The debt was so great,
that while man alone owed it,
only God could pay it.

Anselm

I'm in

I have been a Christian for more than a decade and a half. For most of that time I have had the lingering effects of legalism. It was so embedded in me that it governed my thinking for years. The problem with legalism is that you can never live up to whatever standard you set before yourself.

As the years went by, I became so discouraged. I didn't see myself as a very good Christian. I had a hard time imagining that I would even make it to heaven. On a number of occasions I thought it sure would be nice to make it to the back seat of heaven.

A few years ago, Jeffrey Anderson began explaining the gospel to me. I was understanding it with my head, but it wasn't sinking into my heart. It wasn't until I heard Eric Knox speak at a conference that it sunk in. I'm in. The blood of Jesus is enough to cover all my sin. God has done enough in my life to show me that I'm in. It's not about me doing a good work. It's about Jesus Christ, and Him doing the greatest work.

The essence of the Christian faith

There are a lot of things within the Christian community which we deem important. While they may be foremost on our minds, they must be seen as secondary issues. For there is one issue which must remain foremost among them all, because it is the primary theme of scripture. This would be the gospel. The message of God sending His Son to die a substitutionary death for us who have sinned. (Which would be each of us).

Yet for many of us, we view the gospel as merely a rite of entry. Something that we preach to unbelievers only. But the gospel is more than just the door by which we enter the kingdom of heaven. It is the path itself. There isn't a day when each of us does not need the gospel.

This is the theme of my blog: the gospel. In my estimation, it is the essence of the practical Christian faith. Biblically and historically.