We need the gospel to inform and correct our definition of who we are and what our struggles are really about. What the gospel teaches us is that our struggle is deeper than the problems of our past, the difficulties of my present relationships, and the situation I face daily. Peter writes that the corruption in the world is caused by evil desires of the heart, and it is at the heart level that true change needs to take place. Many people have little sense of the presence and power of indwelling sin. They have little sense of the thoughts, desires, and choices of the heart at the root of their personal difficulties. As a result, the world tells them to blame people and situations, and this leaves them blind to the heart struggle that they bring to every situation of life. The gospel presents the war within described in Romans 7 and James 4 as the primary target of God’s redemptive concern (2 Peter 1:3-4). The gospel focuses on the person who has the right and desire to change, and the transformation that takes place when we embrace the truth of the gospel, which can transform our lives. Paul Tripp in his book “Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands,” says, “We are people in need of change helping people in need of change.” Why do we need to share the powerful message of 1 Corinthians 15:3-4? It is because that message can transform the lives of others one heart at a time.
