get your knives sharpened ready! (Ok, just kidding! )

I have a strong passion for a recovery of a right use of the gospel in the sanctification of believers. For many modern-day Christians the gospel seems to be only the milk, something you believe initially to 'get in', but then after that you move on to something else - supposedly the 'meat'. But it is my contention that the gospel is both milk and meat! (more accurately I mean of course that the gospel points us believers to our daily sustenance - the Lord Jesus Christ). What say you folks here? Do you share this view? Does this mean anything to you? Or maybe you haven't a clue what nonsense I'm talking about?!?

Here are a few brief snippets from Calvin for starters (emphases mine):

The ministry of reconciliation.
Here we have an illustrious designation of the gospel, as being an embassy for reconciling men to God. It is also a singular dignity of ministers — that they are sent to us by God with this commission, so as to be messengers, and in a manner sureties. This, however, is not said so much for the purpose of commending ministers, as with a view to the consolation of the pious, that as often as they hear the gospel, they may know that God treats with them, and, as it were, stipulates with them as to a return to his grace. Than this blessing what could be more desirable? Let us therefore bear in mind, that this is the main design of the gospel — that whereas we are by nature children of wrath, (Ephesians 2:3,) we may, by the breaking up of the quarrel between God and us, be received by him into favor.
Calvin, Comment on 2 Cor 5:18

Therefore he that hath the Son, hath the Father also. For Paul has made use of this expression with this view — that we may learn to be satisfied with Christ alone, because in him we find also God the Father, as he truly communicates himself to us by him. Hence the expression is equivalent to this — “Whereas God had withdrawn to a distance from us, he has drawn near to us in Christ, and thus Christ has become to us the true Emmanuel, and his coming is God’s drawing near to men.”
…
Hence the ministers of the Gospel restore us to the favor of God in a right and orderly manner, when they bear testimony to us by means of the Gospel as to the favor of God having been procured for us. Let this testimony be removed, and nothing remains but mere imposture.
Beware, then, of placing even the smallest drop of your confidence on any thing apart from the Gospel.
Calvin, Comment on 2 Cor 5:19

Be reconciled. It is to be observed, that Paul is here addressing himself to believers. He declares, that he brings to them every day this embassy. Christ therefore, did not suffer, merely that he might once expiate our sins, nor was the gospel appointed merely with a view to the pardon of those sins which we committed previously to baptism, but that, as we daily sin, so we might, also, by a daily remission, be received by God into his favor. For this is a continued embassy, which must be assiduously sounded forth in the Church, till the end of the world; and the gospel cannot be preached, unless remission of sins is promised.
Calvin, Comment on 2 Cor 5:20

If what he says is right (and if not, why not?), what practical implications should this have for us? In what ways can believers shift the "smallest drop of (their) confidence on anything apart from the gospel"? In what ways can believers seek to be satisfied in anything/anyone other than in Christ alone?

Note that I am only a beginner in all this but have been encouraged greatly by what I have learnt and hence I desire both to share and to learn.

Comments?

Grace and peace,
Martin

[lionovjudah]

I will vote for option 3, I have no clue what you are talking about and where you want to go with this!!!

[wildboar]

skeuos:

I think you are absolutely right. Much of the preaching in the US that we hear on the radio is moralstic. The assumption is that the Gospel is primarily for unbelievers and so now all believers need to hear is exhortations to holy living. This seems to be the most popular approach among Reformed, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Wesleyan churches as well. If you go to some Baptist churches or purpose-driven churches as well the Gospel is still viewed primarily as for the lost and then they turn the Gospel into a law. They see the Gospel in basically consisting in asking Jesus into your heart. Even if the church has only five people that regularly attend and all are considered believers (I've seen this happen in real life) they continue to preach this same message of how you need to ask Jesus into your heart week after week just in case a visitor might walk in during the service.

Salvation is viewed too narrowly. Conversion is a daily experience and we always need to be assured of our forgiveness of sins and preaching must always be focused upon the cross.

[Highlyfavored]

Welcome back Martin.

[Skeuos Eleos]

Charles,

I have seen this too but I am starting to realise how deep it goes.

When Paul criticised Peter for separating himself from the Galatians he didn't say "Peter, you're being a racist, stop it!", he said that he wasn't living in line with the truth of the gospel, yet the former is all too often what we hear (and, in fact, in effect, what we often tell ourselves). But in doing this we are forgetting the gospel. I think this has radical implications for all of life.

Our whole lives, from within and without, we hear, in effect "be good and you'll get a reward, be bad and you'll have to pay for it!". Though we can see how the gospel answers this yet how easily in our daily walk we can start to think that God relates to us on the basis of our successes and failures, congratulating ourselves when we do well and beating ourselves up when we sin as though God won't wanna talk to us now - forgetting that we are already forgiven, already in union with Him.

Whilst, no doubt, we can all recognise Peter's sin - that of fearing man, and we have all sinned in this in some way - for most believers all they do is just repent of that sin without understanding why they sinned in that way and how the gospel is the only cure. So, for example, when we sin by trying to impress people, we can stop to ask ourselves what is the sin behind the sin? Was I looking for acceptance or affirmation elsewhere than in Christ? What was it I thought was better than sweet fellowship with Him? Why am I seeking acceptance from man when I have been accepted in Christ? etc then we can start to see what we really need to repent of.

Martin

[The Hawker]

Hello Martin,

[quote=Skeuos Eleos;57493]After a long absence I'm back! Get your knives sharpened ready! (Ok, just kidding! )

I have a strong passion for a recovery of a right use of the gospel in the sanctification of believers. For many modern-day Christians the gospel seems to be only the milk, something you believe initially to 'get in', but then after that you move on to something else - supposedly the 'meat'. But it is my contention that the gospel is both milk and meat! (more accurately I mean of course that the gospel points us believers to our daily sustenance - the Lord Jesus Christ). What say you folks here? Do you share this view? Does this mean anything to you? Or maybe you haven't a clue what nonsense I'm talking about?!?

Itis wonderful that you have a strong passion for a recovery of a right use of the gospel in the sanctification of believers. When we get this wrong, we can so very easily place people in bondage. God deliver us from such things.

I can understand what you are saying, but the bible tells us:

2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: (1 Peter 2:2)



When we were babies, we drank milk. We did not eat solid food, because we could not handle it. The same goes with our walk with Christ. He is exhorting us to desire the milk of the Word, that we may grow thereby in consuming the Word of God. After this, we are ready to consume the real meaty parts of Christianity. We will have grown thereby, that we can handle solid food. So from what I read in scripture, the two are distinctly separate.

Here are a few brief snippets from Calvin for starters (emphases mine):

The ministry of reconciliation.
Here we have an illustrious designation of the gospel, as being an embassy for reconciling men to God. It is also a singular dignity of ministers — that they are sent to us by God with this commission, so as to be messengers, and in a manner sureties. This, however, is not said so much for the purpose of commending ministers, as with a view to the consolation of the pious, that as often as they hear the gospel, they may know that God treats with them, and, as it were, stipulates with them as to a return to his grace. Than this blessing what could be more desirable? Let us therefore bear in mind, that this is the main design of the gospel — that whereas we are by nature children of wrath, (Ephesians 2:3,) we may, by the breaking up of the quarrel between God and us, be received by him into favor.
Calvin, Comment on 2 Cor 5:18


Someone said to me the other day that all of us have a relationship with God. It is a case of whether it is reconciled or cut off. Hmm, a different way of looking at things.

At the end of the day Gods' children will be reconciled to Himself, because of HIS will, not ours. (Ephesians 2:8-9). We don't have creature power.


Therefore he that hath the Son, hath the Father also. For Paul has made use of this expression with this view — that we may learn to be satisfied with Christ alone, because in him we find also God the Father, as he truly communicates himself to us by him. Hence the expression is equivalent to this — “Whereas God had withdrawn to a distance from us, he has drawn near to us in Christ, and thus Christ has become to us the true Emmanuel, and his coming is God’s drawing near to men.”
…
Hence the ministers of the Gospel restore us to the favor of God in a right and orderly manner, when they bear testimony to us by means of the Gospel as to the favor of God having been procured for us. Let this testimony be removed, and nothing remains but mere imposture.
Beware, then, of placing even the smallest drop of your confidence on any thing apart from the Gospel.
Calvin, Comment on 2 Cor 5:19

Yes, we must focus all of our attention on the risen Saviour. He is our source of ALL hope!

3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. (Philippians 3:3)


Be reconciled. It is to be observed, that Paul is here addressing himself to believers. He declares, that he brings to them every day this embassy. Christ therefore, did not suffer, merely that he might once expiate our sins, nor was the gospel appointed merely with a view to the pardon of those sins which we committed previously to baptism, but that, as we daily sin, so we might, also, by a daily remission, be received by God into his favor. For this is a continued embassy, which must be assiduously sounded forth in the Church, till the end of the world; and the gospel cannot be preached, unless remission of sins is promised.
Calvin, Comment on 2 Cor 5:20

Yes, without the blood of Christ, there is no remission of sins. We believe in a blood gospel. A gospel that sets us free from the snare of the fowler. We have been bought with a blood-stained price. We are not our own. We belong to Jesus, author and FINISHER of our faith! Hallelujah!!!

If what he says is right (and if not, why not?), what practical implications should this have for us?

We need to trust in Christ for our everything. He has invested His very life in us. Our sufficiency is in Christ. Christ is enough! By the power of the Holy Spirit, we need to walk in the power of the Spirit, that we do not fulfill th elusts of the flesh.

In what ways can believers shift the "smallest drop of (their) confidence on anything apart from the gospel"? In what ways can believers seek to be satisfied in anything/anyone other than in Christ alone?

By not watching and praying, and by having a drought of the Word of God because of letting the world choke the Word out of our lives by being "too busy".

Note that I am only a beginner in all this but have been encouraged greatly by what I have learnt and hence I desire both to share and to learn.

Comments?

Gods's Grace and Blessings to you!!

Grace and peace,
Martin