Before Jesus began his earthly ministry, his cousin, John the Baptist, prepared the people for the coming Christ. Luke, in his Gospel, reports that the Baptizer's sermons were anything but user-friendly. He called the crowds a "brood of vipers," and challenged them to do works that confirmed their professed repentance.
These deeds included radical generosity: whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise (Luke 3:10). They included radical honesty: [tax collectors should] collect no more than you are authorized to do (Luke 3:13). They included radical restraint of power and lack of greed: [soldiers should not] extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages (Luke 3:14).
But the Baptizer gets even more radical. He describes Jesus' superior greatness in terms of His baptizing people with the Holy Spirit and with fire. In baptizing people with the Holy Spirit and with fire, Jesus will brandish his winnowing fork, He will clear the threshing floor, He will gather His wheat into His barn, and He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.
No wonder the Baptizer wore burlap and ate bugs. He probably was not given the key to many cities.
But Luke describes John's harshness this way: "with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people" (Luke 3:18).
"Good news"? Seriously?
John's exhortations -- even that Jesus will clear the threshing floor and burn chaff with fire -- point to the more glorious truth that Jesus will gather his wheat into his barn. No doubt. No uncertainty. No question. He will do it. He will save his people.
How do you know whether you are "Jesus' wheat"? Repent, and believe the good news.
Showing posts with label gospel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gospel. Show all posts
Friday, October 8, 2010
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
WHAT IS THE GOSPEL GOOD FOR?
'For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.' Romans 1:16
Presumably we Christians believe that the gospel is powerful for salvation, for bringing men from darkness to light, from condemnation to justification, from enmity with God to reconciliation with him. In essence, for assuring that those who believe in Christ will go to heaven when they die.
Yet in some areas we act as if this is the only thing that the gospel is good for - holy fire insurance - and that it has no other effect before we die.
Certainly it is true that for the gospel to be powerful to change my behavior or my condition, it must first be powerful in bringing me from spiritual death to spiritual life - 'salvation' in its narrowest sense. But then, after powerfully changing my eternal condition, it is powerful for my transformation into the likeness of Christ - 'salvation' in its fullest sense.
When we say, however, that we can't discipline other members of our congregations, or exhort those contemplating divorce to consider other solutions, or challenge men to holiness, or expect better things from those calling themselves 'Christian,' we are saying that the gospel is not powerful. We are saying that though the gospel is powerful to save me from hell, it is impotent to make me a resident of heaven.
In fact, the church has forsaken the transformation power of the gospel in favor of worldly methods. We are saying, in effect, that the the truth cannot, in fact, set us free.
Presumably we Christians believe that the gospel is powerful for salvation, for bringing men from darkness to light, from condemnation to justification, from enmity with God to reconciliation with him. In essence, for assuring that those who believe in Christ will go to heaven when they die.
Yet in some areas we act as if this is the only thing that the gospel is good for - holy fire insurance - and that it has no other effect before we die.
Certainly it is true that for the gospel to be powerful to change my behavior or my condition, it must first be powerful in bringing me from spiritual death to spiritual life - 'salvation' in its narrowest sense. But then, after powerfully changing my eternal condition, it is powerful for my transformation into the likeness of Christ - 'salvation' in its fullest sense.
When we say, however, that we can't discipline other members of our congregations, or exhort those contemplating divorce to consider other solutions, or challenge men to holiness, or expect better things from those calling themselves 'Christian,' we are saying that the gospel is not powerful. We are saying that though the gospel is powerful to save me from hell, it is impotent to make me a resident of heaven.
In fact, the church has forsaken the transformation power of the gospel in favor of worldly methods. We are saying, in effect, that the the truth cannot, in fact, set us free.
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