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Friday 9 July 2010

The Old Gospel

The gospel that we believe, that good news that Christ and his apostles proclaimed, was not a new gospel but was old, “promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy scriptures” Rom 1:1. Balaam prophesies that a “star will come out of Jacob; a sceptre will rise out of Israel.” Num 24:17 and in Jeremiah the Lord proclaims “The time is coming when I will make a new covenant…it will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers….because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them…I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people….For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Jer 31:31-34. Isiah 53 tells us how this new covenant will come about “ he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,…and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all” Isa 53:5-6.

It is worth noting the importance of the old testament scriptures, many of the writers of the new testament refer to the old to give their arguments power; Does this mean that the old testament is more important than the new testament? I would say no, but one thing that can
not be said is that the old testament is meaningless since we are under the new covenant of Christ’s blood. Indeed some of Paul’s first words in the book of Romans appeal to the old testament, referring to them as “Holy Scriptures”, to show the foreknowledge and the enduring nature of the love of God.

Thursday 8 July 2010

My First Post

I start my journey as a blogger here five years after I started my walk with Christ. My aim in writing this blog is to learn more fully the love God has for me. To develop a life that truly has Christ at its centre and, with the Spirit’s help, so to live that God’s name is forever glorified. I seek both to examine God’s word, developing my skills at exegesis and deepening my theology, and share any insights or wisdom I might gain in my life.


So, my story, where does it begin? Like many living in Britain today I can say that I was not brought up as a Christian. My family never went to church even though there were Bibles in the house. Still, I grew up hearing ‘Christian stories’, singing ‘Christian songs’ and reciting the Lord’s prayer thanks to the primary school I attended. So I had some knowledge of Christianity, but had not heard the Gospel.


At college my questioning of life began, ‘surely there must be more than this’ I thought. Thankfully I was surrounded by friends who didn’t shy away from such big questions. Many a lunch time went by while my friends argued good naturedly, some Christian, some Atheist, about the true issues of life. I left the discussing to them and sat and listened, as time went by I found myself starting to side more and more with the Christians finding their arguments more persuasive and, importantly, more compassionate. So I had some knowledge of the arguments for God’s existence, but I still had not heard the Gospel.


As providence would have it, one of my Christian friends ended up at the same university as me and invited me to attend a meeting of the Christian Union. I went not knowing what it would be like. I found a great welcome there and when we sat down to start I no longer felt like a stranger in the room. One thing I remember about that evening was the singing. Being fairly musical I joined in with the singing even though I couldn’t sing, and it suddenly struck me what I was singing, what the words coming from my mouth were proclaiming. That was the first hint I had of the Gospel and I was captivated. I wasn’t saved but I was hooked and kept going back week after week to hear more.


Eventually I started to attend a local church and continued to here the Gospel proclaimed: The good news of God’s grace to me through the death of his son on a cross, the redemptive sacrifice that washed away my sin. I realised that I was a sinner and that I needed this mercy: I confessed my sins, was saved and was baptised.


Five years later I sit here at this keyboard and wonder how I’ve changed over the years. I have a deeper knowledge of Christ and his word, I am a new creation, but it is not enough. I must strive to run the race set before me, to walk the narrow way that leads to life and not stray down the broad way. I hope this blog will help me in this and I also hope that it will be both encouraging and equipping to any who read it.