Driscoll on the Cross of Christ

(I'm watching a bunch of sermons for a class at seminary, and I get to pick which ones I watch. So, of course, I pick my favorites. And I may have posted on this sermon before, but it's worth quoting again.)

Mark Driscoll, in his 2006 sermon, "Death by Love: Reflections on the Cross":

At any point that we deviate from the cross, or we diminish the cross, what we do is end up destroying ourselves and our church."

A Simple Primer on the Biblical Gospel

For my friends with whom I never seem to have the time or setting to discuss this, please read J.I. Packer's introduction to John Owen's classic, The Death of Death in the Death of Christ. This is most practical, simple, and clear explanation of the importance of a Biblical understanding of the Gospel that I have ever read (and I do a good bit of reading on that subject).

My Bad Theology of Forgiveness

Reading Pastor Chris Braun's excellent article on atonement and forgiveness, I realized that I have been believing and practicing a false theology of forgiveness. It goes like this - when I feel ready, then I will forgive.

What I fail to see is that the cross is absolutely nothing like this, and it demands absolutely nothing short of completely committed forgiveness from me, the believer. God made a plan, He acted on it, and He forgave! Once and for all! All of His chosen!

God forgive me for thinking that my forgiveness of someone else is dependent on my feelings more than the cross where You forgave me! May I not read such therapeutic, flimsy-handed "feelings" into the atoning death of my Lord!

The Warnings of the Bible

"I have to preach the warnings of the Bible, and the elect receive them with sweet trembling which sends them running for the cross, and the hypocrites blow them off."

Pastor John Piper