The Gospel is for believers!

Now, here's the point that feels most important to me this morning:

I want you to see that the Gospel is the power of God... for all of that! Not just for conversion, not just for justification; for salvation, for the whole thing!

And so we need to hear the Gospel again, and again, and again, because it is not only the power of God that converts us. It is the power of God that sanctifies us! It is the power of God that sustains us! It is the power of God that keeps us persevering in the faith!

Faith comes from hearing the message, and that doesn't just meant justifying faith. Sanctifying faith comes from hearing the message! Persevering faith comes from hearing the message! And that's why Paul said in verse 15 that he is so eager to preach the Gospel to believers! The Gospel is for believers!

-Mike Shea, on Romans 1:16

The Gospel is the POWER of God!

Now, does not this understanding of the Gospel motivate you to proclaim it? Don't you just wanna tell it to someone?! Just to see what happens?! I became more liberated to preach the Gospel when I came to understand that the Gospel is not a product that you pitch! It is the power of God!

I don't wanna overstate the point, and say that all persuasion and apologetics is unnecessary, but primarily your job is not to persuade, and convince, and cajole people into believing! Your job as an ambassador of Christ is simply to deliver the message, and the message is able, all by itself, to give sight to the spiritually blind, and awaken the spiritually dead!

-Mike Shea, on Romans 1:16

God's response to Moses's request to see His glory

Another snippet from Mike's second sermon:

"So in chapter 9 Paul will teach us about God's election with these words:

And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—she was told, "The older will serve the younger." As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."

Now, that's a quotation from Exodus 33, which tells the story of Moses going up on the mountain to intercede for the salvation of idolatrous Israelites and to receive the new tablets of the law. And while he's up there enjoying God's presence he makes a bold request. I'll read from Exodus 33:18 and 19-

Moses said, "Please show me your glory." And [God] said, "I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name (for the sake of His name)... my name 'The LORD.' And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.

Now get this; get this! ...

Moses asked for glory... and God showed him election!"

God is the Gospel

So, I haven't had much time lately to do much reading outside of preparing for my M.A. exams (ahh!! next week!!), but I have been able to listen to some sermons on the way to/from school. I thought I might start posting some excerpts of stuff that I hear. Right now, I'm starting from the beginning of the several-year series on Romans that my pastor is currently doing. Here's something he said during the second sermon:

"In Isaiah 48:11, God says:

For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it,
for how should my name be profaned?
My glory I will not give to another.

We're going to encounter some difficult doctrines as we go through the book of Romans: total depravity, election, predestination. But the glory of these difficult doctrines will begin to appear to you when you understand that God does everything for the sake of His name! The Gospel is not ultimately the gospel of salvation, it's the gospel of God. It's all about His glory among the nations... and He saves people in a way that maximizes the display of His splendor!"

Daily employing the Spirit and new nature

Not to be daily employing the Spirit and new nature for the mortifying of sin, is to neglect that excellent succour which God hath given us against our greatest enemy. If we neglect to make use of what we have received, God may justly hold his hand from giving us more. His graces, as well as his gifts, are bestowed on us to use, exercise and trade with. Not to be daily mortifying sin is to sin against the goodness, kindness, wisdom, grace and love of God, who hath furnished us with a principle of doing it.

-John Owen, from The Mortification of Sin

The still, deep waters of sin

Sin doth not only still abide in us, but is still acting, still labouring to bring forth the deeds of the flesh. When sin lets us alone, we may let sin alone: but as sin is never less quiet than when it seems to be most quiet, and its waters are for the most part deep when they are still, so ought our contrivances against it to be vigorous at all times, in all conditions, even where there is least suspicion.

-John Owen, from The Mortification of Sin

The Soul and Substance of All False Religion

The principal efficient cause of the performance of this duty is the Spirit mentioned (v. 11), the 'Spirit of Christ', the Spirit of God that dwells in us (v.9), that quickens us (v.11), the 'Spirit of adoption' (v.15), the Spirit that maketh intercession for us (v.26). All other ways of mortification are vain; all helps leave us helpless; it must be done by the Spirit. Men, as the apostle intimates (Rom. 9:30-32), may attempt this work on other principles, by means and advantages administered on other accounts, as they always have done and do: but (saith he) this is the work of the Spirit; by him alone it is to be wrought, and by no other power is it to be brought about. Mortification from a self-strength, carried on by ways of self-invention, unto the end of a self-righteousness, is the soul and substance of all false religion in the world.

-John Owen, from The Mortification of Sin, on Romans 8:13