Sunday, July 29, 2007

God is the gospel

John Piper is a spiritual hero. But, he's like eating a delicious fish dinner. You have to pick out a few bones once in a while in order to enjoy the taste. I am picking my way through God is the Gospel--a weighty read in only 175 pages. Bottom line: The "good news" of the Gospel isn't salvation. It isn't life transformation. It isn't even eternity.

**Gulp**

The good news is God Himself. I cannot confuse the gifts God gives that are intended to magnify Himself and cause me to discover the all-surpassing beauty of God...for God Himself. The Gospel message is that God enables us to savor and be satisfied in Him. 'nuff said.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

this is just a test to see how to post a comment, so that i can explain to others how to leave a comment, should they desire to do so, and not know how to do it.

Anonymous said...

Dr. Daniels,

I appreciate your blog and look forward to interacting in this manner, since I can't do it in person any more.

Although I've had a hard time filling the shoes of the Pastor who preceeded me, yesterday I preached the same idea espoused by Piper.

Philippians 3 speaks about the prize of the Christian life, and Paul speaks emphatically about the prize being a person. This is contrary to contemporary converstations by Christians. When I ask them, "What is God doing in your life?" I get a response about how God is affecting their circumstances.

This is similar to asking some one "How's your marriage?" and they reply by saying "Well our oldest is going to college." or "We are thinking of buying a car."

It is startling to me to discover how infrequently people refer to the value added to their life solely because of Christ, independent of their circumstances.

In short, the gospel can be reduced to God being a cosmic sugar-daddy or heavenly bell-hop at our beck and call.

Great post brother! I look forward to interacting more.

Brett

Leilanni said...

So I just saw the e-mail you sent about starting a blog - yay!

As for the idea of loving and appreciating God for WHO he is rather than WHAT He can do, has done, or will do is something I'm just starting to learn I think. (In my April archives check out "A Struggle" to see what I mean)

Thanks for the reminder to just rest in Him and love Him :-) And thanks for opening yourself up here in blogland!

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful thought! Just know that God is...it's not about what He can do for us...just that He is....WOW!

I think I'm going to enjoy blogging...What a great way to be spiritually fed everyday. :)

Anonymous said...

I'm a Piper fan too. Some of my family up in MN attend his church. We always have interesting discussions when I visit. :)

Coincidentally, in preparing to lead this past Sunday's lesson in CG, I thought of Piper who firmly holds to a post-trib view. PBC in contrast believes pre-trib rapture. That is a source of our mutual encouragement to in turn encourage each other: to know we've already suffered God's wrath through Christ and are not appointed to suffer it again (Praise God!).

I used to become highly frustrated when I read of well respected theologians disagreeing. But now I find encouragement to know that God uses such disagreements over "non-essential doctrines" to reach to me personally. When I hear something that doesn't sound quite right, it sends me into God's Word and prayer. As a result, I grow. Oh how I love our great God that makes use of our differences!

Anonymous said...

I love this! It makes me realize to focus in on HIM because in the end, the only "good name" that matters is not how men feel about me/us (Christians), but how GOD feels about us. The ultimate slander came on the cross. "Let God deliver him now, if He desires him" (Matt. 27:43). IF? There is no question! "This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased" Matt. 3a:17. This is the only good name that matters in the end...This is TRUE riches...This is the glory of Christ! Truth is all that will matter. Not money or man's opinion. May the polestar of our's and the political leaders in our government be fixed on Jesus Christ and what HE thinks...HIs opinion. (some of this from "Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ") "HE increase, we decrease." Jn. 3:30
Thank you Dr. Daniels! (by the way...congratualations on getting your Doctorate!plus doing all you do!)