I don't think I'm alone in that. We easily lose sight of what's important because of what's pressing, so it's easy for us to forget important truth because of life. For that reason, I'd like to share something I observed in our small group over the last year.
Inductive Bible study, much like expository preaching, goes through the text line by line. You talk about what's in the text; if you're disciplined, you don't get the wild flights of fancy you sometimes encounter in Bible study groups. We worked through two of Paul's shorter letters, Colossians and Philippians. Both contain powerful theology. Both contain a lot of insight. But the passages that really made people say "wow" were the many times Paul made us go back to the gospel.
A little over ten years ago, there was a flurry of articles and lectures reminding us to keep preaching the gospel to ourselves. It's time for a fresh reminder: You never outgrow the need to hear the gospel.
It's important, first off, to always remember that God is not pleased by sin. Our flesh naturally craves what opposes God. "Because of these, the wrath of God is coming" (Col 3:6).
But we should also remind ourselves that God is not surprised by our sin. Christ knew Judas would betray him, Peter would deny him, and the apostles would abandon him. Our sin never catches him off guard.
And my sin does not mean God stops loving me. He loves even sinners. "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom 5:8). "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1John 1:9).
"Christ died for us". Though I am great sinner, I have a great savior. "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness" (1Pet 2:24).
Yes, he wants me to live to righteousness. And to that end he has made me new. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2Cor 5:17).
And God was not content to simply save us. No, he made us his children. "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" (1John 3:1).
As his children, he wants us with him. "He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:5-7). He has promised us "an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade" (1Pet 1:4), and so "we will be with the Lord forever" (1Thes 4:17).
The scriptures remind us of the gospel truth again and again because we need to hear it often. We need to remember that we are forgiven. We need to remember what we are called to. We need to remember the hope that we have.
When you're in the scriptures and the author takes you back to the gospel, stop and meditate on that glorious truth. Let it make you say, "Wow!" Then go live it.
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