“The gospel is the gracious gift of the One who promised to give us everything we need not just for eternal life but also for godliness, that is, a God-honoring life between the time He takes us as His own and the time we go home to be with Him.” Paul David Tripp
The GOSPEL.
I’m guessing you’ve heard this word used once or twice before. I certainly have. It’s one of those words that has been spoken so much that I wonder if we’ve lost sight, not so much of its meaning (good news), but it’s power.
The above quote by Mr. Paul David Tripp ‘struck’ me afresh this week… ‘does the GOSPEL really give me EVERYTHING I need to live the life that God has purposed for me?’
Does the GOSPEL give me everything I need to deal with disappointment? How about confusion, or busyness that leads to exhaustion? Does the GOSPEL give me everything I need to respond well to those who have hurt me? What about addiction… does the GOSPEL help me with what I can’t break free from? Hurt… and I mean serious relational hurt… like the kind of hurt where you the thought of forgiving the one who hurt you seems impossible… does the GOSPEL give me what I need for that? Or how about this… when I don’t know which direction to turn, does the GOSPEL guide me in my day-to-day decisions? What about love… does the GOSPEL help me to love when I really don’t feel like loving?
In short, does the GOSPEL really give me everything we need to navigate everything that comes our way in life?
According to God’s Word - the answer is YES… a resounding YES!
“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.” 2 Peter 1:3 (NLT)
Great verse, but you might think… ‘Michael, the word ‘gospel’ is not mentioned once.’ If that was your thought, well, you’d be 100% correct. The word ‘gospel’ is not mentioned but it is… and here’s what I mean.
GOSPEL simply means ‘good news.’ And the object (or subject) of the GOOD NEWS (GOSPEL) is Jesus… it’s always Jesus. The personal pronoun ‘Him’ used by Peter in the above verse refers to Jesus.
Peter makes clear that God has given us ‘EVERYTHING’ we need to live the life God has purposed for us (a godly life). In other words, no matter what you will go through this side of heaven, good or bad and everything in between, God has given us EVERYTHING we need to navigate that in ways that are consistent with heart of God.
What has God given us to do this… or better asked, WHO is the EVERYTHING that God has given us to walk with God in the ways of God?
GOSPEL… JESUS.
When you ‘hear’ or ‘read’ or ‘say’ GOSPEL, just know that what you are ‘hearing’ or ‘reading’ or ‘saying’ is JESUS.
Know matter what a day or season may bring forth, we have been given EVERYTHING to navigate that day or season well? WHY?
GOSPEL… JESUS… that’s WHY.
So maybe the question we need to be asking ourselves and asking one another is simply this…
“What might this moment look like if I were to see this moment as a GOSPEL (or Jesus) moment?”
Let’s remember together that the GOSPEL is good news but it’s more than good news, it’s POWER because the GOSPEL is Jesus, and Jesus is powerful enough to give us EVERYTHING we need to live, and love like Him.
