(This is the sixth article in a series. You can find the previous articles
here: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
Part 4 Part 5)
As we continue to consider what it means to be
gospel-minded, let’s move on by looking at the next point of the gospel: Christ
was given.
Our predicament as fallen human beings is that we fall far
short of God’s holy standard and are therefore objects of His wrath. But – praise God! – He is gracious and
moved to take care of that predicament for us. God loved us in such a way that He gave His only Son to live
and die in our stead. Jesus Christ
lived the righteous life we should have lived, and He died the death we should have died. That means that He not only fulfilled
the Father’s holy standard on our behalf, but by dying on the cross for our
sins He also removed from us the stain of sin and the wrath of God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew
no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor
5:21)
Truly, the greatest problem we’ve ever had was solved by the
coming of Jesus Christ. The gift
of the Son is what makes the gospel “good news.” And it is news that is so good, it can and should serve as
the ultimate solace during times of difficulty.
So how might we use this truth of the gospel to shape the
way that we think about our lives and circumstances? As with previous posts, let’s consider a few different
scenarios.
A man looks at the people around him in the various circles
of his life, wondering why they are so blessed financially while he and his
family struggle constantly to make ends meet. They don’t go on the vacations others do. They don’t have the things others do. He is tempted to question God about the
equity of his life compared to everyone else. The gospel truth of Christ’s gift to sinful men could serve
to turn his thinking around: “I
need to kill my temporal view of blessings and wealth and gain an eternal
perspective. From an eternal perspective, I am truly rich. The Son of God Himself was given to pay
the penalty for my sins and to cover me in His righteousness. I have no sin debt. And I’ve been made a fellow heir of all
the blessings in the heavenly places.”
A young woman has a past filled with abuse and
abandonment. She finds it very
difficult to trust anyone, including her new husband. She has developed a number of defense mechanisms to protect
herself from being hurt by others, but mechanisms which also make it nearly
impossible to have meaningful relationships with other believers. The gift of Christ could have a profound
affect on the way she views her life:
“People may disappoint me and hurt me, but there is one person I can
always trust: Jesus. The greatest
danger I ever faced was eternity in hell, but He saved me from that. His love is so steady, true, and sure
that I can risk letting other people into my life without fear that I will be
damaged. If they hurt me, He will
be there. He is my ultimate source of fulfillment and safety.”
A teen is trying to fight the temptation to return to
ungodly activities she engaged in prior to her conversion. She knows what is right, but the pull
is overwhelming and sometimes she gives in. She is drained by the constant introspection and wonders if
she’ll ever be free from her old world. The truth that Christ was given to set her free could make a
big difference in her thinking: “Christ
was given to fully pay for my
sin. My guilt has been
removed. His righteousness was
also imputed to my account, rendering me righteous before the Father. I have a truly new identity in
Christ. I’m not that old person; I’m
a new creation. I will trust in
Him for the strength to live in light of my new identity.”
How many times has it crossed your mind today that Christ
was given by the Father to live and to die on your behalf? What difference might that truth have
made on your outlook? Such
an important truth can be lost on us for days at a time if we don’t discipline
ourselves to think about them. I
exhort you to spend a few minutes thinking about that truth and the difference
it could make in your thinking today.
Next time: Christ is
sufficient.
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