Episode Transcript
Jon: The most helpful thing about the gospel is this, Paul says in Ephesians two that the good news is this: you were dead in your trespasses and sins. Right? That's how you were born. You were born in Adam, under the curse, dead. And then it says he made you alive. And how did he do that? He gifted you grace and faith, right?
Grace is to receive something you don't deserve. And what is it that you received that you didn't deserve, right? Which was forgiveness and righteousness. And how did that come to life in you? Faith. All of that is a gift to you. That's the good news of the gospel. It’s that you have nothing to boast of. When you stand before the father, and he looks at you, and he points to you and says, “Justified, righteous,” when he does that, you're going to raise your hands in celebration and say, thank you for your gift. You have no involvement in it. That's the good news.
Justin: Yeah. The gospel, you know, it’s in Romans 4:4-5, now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift, but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness. And then we get, you know, first Corinthians 1:30, we get that because of God, we are now in Christ who has now become to us wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.
And so it's all of the Lord. And then Paul's conclusion is, therefore, you know, let the one who boasts boast in the Lord, referencing Jeremiah nine. And because this is God's work, it's a gift completely. We're not doing anything to contribute to our salvation at all.
We simply receive what Christ has accomplished by the mechanism of faith. It's passive. We are passive in it.
Jon: That’s right. Second Peter one would be another way that Peter uses the gospel. He says his divine power has granted, that's gifted, to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.
So that's another great example that there's nothing for you to do in the gospel. He brings you to life. He forgives your sins. He gives you righteousness, and you now walk in his ways. He who began a good work in you will complete it. That's the gospel, right? There's no “do” in the gospel.
If there is “do,” if there's just a fraction of a percent that you are required to do something in the gospel, that's now law and gospel. And it's important that if you have a fraction of a percentage, you have reasons to boast. So we have multiple sections - Romans, Ephesians, Peter - that make it very clear that the good news of the gospel is when you realize you're alive and you realize you've been granted righteousness and forgiveness, you can stand there and go, well, I had nothing to do with this, and that's good! That means you can't do anything to disrupt it either. I mean, this is John six, where he says no one will take them out of my hands, or John 10, right? I will lose none. That's all good news. No commands, no obligations, no law. All power is resting in Christ.
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