"Until the gospel events of Good Friday and Easter and the gospel promises of justification and eternal life lead you to behold and embrace God himself as your highest joy, you have not embraced the gospel of God. You have embraced some of his gifts. You have rejoiced over some of his rewards. You have marveled at some of his miracles. But you have not yet awakened to why the gifts, the rewards, the miracles, have come . They have come for one great reason! That you might behold forever the glory of God in Christ, and by beholding become the kind of person who delights in God above all things, and by delighting display his supreme beauty and worth with ever-increasing brightness and bliss forever."
~ John Piper, God is the Gospel, p. 38
Right now I'm reading an amazing book by John Piper, God is the Gospel. Piper is always a good read. He is an author and pastor who has an incredible passion and devotion towards God. I don't always agree 100% with his theology, but come many times close to it. (But when do we ever really always agree with any one particular person?) He describes the aim of the book as to establish the reality that the blessings of the gospel aren't the reasons for the gospel. That it is true that they are amazing, beautiful, and to be cherished but they aren't the reason, just factors that help one derive at the true meaning. They are all designed to do one thing: move one closer to God and towards seeing Him as one's highest treasure.
God, essentially, is the gospel, not the blessings that come from receiving the gospel.
May God be our highest treasure! May we not just rejoice in being redeemed, or receiving healing and freedom from the attachments that bind us to our sins and sorrows. May we see God's glory as part of that all...the means and the end. May God be our primary source of adoration and praise, and worship, not the gifts He gives us.
Piper explains it well with this illustration:
The Final good of the gospel is "God himself seen and savored in all his glory. Focusing on facets of a diamond without seeing the beauty of the whole is demeaning to the diamond."
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Heavenly Father,
We thank you for Your great mercy, and Your grace which redeems us and is the doorway to having a relationship with you. Through your grace You sent Jesus, through Your grace we are saved. We thank You for Your abundant and steadfast love. May You be our supreme treasure in our lives. May everything be pale in comparison to beholding You in Your glory. May we long to bring Your name glory as we serve You, praise You and worship Your great name.
In Jesus' precious name,
Amen.
I like the comment in there (But when do we ever really always agree with any one particular person?) hehe. and so true!
ReplyDeleteYet instead of me seeing god as a diamond I see my family as a treasure chest that I can hold!
Cheers and once again you are a great light
Bless you
Very well put together, I really like the mixture of your thoughts combined with the quotes and the pictures. I'm not deeply religious but it is wonderful to read how passionate you are :)
ReplyDeleteAlejandro,
ReplyDeleteI find your love and devotion towards your family warming and echo your sentiment. My husband and children have been the greatest blessings, besides salvation, that God has ever given me. I am forever grateful for them and treasure them moment by moment.
At the same time...I still see God as my greatest treasure, for I feel as doing so, I can be a greater blessing to my family than if I didn't. God makes me a stronger person, through His great, steadfast and eternal love He teaches me to love more, to have more compassion... He gives me more clarity over life's situation than I have had without Him, (and there's more too!) that helps me bring blessings to my family and my interactions with them.
Thanks for the comment :)
~ Blessings
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you enjoyed the post. I am glad this is a blog where others can come that don't necessarily share my views but still get something out of it and enjoy the posts.
I can find I relate to your statement. I love talking with others that are passionate about things-there seems to be so little passion these days. Even if I don't agree with the person, I enjoy interacting with them much more than with someone that has no passions, no interests. I feel we all have something to learn from one another, even if we are never to agree with that person, the interaction helps cultivate empathy and understanding...something sorely lacking in our societies and cultures.
Thanks so much for visiting and commenting :)
~ blessings
Having God in your life and holding on to the beauty of His word in your heart and soul; living it; feeling it, is so like holding a diamond in your hand. What an unique comparison.
ReplyDeleteand I'll say this just to be the one with the last word....
ReplyDeletePeace and Love
excellent metaphor by Piper...enjoyed the post.
ReplyDeleteJohn Piper’s words are needed in the body of Christ. Some focus on healing, others on salvation, some on ministry, and others on the gifts… But to focus solely on the Treasure should be our truest pleasure.
ReplyDelete