The Gospel

What's the gospel? It's the good news. The way of salvation. How I got saved. What others need to hear. What I should preach or proclaim. It's what evangelists yell from the pulpit. It's that one-time event in which I gained access to heaven. hmmm...

This used to be the extent of my understanding of the gospel. I used to discredit my salvation by thinking the gospel was the act of me recognizing Christ died for my sins but now it's up to me to start doing the Christian thing. Yes, I would need the power of the Holy Spirit but the gospel was no longer relevent. When the gospel was preached, I would sigh and endure...thinking, I've heard this before...then I would start praying for all the lost souls in the room to be moved enough to accept Jesus as their Savior. To me, there was little affect on my life. I say little, not none.

Oh, what a different story it is now. The gospel is my LIFE!! I need it day-by-day, moment-by-moment, sin-by-wretched sin. As John Piper put it, (and I'm paraphrasing), we use the cross as a ticket. A bloody ticket to "get us in." Once into heaven, we're home free and free sailing. What do we do with a ticket? We throw it away. Once we've gained access, we're done with it. Christ is NOT our ticket! He is our atoning sacrifice. The Just for the unjust. Our redeemer. Our means of coming to the throne of grace. Words do not begin to describe the awesomeness of who Christ is.


But the word of God does. Once I saw who God is-who He is according to His word and not by my own imagination, then I saw who I was-vile, despicable, a hater of God. Then, I saw who Christ truly is. The One who bore my shame. Bore my wrath. Took my punishment. Now, why would I want to throw that away? I don't.



Take six minutes to listen to the following excerpt: The Gospel in 6 Minutes.



Lord bless you!