Our Glorious Shout of Triumph - Justification by Faith

"Just, and the justifier of him which believeth."—Romans 3:26.

BEING justified by faith, we have peace with God. Conscience accuses no longer. Judgment now decides for the sinner instead of against him. Memory looks back upon past sins, with deep sorrow for the sin, but yet with no dread of any penalty to come; for Christ has paid the debt of His people to the last jot and tittle, and received the divine receipt; and unless God can be so unjust as to demand double payment for one debt, no soul for whom Jesus died as a substitute can ever be cast into hell. It seems to be one of the very principles of our enlightened nature to believe that God is just; we feel that it must be so, and this gives us our terror at first; but is it not marvellous that this very same belief that God is just, becomes afterwards the pillar of our confidence and peace! If God be just, I, a sinner, alone and without a substitute, must be punished; but Jesus stands in my stead and is punished for me; and now, if God be just, I, a sinner, standing in Christ, can never be punished. God must change His nature before one soul, for whom Jesus was a substitute, can ever by any possibility suffer the lash of the law. Therefore, Jesus having taken the place of the believer—having rendered a full equivalent to divine wrath for all that His people ought to have suffered as the result of sin, the believer can shout with glorious triumph, "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?" Not God, for He hath justified; not Christ, for He hath died, "yea rather hath risen again." My hope lives not because I am not a sinner, but because I am a sinner for whom Christ died; my trust is not that I am holy, but that being unholy, He is my righteousness. My faith rests not upon what I am, or shall be, or feel, or know, but in what Christ is, in what He has done, and in what He is now doing for me. On the lion of justice the fair maid of hope rides like a queen.

Meditation for This Morning by C. H. Spurgeon

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Have You Read the Most Revolutionary "Preface" Ever Written?

I consider Luther's preface the most revolutionary "preface" ever written in the history of Christianity. It was a refreshing and thrilling joy to read again. I encourage you to read it: Martin Luther’s Preface to His Commentary on Galatians

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Beware! Prosperity Gospel 101

This past Sunday, I spoke from Gal. 1:6-12 on the nature and danger of adjusted Gospels. I named a few of the current popular Prosperity Gospel teachers like TD Jakes, Joyce Meyer, and Joel Osteen. I did not name them in order to "bash" them or those who follow them. My genuine concern was to point out that what they are teaching is not the biblical Gospel "once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 1:3). False teaching is dangerous and it is the responsibility of the shepherd to point out what it is and where it is coming from to the church (Matt. 7:15; cp. Act 20:28-30; 2 Pet. 2:1; 1 John 4:1). I had requests from a few folks after the service who shared the same concern and asked for more information. Watch the video I have posted here. John Piper does a great job explaining why this is dangerous teaching. Below are a few articles I would absolutely recommend in order to get a better understanding on what Prosperity Gospel is and what these teachers are teaching:

·         The Prosperity Gospel: Can We Have Whatever We Say?

·         The Teachings of Joyce Meyer - Christian Research Institute

·         Doesn't God Want Us to be Happy?

·         Suffering and a Theology of Glory

·         What Ever Happened to Sin?

·         The False Promise of the Prosperity Gospel: Why I Called Out Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer

Where is the Gospel in the Scripture?

Looking to find "the Gospel" in the Scripture? The following may help:

A.     Look at the Word “Gospel”

1.       The euangellion of the Greek world was “a technical term for ‘news of victory’. The messenger appears, raises his right hand in greeting and calls out with a loud voice: “Caire… nikwmen”. By his appearance it is already known that he brings good news. His face shines, his spear is decked with laurel, his head is crowned, he swings a branch of palms, joy fills the city.”

2.       Noun: used 73x in the Greek NT (cf. Gal. 1:7); in every instance the meaning refers to the finished work of Christ in redemption.

3.       Verb: used 54x in the Greek NT (cf. Gal. 1:8); always in the sense of bringing or proclaiming good news

B.      Look in a Verse ("Nutshell" Form)

1.       In a chapter: 1 Cor. 15

2.       In a verse: in similar fashion to Gal. 1:4-5, it is in “nutshell” form throughout both the Old and New Testaments:

a)      Isa. 53: 5: He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

b)      1 John 4: 10: This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

C.      Look in a Book (like Romans)

1.       As a whole: Paul’s presentation of a systematic theology of the Gospel.

2.       Divisions: chapters 1-5 gospel salvation; 6-8 gospel sanctification; 9-11 gospel-implications for Jews and Greeks; 12-16 gospel-reality in community and in the world

D.     Look in All of Scripture!

1.       The Heart of the Bible: Dave Harvey: “The Gospel is the heart of the Bible. Everything in Scripture is either preparation for the Gospel, presentation of the Gospel, or participation in the Gospel.”

2.       The Purpose of Scripture: Mike Bullmore: “While Scripture itself is not the gospel, all Scripture is related to the gospel, and the gospel is Scripture’s reason for being. The gospel is the Bible’s main and unifying message.” (see Rom. 15:4; cp. 1 Pet. 1:10-12; Gal. 3:21-26)

What happens when we move the Gospel from the center?

What happens when we move the Gospel from the center? In 1996, D.A. Carson authored an insightful chapter entitled "The Biblical Gospel" in the book For Such a Time as This: Perspectives on
Evangelicalism, Past, Present and Future. I encourage you to read the chapter here! In the chapter, he explains what the Gospel is and what threatens our championing of it in our day. He explains what happens when we fall prey to "displacing the primacy of the gospel":

A litany of devices designed to make us more spiritual or mature or productive or emotionally whole threatens to relegate the gospel to irrelevance, or at least to the realm of the boring and the primitive. The gospel may introduce you to the church, as it were, but from that point on assorted counseling techniques and therapy sessions will change your life and make you happy and fruitful. The gospel may help you make some sort of decision for God, but ‘rebirthing’ techniques—in which in silent meditation you imagine Jesus catching you as you are born from your mother’s womb, imagine him hugging you and holding you—will generate a wonderful cathartic experience that will make you feel whole again, especially if you have been abused in the past. The gospel may enable you to be right with God, but if you really want to pursue
spirituality you must find a spiritual director, or practise asceticism, or discipline yourself with journalling, or spend two weeks in silence in a Trappist monastery...

This is a time for Christians to return to the basics, the comprehensive basics, and quietly affirm with Paul, ‘I am not ashamed of the gospel [p. 85] because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith”’ (Romans 1:16–17).

-- D. A. Carson. “The Biblical Gospel.” Pages 84-85 in For Such a Time as This: Perspectives on
Evangelicalism, Past, Present and Future. Edited by Steve Brady and Harold Rowdon.
London: Evangelical Alliance, 1996.

Why must Christians be continually educated in the Gospel? Part 3

Today I conclude my series of posts from Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old-Fashioned Way by J.I. Packer and Gary Parrett with Part 3, letters Q-Z [read Part 1 and Part 2]:

Q— Quickening Though by nature we were dead in our trespasses and sins and were objects of God’s wrath, God quickened us— made us alive with Christ— through his love and grace (Eph. 2: 1– 5). This God did, and still does, as we believe the Gospel, putting our faith in Jesus Christ. Lutheran theology especially emphasizes the notion that the Gospel is God’s quickening word, spoken to us in infinite mercy. We need to hear this word continually for our own sakes and to speak it faithfully to others.
R— Righteousness In the Gospel “a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last” (Rom. 1: 17). Paul’s argument in the letter to the Romans is deep and complex, but we submit that the Gospel reveals God’s righteousness in at least these two ways. First, it is a declaration that God himself is just and righteous, for the Gospel teaches that in Christ our sins have been fully propitiated as a basis for his forgiving of us (Rom. 3: 24– 26; 1 John 1: 9; 2: 2). Then, second, through the Gospel God declares us righteous as we put our faith in Christ Jesus. Thus in the Gospel God demonstrates “his own justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3: 26). It is truly vital beyond words that we faithfully preach and teach this Gospel.
S— Salvation Intricately related to the above is the whole wonder of salvation. Scripture is quite clear that the Gospel “is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Rom. 1: 16). As we have already noted, this is not a truth pertaining only to evangelism. The Gospel saves those who believe, from first to last, through and through. It includes all the wondrous doctrines of our great salvation, including election, regeneration, justification, sanctification, glorification, and much more. For this reason alone, the Gospel must remain central in all the ministries of the church.
T— Theology We saw above that both our doctrines and our manner of living must be in alignment with the Gospel. While errant theological thinking on a variety of issues can lead us to a twisted Gospel it is more to the present point to state that an errant Gospel can unleash a host of heresies. It is worth noting that Satan is a competent theologian with great skill in confusing and misleading with regard to God’s truth. We will explore this all further in the next chapter.
U— Unity A clear Gospel focus in our preaching and teaching has the potential to contribute to the unity of the church. In the latter half of the twentieth century one frequently seen example of this was the evangelistic campaigns of Billy Graham, which typically featured the cooperation of a great diversity of congregations and denominations. At the beginning of this century new movements are afoot for the sake of the Gospel that aim to be both evangelical and ecumenical. We never seem to achieve perfect consensus here because we need to constantly wrestle with variant details of conviction and, of course, with all kinds of intellectual spin-offs of our fallenness. But magnifying the Gospel as our central point of reference can help us keep a variety of lesser concerns in proper perspective (Phil. 1: 18).
V— Vision Keeping our minds focused on the Gospel can help us align our hearts to God’s own heart. We so easily fall into pettiness and needless division when we are not prizing the things God prizes. Jesus endured the cross and its shame because of the joy set before him (Heb. 12: 2), a joy which we take to refer to the fact that through suffering and death he would bring many children to glory (Heb. 2: 10– 18). Paul likewise endured all manner of things for the sake of the Gospel and in the furtherance of its saving ministry (1 Cor. 9: 23; Phil. 1: 12– 13; 2 Tim. 1: 11– 12). A clear vision of the goal imparts great fortitude in struggling toward it and great forbearance in the face of distractions from it.
W— Worship We must continually teach and learn the Gospel because there is simply nothing else that evokes worship and adoration as the Gospel does. A quick survey of the hymnody of the church through the past twenty centuries makes this clear. The best hymns— ancient and contemporary— which have shown themselves to have staying power have always been Gospel-obsessed. God is glorified, Christ is exalted, and the cross and Christ’s atoning work are central. The same is true of the other key elements of Christian worship— our preaching, our confessions, our prayers, our sacraments. Take away the Gospel and Christian worship simply ceases. A sampling from the thousands of Gospel-centered hymns of the church will make the point:

Not the labor of my hands can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone; Thou must save, and Thou alone.
Naked, come to Thee for dress; helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me, Savior, or I die.
Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling;

Further comment, we think, is needless. The Gospel as sung in hymns like this moves us endlessly to wonder and adore.

X— Xenophilia The actual Greek word we have in mind here is philoxenia, which literally means “love of strangers, foreigners, aliens.” Our coinage, if such it be, means exactly the same. 33 In our English New Testaments, philoxenia is rendered as “hospitality” (Rom. 12: 13; 1 Peter 4: 9) and “to show hospitality to strangers” (Heb. 13: 2). Such love of strangers is a required attribute of church leaders (1 Tim. 3: 2). In the final judgment Jesus will either commend or condemn based upon whether or not people have welcomed “the least of these” (and thus welcomed Christ himself; Matt. 25: 35, 43). Jesus is the great model for philoxenia, as is indicated in the Gospel narratives as well as in the whole wonder of his incarnation and passion. Indeed, we were not merely strangers to him; we were God’s enemies when he died for us (Rom. 5: 8). In declaring such love, the Gospel also calls us to imitate it (1 John 4: 10– 11).

Y— Yielding The Gospel must be continually set forth before church members because it is in view of God’s mercy that we are provoked to yield our lives fully to God as living sacrifices (Rom. 6: 13; 12: 1). It is the kindness of God displayed in the Gospel that leads us to repentance (Rom. 2: 4) so that we no longer live for ourselves but for him who died for us and was raised again (2 Cor. 5: 15).

Z— Zeal May God stir both our own hearts and the hearts of those we are called to serve with an authentic zeal for the Gospel, and for the Christ of the Gospel. We have seen how fully this marked Paul’s life. We could certainly say the same of Jesus, whose first public words were a call to repent and believe the Gospel (Mark 1: 15) and whose entire ministry was Gospel. All that Jesus said and did and was, in life and in death, was a display of God’s Good News for humanity. In all the ways we have addressed throughout this chapter and more, may we and our readers never be lacking in zeal but keep our spiritual fervor as we serve the Lord (Rom. 12: 11) in and through this glorious Gospel, the Good News of Christ.

Why must Christians be continually educated in the Gospel? Part 2

I continue my series of posts from Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old-Fashioned Way by J.I. Packer and Gary Parrett with Part 2, letters I-P [read Part 1]:

I— Intimacy Through the Gospel we are invited into a living relationship with the living God. In the love proclaimed at the heart of the Gospel God has adopted us into his family. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called the children of God, and that is what we are” (1 John 3: 1). The Holy Spirit empowers us to believe the Good News and is sent into our hearts, enabling us to cry, “Abba, Father” (Gal. 4: 6). Rehearsing the Gospel in our worship, teaching, preaching, fellowship, and service helps us to nurture and celebrate this unfathomably intimate relationship.
J— Jealousy We learn and teach the Gospel because we are called to be jealous for those we serve. The apostle Paul declared to the Corinthian believers, “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him” (2 Cor. 11: 2). If we think jealousy is unbecoming in the apostle, we should remember that God himself is a jealous God (Exod. 20: 5). True love that is covenant based is properly jealous concerning the parties in that covenant. We must keep the true Gospel before the eyes of those whom we teach and serve so that they will avoid what Paul feared for the Corinthians— that is, that they should “be deceived by the serpent’s cunning” and “somehow be led astray from [a] sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Cor. 11: 3). Deeper acquaintance with the true Gospel will help believers recognize and reject the preaching of “another Jesus” and “a different Gospel” (2 Cor. 11: 4).
K— Knowledge We continually learn the Gospel, even as believers, because the Gospel is the revelation of the knowledge and wisdom of God. Though the message of Christ crucified seems foolish to many in this age, “to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ [is] the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1: 23– 24). The Gospel is “a message of wisdom among the mature” (1 Cor. 2: 6), a message that is “God’s secret wisdom” that has been hidden for ages (1 Cor. 2: 7). But “God has revealed it to us by his Spirit” (1 Cor. 2: 10). “‘ Who has known the mind of the Lord that he would instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2: 16). Would we grow in the knowledge of God’s wisdom? Would we grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ? Then let us remain steadfast in the Gospel.
L— Love The Gospel is the revelation of God’s abounding love: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5: 8). We do well to immerse ourselves and the saints we serve in that Good News. The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, for example, is an ongoing, multisensory reminder of Christ crucified (1 Cor. 11: 26). God’s Gospel love also calls forth love as response. The Lord’s Supper both declares God’s love and demands that we love one another in turn (1 Cor. 11: 27). John, “the beloved apostle,” makes these truths very clear. “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4: 10– 11). And again he writes, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4: 19). Would we see love grow in the hearts of God’s people and reach to their neighbors— both saints and sinners? Then we must school them continuously in the Gospel of love.
M— Mission And why must we continually learn and teach the Gospel? We do so that we may not lose sight of the great work that God is doing in our day. God is actively engaged in the wondrous work of reconciling all things to himself. It was for this that the Son of God came forth. “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself” (2 Cor. 5: 19). And this work continues in and through us, the body of Christ, gathered and dispersed throughout the world today. The very work for which the Father sent the Son, the Son has now sent his church to continue (Matt. 28: 18– 20; John 20: 21). And he promises to be with us always. Being in his presence must be taken as seriously as doing the work of true mission, for mission can only have power and a cutting edge when Christ is indwelling us and we him.
N— Narrative We must ever study the Gospel because it is the apex and summary of the great narrative of God’s redemptive activity in the world. As we saw in chapter 4, it is into this Story that we have been called. In an age when many deny the existence of a single metanarrative that applies to all persons it is more critical than ever that we know the biblical narrative and tell it faithfully to others, asking God to convince hearers as we do so that this is their Story as well.
O— Obedience The Gospel calls forth obedience (Rom. 1: 5) in at least three ways. First, we must obey the Gospel by believing and receiving this Good News (John 6: 29). Second, the faith that saves works itself out in obedient living by God’s empowering grace (Phil. 2: 12– 13). Third, we are to obey Jesus’s command to bring this Gospel to the nations (Matt. 28: 18– 20). In our ministries of teaching and formation these calls to obey the Gospel must be clear and unequivocal.
P— Passion Passion comes from the Latin passio, meaning “suffering.” We celebrate each year the passion of our Lord when we attend to the historic remembrance of Holy Week. Likewise, whenever we partake of the Lord’s Supper together we “proclaim the Lord’s death till he comes.” It is given to us not only to believe in Christ the Suffering Servant but also to suffer for him ourselves (Phil. 1: 29). Paul saw his own suffering for the Gospel and for the building up of the church as an active participation in the afflictions of Christ (Col. 1: 24; Phil. 3: 10– 11). We must be forthright in teaching our congregants, by word and by example, that this is part of our calling as well.

Why must Christians continually be educated in the Gospel?, Part 1

Luther wrote that the Gospel:

"is also the principal article of all Christian doctrine, wherein the knowledge of all godliness consisteth. Most necessary it is, therefore, that we should know this article well, teach it unto others, and beat it into their heads continually." - St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians (Smith, English & Co. 1860), p. 206.

But why do we need it "beat into" our heads continually? I came across this list in Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old-Fashioned Way by J.I. Packer and Gary Parrett. They wanted to answer the question of why Christians need to be continually educated in the Gospel. They expressed their answer in a very creative and helpful way. For us as Christians, the Gospel isthe entire alphabet of the Christian life, the A to Z, rather than just the ABC's of the Christian life. Here is Part 1, or letters A-H:

A— Alignment We must continually teach and learn the Gospel because it is to be the “plumb line” for our doctrine and our living. We are to measure all our teaching to ensure that it is in line with— that is, conformed to— the glorious Gospel of God (1 Tim. 1: 11). If our teaching about God, humanity, sin, salvation, the church, last things, and whatever other doctrines we may teach do not accord with the Gospel then they must be rejected. Likewise, our way of living must conform to the sound doctrines that flow from the Gospel. If, like Peter and Barnabas, we begin to act in ways that are “not in keeping with the truth of the Gospel” (Gal. 2: 14), may God raise up for us a Paul-like brother or sister to confront us and correct us.
B— Belief We must continually teach and learn the Gospel because even Christians struggle to truly believe God’s Good News. The message of the cross is both countercultural and counterintuitive. To the world it is foolishness and weakness. To our flesh it is simply too good to be true. And Satan, the devil— that accuser of the brethren— continually speaks a contradictory word to our hearts. He accuses us before God as surely as he accused Joshua the high priest (Zech. 3: 1). Hearing all this we, with full knowledge of our failings, struggle to believe the truth of the Gospel. To believe it at an appropriately deep level, with an appropriate appreciation of all that it presupposes and implies, is a lifelong task. We must hear it again and again and ask God to seal its truth in our hearts. “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9: 24).
C— Contextualization Paul was determined to “become all things to all people” for the sake of the Gospel (1 Cor. 9: 19– 23). He knew that the Gospel could and should take on different cultural forms in different cultural settings. Yet when we export the Gospel to others, we may be guilty of confusing it with our own cultural trappings. For example, we know that some missionaries have been guilty of imposing their Western cultural forms on those to whom they carried the Gospel. Though this error could be conscious and express cultural imperialism, it is more often unconscious and reflects a lack of discernment about which aspects of our own Christianity are truly Gospel-driven and transcultural, and which are culturally driven and therefore variable. To help us avoid such an error, it is critical that we continually study the heart of the Gospel so that we may better distinguish the treasure we bear from the jars of clay in which we bear it (2 Cor. 4: 7).
D— Depth As we noted earlier, we do not move from the milk of the Gospel to the meat of something else, but from the milk of the Gospel to the meat of the Gospel. Even Paul, concluding his exposition of the Gospel and preparing to move on to its implications for life, closes his argument in awe and wonder: “Oh, the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and his paths beyond tracing out!” (Rom. 11: 33). The wonder of how deep and powerful the Gospel is— especially as it works its way into believing hearts— is well articulated in this Puritan prayer:

BLESSED Lord JESUS,
No human mind could conceive or invent the Gospel.
Acting in eternal grace, thou art both its messenger and its message,
  lived out on earth through infinite compassion,
  applying thy life to insult, injury, death,
  that I might be redeemed, ransomed, freed.
Blessed be thou, O Father, for contriving this way,
Eternal thanks to thee, O Lamb of God, for opening this way,
Praise to thee, O Holy Spirit,
  for applying this way to my heart.
Glorious Trinity, impress the Gospel on my soul,
  until its virtue diffuses through every faculty;
Let it be heard, acknowledged, professed, felt. 

E— Evangelism The Gospel is food for believers. But it is also the only saving medicine for those who have not yet believed. And we are compelled by the love of Christ to declare this Good News to all people. St. Francis of Assisi told his friars not to preach unless they had permission to do so. But, he added, “Let all the brothers, however, preach by their deeds.” Francis’s words have often been paraphrased along these lines: “Preach the Gospel always; use words when necessary.” The fact is that words are necessary, every time. We are always witnesses to the Gospel (Acts 1: 8) and, as witnesses, we shall be called upon to testify. When we are, we must be sure to get the message of the Gospel right for there are many counterfeit “Gospels” in the world.
F— Fidelity Faithfulness to the true Gospel calls for ongoing study and obedience. It calls as well for watchfulness, lest false Gospels be introduced. The battle against counterfeit Gospels has always been part of church life. Even in the first century Paul battled against such, as did Peter and Jude and John. Like Paul we must be resolved that we will tolerate no other “Gospel,” even if it comes from a heavenly angel or springs from our own imperfectly sanctified hearts, and we should expect the same fidelity from those with whom and to whom we minister (Gal. 1: 6– 9). Only a constant learning and reviewing of the Gospel can ensure that we will be astute enough to separate the chaff from the wheat.
G— Grace We need to continually learn and teach the Gospel because Gospel-centricity assures and propels us toward grace-centricity. When we swerve from the Gospel we lapse into either antinomianism30 or legalism. Neither can offer the true beauty or savor of Christ. To be in the presence of individuals or congregations who are not grace-centered is enervating and exasperating. Let us then learn and relearn the glorious Gospel that we may ever stand fast in the true grace of God (1 Peter 5: 12) and may indeed “grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forevermore. Amen” (2 Peter 3: 18).
H— Hope We focus on the Gospel also because it is the source of our hope. In face of the brokenness that fills the world around us and rises up within our own hearts, what hope do we have? Apart from the Gospel we have none. But in the Gospel is a great and steadfast hope, and from this hope spring forth faith and love sufficient for each day (Col. 1: 5). Diminished “Gospels” may promote, on the one hand, easy believism or, on the other hand, may put the burden of salvation back on human shoulders rather than locating and leaving it in the hand of God. These deviations can offer no certain hope. The glorious Gospel is a blessed hope indeed (Titus 2: 13), an anchor for the soul (Heb. 6: 19). Christ in us is the hope of glory (Col. 1: 27). This is the hope held out in the Gospel (Col. 1: 23). With such a hope fixed within our hearts— based upon the certainty that God has made us his children and the confidence that we will be with Christ and like him forever— we long for and labor toward becoming more like him even now (1 John 3: 1– 3).

Twenty-One Life-Altering Reasons Why the Gospel Changes Everything [from Gal. 1:1-5]

Gal. 1:1 Paul, an apostle-- not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead-- 2 and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

The following is a list gave in the opening sermon of a series through Galatians. The aim of this was to show that the Gospel-far wider and deeper than we often consider it is-is the central and most important of the Bible:

1. Paul, an apostle-- not from men nor through man but through Jesus The Gospel means that God has spoken. He has a message for us and has appointed messengers to deliver that message
2. Jesus Christ The Gospel means that the OT finds its meaning and fulfillment in the NT. Jesus Christ is Israel’s Messiah thus fulfilling OT Scripture.
3. Jesus Christ and God the Father The Gospel means that the triune God saves. God has fully revealed His true nature as a Triune being in and through the message of the Gospel.
4. who raised him from the dead The Gospel means that Easter matters. The Resurrection has changed everything.
5. and all the brothers who are with me The Gospel means that the Son has left behind a family.
6. To the churches of Galatia The Gospel means that churches are intentional creations and witnesses to the Gospel in the world.
7. Grace to you and peace from God The Gospel means that we can know real grace and peace from God and we can share it with others.
8. Jesus Christ, who gave himself The Gospel means that Christ willingly and voluntarily came.
9. Jesus Christ, who gave himself The Gospel means that Christmas matters. Christ the God-Man was incarnated. Christ personally showed up.
10. for our sins The Gospel means that on the cross God died for His enemies.
11. for our sins The Gospel means that on the cross God died to satisfy the wrath of God against sin.
12. Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins The Gospel means that Jesus is the second Adam and has established a new humanity.
13. to deliver us The Gospel means that His death was purposeful and planned.
14. to deliver us The Gospel means that our sin had doomed us all and we needed rescue. 
15. to deliver us The Gospel means that we could not save ourselves. What was needed to accomplish our salvation required no contribution on our part (monergistic not synergistic). 
16. to deliver us from the present evil age The Gospel means that God hasn’t changed the world yet, but that change coming.
17. to deliver us from the present evil age The Gospel means that sanctification is the outcome of justification – not the other way around. In other words, He saved us in order to change us. Whereas religion demands you change yourself enough in order to be saved.
18. according to the will of our God The Gospel means that God’s ultimate motivation is found in His will and desires – not ours.
19. our God and Father The Gospel means that God desires a Fatherly relationship with those whom He has saved.
20. to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. The Gospel means that God saved us ultimately to further His own glory – not ours.
21. to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. The Gospel means that worship is the natural and proper response to knowing and experiencing its truth.