Horton and ‘The Gospel Driven Life’

I have read Michael Horton for quite some time. This professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary in California, is the editor-in-chief at Modern Reformation magazine, a periodical I subscribed to for years. I have always appreciated Horton’s intelligence, discernment and gospel-centered theology. Frankly, his ability to distill the zeitgeist of both the West and the church was one of the biggest reasons I eagerly expected my issues of Modern Reformation. Today I finished his latest book, The Gospel Driven Life. Whether accurate or not, I felt like I had read most of this before, through his magazines. However, this is not a bad thing since his work is so very valuable to the church today. The Gospel Driven Life is a good read, one I think those who are seeking to live for the gospel would be well served by. Here are some of my favorite quotes…

• “It is not Christian orthodoxy but moralistic liberalism that reduces the surprising news of the gospel to the bland repetition of what people already know.” (25)

• “When the righteous of God no longer disturbs (much less terrifies) us, we feel no need to cry out for the righteousness from God that is a gift in Jesus Christ.” (50)

• “When theology dispenses with propitiation (the satisfaction of God’s wrath) as a theme, it must eventually surrender forgiveness as well.”

• “In fact, our sanctification is simply a lifelong process of letting that Good News sink in and responding appropriately: becoming the people  whom God says we already are in Christ.” (77)

• “Sometimes we make ‘spiritual disciplines’ a way of making our way up the mountain to experience God. However, unless we are going regularly to the Scriptures to find Christ and crying out to him for salvation in prayer, even personal Bible reading and prayer can become methods of idolatry and self-trust.” (106)

• “Salvation is not a program for us to follow; it is a gift to be received. That is the simplest and most difficult truth of the Christian faith.” (110)

And yes, I could go on and on. The more I glance over my highlights and notes, the more I appreciate Horton’s book. If your looking to better center yourself in the gospel, pick up a copy of The Gospel Driven Life.