Thinkerup: Purpose of the Gospel

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Purpose of the Gospel

"He did not hesitate to stand up and say, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me". ... At the end of His life He tells Pilate that He is come into the world "to bear witness unto the truth". He had come to save us, but do not put that first; He had come to bear witness to the truth, and it is only as He brings us to a knowledge of the truth that He saves us. Everything is in terms of the truth, and it is truth about God!

The whole purpose of the gospel, the object of the whole of salvation, is to bring us to this knowledge of God. Not to give us certain experiences and feelings only. Thank God, we get these, as it were, in passing, but if I have not got this salvation, experiences and feelings may be spurious and false; they may be of the devil and his counterfeits; for the cults can make people happy and give them various kinds of deliverance, even healing their bodies at times.

No, it is not that, it is to know God, and to come to the knowledge of the truth, and the truth is - the holiness of God. It is there in the sixth chapter of Isaiah: 'Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory'!"

--Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Exposition to Ephesians

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"“ Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee. Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” --- (Isaiah 55 KJV)