Earlier this year, I was reading J. I. Packer's introduction to John Owen's The Death of Death in the Death of Christ. In Packer's excellent article, he happily notes that he sees "signs today of a new upsurge of interest in the theology of the Bible: a new readiness to test traditions, to search the Scriptures and to think through the faith." Throughout Packer's essay he compares the powerful, life-changing old gospel to the weak, new gospel of our day. Packer urges us that if we will but contrast the old and the new in the light of the Scriptures "it will help us in one of the most urgent tasks facing Evangelical Christendom today—the recovery of the gospel."
And so a conference theme was born: Recovering the Gospel.
It really is staggering when you think of how many different ways the old gospel is being attacked and, in many cases, has been actually lost by churches. Whether it is pressure to gut the gospel of its offense - and thus its power - under the guise of being “loving” . . . or perhaps it is condescending pressure to not take such a firm stand on the exclusivity of Jesus’ claims….or perhaps it is disgust at mentioning God’s requirement for Jesus to actually have been “punished” . . . so many attacks on the gospel's simple yet powerful message. Oh, how many empty, worldly philosophies today are pressing in, trying to snuff out the old gospel flame! It is indeed the church's most urgent task to recover the beauty and power of the ancient gospel message!
I do so hope you will come and join us on May 13-14, 2011 to Fellowship in the Gospel.
Visit www.FellowshipintheGospel.com for more information.
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