Which adjective in the title more closely aligns with your predisposed way of thinking about and speaking the gospel to yourself and others? Are you more likely to present a gospel that is heavy on the convicting realities of sin, righteousness and judgment? Or do you find yourself more readily appealing to the benefits of following Jesus? If you think about it, neither adjective fully encapsulates the message of Jesus. It’s right to compel people using the promises of God and the joy filled benefits of a life submitted to Jesus. But it’s also right to warn of the consequences of rejecting Him. Since we’re all naturally inclined to emphasize one, we need to allow the other to constrain us, to balance us from taking our natural disposition to the extreme, which may confuse the gospel and the Jesus we wish to present. Let me attempt to illustrate one example of an unconstrained leaning toward each in turn. A compelling gospel that is...
Reflections on a life lived for King Jesus.