Tuesday, October 6, 2009

The Gospel

“The longer I live the less optimistic I am that I will end without sin and the more grateful I become for the blood of Christ imputed to me. As I grow older I do not feel myself becoming gloriously holy but I find myself feeling great love for the gospel.” J. Piper

There are so many needs in the world around us, so many burdens that need to be carried, so much pain that needs comforted, so much wisdom that is lacking and yet our greatest need is not relief from any of these things; our greatest need each and every day is the Gospel.

If I have no water but have the Gospel I will soon be made whole. If I have no food or shelter, but have the Gospel I am more than a conqueror. If all else is stripped away, except the Gospel, I have abundantly more than I need.

That is why Jesus could say in Mark 8:35 "For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the Gospel’s will save it." Or in 10:29 Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life."

So as we go about our day we must remember that all the "good" we are doing is nothing compared to what the Gospel will do. God has prepared work for us to do and given us the strength and desire to do them, but we must be sharing the Good News as we go, because we all need this more than anything else.

3 comments:

Ryan Hall said...

AMEN, Chuck.

May we drown ourselves in gospel truths daily. It is what our hearts hunger and thirst for, and that is why only in Christ can we be satisfied. Everything in this life is pale in comparison.

When God opens your heart to the truths of the gospel we are never the same. Ephesians tells us that God "made us alive together with Christ" and all this including the faith is "the gift of God", and He did this so we can be alive in Christ "for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." May we go hard in Christ alone. The gospel is what screams this loud and clear!

Jesus took my punishment upon Himself. My sins are paid in full. I am now alive in Christ. He died for me so that I could live for Him. I am going hard in Christ.

Thanks for the post. I was thinking about the gospel this morning....because my heart needs to hear it everyday! It is food for my whole soul. I need Christ, because without Him I am helpless and hopeless! He is what breaks the chains of my sins....through Him I am free and can live a radical changed life! All because of what Jesus Christ did for a sinner like as me.

Chuck Weinberg said...

It is amazing to think that we are raised with Christ and seated with Him in the Heavenly, just so He could show the riches of His grace to the coming ages.
Today is always a battle to keep the Gospel right int he front of our brains and hearts, but worth the fight.

Unknown said...

Amen! My only true rest is in the Gospel.