good news

I believe the Gospel is good news for this life and the next. Too many times it gets reduced to just one of those options, and in doing so either the truth or the beauty of the Gospel is compromised. Enjoy this clear and convicting snippet of wisdom:

“God created both soul and body, and the resurrection of Jesus shows that he is going to redeem both the spiritual and the material. Therefore God is concerned not only for the salvation of souls but also for the relief of poverty, hunger, and injustice.

The gospel opens our eyes to the fact that all our wealth (even wealth for which we worked hard) is ultimately an unmerited gift from God. Therefore the person who does not generously give away his or her wealth to others is not merely lacking in compassion, but is unjust.

Christ wins our salvation through losing, achieves power through weakness and service, and comes to wealth through giving all away. Those who receive his salvation are not the strong and accomplished but those who admit they are weak and lost. We cannot look at the poor and the oppressed and callously call them to pull themselves out of their own difficulty. Jesus did not treat us that way.”

– The Gospel Coalition’s “Theological Vision for Ministry” (2007), Section 5e

I am so very glad that Jesus did not treat me that way.