“Preach the gospel to yourself everyday.”
This sentence has changed my life. A few years ago, as a young Christian, I read a book entitled The Cross-Centered Life by Pastor C.J. Mahaney. This was the central message of the book that has been a foundational truth for my daily walk with Jesus. I so often forget my identity in Christ and fall into all types of sin. This post and series is a gospel-reminder for us all. The Gospel and Everyday Life series is written by several friends of mine in the faith. Here is the first post written by Pastor Theron St. John. He reminds us what the gospel is and how to keep First Things First in our daily lives. In Christ,
-Steve
First Things First
I recall a conversation I engaged in with a fellow young adult a couple of years ago. This particular person professed to be a Christian. However, when it came to her description of the gospel, she was less than clear. Her best answer was when she said, “I believe in God.” The further we discussed matters, it was also apparent she did not understand the implications of the gospel into all spheres of life. She saw the gospel as part of her church life but not as something that affected her work life and her relational life. The sad reality is she is not the only professing believer who struggles to define the gospel and recognize the gospel’s impact of everyday life. As Christians, we must put first things first and realize the gospel is what is of first importance (1 Corinthians 5:3-4).
Clarity on the Gospel
We need clarity on the gospel before we can consider the centrality of the gospel. We must define the gospel in order to apply the gospel. Therefore, the question we must first answer is, “What is the gospel?” One particular biblical framework has four components: God-Man-Christ-Response.
God
The gospel begins where the Bible begins, with God. We read in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” God is the good Creator who is owner of all things (Psalm 24:1) and sovereign over all events. He is the one true God and is holy (Isaiah 6:3).
Man
It is because God is perfect and holy that He rightly requires perfect obedience to His law. James 2:10 reminds us what this means: “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.” We realize, though, we have not kept the whole law. Ever since Genesis 3, we have been rebels against God. We have broken His law. All have been unrighteous and all have fallen short of the glory of God as sinners (Romans 3:10, 23). The price to pay for our sin is physical and eternal death. The first half of Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death.” We deserve God’s wrath and cannot save ourselves. We need a Savior.
Christ
The only hope we have is Jesus Christ. The One who was fully God and fully man came to live a sinless life, die a substitutionary death, and rise again so that we could have new life. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is the message of the gospel. The person and work of Jesus Christ is how we can be reconciled to God and find eternal life with Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). We are saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). The second half of Romans 6:23 sums it up, “But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Response
Our response to what God has done in Christ is we confess our sins and believe in Jesus Christ. We repent of our sins, turning from them, and placing our trust in Christ as our Savior and Lord. Simply put, we must repent of our rebellion and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15).
Centrality of the Gospel
When we have clarity on the definition of the gospel, we can comprehend the centrality of the gospel in everyday life. We lean on the righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21) and the power of the Holy Spirit (Philippians 2:12-13) for our lives. We are empowered to love as Christ has loved (John 13:34-35, John 15:13). We learn to forgive in our relationships as God has forgiven us in Christ (Ephesians 4:25-5:1). We learn the way of humility by following the way of Christ (Philippians 2:1-11). When we grasp the centrality of the gospel, it pours over into every aspect of our lives. This is what happens when we put first things first.
Reflection Question:
Is the Gospel central in your life? Do you preach the gospel to yourself everyday? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life? You can today by turning from your sin and believing in Christ.
Theron St. John serves as associate pastor with Blue Ridge Christian Union Church in Shelbyville, Indiana and teaches as an adjunct professor at Crossroads Bible College in Indianapolis, Indiana. His passion is teaching Christians what it means to live as stewards of the gospel. His blog site is www.entrustedbygod.org.
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