Of First Importance
Finally - our first official post! Thanks for your patience.
We’ll use this blog to post pastoral words and commentary, sermon follow-up, recommended resources, announcements, and updates related to the various goings-on within the CRC community. I think it’s safe to say that you can expect a few posts each week to begin with, and then - eventually - most days.
So, what to say with a first post? How about something of first importance! 1Corinthians 15 reminds us that the gospel is of first importance. It’s the message Christians received. It’s the message in which we stand. And it’s the message by which we are being saved (1Cor.15:1-6).
The gospel is great news that tells the story of God reconciling his world and his people to himself. The story’s center is Jesus and the meaning of his incarnation, sinless life, sacrificial death, resurrection, ascension, and eventual return. As beneficial as in-depth meditation on parts of the story can be - and worth a lifetime of study - I always appreciate hearing it told concisely - simple enough for a child.
Together For the Gospel tells it that way on their website. It’s not the only way to say it. It could be told in more complex ways, to be sure. And, perhaps, in simpler ways as well. But, the way they tell it is true and helpful. Read on, hear, and be refreshed...
“The Gospel is the joyous declaration that God is redeeming the world through Christ (Matt 1:21; Luke 1:68; Eph 1:7; Col 1:20), and that He calls everyone everywhere to repent from sin and trust Jesus Christ for salvation (Mark 1:15; Acts 2:38; 17:30).
Each of us has sinned against God (Rom 3:23), breaking his law and rebelling against his rule, and the penalty for our sin is death and hell (Rom 6:23). But because He loves us, God sent his Son Jesus (John 3:16; Eph 2:4; 1 John 4:10) to live for his people’s sake the perfect, obedient life God requires (Rom 8:4; 1 Cor 1:30; Heb 4:15) and to die in their place for their sin (Isa 53:5; Mat 20:28; 26:28; Mark 10:45; 14:24; Luke 22:20; John 11:50-51; Rom 3:24-25; 4:25; 1 Cor 15:3; 2 Cor 5:21; Eph 5:2; Heb 10:14; 1 Pet 3:18). On the third day, He rose bodily from the grave (Mat 28:6) and now reigns in heaven (Luke 22:69; 24:51; Heb 8:1), offering forgiveness (Eph 1:7), righteousness (Rom 5:19), resurrection (Rom 8:11), and eternal blessedness in God’s presence (Rev 22:4) to everyone who repents of sin and trusts solely in Him for salvation” (http://t4g.org/about/).
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