Some think of the gospel (good news) only in terms of evangelism. They think of the gospel as a truth to be grasped only at the moment of salvation.
But one of the most wonderful aspects of the gospel is its daily benefit for the Christian.
Because of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, the Christian’s sins are entirely forgiven—past, present, and future. Of course Christians become beneficiaries of this forgiveness only when they turn from their sin and turn to Jesus, believing what the Bible teaches about Him and receiving Him as their personal Lord and Savior.
But Christians must remember that the power of the gospel applies not only at the moment of salvation but at every single moment of every single day since the initial act of faith. This is why someone said, “We Christians need to preach the gospel to ourselves daily.” The gospel is “Daily Good News!”
In his first letter, the Apostle John makes it very clear that Christians still have the potential to sin. In fact, he goes so far as to say that if we claim to be sinless we are lying (1 John 1:8).
Yet John asserts that the Christian’s life should not be characterized by a pattern of sin. In 1 John 2:1 he writes, “These things I write to you, so that you may not sin.” And then, in the next breath, John gives to Christians one of the most powerfully liberating truths: “And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
An Advocate is someone who acts on behalf of another. Jesus Christ is the Christian’s Advocate, forever standing between the Father and the Christian, forever acting as the Christian’s “defense attorney” before the righteous judge.
Christ died, taking the Christian’s punishment for sin, and God credits Christ’s righteousness to the Christian (2 Corinthians 5:21). The Christian’s role is to repeatedly flee to the cross, confessing his sins when they occur, renouncing them, and then receiving the forgiveness that is his because of Christ’s death on his behalf.
John Newton, known for the great hymn, “Amazing Grace,” writes of the gospel’s daily power in this equally beautiful hymn:
O LORD, from Whom there’s naught concealed,
Who sees my inward frame; to Thee I always stand revealed exactly as I am.
Since I, at times, can hardly bear what in myself I see;
How vile and foul must I appear most holy God to Thee.
But since my Savior stands between, Who shed His precious blood,
‘tis He, instead of me is seen when I approach to God.
Thus, though a sinner, I am safe;
He pleads before the throne His life and death on my behalf and calls my sins His own.
What wondrous love, what mysteries, In this appointment shine!
My breaches of the law are His and His obedience mine.
What About You?
- Do you think of the gospel as something you need every day?
- Have you actually trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? If not, read here about how to become a Christian and how you can know that God accepts you.
- Who do you know might benefit from this post? Why not send them the link right now.
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