The Gospel for Everyday Living
Christians often disregard the importance of the gospel for everyday living.
We often forget that the gospel is not simply the entrance to salvation, but the way we continue to walk out the faith. The gospel is not just for lost people. The gospel is for Christians.
The Good News
God is holy and righteous. Sinners cannot stand before a perfect God. He would not be a fair judge if he did not punish sin. All people deserve the full wrath of God because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). However, there is a glorious "but God" later in Scripture. We have the gospel—the good news. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.” Ephesians 2:4-5
In God's grace, he gives us compassion, which we do not deserve. In his mercy, he grants us what we could never earn, forgiveness. By sending Christ, his only begotten Son, to bear the weight of our wrongdoing on the cross, we are freed from the law. A great exchange happened at Calvary. Jesus became sin for us and gave us his righteousness. Our Savior declared us just because the price he paid on our behalf remains sufficient. We are positionally holy, and this great exchange provides us with the right to come boldly before the throne of grace.
The need to walk practically in the truths of the gospel must be faced. We know that after we repent and believe in the work of Christ, our lives do not suddenly change in that we become morally perfect. Even though we are given new hearts with new affections that respond to God, the daily call for the working out of our salvation remains.
Living Informed by the Gospel
Our maturity comes by the same means of our justification. Christians do not grow beyond the need for the gospel.
In the gospel, we see Christ for who he is. Christ is our strength and perseverance. The gospel is not just crossing the line into the faith, but the way we run this race. Christians look at the cross daily and seek to have a locked gaze on the One who paid our debt. This good news is not just something that affects our past. Christ's blood was enough and continues to be sufficient for us every moment of our lives.
The gospel has its roots in the past, at the cross, but we participate in its promises every day. When we sit down to read Scripture or bow our heads to pray, we do so in light of the truths of the gospel. We draw strength and encouragement from Christ’s work for us on the cross. It guards us against legalism. We run back to its truths for comfort when we are despairing. Because Christ paid our penalty, we have a living hope that remains secure (1 Peter 1:3).
Although we grieve, we do not suffer as the world does with no hope. Instead, we grieve as ones who have a living hope. We walk as pilgrims in this land, understanding our home is Heaven. We look to Christ to learn how to love well as he commanded. The greatest act of love ever displayed was when Jesus willingly gave his life for his enemies. Because of this, we voluntarily die to ourselves to love others, even when we feel like they don't deserve it.
We look to the example of Christ in the gospel to see how we are to serve. Christ selflessly served us in his death, requiring nothing for our salvation. In this same way, we imitate him by serving our neighbors selflessly. God calls us to forgive as he has forgiven us. We see a clear picture of what that looks like at the cross. When forgiving others, we choose not to hold wrongdoing over their heads. “And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’” Luke 23:34
When we look to Christ in the gospel, we are enabled to think rightly. The Holy Spirit works in our hearts and minds—teaching, instructing, and guiding us in all truth. He, the Holy Spirit, was given to us by Jesus Christ after his ascension into Heaven. It's easy to think that the Christian life is merely following specific rules. As Christians we are called to love others, go to church, pray, read the Bible, and fellowship with other believers. These pursuits are a part of our walk. However, we pursue obedience with the gospel in view.
We do not trust in our works. We do not hope in empty promises. We have no security in mere head knowledge. We stand on the gospel. Without the gospel, we would have no hope.
We must not forget or treat the gospel as though it is only significant when we become a believer. We will not live the Christian life well on those beliefs because living for God's glory can never be done in our strength. Though we are positionally holy, we are called to walk out our salvation with our roots in the gospel as the foundation.
“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,”
- 1st Corinthians 15:1
Perseverance by Looking to Christ
The Christian clings to the gospel every day. The gospel is not simply the door into the Christian life—the gospel is everything to the Christian. If the gospel is not slowly transforming every aspect of our lives, we must reorient ourselves to our great need for Christ. We must ask ourselves, “Who am I looking to for confidence, and who am I worshiping?” We are to keep ourselves in gospel truth and not be swayed by worldly perspectives for how life should be lived. The world proudly tells us what to think, but we must look to Christ.
"Saving faith is persevering faith, and the faith that perseveres is faith in the gospel."
- John Piper
Sister in Christ, run the race before you and live this life shaped by the truth.
All of Scripture points to Christ as our Redeemer. It testifies of who he is as savior and king. Your life should look distinctly different than the unbeliever because of the cross.
Daily stand firm in the faith. Persevere in your walk by looking to Christ. Remind yourself of what he has done and what that means for you today.
Both the unbeliever and the believer need the gospel. No one ever graduates from it. May we praise and glorify Jesus, as we let him develop us in all aspects of our everyday living.