Round the Sphere Again

All gospelly….

Listen Up
This afternoon I listened to John Piper’s message (Did Jesus Preach Paul’s Gospel?) from the recent Together for the Gospel conference. If you haven’t heard it, I’m saying you should. I suppose you could just read the transcript, but I think that’s cheating.

Good Tidings
Jeremiah Burroughs sums up the message of the gospel. (Ligonier Ministries Blog)

Not Just the ABCs
But the “A-to-Z” of the Christian life.

The gospel is the way that anything is renewed and transformed by Christ — whether a heart, a relationship, a church, or a community. All our problems come from a lack of orientation to the gospel.

(Quoting Tim Keller at Reformation Theology)

Big Fat FAIL
The message of the gospel is not this. (The Gospel-Driven Church)

Yes, I'm Crazy

I’ve commented over at Evangel this morning. In case you don’t have the stomach for that post and comment thread, here’s the condensed and explained version of my comments there.

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Theological Term of the Week

mediator
One who intervenes in order to make peace between alienated parties; “[t]he role that Jesus played in coming between God and us, enabling us to come into the presence of God.“1

• From scripture:

  For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 1:5 ESV)

• From The London Baptist Confession 1689, Chapter 8:

  9. This office of mediator between God and man is proper only to Christ, who is the prophet, priest, and king of the church of God; and may not be either in whole, or any part thereof, transferred from him to any other. (1 Tim 2:5).

  10. This number and order of offices is necessary; for in respect of our ignorance, we stand in need of his prophetical office; and in respect of our alienation from God, and imperfection of the best of our services, we need his priestly office to reconcile us and present us acceptable unto God; and in respect to our averseness and utter inability to return to God, and for our rescue and security from our spiritual adversaries, we need his kingly office to convince, subdue, draw, uphold, deliver, and preserve us to his heavenly kingdom. (Joh 1:18; Col 1:21; Gal 5:17; Joh 16:8; Psa 110:3; Luk 1:74, 75)

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