A Christian is not something you are, it is something you become. You don’t automatically become an adult at a certain age. In order to be an adult, you have to act like an adult. So, too, you do not automatically become a Christian because of going to church, or the family you are born in. In order to be a Christian, you must act like a Christian. This sense of redemptive process is missing in the world around us. The gospel of Christ not only declares that God is active, it describes what He is doing and how He is doing it. The gospel reminds us that God’s primary goal is not our personal happiness, it is nothing short of our becoming a participant in His Divine nature, according to 2 Peter 1:4. It is through the Word of God that we can demonstrate that the very relationships which I struggle and the difficult situations which I would like to escape are the instruments God is using to produce the heart change that will result in a life that is fruitful to His glory. Unless we have an understanding of the problem of indwelling sin and the struggle within, … READ MORE

Many people have little sense of the ever-present, always active, all-powerful, promise-keeping redeemer who is the God of the Gospel. The gospel presents God as my ever-present help in trouble in Psalm 46. God is working in every situation to deliver me from the bondage to sin in my heart, and to help me experience the riches of the grace He has lavished on me in Christ. His desire is always to use the circumstances that He allows in my life to conform me to the image of His Son (Romans 8:28). Because of God’s incessant redemptive activity, each situation in life, even those that are dark, confusing and scary to me, is sanctified, full of meaning and purpose, and infused with hope. Most people have little sense of the God of the gospel who rules their world in such a way that He is not far from each one of them. God has done this so that, at any moment, we can seek Him and reach out to find Him. People tend to have little hope when they reach the end of their own wisdom and strength. Their functional God is small, weak, uncaring, and distant – not one … READ MORE

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 … READ MORE