A Gospel Catechism

Our Sunday morning Bible study group has been going through a series of audio messages preached by Pastor William Downing titled "A Gospel Catechism". The series is currently out-of-print but my wife managed to obtain one of the last copies of the cassette tapes with an attendant booklet and painstakenly dubbed the messages to MP3 CD's and retyped the booklet which we have reproduced and are using in our Sunday morning Bible study.

The catechism lists twenty-nine essentials of the gospel in a question and answer format such as:

1. Q: What is the Gospel? A: The Gospel is the "Good News".
2. Q: To Understand the Gospel, where must be begin? A: We must begin with God.
3. Q: Where do we learn about God? A: We learn about God in creation and in the Bible.

etc.

Under each answer are subpoints and Biblical references which are further explained and expanded on in the audio message.

In short, the series is very Biblical and thorough....as is all of Dr. Downing's preaching.

Last Sunday we dealt with Question 14: When does salvation enter the experience of the sinner? Answer: At saving conviction of sin. A saving conviction of sin is the first awakening of conscience that one is a sinner before God. This implies several realities:

1. That the truth is preached to the extent that there is a true conviction of sin! The sinner under the preaching of truth is convinced that he is a sinner before God, i.e. that he begins to see sin as God sees it.

2. That the conviction of sin is saving conviction. There is a natural conviction of conscience and a religious conviction that derives from tradition or training. These are not necessarily saving conviction. There is also a conviction over certain sins that is not saving conviction of sin as the ruling or dominating power in the life.

(emphasis mine)

In explaining this topic Dr. Downing stated that "preaching the love of God produces sympathy not conviction of sin". The preaching of the Law brings conviction. He also reminded us that, "sin is defined by God in the Word of God" not by our definition or the definition provided by our church or denomination (i.e. don't smoke, drink, or chew, or go out with girls that do). Sin is a matter of the heart. And, finally, "conviction of conscience is not conviction of sin". I can be convicted of my bad habits or fear of hell but this is not necessarily the same as seeing my sin as God sees it...as an affront to His Holiness and Righteousness. I might be convicted over my particular sin but not of SIN as the ruling power in my life.

A clear message to those who would seek to share the Gospel . "Repentance" of particular sins or desire to change life-habits or experience a "reformation" is not the same as having a clear understanding of SIN as the "ruling or dominating power in the life"... we must come to understand our depraved nature as revealed in the Scriptures and our inability and helplessness and hopelessness to save ourselves apart from that redemptive, substitutionary atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ ... this is conviction of SIN as required in presenting the Gospel as "good news".

Pastor Downing is senior pastor of the Sovereign Grace Baptist Church of Silicon Valley, CA.

posted by john d.