The Gospel Alphabet: B Is for Belief
A |
In his book, Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old-Fashioned Way, J.I. Packer has a chapter entitled “The Gospel as of First Importance.” In that chapter, Packer discusses the pastoral and formational applications of the Gospel. Many are familiar with the quote from Tim Keller that “the Gospel is not the ABC’s of the Christian life; it is the A through Z of the Christian life.” Packer writes,
“In that spirit we offer the following ‘Gospel Alphabet’–twenty-six pastoral and formative reasons why the Gospel must retain primacy as the content of Christian education” (108).
This week, we come to the letter “B”.
B is for Belief
We must continually teach and learn the Gospel because even Christians struggle to believe God’s Good News. The message of the cross is both countercultural and counterintuitive. To the world it is foolishness and weakness. To our flesh it is simply too good to be true. And Satan, the devil–that accuser of the brethren–continually speaks a contradictory word to our hearts. He accuses us before God as surely as he accused Joshua the high priest (Zech. 3:1). Hearing all this we, with full knowledge of our failings, struggle to believe the truth of the Gospel. To believe it at an appropriately deep level, with an appropriate appreciation of all that it presupposes and implies, is a lifelong task. We must hear it again and again and ask God to seal its truth in our hearts. ”I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)
Tags: Gospel Alphabet, J.I. Packer
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September 12, 2011 at 2:06 am
Spot on! I need to be taught and learn the glorious gospel every day. Thanks for this new series.
September 18, 2011 at 12:10 pm
[...] A | B [...]
September 24, 2011 at 10:41 pm
[...] A | B | C [...]
September 25, 2011 at 3:54 pm
[...] A | B | C [...]
October 2, 2011 at 12:46 pm
[...] A | B | C | D [...]
October 9, 2011 at 11:09 am
[...] A | B | C | D | E [...]
October 23, 2011 at 12:32 pm
[...] A | B | C | D | E | F [...]
October 30, 2011 at 12:11 pm
[...] A | B | C | D | E | F | G [...]
November 6, 2011 at 10:50 pm
[...] A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H [...]
November 20, 2011 at 12:37 pm
[...] A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I [...]
November 27, 2011 at 3:20 pm
[...] A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J [...]
December 11, 2011 at 8:35 am
[...] A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K [...]
December 20, 2011 at 9:18 am
[...] A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L [...]
December 25, 2011 at 2:57 pm
[...] A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M [...]
January 8, 2012 at 1:00 pm
[...] A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N [...]
January 16, 2012 at 12:32 am
[...] A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O [...]
January 30, 2012 at 9:23 am
[...] A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P [...]
February 5, 2012 at 12:36 pm
[...] A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | R [...]
February 12, 2012 at 10:37 pm
[...] A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R [...]
February 20, 2012 at 8:53 am
[...] A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S [...]
February 26, 2012 at 10:54 pm
[...] A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T [...]
March 4, 2012 at 1:21 pm
[...] A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U [...]
March 11, 2012 at 8:56 pm
[...] A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V [...]
March 18, 2012 at 8:32 pm
[...] A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W [...]
March 26, 2012 at 9:37 am
[...] A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X [...]
April 1, 2012 at 7:30 pm
[...] A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y [...]