A Recommendation: A Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent
by Adam Bailie
Over the course of my Christian life I have read many influential books, been given many more influential books, and had countless books recommended to me for my growth in Christ. As pastors, our desire is to point you in the direction of the best resources for your growth in Christ and your understanding of His Word. This morning I would like to highlight one such resource: A Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent. If there are only a few books that you read thoroughly and repeatedly in your life, this one should be counted worthy of the list!
There is nothing more foundational to the Christian life than the power of God in the Gospel (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:18). It is our source of life, foundation of hope, focus of worship and motivation for obedience. This is the Christian life...it is all about the Gospel! I am indebted to A Gospel Primer for its clear and concise help in preaching the Gospel daily to my own heart.
You may wonder why such self-preaching is so necessary and beneficial to your Christian growth in grace. Please consider Milton’s first of thirty-one answers to such a question: “The gospel is so foolish (according to my natural wisdom), so scandalous (according to my timid heart), that it is a daily battle to believe the full scope of it as I should. There is simply no other way to compete with the forebodings of my conscience, the condemning of my heart, and the lies of the world and Devil than to overwhelm such things with the daily rehearsal of the gospel” (pg. 14). The Gospel is our daily need, it must be our daily meditation, for it alone is our truth claim in the face of so many lies.
Over the course of my Christian life I have read many influential books, been given many more influential books, and had countless books recommended to me for my growth in Christ. As pastors, our desire is to point you in the direction of the best resources for your growth in Christ and your understanding of His Word. This morning I would like to highlight one such resource: A Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent. If there are only a few books that you read thoroughly and repeatedly in your life, this one should be counted worthy of the list!
There is nothing more foundational to the Christian life than the power of God in the Gospel (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:18). It is our source of life, foundation of hope, focus of worship and motivation for obedience. This is the Christian life...it is all about the Gospel! I am indebted to A Gospel Primer for its clear and concise help in preaching the Gospel daily to my own heart.
You may wonder why such self-preaching is so necessary and beneficial to your Christian growth in grace. Please consider Milton’s first of thirty-one answers to such a question: “The gospel is so foolish (according to my natural wisdom), so scandalous (according to my timid heart), that it is a daily battle to believe the full scope of it as I should. There is simply no other way to compete with the forebodings of my conscience, the condemning of my heart, and the lies of the world and Devil than to overwhelm such things with the daily rehearsal of the gospel” (pg. 14). The Gospel is our daily need, it must be our daily meditation, for it alone is our truth claim in the face of so many lies.
posted by F&P at 9:59 AM
1 Comments:
Hi Adam,
Thanks for the brief post on this fine book... I also have found it to be refreshingly simple and focused on the need to keep the gospel at the center of our lives... because it really is the center.
And he does such a fun job of both prose and poetry!
Blessings in your ministry.
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