The Urgency of the Gospel at All Times
There seems to be a lot of talk of how these are “unprecedented days.” I’ve used that phrase, and in a very real sense it is true, because we’re living through days that will be remembered in history. Things are changing and we don’t know what the world will look like on the other side of it.
But in the midst of changing time, the unchanging realities are what ground us and help us to navigate through the blowing winds of culture and circumstance. God’s character is unchanging, and his gospel is unchanging. There is never a time where the gospel is not of primary importance.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”” – Romans 1:16-17
And while I’m sure all of you reading this would affirm this truth, in reality we, myself included, often live as if other things are more important. As I’m reading the evening news, do I forget the best news ever? The gospel is news that changes everything. Jesus, the God-man, redeeming us through his blood, there is no greater message. And yet, do we tire of it, or get bored? Does it seem rote or cold, simply doctrinal truth with no vitality? Be assured, that has nothing to do with the gospel, but with our own hearts.
Here are a few implications of the gospel for our lives from Romans 8 which should motivate us in everything we do.
8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Do we face every day with a sense of invincibility? God has proved his sovereign reign in the gospel, therefore nothing can stop the church from the mission of spreading the gospel to others, not a virus, not your ineloquent speech, not your problems or others, not even the gates of hell. God is at work, so we are motivated to work now too.
8:32 “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?”
All things, really. Every promise and command in scripture is founded upon this undeniable truth, God has given his Son up for us. So, how much more confident can we be that God will complete his work in us to purify his bride, to make us abide in all his ways! Every promise and command of scripture is guaranteed because of the gospel.
8:33 “Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.”
Feeling guilty? Feeling defeated? Look to the cross, your guilt and sin are nailed there. We’re justified, and that’s God’s declaration. Don’t believe the devil’s lies about your inadequacy or failings. Nothing sticks on you and keeps you down anymore.
8:34 “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”
The gospel grants us access to the throne of grace. The primary evidence that we are living based on the gospel is our prayer life. Are we drawing on the power of God’s right hand? We are not without recourse. We have a ready appeal. Do we think there is no way forward in life? Maybe the way forward is first upward? Would that not be enough? Even if none of our other hopes and dreams come true, we can talk to our heavenly Father directly.
8:35 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?”
Do you feel separated some times? These days that’s a common feeling. But are you close to the love of Christ, basking in it? We are absolutely confident that God loves us, once again because of Jesus’ work on the cross.
8:36 “As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.””
Woah, wait. We’re being killed? I don’t know if that’s what I signed up for. But this is the mind of Christ, to lay down our lives for others. Is that our mindset as we serve our family these days? Is that what drives us to desire to see others, so that we can lay down our lives for them? Or are we just desiring social interaction? Christ died for us, so we can die every day to serve others. In everything we do, we are not thinking about our own desires, but whatever is most loving to others. Maybe that means I should wear a mask even when I don’t want to.
8:37 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
Because Jesus conquered through his death and was raised to life, so too we conquer as well, even if we die in the process. We don’t have the pressure of maintaining a perfect life in order to please God. We don’t even have to perfectly make wise decisions. We’re going to die trying to spread the gospel and no one who believes in him will ever be put to shame. God will vindicate his work in and through our lives when he raises us from the dead.
8:38-39 “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
And here it is. Death and every other powerful thing in life threatens God’s children. We are tempted to believe that something other than the gospel is more powerful. Do we fear the police state? Do we fear for our health? Do we fear interpersonal conflict with others? What is supplanting our fear of God? The love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord teaches us that nothing else has power over us. We fear nothing but God alone.
How could anything be more applicable than this? As we face today, let’s first remember the gospel and these many implications. Then everything else is put in its place. Without this one heart reorientation, we will miss the mark in everything else we do. It is of utmost urgency that we remember the gospel again today and every day.