God is the Gospel -- Chapter 5

• Sometimes when we hear that the Holy Spirit enables us to believe the gospel,
  or that the Spirit bears witness to the truth of the gospel, we have
  the notion in our minds that the validity of the gospel depends on
  new information given by the Spirit. But that is not what is meant
  historically by the internal testimony of the Spirit.
• The testimony of the Spirit is more excellent than all reason. For as
  God alone is a fit witness of himself in his Word, so also the Word
  will not find acceptance in men’s hearts before it is sealed by the
  inward testimony of the Spirit.
• The answer is not that the Spirit gives us added revelation to
  what is in Scripture, but that he awakens us, as from the dead, to
  see and taste the divine reality of the glory of Christ in the gospel.
• Therefore illumined by [the Spirit’s] power, we believe neither by
  our own [note this!] nor by anyone else’s judgment that Scripture
  is from God; but above human judgment we affirm with utter certainty
  (just as if we were gazing upon the majesty of God himself)
  that it has flowed to us from the very mouth of God by the ministry
  of men.
• In other words, by the Spirit we are enabled to see what is really there in the gospel. There is real light and real glory, and it is manifestly divine. It carries its
  own authentication.
• many people profess faith in Christ in this way. It is not a faith founded on the
  glory of Christ himself but on tradition or education or other people’s
  opinion. If that is the case, the faith is not saving faith.
• Therefore, the glory of God in the face of Christ—that is,
  the glory of Christ who is the image of God—is essential to the
  gospel. It is not marginal or dispensable. Paul calls the gospel “the
  gospel of the glory of Christ.” This glory is what the events of the
  gospel are designed to reveal. If a person comes to the gospel and
  sees the events of Good Friday and Easter and believes that they
  happened and that they can bring some peace of mind, but does
  not see and savor any of this divine glory, that person does not
  have saving faith.
• A professing Christian can have many right words but no spiritual fruit. What is wrong?
  The supernatural change from darkness to light has not happened.
  The blinding effects of sin and Satan have not been lifted. The eyes
  of the heart are still unable to see and savor the glory of Christ who
  is the image of God.
• It is true that all the Scripture has the mark of God’s glory on it, since he is its theme
  and author. But in the gospel events of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection—
  the terrible and wonderful events of Good Friday and
  Easter—the glory of God shines most brightly
• The importance of seeing the glory of Christ in the gospel will
  become clearer and more urgent if we ponder how this truth affects
  the task of evangelism and missions and the manifold ministries of
  the church in trying to change people’s behavior.