The Gospel... for Christians?

Recently, my daughter won a bunch of tickets playing those little kid-friendly arcade games at a local restaurant/play facility. As I took her up to the prize counter to exchange the tickets, I observed two things. First, it was almost closing time. Second, the teenage kid behind the counter looked none-too-pleased to be doing his job.

What did I do? I puffed out my chest and said with a loud voice, "My child wants to redeem her tickets."

Nope. Here's what I actually said. I walked up to the counter and asked, "Hi, can we trade in our tickets? I'm sorry." Yep, I apologized for making the kid work. Why? I didn't want to inconvenience him. Based on his demeanor, I didn't know if he'd actually help me.

You know something? Most of the time I expect God to be like that too.

I have no problem believing that Jesus died for all of my sins, I don't doubt that He saved me from these sins.

But the image I have of God forgiving me is like that kid begrudgingly taking my daughter's tickets. He'll do it, but it doesn't mean He has to like it.

For almost my entire life I had the idea that God merely tolerated me. I can remember, on several occasions, crying to God for forgiveness... no, begging for it. I had screwed up once again and felt horrible for it. I would ask Him to give me one more chance to serve Him. "Please give me just one more chance to live for you!" I was scared to death. I thought I might die in a car wreck the next day. I'm serious. Well-meaning people had taught me that God's patience would eventually run out with ineffective Christians and He'd just bring them home. I've "rededicated my life" more times that I can count.

So I would get up, freshly forgiven (I hoped) and ready to serve. It seemed that God had begrudgingly cashed in my prayer one more time for a fresh dose of forgiveness.

Can I tell you something? Can I be honest? That's neurotic. It really is. But it stems from the fact that, most of the time, I don't really believe God's love is unconditional.

I try to believe it. I really do. But unconditional love is essentially impossible to fathom. Only you know the deepest, darkest secrets of your soul. Only you are aware of the thoughts you've had that would make even your closest loved ones shudder. Whether you want to admit it or not, it is entirely possible that, whether you want to admit it or not, if you tried hard enough, you could eventually make them stop loving you.

Unconditional love seems too good to be true.

But it's true. That's why He wrote about it.

Regardless of our feelings, regardless of our inability to comprehend it, God loves you with an unconditional love completely and utterly independent of anything you've done or haven't done.

Period.

It takes faith to believe it, day by day, but it's true.

We want to qualify it. We want to tack on some subtle conditions to the end. They aren't necessary. God loves you, period.

Here's what John said:

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. - 1 John 4:15-16 (NKJV)

Here we see there is both a confession and an assertion. First, we confess that Jesus is God's Son, who has come to save us from our sins. But look at the second part in bold. John says we actually make an assertion, we choose to believe that God really does love us. That takes faith, because it's so hard to fathom. We choose to believe it anyway.

He continues:

Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. - 1 John 4:17-19 (NKJV)

When we get this, when we really get it, watch out. Boldness. Lack of fear. We're dangerous. Who can stop the Christian who knows that He is completely and perfectly kept by the unconditional love of God?

Nothing. This is where growth is found. This is where boldness is found. This is where we begin to change the world.

So, you need to preach the Gospel to yourself every day.

But wait, isn't the Gospel just for unbelievers? Nope, it's for Christians also.

You need to be reminded, daily, that God loves you unconditionally and that you are completely and perfectly forgiven. You need to be reminded that Christ has imputed His righteousness to you and, as a result, you stand before God perfectly accepted.

You need that, daily. I need it. I need you to remind me when I feel like I've screwed up for the last time. I need to remind you when you're so overwhelmed by your circumstances that you can't find hope or peace anywhere. That's the Gospel. It's good news.

Author and speaker Jerry Bridges popularized this phrase "preaching the Gospel to yourself." I will allow him to elaborate -

If God’s love for us is to be a solid foundation stone of devotion, we must realize that His love is entirely of grace – that it rests completely upon the work of Jesus Christ and flows to us through our union with Him. Because of this basis His love can never change, regardless of what we do. In our daily experience, we have all sorts of spiritual ups and downs – sin, failure, discouragement – all of which tend to make us question God’s love. That is because we keep thinking that God’s love is somehow conditional. We are afraid to believe His love is based entirely upon the finished work of Christ for us. Deep down in our souls we must get hold of the wonderful truth that our spiritual failures do not affect God’s love for us one iota – that His love for us does not fluctuate according to our experience. We must be gripped by the truth that we are accepted by God and loved by God for the sole reason that we are united to His beloved Son. - Jerry Bridges (The Practice of Godliness, p. 28)

See? It's all about Jesus. We don't have to fear doing something to lose God's love, because His love is based on the perfect work of Christ for us. Believer, you are completely and utterly loved, right now, because God completely and utterly loves His Son. You are completely and utterly forgiven, because Jesus' completely and utterly paid for your sins on the cross. You are completely and utterly accepted in God's sight, and He's pleased with you, because Jesus gave you His righteousness and perfect record.

Sound too good to be true? It isn't. It's the Gospel. Do me a favor, will you? Remind me when I forget. I promise I'll do the same for you.

Oh, and one more thing. In light of the truths of this post, go read Romans 8:31-39.

Adam is a husband, father, preacher, and teacher

living in Mayfield, KY. You can follow him 

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