Be an Expert in the Gospel!

And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery." (Exodus 20:1-2)

In a sermon last year R.W. Glenn encouraged his congregation to become "experts in the gospel." The gospel should be the point to which Christians return again and again to find grace, hope, and a reason to live differently in this world. This is especially important with Easter weekend having just passed us by. It's easy to get excited when it's good Friday and your RSS feed is filled with posts like Luke's from last week. But what about the rest of the year? Are you an expert in the gospel then? Are you even a student?

Too many Christians are experts in secondary things while stammering at the mere thought of a coherent presentation of the gospel. If you see yourself as the type of person of which I am speaking you are certainly not alone. However, it's time to stop being that kind of person.

Until you have become an expert in the gospel you have no right to be an expert in morality.

Until you have become an expert in the gospel you have no right to be an expert in conservative politics.

Until you have become an expert in the gospel you have no right to be an expert in parenting philosophy.

Until you have become an expert in the gospel you have no right to be an expert in the direction and values of your church.

I say this because all of these things can only be understood rightly when one has a proper view of the gospel. Consider the verse at the beginning of this post which precedes the ten commandments. The ultimate code of morality is not given as a to do list. It is the proper life of a people who have been mercied by a gracious God.

What about the sermon on the mount? People of all religions (and non religions) love to quote Jesus' words as if a person can become a good person. They just happen to forget that the two books that contain the sermon on the mount are gospels. Their primary purpose is to bring about faith in Christ as Savior first. Flowing from that salvation is the life that follows his teaching.

All that is to say be an expert in the gospel. Remind yourself of what it is and what it has done for you.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

More Posts on the Gospel:

The Gospel in 60 Seconds.
More Thoughts on the Gospel.
Subtraction by Addition.
The Gospel in 6 Minutes (John Piper)