Continuing our quoted review of The Great Work of the Gospel: How We Experience God’s Grace by John Ensor, here is a quote from the first chapter, “The Great Work Considered”:
In searching out the grace of God according to the Bible, it does not take long to be surprised. The apostle Paul said, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3). A matter of first importance? The top priority in life? I once had the disturbing experience of being told, “I forgive you.” It was disturbing because I had not asked for it. I was not looking for it and I did not sense that I needed it. In terms of our human experience, the gospel seems to do the same thing. It seeks to scratch where we feel no itch. It offers as a matter of first importance what we consider of least concern–God’s forgiveness, reconciliation, and new life through the life and work of Jesus Christ.
Nonetheless, there it is.
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