“It happens over and over again that the gospel ‘comes alive’ in a way that the evangelist had never dreamed of, and has effects which he never anticipated. The gospel is addressed to the human person as a human person in all the uncountable varieties of predicaments in which human beings find themselves.
The gospel has a sovereignty of its own and is never an instrument in the hands of the evangelist. Or, to put it more truly, the Holy Spirit, by whose secret working alone the gospel ‘comes alive,’ is not under the evangelist’s control. The wind blow freely.”
-- Lesslie Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society
The more I press into the reality that, for Paul, the gospel isn't just an informational proposition but an actual power let loose into the world bearing fruit by Spiritual catalyst, the more I am both confident in gospel proclamation and humble in proclaiming and then getting the heck out of the gospel's way.
4 comments:
The gospel has the power to impart 'life' where there was once death. It's similar to the Father breathing 'life' into a lifeless form, and creating the first man, Adam. We were walking corpses that came alive, when the power of the gospel breathed life into us. Now that's cool, I don't care who you are.
I really like the links here between the gospel and the Holy Spirit.
I've thought for a while that they only valid criticism of the Gospel Centricity Movement is the absence of the Holy Spirit's role in all the rhetoric - I think this is that missing piece.
Love your last line: "humbly proclaim the gospel...then get the heck out of the gospel's way."
Amen Jared.
May I find myself doing this more and more so I could see God move on the heart I'm witnessing to.
Soli Deo Gloria!
I enjoy hearing about this. I preached about the "Continuing Power of the Gospel" this Sunday. I've bought off on the need to continually preach the Gospel, and I'm glad to put it into practice.
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