YouTube - Half a Gospel is no Gospel at all - Alistair Begg

YouTube - Half a Gospel is no Gospel at all - Alistair Begg

The purpose of the law is to reveal that Jew and Gentile are both alike condemned by their own violation of the law of God. Even the most saintly Christian deserves hell as much as any "good" atheist. This is the part that Reformed Christians, Wesleyans, Pentecostals, Arminians, and various other "self-righteous" humans do not get. The only assurance the Christian can have is in grace, not personal holiness since personal holiness always falls short of the mark (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-9). Grace is not a license to sin. But the problem with legalism is that it looks for loopholes instead of admitting that no one keeps God's law well enough to deserve anything at all from God. All of the glory must go to God. All that is necessary to church membership is a credible profession of faith, not a super spiritual level of sanctification. All sanctification in comparison with God's holiness is merely a superficial righteousness that falls way short of God's absolute holiness. The sort of thinking that tends to exalt self is just semi-pelagianism masquerading as "Reformed" teaching. "We're not really that bad. After all, we don't fornicate, commit adultery, rob, steal or kill." But are you selfish? What is the disease? Are you focusing on the symptoms or on the disease? Listen to this sermon by Alistair Begg!