Dan Adams

I am learning a lot these days about the relevance of the gospel to my life as a follower of Jesus.  Colossians 2:6-7 reads, "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."  It is clear from Scripture that we receive Christ as Lord by faith (John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9).  We are also, to live the Christian life by faith in Jesus.  This entails abandoning confidence in ourselves and our own righteousness, and placing all of our hope each day in Jesus who is "the author and perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:1-2).  

I am beginning to learn to do this in my own life.  Since the Gospel is for sinners, I am starting to begin each day with the realization that despite my being a child of God because of my faith in Jesus, I still sin every day in my heart, mind, and life.  If I am aware of any sins in my life, I humbly admit and confess those to God.  I repent of my sinfulness and stupidity, and then I remember the promises of the Gospel assuring me of the forgiveness I need.  I remember the words of the Gospel that says I am forgiven because of Jesus and that He alone is my salvation and hope.  

This confidence in Jesus is powerfully and profoundly captured by Edward Mote in his old school hymn “The Solid Rock” with his words, “My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” Almost every day, I find myself going to those words in addition to reflecting on the promises of forgiveness through Jesus in the Bible.  Each day, I need Jesus.  I need Him as much to be a Christian, as I did at the age of 13 to become a Christian.  He is my hope, confidence and righteousness each and every day.

One of my theological mentors, Jerry Bridges, has noted, "Whatever Scriptures we use to assure us of God’s forgiveness, we must realize that whether the passage explicitly states it or not, the only basis for God’s forgiveness is the blood of Christ shed on the cross for us. As the writer of Hebrews said, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22), and the context makes it clear that it is Christ’s blood that provides the objective basis on which God forgives our sins."  

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." (Ro 1:16)

When we speak of "the gospel" we tend to think of an evangelistic message and surely the gospel is that. But it is not only a four or five point outline of salvation truths. The gospel - in the sense Paul and the apostles employed the word, includes all the truth about Christ (cf. Rom. 1:1-6). It does not stop at the point of conversion and justification by faith but embraces every other aspect of salvation, from sanctification to ultimate glorification. The gospel's significance therefore does not end the moment the new birth occurs; it applies to the entire Christian experience. And when Paul and the other New Testament writers spoke of "preaching the gospel," they were not talking about preaching only to unbelievers (cf. v. 15).

- MacArthur Study Bible

Tim Keller writes, "The Bible’s purpose is not so much to show you how to live a good life. The Bible’s purpose is to show you how God’s grace breaks into your life against your will and saves you from the sin and brokenness otherwise you would never be able to overcome… religion is ‘if you obey, then you will be accepted’. But the Gospel is, ‘if you are absolutely accepted, and sure you’re accepted, only then will you ever begin to obey’. Those are two utterly different things. Every page of the Bible shows the difference".

The Bible is all about Jesus, and how He makes us right with God.  The Bible shows us that only when we grasp that Jesus makes us right with God by faith and not works will we truly live right lives.  

Jesus is the first step on your faith journey.  Placing your faith in Him as your Leader and Savior is the way to begin a relationship with God.  This is where it all begins.  In the Bible, Jesus describes Himself as "The Way" (John 14:6).  He is the way to God.  He is the way to a relationship with God.  Taking the first step of committing to Jesus is the way to the freedom, forgiveness, hope and happiness you have always wanted.  

Jesus is, though, not only where your spiritual life begins, He is also through whom it continues. The classic bible study Experiencing God teaches us that to fulfill God’s purposes Jesus did not say, ‘I’ll show the way’, or ‘I’ll give you a road map’, or ‘I’ll tell you what direction to go in’. He said ‘I am the way’. So in living the Christian life, it is a Person that we follow, and not simply a set of directions. Hence, a relationship is of utmost importance in our spiritual lives.

A relationship with God, for our good and His glory, is the very purpose of Christianity. A relationship is also the pathway through which God works in our lives. He works in our lives for a relationship, as well as through a relationship. God does not generally provide all of the information and detail that we would like to do His will. Instead, he leads us and provides direction just when we need it. This is scary. Mostly we want more detail than that. We want to know all that He wants of us, all we are to do, all the pitfalls and the problems, before hand. We want a well laid out plan and detailed description of all it means to follow Him who is the way. But what does He give us? 

He gives us Himself, and we are invited into a relationship with Him . . . a relationship that is real and personal.  And as our relationship with Him grows, He reveals more and more of His will to us.  God is after a relationship with us. That is what He wants. That is why He sent Jesus to be "the Way".