Quotes from "God is the Gospel" by John Piper - Part 1

Have you ever had the experience where you thought you understood a thing until something happened that caused clarity to burst on the scene like never before? It's like you were sitting there trying to read by the dim light of the moon in the middle of the night and all of a sudden the sun is at full noon.

Well, that is the experience I've had with just about every John Piper book I've picked up, and God is the Gospel is no exception. I like the book so much, I'd like to post some quotes from it for your edification. The main thrust of the book will come out in the quotes, and the complete book is available to read for free online here and can be downloaded as a pdf. You can of course purchase a hardcopy there as well.

The gospel is the good news of our final and full enjoyment of the glory of God in the face of Christ. That this enjoyment had to be purchased for sinners at the cost of Christ’s life makes his glory shine all the more brightly. And that this enjoyment is a free and unmerited gift makes it shine more brightly still. But the price Jesus paid for the gift and the unmerited freedom of the gift are not the gift. The gift is Christ himself as the glorious image of God—seen and savored with everlasting joy. [John Piper, God is the Gospel, Crossway, 2005; p.14]

More to follow...

Can the "End" Justify the "Means?"

I've had this thought lingering in my head for probably a year now, so it's time to air it out.

If someone were to ask me to define "God," my answer might include this (among other things): "He is the only Being in all of what exists who justifies the means He uses by the end which He designs." In other words, it seems to me that God, in pursuing His own glory and in seeking to make His people happy in Him by making His glory known to them, can do anything He pleases to that end because He is the only wise and Sovereign. He had the Son murdered (God designed the means) and gets glory for it (the means serves the ultimate end). With respect to the cross, He is just (His end - His glorious character being known) and the justifier of the ungodly (the means for obtaining praise was the unthinkable - the ungodly treated by holy God as though godly).

This puts gladness in my heart toward Him! He is so far above me, yet so kind toward me. My means could never be justified by the end they serve - I think the reason for this lies in the fact that I do not know God's hidden will; I only know His revealed will.

How wonderful it is to rest in the arms of the One ruling over the universe, governing exactly what happens to me, suprised by nothing.

I'm Not Perfect - But I Will be Perfected!

I will admit it freely, I'm not perfect. I know - tell me something I didn't know already. Well, maybe I will. Maybe you can relate to this too: I want to be a better person than I am right now. If you don't feel that, maybe you're not looking at yourself very honestly, and just go ask your spouse or co-workers if you could be any better.

This past week, our pastor taught on Philippians 1:3-11. It concerns the change that God brings about in our lives after we begin following Christ ("gospel transformation"). Verse 6 says this, "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." God is the one spoken of as beginning the good work, and the day of Christ Jesus is when Jesus will return to earth in all of His glory, and He will be the ruler of the earth. This verse promises that my Sovereign God, who breathed spiritual life into me and gave me faith (at the same instant by the way) will most certainly complete the work He has already begun in me. I, and all of God's beloved children, will be perfected.

One of the tough parts of gospel transformation for me has been the waiting. I mean, we have to wait for the completion of that transformation at "the day of Christ Jesus." I so wish sometimes that I could simply take off my old man like I take off my coat (Eph 4:22), and that I would then be done with it. In reality, my sinful nature has received the fatal blow through Jesus' crucifixion and my crucifixion with Him, but it will take the rest of my earthly life for my flesh to bleed out.

Reading earlier this week in Galatians I read, "For through the Spirit, by faith we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness." Eagerly is a good way to describe it - I want it somethin' serious! My hope as the beloved of Jesus, is to be in the presence of our great God and Savior, with my glorified/resurrected and sinless body. Ponder that - just try to imagine that - in HIS PRESENCE! I'm talking unhindered experience of HIS PRESENCE. What a day it will be! What joy there will be, what freedom (from sin, shame and guilty feelings, and freedom to worship recklessly) on that day and every one after it. No more hoping, or waiting, only experiencing and wondering at His infinite glory in ever increasing measure!

LORD, we look forward to your kingdom coming!