What makes GOOD NEWS good?

What is the good news? What is the heart of Christianity? What is the best thing in life? John Piper on 2 Corinthians 3v17-4v7 presents the answer. You want to listen to this. You need to read this. You really do. As do I.

"What makes good news good? Seeing the glory of Christ"
MP3 | Script

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God,we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." 2 Corinthians 3v17-4v7, ESV

These are Piper's points from this key text...

1. The Highest, Best, and Final Good of the Good News Is the Glory of Christ
2. We Have All Been Blind to this Glory
3. God Alone Can Take Away the Blindness and Cause Us to See Christ for Who He Is
4. God Uses Messengers of the Word to Open the Eyes of the Blind
5. In the Mouth of These Messengers God Makes Patient Teaching About Christ the Means of Seeing the Glory of Christ in the Gospel