At each elders’ day away I assign a book to myself and my fellow elders. Often we’ll think about an issue in church history, a specific pastoral issue, a theological debate, or some aspect of ecclesiology. However from time to time I think that it is important that we simply stop and talk about that which is of first importance. That’s why for this past elders day away we read Milton Vincent’s book A Gospel Primer for Christians: Learning to See the Glories of God’s Love. It is a wonderful little book that is meant for meditative reading. For us, it was soul food, if you will, and even if you won’t! There were a number of good little mediations that could be frequently explored further through the Scriptural citations provided. For now, I just wanted to share with you the two most humbling and helpful thoughts from the book for me, and I hope that they would be of some encouragement to you as well.

From Exposed by the Cross, Part II (p.34):

“The Cross also exposes me before the eyes of other people, informing them of the depth of my depravity.  If I wanted others to think highly of me, I would conceal the fact that a shameful slaughter of the perfect Son of God was required that I might be saved.”

A humbling thought, isn’t it?  That’s what was required for my salvation, and now you know just how deeply fallen I am.

Saved for Good Works (p.38):

Reflecting on Ephesians 2:10 Vincent writes, “Preaching the gospel to myself each day not only reminds me of the love of God for me, but it also reminds me of the love of God for the works that He has saved me to perform.  When I see the Cross, I see the premium that God places on the works that He has prepared for me.  How valuable all of these works must be if Christ would die so that I might now perform them!  And how precious are those for whom these works are done if Christ would die that they might be served!”

That’s a helpful reminder with regard to how much our God values good works done by his grace for his glory.  And that’s good motivation to walk in them too.

Be on the lookout for another copy or two to be given away during the discipleship hour in the coming weeks. It might be a good book to read along with your Bible each day, or it might be a good book to use as a springboard into your Bible reading. It’s a book that will make you grateful for Christ’s righteous work on your behalf, and encourage your hunger and thirst for righteousness. It is soul food after all.