Tuesday 27 July 2010

The Gospel's Provisions

'Not to think more highly of himself than he ought" meant not to think more highly than was allowed by the Gospel's provisions.

It meant not to think that the works of the Law could produce the blessings which were attributable to God's grace and faith alone.

Having boldness and access by the faith of Him is Gospel. But thinking Jews couldn't be saved; or thinking Gentiles couldn't be saved apart from the observance of the Law; or thinking that one's own standing with God was not dependant upon God's mercy and his own continuance in faith; or thinking that one's function in the church somehow set him above another - all of these were inconsistant with sober Gospel-truth.

Thinking soberly meant to think nothing higher or lower of oneself than was provided for by the Gospel.

Paul also urged others not to 'think more highly of us [the apostles] above what is written'. To think more highly of a particular minister presented a danger of being side-tracked from or dilluting Gospel truth. Paul's objective in advising this was to ensure the preservation of his readers' experience of the liberty that was theirs by the Gospel and not be brought into doctrinal bondage.

The Gospel made men free. Therefore a primary way of thinking more highly of oneself than one ought, and the main danger of thinking more highly of a particular minister than was written, was to insist on or rely on anything other than faith - and a continuance in faith - for salvation. Alternatives or add-ons to the Gospel of salvation, such as keeping the Law, was not sober thinking: it sprung from thinking too highly of one's own works than he should, or from thinking more highly of a particular 'apostle' than was written.

Think of yourself and others in terms of Gospel truth so that the blessing of the Gospel can continue in your lives!

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