Gospel Clarity, Part 1

           “What do we mean by ‘the gospel’? Answering this question is a bit more complex than we might assume.” So begins Tim Keller in his book Center Church. And yet how we answer this question has huge implications.

            The gospel is the news about what God was doing in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. And what God was doing through Jesus was healing the rift between man and God caused by sin and creating a people for himself.

            This understanding implies that our separation from God is a big deal, and that restoring this relationship is of utmost importance. And the big idea of the gospel is that it is God’s work alone which heals this relationship, not any work or effort of ours.

            This is why, as Keller says, the gospel is good news, not good advice. Most other religions present you with good advice on how to live life or how to please God or how to make it to the next life. Christianity presents you with good news of what God has done to make us right with him, to empower us to live new lives here, and to bring us safely into eternal life.

            The gospel means that God is the focus, God gets all the glory. The phrase “gospel centered” is a popular one today. The idea is that the Christian message is first and foremost about God and his work. Our hope and strength for both this life and the life to come are dependent on Jesus living the life we should have lived and dying the death we should have died.

            Our response is to repent, or turn from our sins, and trust in God’s gracious work in Jesus for our salvation, life, and hope.

To be continued…

 

We are currently discussing what the gospel is and isn’t, and what it means to us practically, in a community group that meets Sundays at 5 in our home. We'd love to have you join us. Email me at derekfekkes@gmail.com or text/call at 770-714-3865.