NOTE: This is my article for Insight Fall 2011. You can find the whole compilation of articles here.
Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you – unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
1 Corinthians 15:1-5
One of the things that God has been revealing to me is the importance of Gospel-Centeredness.
So what do I mean by Gospel-Centeredness? It’s to focus on the Gospel: the work of Christ on the cross and what He’s done.
It’s to say that the Gospel is the foundation of the Christian faith. It is the Gospel in which we stand, and which we continue to be saved through (in Paul’s words, 1 Corinthians 15:1-2). The Gospel is the central foundation of our hope in God. It shows God’s love for us, and empowers us to live holy lives.
A year ago, I thought I knew the Gospel completely, and it was all good. But God struck me that I didn’t. And I still don’t know the Gospel fully, and need constant reminder of it fully to this day. That’s why in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul reminds the church of what the gospel is. Why? First, we forget the gospel and what it means for us all the time. We need to constantly remind and preach to ourselves God’s Grace for us in the Gospel. Second, Paul categorizes the Gospel as “first importance”. FIRST IMPORTANCE. The Gospel is of utmost importance to a Christian. Before I get into why, what is the Gospel?
What is the Gospel?
What is the Gospel? In short, the Gospel is the good news of the righteous God justifying sinners who are deserving of His wrath. We, who are sinners, and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), were saved by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on the cross. So we are saved by the grace of God, as we put our faith in Christ; not by our own works (Ephesians 2:8-9, Galatians 2:16).
Now what does this mean for us who believe? What are the implications of the Gospel for Christians?
First, I want to state what the Gospel is not.
The Gospel is NOT JUST for us to go to heaven.
Yes, I said it. Jesus didn’t die on the cross just so that we could go to heaven and not go to hell.
It is so much more than that.
And for the longest time, I was only looking at the tip of the iceberg that is the Gospel.
The Beauty of the Gospel
There are three main points on what the Gospel does for us that I want to bring up:
1. Through Christ, God has forgiven us of all our sins: past, present, and future.
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:13-14
If you’ve been to church, I’m pretty sure we’ve all heard this. But I highly doubt that we’ve taken this and believed it with all our being; even if you’re a Christian.
An example of this for me would be when I do something wrong or when I don’t do something that I know I should be doing, I would feel guilt. Guilt is fine, but only if it doesn’t lead you to despair and in the process further you from God. We know that in Christ, God has forgiven us already! So the guilt that we get (which we SHOULD get), we should use to motivate us back to God, and to look at Christ!
It’s a human instinct to want to “make up” for what we do wrong, or “payback” God for the wrong we do to Him. It’s hard for us to really believe that God would really just forgive us. But we need to pray and believe in the power of what Christ has done for us on the Cross. Christianity is not what we do for God, but what He has done for us. Our hope is in Christ, and not ourselves; and O what a hope it is!
What if we keep committing the same sins, how can I not feel despairingly guilty, even though I know that Christ has forgiven me? How could God forgive me anyways? First, we need to ask God for faith in His Love for us. Romans 5:8 says that God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. This also brings me to my second point.
2. In Christ, we are a new creation and are empowered to live holy lives.
Being a Christian doesn’t just mean that when we sin, God will forgive us and that’s it. We aren’t left on our own to try to live better lives. I’ve been stuck before asking myself all the time questions like: “Why am I not reading my Bible more?”, “Shouldn’t I be more loving?”, etc etc. Following Christ doesn’t mean that I have to try to live up to the high standard of God on my own. We’d be doomed if that was true. No, in Christ we are a new creation!
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17
We are a new creation!
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.
1 Corinthians 15:10
It is the grace of God that works in us!
… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Philippians 2:12-13
God is the one who works in you to work for Him!
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:6
God Himself will FINISH the good work He started in you.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2
Christ is the perfecter of our faith (not us)!
It’s not easy to follow Christ. But praise God that we can have faith that He will be with us every step of the way, and that it is by His strength and grace that we can live lives that are pleasing to Him and worthy of the gospel. Through grace we are justified, and it is also through grace that we are sanctified!
So whenever you start to feel despair over your sin – and we will definitely see more and more of how wretched we are as we see more of God! – remember that it is God Himself who is moulding and forming you in the image of Christ! You don’t need to rely on yourself to bring change, because God Himself will! [1]
My flesh and my heart my fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Psalm 73:26
3. The Gospel confirms all the promises that God has for us.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
Romans 8:28-33
So people always say that we shouldn’t have to worry because God is sovereign and then they quote Romans 8:28.
I love Romans 8:28. But the verses afterwards are pretty juicy as well!
In v.29-30, we see that God is the agent of change throughout. He’s the One who is conforming us into the image of Christ! It is He that justifies us and He that will glorify us. Let’s stop relying on ourselves when we seek to be better, and trust in His work! God has promised to change our hearts of stone and give us hearts of flesh (Deuteronomy 30:6, Ezekiel 11:19-20). Christ confirms that promise!
V.31-33 are as meaty. They are God confirming that all the promises mentioned in the previous verses will come to fruition. If God gave up His own Son for us, then why will He not graciously give us all things? This is HUGE. The greatest act of love that Christ could have done for us, is give Himself up. And He did! Which means that we can be all the more sure that He will fulfill all the promises He has for us!
For all the promises of God find their Yes in him [Christ]. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. [2]
2 Corinthians 1:20
So whenever we start finding anxiety in our lives, let us look to Christ and remember that God is FAITHFUL even when we are not. (2 Timothy 2:13)
Centrality of The Gospel
You can start to see why I say that the Gospel is so central in the life of a Christian.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16
The gospel is how we are saved and we grow and are renewed through it. Through it, God changes us to see Him as the ultimate of delights (Psalm 16:11). Tim Keller says that “all our problems come from a failure to apply the gospel” [3]. How broad of a statement that is, and yet I agree with it wholeheartedly!
The applications that come out of what the Gospel does for us are extensive. Tim Keller talks in much detail about these applications here: http://www.redeemer2.com/resources/papers/centrality.pdf.
Definitely check it out!
In the end, the gospel says that what we were unable to do ourselves (obeying God’s commandments), Christ has done for us on the Cross. This tears away any pride or confidence that we have in our own flesh. It is God’s power to save us. We see God’s love for us and the gospel shows us that He is more worthy than anything this world has to offer us. We get the ultimate of delights to worship, the Creator of the universe. And God gets all the glory. This is why we worship God and serve Him; not religion or duty, but because of His love for us displayed on the Cross in the gospel. Soli Deo Gloria.
[1] I just want to note that it is important to know the seriousness of our sin. I am not saying that we can just overlook our sin. But there’s a difference between wallowing in sin, and motivating yourself to continue to strive to live for God.
[2] That’s why we say “In Jesus’ name, Amen!” at the end of every prayer by the way. We know that in Christ, we will be given what we ask!
[3] http://www.redeemer2.com/resources/papers/centrality.pdf This article really goes into more detail on what it means to apply the gospel to our lives. I’d encourage you to take a look at it!
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