In preparation for this weekends sermon on Chosen by Grace from Colossians 3:12, I wanted to share a Gospel Prose that has been of great encouragement to me. Paul declares that we who are in Christ are continually being renewed in the knowledge after the image of our creator; that is the new man in us is becoming what we are beholding. That is Christ and the truth of who He is as confirmed by Scripture and the testimony that is in us, the Holy Spirit. We are growing in the knowledge of the truth!
One of those great truths is that we have been elected by God from all eternity past for the praise of His glory and demonstration of His love (Eph 1:5-6; 2 Tim 1:9). This truth drives our praise toward God and desire to live a life pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ. There’s no getting around the fact that truth will drive our behavior. This truth drives our worship.
One who encapsulates this truth is Milton Vincent and his work “A Gospel Primer for Christians: Learning to See the Glories of God’s love.” This little booklet is a daily read for me as I wash in the gospel daily and seek to be humbled by God’s gospel.
Here is an excerpt that should be on every Christians tongue as they consider God’s work in Election:
Apart from Christ Jesus
and His saving cause:I carry sins guilt
and am gripped by sins power,
held fast to it’s
various lusts every hour.Deserving of flames
both within and without,
and sliding toward Hell
as I toss all about.Too reprobate even
to play a small part,
in clearing my record
or changing my heart.To pacify wrath
and be worthy of grace,
to make myself lovely
and win God’s embrace.Completely condemned by
God’s law in it’s whole,
I’ve nothing to offer
to ransom my soul.But wonder of wonders
so great to behold,
My God chose to save me
with method so bold.What I could not render,
God fully has done,
and doing, He rendered it
all through His Son.He sent Christ to die
on the cross for my sin,
To suffer my anguish
my pardon to win.Amazing as it is, when I
stop to regard,
that God would consent
to an anguish so hard,Surrendering His Son
unto mayhem and death,
to torturous writhing
‘til His final breath.“Why does God forsake Me?”
alone Jesus cried,
Yet God left Him hanging
until he died.That Jesus was willing
His life to lay down,
be scouraged and insulted
and wear thorny crown,For such as I
who had spited God so,
Amazes and blesses
and makes me to know,That greater a lover
is no man than He
Who laid down His life
for a sinner like me.– Milton Vincent
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