The Gospel Is The Power of God (Part 1)

I can't stop thinking about that verse in the first chapter of Romans:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16)

The power of God. . . that's what it is that keeps bouncing around in my mind. The Gospel, the Good News, is the power of God. I'm contending with how to put what I'm thinking into words right now, but in midst of my momentary ineptness I do know one thing--if the Gospel really is the power of God (and it is), it changes everything.

Think about it. Better yet, think about God. He is the Creator. Paul tells us in Romans 11:36 that, "from him, through him and to him are all things." When King Nebuchadnezzer came back to his senses and repented he said this:

At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heave and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, "What have you done?" (Daniel 4:34,35)

In the fifteenth chapter of Exodus, Moses asks the question, "Who is like, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?" The Psalmist tells us that, "The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all." When Isaiah say the holiness of God in the temple, he said that he would die simply by being in magnificent presence of God. Indeed, God says to Moses that no one can see His face and live (Ex 33:20) and Paul says that God dwells in light that is approachable (1 Tim 6:16).

That is what God is like, and the Gospel, is His power. This is massive. It's life changing. And, as I thought about it I began to ask myself; how should this be continuing change me? Where should it be changing me right now? That statement by Paul in Romans 1:16 is so gigantic and intrusive to everything that I know that it absolutely, no questions asked, should have a progressive impact in my life. It has to. If God is like Scripture says He is, and the Gospel is His power, it should do something to everything I do (and that you do). 

I'm having these thoughts first, because God is gracious and loving and He is giving me grace, in His Son, to think about and understand a verse that I've read over countless times in a deeper way. Secondly, I'm taking a class right now that's all about the Gospel and preaching the Gospel to yourself and others. It's a great class, a great class. So it's probably fitting that God would use a verse like Romans 1:16 to show me the impact that diurnally preaching Gospel to myself can (and should) have. It is indeed the power of God. 

How is this truth affecting your life?

Creative Liberties

God Did What the Law Could Not . . .

This morning I was confronted again by my legalism and performance bent heart (I'm so glad that, by God's grace, this has become a struggle and has not consumed me. Praise God for the accountability He provides in the fellowship of His Saints.)
Thankfully, I was also confronted by Romans 8:3,4:

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

God has done what the law could not do--fix my issue of being at enmity with God. To put it positively, the law could not make God "smile on me". In doing what the law could not, He has also done what I could not and cannot do! Some would say, "Anthony, this is basic Gospel truth. We know that all of our merit has been earned by Christ and not by our own works." To that I would say, I know! Isn't it great that these "basic" truths are able to confront us in the morning, awaken us to our need for the Gospel and show that if we are in Christ, we are indeed free! Isn't it great to know that I don't owe legalism anything (8:12)
Romans 8:3,4 is Gospel, and it's only the Gospel that will diffuse the pride of performance.
When Paul tells me to set my mind on the things of the Spirit and that by doing so I have life and peace (v.6) he's telling me to set my mind on what the Spirit has opened my eyes to and that which fuels (or should) my passions--the Gospel! It's the same kind of idea that he talks about in Philippians 4:8:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

All of those adjectives are synonyms for the Gospel. God did the Gospel, not me. All I can do, apart from the God's Gospel, is keep striving for right relationship with Him through my own efforts; and I am glad to say, my attempts are futile. Why? Because God did what the law, weakened by my flesh, could not do--He sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin by punishing His perfect Son on the cross so that I might be counted righteous (justified) before His eyes and for His glory. That is confounding (Ezek 16:62-63), it is exciting, and I need to preach that to myself and the pride of legalism and performance and my own life.

A great resource on this topic:

I recently finished A Gospel Primer for Christians by Milton Vincent. It's a short book admonishing and encouraging believers to rehearse the Gospel daily. It's a new book, but it's filled with ancient truth and though the pastor is younger, he writes like "an old dude". I consider it a must read for all Christians.

Every Morning (a poem for my wife)

Sometimes
The hardest part about the morning
Is when I have to shut the door behind me
And make my way to everyday

Sometimes
The hardest thing
Is knowing that I’ll never know
What lies ahead in everyday

I feel my insides twist against the grain

To turn the knob and leave you sleeping,
Is similar to self-effectuated surgery on a fatal wound

That’s why I press my face against your forehead,
Before I pull the door
and we hear the paint pulled off the frame

and sometimes I hold my breath

it’s not like I’ve confidence in my ability
to control the world
so
sometimes
on my way to everyday
i cry convicted tears,
see your face in my mind,
thank our Sheppard for everyday and every morning,
you,
and how He holds us.

Sometimes
the hardest thing is everyday.

That’s why I press my face against your forhead,
Before I pull the door
And leave you sleeping.

Preach the Gospel, Use Words

I had a conversation with a great friend today. All of which stemmed from his thoughts on a book he'd just finished by D.A. Carson called "The Cross and Christian Ministry". We talked a lot about the church and it's doing of "good works", being involved in things like "social justice" and supplying the needs of people in the city. There is no doubt, a need for action against the innumerable forms of injustice in the Philadelphia area; and other cities all over the world. But the question was, where do draw in the sand that says, "We're here not because of the injustice merely, but because the injustice or the poverty or oppression is caused by a greater problem--the problem of sin. If we can't preach and present the Gospel of Christ, then our fight against social injustice is fruitless; in fact, it's no real fight at all. We're swatting at air." 

Eventually, that infamous quote from Saint Francis of Assisi came up: 

Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary use words.

I personally heard this quote a couple years back and intially thought, "hmm...that's an interesting thing to say, kind of catchy." I cataloged it in the back of my mind, inside that little file that I have for "catchy Christian quotes". Then, when I heard it again about a year or so later I began thinking, "Wait. What does that even mean? Biblically, that makes zero sense." Fast forwarding to the conversation with my friend, he thought the same thing. It flies in the face of everything Bible. Wouldn't you say so? Think about it; Matthew records in his gospel that, "From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."(Matt 4:17). There's the Good News, in the flesh, and He's preaching the Gospel. 

In the gospel of Mark 1:38 Jesus says, "Let us go to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for this is why I came out." 

Again, in Luke 4:43, Jesus says, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose." Then, there's the one that rings in my brain like a sharp blow to the head:

How then will they call on him in whom the have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" (Rom 10:14-15)

While the quote by Saint Francis of Assisi is catchy, it flies in the face of the previous passages; not to mention the Great Commission and the basis for the church's "good works". Someone will say, "Yea well, we're supposed to be doing good works. We're supposed to be zealous for good works! The Apostle Paul says that in Titus." Indeed, Paul does say that, but, the entire reason why believers can do and be zealous for good works is because of what has already happened to them to make them believers--The Gospel (Titus 2:11-14). 

So, instead of 'swatting at air' while I hand someone a sandwich on the side of the street, buy someone a meal, volunteer at a shelter for sexually abused and trafficked adolescent girls, help with the cause in Darfur, do missions work in a third world country, or hand out free clothes to needy families on 52nd and Market, I'd rather bring the Gospel with me. Preaching it, working because of it, and praying that those I'm serving will be changed by it. 

(NOTE: In my criticism of this quote by Saint Francis of Assisi, I'm not attacking the man but I'm attempting to speak into the misuse of the quote in society as a "cop out excuse" for not preaching the gospel.)

Cop That.

I noticed several blogs I frequent endorsing a couple things I'd like to take a second to plug myself. They are both a form of the ESV translation of the Bible--this is the translation I use and the one I recommend to others. It's readability and literal faithfulness to the original language are unmatched in my personal opinion. In today's world of innumerable Bible translations, you normally have to forsake one for the other; the ESV harmoniously combines both.

To my delight (and the delight of others I'm sure) the ESV and Crossway books have cranked out more resources that are strictly Bible than I can count (by "strictly Bible" I mean resources that are just Scripture, not a book like J.I. Packer's Knowing God, that's driven by Scripture). 

Two of these resources are the ESV Study Bible, which is, in my opinion, a Bible that has been injected with some sort of steroid, and the Audio ESV Study Bible, which you can access through the ESV Study Bible Online. So actually, that's three resources, not two.

These tools have been a huge blessing to my wife and I, and I am grateful to God for raising up men and women to put in all the hard work and dedication that is required to produce such wonderful tools. I am plugging the ESV Study Bible because, well. . . it's the ESV Study Bible and it's the best Study Bible in the history of Study Bibles. There is more inside the covers of this Bible than I ever expected to see in any Study Bible; sections on Church History, The Bible and Communion with God, Christianity and World Religions, an array of full color pictures and maps, in-depth analytical introductions for every book, a Bible reading plan, etc. 

If you are looking for a great Study Bible, get the ESV Study Bible. There, for what it's worth, to the 'tens and tens' of you who read my blog, there's my plug for the ESV Study Bible.

Secondly, I am pumping the Audio ESV because of the ESV Audio Bible I have currently which is narrated by Max MacLean. Initially, I loved it. I was really just elated to have the Bible in MP3 form. After a while though, I started to grow a little weary of MacLean's dramatic effort and affect (whether it was/is natural or not I don't know). While perusing the ESV's Online Study Bible I say a "Listen" feature, so I clicked on it. Instantly, I took to the narrator's reading and tone. The narrator's name is David Cochran Heath and I am recommending his reading of the ESV for it's calm but emphatic narration. It's greatly aided me in my discipline in studying Scripture and in prayer. There's something about having someone clearly read the Bible to me, without interruption, that truly helps. Plus, it's free. All you have to do is go to esv.org, to the "Read Online" feature and right at the top of the page, next to the title and chapter of the book is "Listen" button. Click on it and listen away. If you're going to buy the ESV Study Bible or any other ESV products, I recommend three places, and in this order: Westminster Bookstore (everything ESV is 30-40% off), Monergism Books (ESV products are usually 40% off), Crossway Books. 

There's my plug. I hope you go out and grab or utilize at least one of these amazing tools. 

time and the leader (something i've mentioned before)

Making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. . .

Ephesians 5:16

There is a very, very, very convicting and helpful chapter on "Time and the Leader" in a book called Spiritual Leadership by J.Oswald Sanders. This is a book I had to read for a class in pursuit of my MTS. Here are some insights on the chapter, some things I need to continue to work on, and that I asked God to help me with.

1. Better planning will make me more effective in all areas of my life. Setting deadlines will keep me from procrastination and help me work towards a goal in a set period of time.

2. Redeeming the time; fighting "leisure" to do what I know I need to and using my time for several things at once (ex. seizing my commute time).

3. How do I deal with tendencies to procrastinate? Right now, I get angry at them, try to do my best to schedule but still manage to succumb to minor distractions--"Leisure is a glorious oppurtunity and a subtle danger" (Sanders, p.93)

"Without a grip on time, the leader works udner unnecessary strain. Even when the leader has done the utmost to fulfill daily obligations, vast areas of work always remain. . .If the leader sincerely plans his day in prayer, then executes the plan with all energy and eagerness, that is enough." - J.Oswald Sanders

why do i find this strangely humorous? (and God's grace comes with "bad" weather)

I live in Philly, I'm watching the news, and it's snowing. This is the Northeast region of the United States and while it's not Illinois or Wisconsin or Minnesota. . . it does snow. This is no surprise (to look out on the ground and see snow) but, as I'm sitting here, watching the news, the snow is the big story. Every time it happens it makes me laugh. Think about it--it's always the same story. 

The anchor man or woman comes on and says, "Big story tonight, it's snowing. . .alot. Let's talk to Gary who's out in the field, Gary."

"Yeah Tom, I'm out here in the middle of Center City and it is indeed snowing. In fact, it's snowing directly on top of me, on my head Tom. It's snowing right on my head. It looks like this storm is going to continue to come down until tomorrow, and when we wake up, they'll be snow on the ground."

"Wow Gary, it is snowing right on your head. Stay warm. More from Gary in a minute; now we'd like to go to Monica who's made her way down the interstate to talk to the men who plow the snow and throw down the salt, Monica."

"Hi Tom, I'm here with Jack who plows the snow. Jack, what do you have to say about tonight's conditions?"

"Well, it's definitely snowing and we're gonna be out all night plowing the snow and throwing down the salt."

"Wow Jack, that's amazing. Now tell us exactly what it is that you and your team will be doing tonight?"

"Well, that man, and that man, and that man are going to get in their trucks and plow the snow and throw down the salt."

"Okay Jack. What do you have to say to the drivers out there and the people who'll be on the road?"

"Drive slow. There'll be snow on the ground and it'll be pretty slippery."

"Monica Stantopolopolus, with Jack, in the snow."

"Okay Monica, thank you. More from the snow later on in the broadcast."

Maybe I'm a cynic but I find this strangely humorous. It's like snow is an out of the ordinary anomaly. However, I do see God's common grace and mercy in the "bad" weather; this is also the murder capital of the U.S., let alone the Northeast and there wasn't a murder reported on the news tonight. Praise God that His sovereign  snow kept a crime "indoors" tonight. And when I wake up tomorrow, I'll be reminded of Isaiah 1:18:

Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall become like wool.