the gospel

The message at YAC this sunday was so good. we're going thru a series in Galatians. this week was on Galatians 4 by my dad. Here were a few really big take aways for me.

"If you read 1 peter 1:12 it is saying that the gospel is something on which the Angles long to look into. Angels are pretty smart beings, the don't have sin in their lives, they are very wise, their knowledge of God is beyond our comprehension... so you've got to ask the question, what is it about the Gospel that would keep the angels going back to the Gospel to find new things in it? There has got to be more to it than this is just the way to get your sins forgiven."

He said for many of us we add to the Gospel. We say Christ + something else makes us feel okay with God and okay about our selves. That is self-salvation. That means that what Jesus did has no weight or power if we add to it. That is really distrust in the truth that our salvation comes by grace alone. "in other words, we feel better or worse about ourselves before God based on how well we have or haven't done in the Christian life"

my performance + other's opinions of me = self worth

"For if you and i are trying to make ourselves look good for God, ourselves, or others by saying this or that, or trying to maneuver the spotlight of people's opinions... you actually in doing so are cutting yourself off from Christ. why?? because you are no longer depending on God's grace, but upon your own self effort. You are essentially saying Christ is not sufficient enough, i need something more.

Christ + something else(something that comes from me) = ok-ness with God

Paul says it is Christ + nothing = right-ness, ok-ness with God.

So he challenged us to "strip ourselves of all the other things we use to justify ourselves, to understand that what Christ did on the cross so much so that it overwhelms every other competing desire of our hearts, and to pray that God would fill our hearts with the Holy spirit that he will reveal to us the riches of being a son or a daughter of the most high God."

He summed up with saying this isnt something that you can come back with in a week and have it down. it is a life long learning process.

simple, true and to the point. so good for us to hear! and really think hard about.