John Piper relays this illustration, preached by Doug Wilson, on the difference between good advice and good news.
Good advice is a teacher saying to her class, “Study hard. Memorize your paradigms. Do your homework and get it in every night. And then I think you’ll do fine on the final exam and the passing of this course.”
All that is really good advice.
Then the exam comes and this teacher is walking down the aisle and she sees this young fellow sitting over a blank piece of paper, not able to write anything on the final exam.
She stops and says more good advice. “Try to remember everything you studied. Give yourself attention here and just relax.”
That’s all very good advice.
But if she says, “Why don’t you scoot over and I’ll take the test for you.”
That’s good news.
Good advice is important. We want it. Need it. The Bible is full of it.
But we don’t want to be like the Jews in Jesus’ day who searched the scriptures looking for good advice—on eternal life—but when Eternal Life Himself (i.e. Good News) showed up, they refused to come to him (John 5:39-40).
Don’t miss the Good News by focusing only on the good advice.
When Christ says, “Scoot over and I’ll take the test for you,” let him. He’ll pass it with flying colors. And you’ll get the A+.
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The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and good news refreshes the bones.
Proverbs 15:30
And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
Luke 2:10
