While Jonathan and I were driving home from the retreat, we were marveling over the beauty of the gospel. But as we were getting close to home, the reality of our normal routines of life were facing us. Would the rigors of our work, study, and recreation snuff out our hunger for Christ? Would the beauty of the gospel fade as we resume life in the real world?
This morning, I was still thinking about the questions posed during that car ride. I know we are supposed to remind ourselves of the gospel and to apply it to all areas of life. But how? I admit this isn’t easy nor do I have consistent disciplines to lean on. This afternoon, I was looking at my old files and stumbled on a booklet I downloaded a while back. It’s called, “A Gospel Primer for Christians” written by Milton Vincent. As I scanned the contents, I realized what a wonderful resource it is especially in light of what we’ve been learning. I was kicking myself for letting it sit around collecting dust in the recesses of my hard drive. Nonetheless, the resurfacing of this resource couldn’t have happened at a better time.
As we gotten a taste of the beauty of the gospel, it’s important that we continue to rehearse and preach the gospel to ourselves daily. I believe it’s Martin Luther who went so far to say that we had to beat it into our heads until it sticks. The reason why I think Luther uses such violent imagery is to illustrate not only how urgent it is to have the gospel, but also our propensity to forget it and base our life and identity on what we do, rather than what Jesus did for us.
Vincent’s booklet breaks down in three parts:
- Reasons to Rehearse the Gospel Daily
- A Gospel Narrative – Prose Version
- A Gospel Narrative – Poetic Version
Take the time to print it out and read it. Let’s continue our quest to live gospel-driven lives for the glory of God.
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