The Great Work of the Gospel

I attended the Georgia Pregnancy Centers Conference last week where the keynote speaker was John Ensor. In preparation for this event, I began reading his book, The Great Work of the Gospel: How We Experience God's Grace. Following is one of my favorite passages so far.

The heart of the Christian message has been and always will be that "Christ dies for our sins" (I Corinthians 15:3). But in spite of this, many remain hamstrung by their secret guilt and are living very shallow lives. Why is that? I suspect it is because they have nothing but a shallow understanding of the cross, and in many cases only a small appetite for learning more. Eyes roll at the mere mention of the words doctrine and theology. These are verbal sleeping pills for many. Yet at the same time, they suffer from the insomnia of guilt, anxiety, and powerlessness in their faith. They lack confidence and purpose and wonder why. Could it be that a shallow understanding of the cross is like an inoculation shot? It prevents us from getting the real thing—a full-blown case of sin-uprooting, praise-inspiring, life-altering faith in Christ based on the radical implications of his death on the cross.

First Corinthians 14:20 urges us, "do not he children in your thinking, Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature." That is what we must do. We must think a little more. Only a truth-soaked mind can reshape our opinions, attitudes, responses, and decisions. This is the awesome implication of the Jesus' words, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31-32).

Ensor explains and illustrates the gospel in such a way that even mature believers will gain greater understanding of and appreciation for the cross. I highly recommend this book.