# A Gospel Primer for Christians ![rw-book-cover](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/5103cIVHoDL._SL200_.jpg) ## Metadata - Author: [[Milton Vincent]] - Full Title: A Gospel Primer for Christians - Category: #books ## Highlights - God did not give us His gospel just so we could embrace it and be converted. Actually, He offers it to us every day as a gift that keeps on giving to us everything we need for life and godliness. ([Location 106](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00AY73O8E&location=106)) - Finally, it should be noted that the purpose of this book is admittedly narrow, given the larger context of Christian practice. Actually, there are numerous “habits of grace” that are essential to the full experience of God’s grace in the life of the believer. Some of them are as follows: Bible meditation (Acts 20:32; Colossians 3:16), faith (Hebrews 4:2), prayer (Hebrews 4:16), fellowship with the saints (Ephesians 4:29), humility (James 4:6), generosity (2 Corinthians 9:8-14), obedience (Titus 2:11-12), forgiveness (Ephesians 4:32), worship (Ephesians 1:6), and evangelism (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). ([Location 147](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00AY73O8E&location=147)) - Nonetheless, this book is based on the premise that all Christians should become expert in their knowledge and use of the gospel, not simply so they can share it faithfully with non-Christians, but also so they can speak it to themselves every day and experience its benefits. In fact, if Christians would do more preaching of the gospel to themselves, non-Christians might have less trouble comprehending its message, for they would see its truth and power exuding from believers in indisputable ways. ([Location 154](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00AY73O8E&location=154)) - Re-preaching the gospel and then showing how it applied to life was Paul’s choice method for ministering to believers, thereby providing a divinely inspired pattern for me to follow when ministering to myself and to other believers. ([Location 174](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00AY73O8E&location=174)) - Outside of heaven, the power of God in its highest density is found inside the gospel. This must be so, for the Bible twice describes the gospel as “the power of God.” ([Location 181](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00AY73O8E&location=181)) - As long as I am inside the gospel, I experience all the protection I need from the powers of evil that rage against me. ([Location 190](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00AY73O8E&location=190)) - That God would tell me to “take up” and “put on” this gospel armor alerts me to the fact that I do not automatically come into each day protected by the gospel. In fact, these commands imply that I am vulnerable to defeat and injury unless I seize upon the gospel and arm myself with it from head to toe. And what better way is there to do this than to preach the gospel to myself and to make it the obsession of my heart throughout each day? ([Location 196](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00AY73O8E&location=196)) - But where do I find God’s glory to behold? Indeed, the glory of God is revealed throughout all of Creation,15 but the Bible indicates that, outside of heaven, the glory of God in its thickest density dwells inside the gospel. ([Location 204](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00AY73O8E&location=204)) - Every time I deliberately disobey a command of God, it is because I am in that moment doubtful as to God’s true intentions in giving me that command. ([Location 211](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00AY73O8E&location=211)) - When I begin my train of thought with the gospel, I realize that if God loved me enough to sacrifice His Son’s life for me, then He must be guided by that same love when He speaks His commandments to me. ([Location 215](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00AY73O8E&location=215)) - As long as I am stricken with the guilt of my sins, I will be captive to them, and will often find myself re-committing the very sins about which I feel most guilty. The Devil is well aware of this fact; he knows that if he can keep me tormented by sin’s guilt, he can dominate me with sin’s power. ([Location 227](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00AY73O8E&location=227)) - The gospel also reminds me that my righteous standing with God always holds firm regardless of my performance, because my standing is based solely on the work of Jesus and not mine.28 On my worst days of sin and failure, the gospel encourages me with God’s unrelenting grace toward me.29 On my best days of victory and usefulness, the gospel keeps me relating to God solely on the basis of Jesus’ righteousness and not mine. ([Location 236](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00AY73O8E&location=236))