I came across the following helpful comment on preaching Christ by Sinclair Ferguson:
We do not preach "the atonement" as such, or "salvation," "redemption," or "justification" as such, but Jesus Christ and him crucified. These blessings were accomplished by Christ and are available only in Christ, never abstracted from him. We must learn to avoid the contemporary plague of preaching the benefits of the gospel without proclaiming Christ himself as the Benefactor in the gospel."Preaching the Atonement" in The Glory of the Atonement (Hill & James, eds), p. 437
We do not offer people abstract blessings (peace, forgiveness, new life) as commodities. Rather we preach and offer Christ crucified and risen, in whom the blessings become ours and not otherwise. We preach the person in the work, never the work and its blessings apart from the Saviour himself.
1 comment:
I really like to hear Sinclair Ferguson speak. He is so gentle and clear in his teachings. We are fortunate to live a little less than an hour away from a church where he has spoken and have been able to go and hear him teach.
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