Not Equal to the Gospel

So, is caring for others “the gospel”? Is that evangelism? No, not without the spoken message of the gospel of Jesus. The gospel message is the message that produces salvation. So we should never confuse meeting physical needs with sharing the gospel. Caring for others represents the gospel, it upholds the gospel, it points to the gospel, it’s an implication of the gospel, but it is not the gospel, and it is not equal to the gospel.

Furthermore, all actions of kindness, compassion and justice must be done with the hope to share our faith, otherwise we are not upholding the gospel. We share the good news always open to doing good, and we do good always with the hope of sharing our faith. We never divorce the two.

If we get nothing in return, it’s okay because it is the nature of love. But do not forget that seeing people come to Christ in the midst of suffering and injustice is to do the greatest good we could ever do. To misunderstand this is to be blinded by cultural, materialistic worldviews rather than to believe in the power of the gospel.

From J. Mack Stiles in Marks of the Messenger: Knowing, Living and Speaking the Gospel.

Round the Sphere Again: Two Quotes on Prayer

Built-In Double Intercession
”Your prayer life is secure in the two hands of the Father.” Quoting The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything by Fred Sanders at Of First Importance.

Peace of God Protection
“We must present our petitions with thanksgiving” in order to prevent our prayer from becoming “nothing but a worry session.” Doug Wilson quotes his own book, Beyond Stateliest Marble (on Puritan poet Anne Bradstreet).

Thankful Thursday

I’m thankful that February’s sun has a little heat to it, so that even though the temperature said -36C this morning, I can count on things warming up substantially during the daylight hours. I’m thankful for the almost four more hours of daylight since the shortest day of the year, and for the bright blue skies that let the sunshine show. I’m thankful for the constantly changing seasons that add variety to my life. Can I mention that I’m thankful for an efficient furnace, too?

I’m thankful for this year’s crop of grapefruit. The sweet grapefruit available in recent weeks are a good gift.

I’m thankful for my daughter and her car, which I’ll be using while she’s gone to Costa Rica to be in a wedding. Hooray for having a car 24/7 again.

I’m thankful that the sovereign God cares for me so that I can cast all my anxieties on him.

Throughout this year I’m planning to post a few thoughts of thanksgiving each Thursday along with Kim at the Upward Call and others.