Desiring God - Part 5
I am currently reading Desiring God by John Piper.
I am continuing with how Piper discusses conversion. Piper begins by telling us how we have failed God. He explains how desperate our condition is before telling us the hope that can be found in Christ. He uses many passages of Scripture to back up his points.
Piper even justifies hell and the just-ness of everlasting torment. He explains how our sin committed against a holy God is infinitely bad. Tough subject to tackle and definitely not what our “itching ears want to hear.”
I love Piper’s simple explanation of the death of Christ. He says, “The death of Christ is the wisdom of God by which the love of God saves sinners from the wrath of God, all the while upholding and demonstrating the righteousness of God in Christ.”
Piper ends his discussion on our desperate need by saying, “If the most terrifying news in the world is that we have fallen under the condemnation of our Creator and that He is bound by His own righteous character to preserve the worth of His glory by pouring out His wrath on our sin, then the best news in all the world (the gospel!) is that God has decreed a way of salvation that also upholds the worth of His glory, the honor of His Son, and the eternal salvation of His elect. He has given His Son to die for sinners and to conquer their death by His own resurrection.”
Piper then begins to elegantly explain salvation and how it is applied to a person’s life. I really like how he defines words. He starts with the word conversion and defines it. Many words like this become buzz words in the Christian life, and we never stop to think about what they mean. He defines conversion as “repentance (turning from sin and unbelief) and faith (trusting in Christ alone for salvation).“
Piper then defines regeneration. He also gives the right interpretation that regeneration precedes conversion or faith. I would completely agree with this. If God does not first remove the blinders from our eyes and make it possible for us to believe, we would never trust in Christ as our Savior. It is simply impossible for us to trust in Christ in our unregenerate state. Piper even rightly states that faith is evidence of new birth and not the cause of it.
Piper concludes by discussing the necessity of good works and fruit that come after conversion. These works in no way save us or make us more saved but are a natural by-product that comes from the change within.