https://nouthetic.org/preaching-the-gospel-to-yourself/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=preaching-the-gospel-to-yourself Welcome to the Mid-America Institute for Nouthetic Studies, founded by Jay Adams. INS provides training and resources for biblical counseling. Mon, 11 Oct 2021 13:13:13 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://nouthetic.org/preaching-the-gospel-to-yourself/#comment-954 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:09:56 +0000 https://www.nouthetic.org/blog/?p=4993#comment-954 Mike, when pressed, the proponents of this type of thinking might not endorse it, but they imply it all the time. Here is an example from the twitter feed of Ray Ortlund:
“Sanctification is the art of getting used to unconditional justification.”
or from the “Whitehorse Inn” podcast:
“Every time we desire more practical (i.e. topical) preaching from the pulpit, we are essentially asking for more LAW…tell me what to do, rather than what has been done – GOSPEL!”
To neglect anything of the Gospel is to damage it. Belief, repentance, obedience.

]]> https://nouthetic.org/preaching-the-gospel-to-yourself/#comment-953 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 18:45:51 +0000 https://www.nouthetic.org/blog/?p=4993#comment-953 Jay, I have at least twelve of your books on my shelf that I have read and highlighted and there is little in those books that I would disagree with. So it is surprising that I find myself on the other side of the fence with you on this particular article, but I do.
It is my estimation that you have created a dichotomy that does not exist. In the books and articles that I have read by those encouraging believers to “preach the gospel to themselves”, I have not seen a call to ponder the gospel to the exclusion of obedience to the word, serving others, or seeking to be more holy. Actually they speak just the opposite – all of those things naturally flow out the the truth of the gospel and find their motivation in the gospel. The more I am keenly aware of man’s lost condition by pondering daily the gospel ,the more I will be aware of my need to evangelize. The more I am aware that the power of sin has been broken and what an offense my sin is to God by pondering the gospel, the more I desire to fight for purity and holiness.
I would understand your position if they communicated that pondering on the gospel and being happy about what God has done for me is the end all in faith, but I have not seen that side communicated when they encourage believers to “preach the gospel.”
Jay, thank you for all you have done in training others to walk in obedience to God’s word.
Sincerely,
Mike

]]> https://nouthetic.org/preaching-the-gospel-to-yourself/#comment-952 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 18:27:42 +0000 https://www.nouthetic.org/blog/?p=4993#comment-952 Thanks Jay.
It is good to see somebody else noticing this pattern. I recently heard a well-known bible teacher state that the reason Christians are struggling with leaving their sinful habits behind is because we are not preaching enough on the atonement and justification. What happened to preaching on the necessity/obligation of sanctification!? It seems the problem lies in the fact that too many see such sanctification as exclusively the work of the Spirit and only as the result of a person’s continued trust in the work of Christ. The days of “cutting off hand and gouging out eye” seem far in the past. May God bring a revival in this area without losing sight of Christ’s work which makes it all possible.

]]>