Tongues of Fire

God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God’s Love as the Gift of Himself 

Ch. 8: The Gospel—The Glory of Christ as the Ground of Christ-Exalting Contrition

Where does the sorrow of repentance fit into the joy of the gospel? How is there any room for grief and contrition when we are busy delighting in God? This chapter seeks to explain that we must be truly sorry for our sin in order to be truly joyful that we have been forgiven through Christ. It all comes down to remorse and gratitude. If we don’t feel very guilty about our sin, we will not feel much thankfulness toward Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. Our delight in God must stem from true gratitude for it to be true delight.

A Priceless Treasure

However, John Piper explains that we must see the glory of God in order to be truly remorseful for our sin. Only once we realize how amazing and loving God is will we truly understand how much we need him and how far away we are from him due to our sin. God must be precious to us before we can live transformed, selfless, Christlike lives.

This chapter highlights the importance of displaying God as the ultimate good of the gospel when we preach the good news. If we put too much focus on our terrible sins or the torment of hell or the beauty of heaven, (all important aspects of the gospel) the beauty of God through Christ will be lost on people.

These aspects can serve as added motivation to resist temptation, but an intense desire for God must be at the heart of our faith in order for us to be truly sorrowful for our sin, and truly joyful amidst the trials of the Christian life.

God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God’s Love as the Gift of Himself 

Ch. 7: The Gospel—The Glory of the Gladness of God

Almost anything can make us unhappy, from small things like rain or losing a board game, to big things like sickness or losing a loved one. In light of our chronic unhappiness, isn’t it comforting to know that God is infinitely joyful?

God is saddened by the wickedness and rebellion of this world that he has sacrificed so much for, but this sadness will never diminish the infinite joy he has in himself. Thinking that this world’s problems get to God and make him depressed is absurd, and places way too much importance on us. If we truly see God as the powerful creator of the entire universe that he is, and see ourselves as the insignificant atoms that we are, we will realize that nothing we do could ever stand in the way of God’s unending joy.

A Promise of Godlike Love

The Father delights in the Son, and the happiness they share is far beyond any happiness and love we will ever experience in this life. This life is fleeting, but once we die and are made new in Christ, we will be infused with God’s divine love.

In this life our best efforts to love are weak and fragile, and even the strongest family bonds fall well short of perfect love. Therefore, let us hold on to the promise of a greater, heavenly love. We will then be finally free from the sinful constraints of this world, and will be able to delight in God as much as he delights in himself, an unbridled, infinite joy.

God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God’s Love as the Gift of Himself 

Ch. 6: The Gospel—The Glory of Christ in Evangelism, Missions, and Sanctification

This chapter focuses on evangelism, and stresses the need to truly see the glory of the gospel as it is revealed through Christ in order to save souls. Although some are able to make convincing academic arguments for the Bible’s accuracy, in most cases these arguments best quality is merely an added shot of confidence to what we already know to be true.

Logic and knowledge do not change lives, plain and simple. Hardcore Buddhist monk and passionate Islamic extremists do not care one bit that their faiths lie on shaky grounds historically; they believe with their hearts and live accordingly. Likewise, historical arguments do not lead people to Christ and radically transform lives; the revelation of God through the gospel does. Very few people would be willing to lay down their lives for their faith because of favorable odds of being correct.

A Gradual Transformation

This chapter goes on to explain the Holy Spirit’s role in the transformation of our lives, which often do not change suddenly, but gradually. This goes along with the “putting off the old man, putting on the new” concept introduced by Paul. Becoming more like Christ is a gradual process, as we must constantly battle with sinful desires and temptations, as a consequence of our fallen natures.

Christ will inevitably win this battle against sin, and the process refines us and strengthens our faith. As God leads us through overwhelming trials and delivers us from seemingly insurmountable sins, we witness God’s power and learn to fully rely on him.

It is encouraging to know that we believe in a historically accurate Bible, but this knowledge is insignificant compared to experiencing the life-changing glory of Jesus Christ. Let us pray that seeing this glory might nourish our faith, and aid us in our ongoing battle versus our sinful nature.

God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God’s Love as the Gift of Himself 

Ch. 5: The Gospel—Confirmed By Its Glory, The Internal Testimony of the Holy Spirit

Now we know from the last chapter that Christ’s glory is at the heart of the gospel. Now we know that we must come to see the saving light of Christ’s glory to be rescued from the darkness of sin.

But the question still remains; how do we come to realize this truth in our hearts? It is one thing to read about it, it is quite another to be convicted by God and experience a complete spiritual transformation.

This chapter addresses this question by proclaiming the Holy Spirit as the means by which we are convicted of this truth, the Holy Spirit’s irresistible work in our hearts. Only through the Spirit’s illumination in our hearts can we even begin to comprehend the awesome goodness of God.

Without the Spirit, God’s all-encompassing power and love are lost on us. This results in one of two implications for our lives: Either we live out a wishy-washy, shallow-rooted faith that only shows up on Sundays and dissolves at the first sign of trouble, or we live unhappy lives of temperance and discipline, only sticking with it because hell doesn’t sound very fun.

A Truly Satisfying Life

However, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, we are enabled to live full, satisfying lives, rejoicing in the gospel of Christ, motivated to glorify God. Only through the Spirit will we be motivated to live fruitful authentic lives that impact the faith of our children, co-workers, and neighbors. Unbelievers will only be impacted and attracted to our faith if it is obvious how completely it shapes our lives. It is impossible to fake a life transformed, even our children can see right through that.

Let us pray to be filled with the Spirit every day. Let us pray for the enlightenment of Christ’s glory in our hearts, that the true beauty of the gospel would come alive in us. May this beauty transform our lives, and may we be used by God as vessels to further his name.

God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God’s Love as the Gift of Himself 

Chapter 4: The Gospel—The Glory of Christ, the Image of God

So now that we see God and his glory as the gospel’s ultimate aim, it is imperative that we see the gospel as it is revealed through Christ. In accordance with 2 Corinthians 4:4-6, John Piper compares the gospel of the glory of Christ to a light, a beacon that rescues us from the darkness of sin.

This chapter explains that although Christ’s work on our behalf is not the final gift of the gospel, we cannot comprehend God’s glory unless we look to Christ. Even though the gospel ultimately hinges on the glory of God, it would not be good news without Christ. The point of the gospel is to lead people to Christ, that they might see God’s glory and delight in it.

The glory of Christ is God’s glory because God reveals Christ’s glory to us in our hearts. God shines in our hearts to show us the true beauty of Christ in the gospel. Christ reveals God’s holy character to us through his life on earth.

A Childlike Wonder

The gospel’s power can easily be lost on those of us who have heard it all our lives. But if we sit back and ponder the gospel for a second, isn’t it amazing that the all-powerful God of the universe came to earth and rubbed elbows with wicked, perverse people like us? And loved us enough to sweat blood, be nailed to the cross, and be rejected by the Father for our sakes? Christ was right on when he said that we need childlike faith to enter the kingdom of God. Unless we see the gospel with the wide-eyed wonder of a little kid, our lives will never be transformed by it.

Christ’s time on earth gave us a gateway to God, literally and metaphorically tearing the temple curtain in half, which once separated us from God. The people of the Old Testament could only come to God through appointed priests, but Christ’s death and intercession allow us to come before God and enjoy his goodness and love. This is why Christ is the gospel’s ultimate gift.

God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God’s Love as the Gift of Himself 

Ch. 3: The Gospel — “Behold Your God!”

The scriptures vividly display God as the ultimate goal of the gospel, and this chapter explores several of these passages, which proclaim God as the good news. The multitude of gifts and revelations brought about by the gospel hold no power without recognizing the gospel’s final aim—what ultimately makes it good.

This chapter explains how the facets of the gospel remove obstacles such as God’s wrath and our sin, and allow us to enjoy God, the final and highest gospel gift. Justification is given as an example of an indispensable aspect of the gospel, but an aspect that is a means to an end, not the end itself—which is God and his glory.

We need the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment to truly apprehend the glory of Christ and see spiritual beauty. Anyone can possess vast knowledge of biblical doctrines, but without a profound spiritual change, the intense value and beauty of Christ is lost on us.

The Reality of Heaven

I found Piper’s thoughts on heaven in this chapter to be eye-opening. Reunion with deceased loved ones and escape from sin and hell are certainly not bad reasons for desiring heaven, but we will only be truly happy in paradise if our chief longing is to be with God. Heaven will be filled with God’s glory, and he demands our desire above all else.

One day we shall stand before the Throne and be given the command, “Behold your God!” Then may we not only bow before our Maker in complete submission, (as will the Devil) but also with complete adoration and love.

God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God’s Love as the Gift of Himself
Ch. 2: The Gospel — The Biblical Scope of Its Meaning

The word “gospel” has many meanings according to John Piper. These meanings hold great truth and hope for us, but are useless if we miss the gospel’s ultimate point, God’s glory revealed through Christ. In this way there is danger in the gospel of “missing the forest for the trees.” We can become so fixated on God’s power, Christ’s death and resurrection, or our salvation, (all wonderful, crucial points) that we fail to see God’s glory as the overarching theme and driving force behind the gospel.

With this being said, the aspects of the gospel Piper lays out for us in this chapter are vital to the Christian faith. It is reassuring to know we serve a living, sovereign God whose son came to earth to die for our sins and rose from the dead. The promise of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and the promises of salvation and eternal life for all who believe (Jews and Gentiles) are also comforting. These definitions of the gospel display God’s grace and justice and reveal the perfectness of his character to us, yet they fall short of revealing his being.

A distorted definition of the gospel is a very real problem in the church today. Many define it as Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, but it is much more than that. The gospel is revealed throughout the entire Bible, and to focus exclusively on Christ’s death without seeing God’s glory emanated through it is to limit our comprehension of his character. Piper promises that if we behold God’s glory in the meaning of the gospel and are enabled by the Spirit to delight in God above all things, we will have reached our ultimate purpose in life.

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Recent post —

• What If Christ Weren’t There?

God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God’s Love as the Gift of Himself 
Chapter 1: What The World Needs Most—The Gospel’s Greatest Gift, God

Many of us have grown up praising God for his tender, long-suffering love for us, but John Piper challenges us to shift our focus and praise God for enabling us, through his Son, to love and enjoy him forever. Although God deserves never-ending worship and thanksgiving for his everlasting love for us, Piper points us to the realization that our ultimate happiness and the reason we were created was to enjoy him forever, as stated in the Westminster Catechism. Instead of us being the focus as the work of an awesome Creator, the focus needs to be on the Creator.

The only definition of love we are generally familiar with is being made much of, or making much of something. We lavish our children with all kinds of gifts and services out of love. Piper however, explains that God’s love for us transcends making much of us, as we are only truly satisfied when all the focus in on God.

A Powerful Question

One final point in this chapter I found to be particularly powerful was the question: “Could you be satisfied with heaven if Christ were not there?” This question cuts into our underlying motivation for why we go to church, read the Bible, pray, why we do anything. Do we mainly desire to go to heaven to see deceased loved ones, to enjoy a world without pain and death, or do we desire to go to heaven to worship Christ forever, with those other things merely as minor bonuses?

May we never view Christianity as a burden we must endure in this life if we want to experience the joys and pleasures of heaven. Rather, let us pray for hearts that desire what we were created for, finding in God our ultimate joy and pleasure, and in doing so achieve complete satisfaction.