When was the last time you thought about the Gospel? The last time you considered the sacrifice Christ made for you? All too often, our thoughts of the Gospel are relegated to memories of when we got saved or to taking communion at church. But the reality is that the Gospel is not just a message for salvation, it is a message for life. The Gospel should be ingrained into the life of a believer every moment of everyday. Milton Vincent, in his book A Gospel Primer for Christians, says this: " God did not give us His gospel just so we could embrace it and be converted. Actually He offers it to us every day as a gift that keeps on giving to us everything we need for life and godliness."
We readily recognize the need for the gospel in the life of an unbeliever, but our need for the gospel does not end when we accept God's gift of salvation. In fact, that is only the beginning. Think about it. The gospel brings us the greatest truth about who God is and who we are. It reveals the power of God, the justice of God, the love of God and the grace of God. It's also reveals our weakness, our sinfulness, and our great need for God's love and grace. There are many reasons why the gospel is vital to the life of a believer. I'll just share a few.
The gospel reminds us that it is not about us! Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Just as salvation is the work of grace, so is the process of growth in our lives! We may understand that we did nothing to earn salvation but once we are saved we often work really hard at trying to change our behavior. For example, I spent years attempting to fight off anxiety by trying to work up courage and not be afraid. But the reality is that I can't...instead I need to learn to simply transfer trust. Stop trusting my own efforts and put my trust solely in God and His perfect control. You see change comes not from mustering up our greatest effort, but from fixing our eyes on the Author & Finisher of our faith.
The gospel also shows us how to love others. Romans 5:8 says, "But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us." In those moments when we find it difficult or extend love to someone, have we forgotten how Christ loved us? The love, grace and mercy that He lavished on us are meant to be shared with those around us. Whether they deserve it or not matters very little, we have the very love of God in us to love them just the same.
Thirdly, the gospel reminds us of the power we've been given. The crux of the gospel is found in the resurrection of Jesus. Had He only come and died, we would still be lost. But He rose in power and as His children we have that same power at work within us. As we read in Ephesians 1:19-20, "I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms." We have no excuse to live defeated, powerless lives!! Jesus has defeated sin, He has defeated the enemy and He has given us the power to live in that victory!
So remember the gospel today! Remember what you have been given and let it continue to change your life!!
