Every day this week (Mon-Fri) I’ve posted excerpts from Tullian Tchividjian’s book, “Jesus + Nothing = Everything”. Thanks to my friends at Crossway Books, at the bottom of each day’s post there has been an opportunity for subscribers to the blog to win a copy of the book as well. Today marks the final excerpt, and the final opportunity to win a copy.
Congratulations Stacey Unruh-Kemp, who was the winner for Day #4.
Here is the final excerpt:
Law and Gospel
One of the indicators that we’re firmly on the path of Christian growth—one of the marks of a truly maturing Christian—is that we begin to love the things God loves, and to want the things God wants, and to hate the things God hates. In this regard, the law guides us as well, and it guides wisely. It tells us what God wants and who God is. Yes, the law is good.
But while the law guides, it does not give. It has the power to reveal sin but not the power to remove sin. It simply cannot engender what it commands. The law shows us what godliness is, but it cannot make us godly like the gospel can. The law shows us what a sanctified life looks like, but it does not have sanctifying power as the gospel does. So, apart from the gospel, the law crushes. The law shows us what to do. The Gospel announces what God has done. The law directs us, but only the gospel can drive us. It’s very important to keep these distinctions in mind.
Let me stress again that this is not a matter of whether obedience to God’s law is important, either to us or to God. Of course it’s important. The question is: Where does our power to obey God’s commands come from? Does it come from the gospel—from what God has done for us? Or does it come from the law—from what we must do? That contrast is another way of asking, Does the power come from God or from you? It’s that simple.
Tullian Tchividjian, Jesus + Nothing = Everything (pp.188-189)
Day #5′s giveaway is now closed. Congratulations Jennifer Szczyrbak!
Hello, I have posted this on Twitter and Facebook!
Posted on FB, Twitter, and G+
Posted on Facebook and Twitter!
tweeted it!
Also posted to Twitter. Thanks again for the opportunity!
Posted on Twitter, Facebook and Google+
Posted on facebook. Thank you for sharing!
Tweeted it.
posted on Twitter
Posted on Twitter.
Shared of FB.
tweet posted as well as email subscription, Thanks!
Twitted it.
Tweeted!!!! Sorry!
I also posted it on G+
Excellent points. The Holy Spirit fuels the engine of my obedience, chug-a, chug-a, toot, toot! (Reposted on Twitter.)
Thanks Nan. You made me smile!
Facebooked!
subscribed, tweeted, facebooked and G+. hope i win so i can give my copy away.
Very happy to tweet it..and Google+ it.
Shared on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.
Thanks again for sharing. Pastor Tullian is an amazing person. Posted to FB.
Nice.
If you wanna learn about Law and Gospel, C.F.W. Walther wrote the book…
I posted to my facebook profile.
Twitter and FB again. Thanks for the nice excerpts Nate.
Tweeted and Facebooked!
Tweetie McTweeterson.
Tweeted it!
Shared on FB
Shared on Facebook
Shared on twitter.
Posted it to the twitter which also goes to the Facebook!
I tweeted and posted to fb!
Tweeted & posted to FB & G+. =)
i tweeted and fb’d on both my personal fb and my ministry fb pages. ministry page is faithsgrip for verification! i wanna win! dying for this book!!!!!
I Posted on Twitter, FB, and G+
Nathan, you may be interested in a review of this book which has been posted at the Meet the Puritans website. Dr Mark Jones, in his review, has raised some very interesting questions over this book.
To be brief he is arguing that the model of sanctification presented in this book is not in keeping with the teaching of the Westminster standards and does not reflect the teaching of the scriptures.
While I cannot comment on the book as a whole (I have not read the volume, although I hope to do so in the near future), nor can I therefore either at this point endorse or reject Dr. Jones’ review, I thought you may have some thoughts to offer on the subject.
I’m sure in your endorsement of this volume you wouldn’t have anticipated that some serious people in Reformed circles would be throwing terms such as antinomianism and quietism in the direction of this book. And I’m quite sure you would want to distance yourself from such erroneous views of the doctrine of sanctification.
Incidentally I also understand that there is a forthcoming review of the book which will be posted at Ref21. I’m not aware if that review will also be negative.