Several months ago, I wrote a book review on The Gospel for Real Life by Jerry Bridges. Bridges, in the introduction, describes the book as, “Gospel 101.” The entire book is a refreshing, thorough, clear exposition of the gospel in all its glorious aspects: justification, reconciliation, redemption, etc. Bridges argues in this book, and also his book, the Discipline of Grace, that the Church, by and large, has come to view the gospel as something for unbelievers-the message one needs to believe in order to be brought into a saving relationship with God through Christ. Once your a believer, it’s all about discipleship and we ‘put the gospel on the shelf’ so to speak. We are brought into the kingdom by grace, but secure our blessings and sanctification by our own work and effort. This kind of thinking is wrong, Bridges contends, and can choke the life out of a Christian.
Today, Justin Taylor posted an article by Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, that comments on and emphasizes this same concern. It is an excellent article, and its message is essential. We never get beyond the gospel.
Check it out.
From the Study 