William P. Farley - Hidden in the Gospel : truths you forget to tell yourself every day

Whoever thought that back talk could be good? In the form that Bill Farley describes it, back talk is not only good but is essential for growth and health in the Christian life. Every Christian benefits from consistent and regular reminders of what God has done for us in Christ, and this involves reflection on some of the most glorious teachings of Scripture that span from eternity past to eternity future. Such is the breadth of the gospel, and such is the opportunity for Christians to have their minds and hearts transformed by the gospels power. Those who read this book will enter into this gospel breadth with the hope and promise of greater love for God and longing to live in the fullness of the gospel.

Bruce A. Ware, Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky

Bill Farley continues his valuable contributions to gospel-centered living with Hidden in the Gospel. While others have mentioned the importance of preaching to ourselves, Bill shows us how to do so. His practical unpacking of the primary theological components of a wide-angle understanding of the biblical gospel is just what we need to keep our self-talk grounded in Gods redemptive work in Christ. I am confident this book will be useful to all believers, whether for individual study or in a group setting.

Randal Roberts, President and Professor of Spiritual Formation, Western Seminary, Portland, Oregon

Pastor-theologian Bill Farley has given us a grand tool for sustaining and elevating our souls by preaching the massive gospel of Christ to, of all people, ourselves! This small gem of a book provides a joyous gospel feast that begins with our election in Christ before the foundation of the world and ends with Christs new creation. No small thoughts here! This is the recipe for big, expansive, and ever-expanding hearts.

R. Kent Hughes, Senior Pastor Emeritus, College Church in Wheaton

Pastors would have to engage in very little counseling if Christians prioritized what Bill Farley exhorts his readers to do in Hidden in the Gospel . To gain clarity on the gospel of Jesus Christ and to practice consistent self-talk based upon that gospel would transform the lives of Christians, their homes, and their churches.

Don Whitney, Associate Professor of Biblical Spirituality, Senior Associate Dean for the School of Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky

HIDDEN IN
THE GOSPEL

Truths You Forget to Tell Yourself Every Day

WILLIAM P. FARLEY

Dedicated to Ken Fry and Johnny Masis.

Their love for the gospel, and their encouragement,
inspired me to write on this idea.

2014 by William P. Farley

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwiseexcept for brief quotations for the purpose of review or comment, without the prior permission of the publisher, P&R Publishing Company, P.O. Box 817, Phillipsburg, New Jersey 08865-0817.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from ESV Bible ( The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ). Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are from The Holy Bible, New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Italics within Scripture quotations indicate emphasis added.

Text bubble graphic vectorstock.com / tkacchuk

ISBN: 978-1-59638-746-1 (pbk)

ISBN: 978-1-59638-747-8 (ePub)

ISBN: 978-1-59638-748-5 (Mobi)

Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013921303

Contents

1. Preach to Yourself 9

2. Chosen before the Foundation of the World 21

3. The Great Descent 33

4. No Hope without It! 49

5. The Heart of the Matter 61

6. Hope for the Hopeless 73

7. The Forgotten Doctrine 85

8. Christ Will Return 97

9. A New Creation 111

Notes 123

T his is a book about basic Christian doctrines, with an emphasis on practical application.

I have written it with the conviction that theology matters. However, theology separated from real life is not helpful. It is just dry, crusty religion. Who wants that? On the other hand, attempts to apply the Christian life without clear-cut, sharply defined theology will usually end up in legalism. No one wants that either. What really changes believers is clearly defined theology driven deep into the heart by the power of the Holy Spirit. It produces love, joy, and peace. That is the goal of every Christian, and it is also the goal of this book.

In other words, you are holding a book in your hands about basic theology for everyday Christians like you and me. It is a book about the most fundamental doctrinethe gospeland why we should daily preach it to ourselves. That raises an important question. Why another book about the gospel? More pointedly, why a book about preaching the gospel to oneself? This topic is not new.

The church needs this book for at least two reasons. First, we need to preach a bigger gospel. The gospel is more, but never less, than justification by faith alone. In addition, it is more, but never less, than penal substitution. This book is about what I will call a wide-angle gospel. By wide-angle I mean it is about all that God the Father has done to save us, starting in eternity past and moving forward to eternity future. I am not aware of any books that exhort Christians to preach a wide-angle gospel to themselves.

There is a second reason that this book matters. I dont know of any books that connect preaching the gospel to yourself with daily life application.

I was a Christian for at least twenty-five years before I first heard the words Preach the gospel to yourself! Looking back, I wish I had heard that message earlier. This concept has been decisive in my Christian maturation. At first it meant, Remind yourself regularly that Jesus died for you, that he loves you, that he forgives you, and that you are saved by faith plus nothing. Then it began to morph into something bigger and more beautiful. As the years have progressed, the meaning and application of the gospel have expanded. The applications to my own life, and to the lives of people in my congregation, have grown and multiplied. I have written this book to share my joy with you, the reader, and also to motivate you to go beyond this little book in your knowledge of, and application of, the gospel.

THE GOSPEL IS THEOLOGY

Christians get their theologytheir understanding of who God is and what he is likeprimarily from the gospel. The gospel, culminating in the death and resurrection of Christ, reveals God. It unveils him. The unveiling is always shocking. God is not what we expect. However, after the shock wears off, we find God infinitely better than we expect.

This book is about how to know God through the gospel story. It is about the joy that proceeds from getting to know God through the discipline of talking back to yourselfwhat some have called preaching the gospel to yourself.

This book is not a comprehensive analysis of the many doctrines that make up the gospel. For example, I do not cover Pentecost. Instead, each chapter covers one of the events that form the matrix of the gospel.