The Gospel
God created the world. We, his creatures, rebelled, but God, in unfathomable grace, sent His Son, Jesus, as the sacrifice for our sins. Through faith in Jesus, we have been forgiven of our sins, welcomed as sons and daughters, and empowered by His Spirit to live lives that reflect his goodness and love. This is the gospel. This is our core passion, and the source from which all of our other desires and ministries flow.
An
important question: Have you embraced the Gospel?
Another
Important Question: Are you applying the Gospel daily?
God’s
purpose in saving us was so that the all of our lives and all of creation would
be united in Christ; he would be head over all things and he would fill all
things through his body, the Church. (Ephesians 1)
The working
out of the gospel in all of life means that we have both the privilege and the
power to respond to what God has accomplished; this means we worship God in all
things, all places and through every activity. We are called and sent to BE the
Church on mission ALL the time whenever we gather and wherever we go. (Matthew
28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 1:22-23)
In order
for us to be faithful to the purposes of the gospel, we must walk in line with
the gospel in everything (Galatians 2:14) and in whatever we do we do it by God
and for God (Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17) – every part
of life is supposed to be dedicated to the ministry and mission of the gospel.
Jesus said
the best defense of the gospel is the way we live our lives together (John
13:34-35). This calls for a loving community living out the gospel together.
(adapted from the writings of Soma Community and Daniel Montgomery)
Why Should I Be Saved? (Embracing the Gospel)
God
created us for his glory.
“Bring my
sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth,…whom I created for
my glory” (Isaiah 43:6-7).
God made us
to magnify His greatness—the way telescopes magnify stars. He created us to put
his goodness, truth, beauty, wisdom and justice on display. The greatest
display of God’s glory comes from deep delight in all that He is. This means
that God gets the praise and we get the pleasure. God created us so that He is
most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.
Every
human should live for God’s glory.
“So whether
you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians
10:31).
If God made
us for His glory, it is clear that we should live for His glory. Our duty comes
from His design. So our first obligation is to show God’s value by being
satisfied with all that He is for us. This is the essence of loving God
(Matthew 22:37), trusting him (1 John 5:3-4) and being thankful to him (Psalm
100:2-4). It is the root of all true obedience, especially loving others
(Colossians 1:4-5).
All of
us have failed to glorify God as we should.
“All have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
What does
it mean to “fall short of the glory of God?” It means that none of us has
trusted and treasured God the way we should. We have not been satisfied with
His greatness and walked in His ways. We have sought our satisfaction in other
things and treated them as more valuable than God, which is the essence of idolatry
(Romans 1:21-23). Since sin came into the world, we have all been deeply
resistant to having God as our all-satisfying treasure (Ephesians 2:3). This is
an appalling offense to the greatness of God (Jeremiah 2:12-13).
All of
us are subject to God’s just condemnation.
“The wages
of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23).
We have all
belittled the glory of God. How? By preferring other things above him. By our
ingratitude, distrust and disobedience. So God is just in shutting us out from
the enjoyment of his glory forever. “They will suffer the punishment of eternal
destruction and exclusion from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of
his might” (2 Thessalonians 1:9).
The word
“hell” is used in the New Testament twelve times—eleven times by Jesus himself.
It is not a myth created by dismal and angry preachers. It is a solemn warning
from the Son of God who died to deliver sinners from its curse. We ignore it at
great risk.
If the
Bible stopped here in its analysis of the human condition, we would be doomed
to a hopeless future. However, this is not where it stops…
God sent
his only son Jesus to provide eternal life and joy.
“Here is a
trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners…" (1Timothy 1:15).
The good
news is that Christ died for sinners like us. And He rose physically from the
dead to validate the saving power of his death and to open the gates of eternal
life and joy (1 Corinthians 15:20). This means God can acquit guilty sinners
and still be just (Romans 3:25-26). “For Christ died for sins once for all, the
righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Coming home
to God is where all deep and lasting satisfaction is found.
The benefits purchased by the death of Christ belong to those who repent and trust him.
“Repent,
then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out” (Acts 3:19).
“Believe in
the Lord Jesus and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).
“Repent”
means to turn from all the deceitful promises of sin. “Faith” means being
satisfied with all that God promises to be for us in Jesus. “He who believes in
me,” Jesus says, “shall never thirst” (John 6:35). We do not earn our
salvation. We cannot merit it (Romans 4:4-5). It is by grace through faith
(Ephesians 2:8-9). It is a free gift (Romans 3:24). We will have it if we
cherish it above all things (Matthew 13:44). When we do that, God’s aim in
creation is accomplished: He is glorified in us and we are satisfied in
Him—forever.
The best
news in the world is that there is no necessary conflict between our happiness
and God’s holiness. Being satisfied with all that God is for us in Jesus
magnifies Him as a great Treasure.
“You have
made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” (Psalm 16:11)
*By John Piper. Desiring God. www.desiringGod.org
