Principles of the Gospel, Part 1
In the early 1990’s, I was sitting in Redeemer Presbyterian Church of New York City, listening to Tim Keller preach. In that sermon, he said something to the effect of “the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not only the way to be saved but is the primary way we grow.” I was captivated by that thought.
I longed to be free of sexual sins, lying, anxiety, insecurities, shame, and living an inauthentic life. I realized that, though I believed the Gospel, I didn’t understand it to such a degree that I knew how it helped me overcome entrenched sins I had struggled with for years.
This devotional series is designed to give you insights on applying the Gospel to your life in a way that transforms it.
I want you to understand this is going to be a process. It is not a quick fix. However, it will be so worth it as it will fill you with a heart that loves Jesus in a way it hasn’t because you will see His love for you in a greater way than you’ve seen it.
First, we have to define and pull out some implications of the Gospel. Then, we need to understand what the Gospel says. Then, we will break down some principles that come from the Gospel. Then, we will apply it to entrenched sins.
Before we say the Gospel, we must define it and pull out implications. As you may have already heard, the word Gospel means good news. To be clear, is news, not instruction, advice, or things to earn. It is good news.
So news is something that was done to us and affects us.
It is as if our favorite sports team was embroiled in a tough battle in a championship game, and we could not bear to watch anymore, so we turned off the TV. Then, later, we turn on the news and hear a newscaster exclaim, “We won!!!” Though we did not play the game, trained hard to play the game, sacrificed so we could be in the best condition we could be to play that game, fought through other tough games to make this championship game, and though we didn’t even watch the game, their victory is our victory. We celebrate like there is no tomorrow.
We would also gain some privileges from their win. Banners on our cars or homes would reflect our joy at the victory, others who share their love for the team would instantly become brothers and sisters, and we would brag about the highlights. We would also gain the distinction of being part of something much greater than ourselves.
Notice there was no effort on our part. There was nothing we did. We simply get the benefit of others’ efforts.
The Gospel is something that is done to us. It is not earned. It is not achieved. It is not that we hear it, work through our reason, and choose it. It is not we obey to such a degree that we are found worthy of it. It is done to us. We receive it like news and get all its benefits and consequences.
In our next post, we will look at what the background to the gospel is and what makes it so amazing.
Prayer: Father, help us get the Gospel in ways we never did before. Help us understand that it is news, not instruction, advice, or something grasped through our efforts. Thank you for ensuring this news is done to us, and we can’t mess it up.
Chew On This:
What is a new event that impacted you? What role did you play in that news event?