I still need the gospel.
I don’t know how I first came to that conclusion, but it was a new thought for me. For six years I served full-time with a well-known parachurch organization, and one of its main purposes was–and still is–to tell non-believers around the world how Jesus changes lives.
I became trained in “sharing the gospel,” as we Christians so often term it. So much so that I don’t think I ever realized just how deeply I, as a believer, needed the gospel in my everyday life, till later.
Think about it. How do we define “the gospel”? It’s the Good News, the story of redemption, reminding us that God sent His son Jesus Christ to bridge the gap between His perfect self and our sinful self. Without Jesus, we cannot know God or experience eternal life, which begins the moment we make the decision to follow Christ.
Aren’t we all in need of the gospel? The Bible says we are. Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” The good news: Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
God’s promise of eternal life isn’t just about the numbers; it’s about a quality of life (John 10:10). It’s not just about meeting Jesus somewhere out “there.” It’s also about living with Him right here—right now. The gospel is for those of us who can so often think “I’ve got this Christian thing down.” People like me who get lazy in spending time with the Lord consistently, or who try to justify our actions. (What she’s doing is much worse than me getting impatient with my relatives.) People like me who do a poor job of listening to a friend’s struggles, mentally excusing ourselves from the conversation because we’re too tired.
Why do we as Christians think God’s grace is just for the unsaved sinner? Doesn’t His gospel give us freedom to enjoy Him and “do life” in the power of His Spirit? And yet doesn’t the gospel remind us that we are saved and made holy and blameless before God? That He finds us valuable and worthy?
Twelve years ago this month I understood my need for the gospel for the first time and placed my faith in Christ–even though I’d heard it time and time again in my (then) 19 years. His gospel was “free for the taking” on that July day in 1999, but I really believe I’m just now seeing, as a life-long churchgoer and 12-year-old Christian, that His gospel is applicable just as much today.
I hope you realize you’re still in need of the gospel. After all, where would you be yesterday, today, or tomorrow without it?
me too. i pray we’d never forget just how much we all need it. good post, girl.
Hi Trica,
Indeed the world is in need of the gospel of Christ. So often we christians are afraid to tell others. I think the main part we miss is that we are to be more like Him every day,
I am new at the blogging thing. It is so great! In two months my blog has gone many places in the world. I found you by looking at “timeout”. I need to kick your brain sometime about how to do some of the things you have on your site.
I like your post.