The gospel is for Christians, and we should preach the gospel to ourselves daily. There are countless ways that this plays out in our lives. Here are a few.
1. Identity
I am fundamentally a blood-bought child of God and beloved member of Christ’s bride, the Church. I do not need to prove myself to anyone, including myself. I do not need to fear failing anyone, including myself. My identity is firmly secure in Christ. This truth is not changed a single shade on my best days or my worst.
2. Prayer
I have full access to our Father in heaven – the infinite wisdom, power, and being of our Creator. I do not need to be afraid to approach my heavenly Father in prayer. The Father has redeemed me to be with Him. The Son gave his life for this purpose and continually prays at the Father’s side for me. The Spirit brings me to the Father in prayer and intercedes when I have no words to speak. “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).
3. Holiness
I have been justified by God’s sovereign grace. Nothing I do can earn more grace, but nothing could be more important than becoming who He created me to be. These are equally true. So I pursue Christ, seeking to be conformed to his image and likeness, not in order to earn his favor but out of freedom from the grace that he has freely given me. When I fail, I look to Christ alone. When I succeed, I give glory to God alone.
4. Ministry and Parenting
I cannot change hearts. I am not responsible for changing hearts. My metric for success is not changed hearts but faithfulness. My worth is not in my success at changing hearts. Easy to say, hard to believe. When my kids are perfectly behaved and I receive compliments on my parenting, I look to the gospel and remember that God alone changes hearts, and I give glory to God. When my kids absolutely refuse to behave, I am not crushed with failure. God alone changes hearts. The gospel-centered response is to pray for this heart change and for the wisdom to play some small role in it. God alone changed my heart, and God alone will change the hearts of my children.
The gospel is not just our starting point, but also our endpoint and the entire path. Everything we do as Christians we are to do through the lens of the gospel. We never graduate from the gospel.
Matt Robertson 