For years, it was very common in certain church circles to speak of "preaching the gospel to yourself" or being reminded of "the daily gospel." That wave of gospel centrality has passed, leaving a smaller depth of gospel language among most Christians. Some of that is good. Often, when something becomes the newest buzzword, it loses its original impact. Too many times "gospel-centered" was slapped on anything and the result was a lessened clarity on the gospel itself.
At the same time, PBF seeks to be a gospel-driven church. That's a good impulse as it keeps Christ himself (as the focus of the gospel!) at the center of our church life, helping us avoid the traps of legalism or licentiousness. But what does this look like in our personal lives?
In the past, I was wonderfully impacted by the clear, simple, biblical teaching of Jerry Bridges. He will never be on the Mount Rushmore of theologians. But his impact comes in the way he addresses the everyday believer at the point of everyday life—with the gospel. More than anyone I know of, he popularized the idea of "preaching the gospel to yourself daily." So, how do we actually do this in a meaningful way? Here's one example from my own life. Usually, but not always, I frame the day with three kinds of gospel preaching.
Gospel Wakefulness
When I wake up in the morning, my day will go much better if I set my mind on God first thing. Specifically, I try to follow Paul's and Hebrews' advice to fix my eyes on Jesus and the things above where my life is hidden with him (Col 3:1–4; Her 12:1–2). This involves three simple mental movements.
1. Rejoice in My Savior. First, I think on one biblical passage among a long list of passages that summarize the gospel. This could be actually from a physical list near my bed. Other times, I wake up with one text on my mind. I consider the specific emphasis or nuance of the text and rejoice in its truths. This is part of what keeps this discipline fresh every day for me! Rather than the same phrase of verse, I'm moved by the various shades and texture of the depths of gospel, all culminating in the reality that Jesus has saved my from my sins and given me life with God (e.g., John 3:16).
2. Remember My Need. But I also remember my ongoing need of him. I am saved, but am still fighting to kill indwelling sin; the last vestiges of Adam in my heart. I remember Jesus' continuing ministry to me as my Shepherd, my King, and my Priestly Intercessor (John 10; Dan 7; Heb 7). I pray that he will hold me fast and help to fight temptation when it comes.
3. Remember My Goal. Lastly, I remind myself that I was saved by God for his glory, not mine (Eph 1:1–11). So, I ask the Lord to help me live this way—to remember I'm not my own, but bought with a price; therefore I should glorify him with my life (1 Cor 6:20).
All of this could take ninety seconds or five minutes. It precedes any devotional time, conversation with people, looking at my phone, etc. My goal is to be awakened to spiritual realities as I begin my day in Christ.
Gospel Repentance
Not surprising to anyone, I'm not perfect! I still sin—daily. And when I do, I have a few options. I can shrug it off and keep going, making some excuse for it or belittling its importance. I might also feel crushed by it to the point that I doubt my salvation. Or I could cherish it and become numb to it, committing the same sin over and over again without a second-thought. None of these are helpful to me.
If I've started the day with the gospel and time with the Lord, it's likely I will immediately feel the Holy Spirit convicting me of my sin. I may acknowledge that conviction, thinking, "I shouldn't have done that." But I need to go further. I need to move into repentance and faith, believing the gospel (Mark 1:15).
More intentionally, I have an alarm that goes off on my phone towards the middle of the day. It prompts me to evaluate my heart at that point. I consider if I have been irritable and proud or gracious and humble. Cold and indifferent or warm and kind. Anxious and stressed or dependent on God. Cowardly or truthful.
I respond to sin (on relfection or conviction) with gospel-driven thoughts and responses.
1. Remember the Sinfulness of Sin. We are tempted to make too little of sin as Christians: "It's been dealt with, so what's the big deal?" But we would do well to consider that puritan phrase the sinfulness of sin. As believers, we of all people should be appalled at sin in ourselves! It should make our stomachs turn to consider the betrayal it is toward God who loved us and saved us (Jas 4:4–5).
2. Remember my Standing in Christ. But God gives more grace in the face of sin (Js 4:6)! I don't need to despair hopelessly because of my failure. I ask for God's forgiveness and seek restoration of fellowship with him because of Christ, my righteousness (1 John 1:5–10).
3. Remember the Blessings in Christ. Maybe the sin was easy or pleasurable. I need to shake off its allure by remembering the superior blessings promised by following Jesus in faith (Heb 11:24–28; e.g., Matt 5:1–11). I can also remember four truths about God himself, which bring relief from future temptations: God is great, so I don’t have to be in control; God is glorious, so I don’t have to fear others; God is good, so I don’t have to look elsewhere; God is gracious, so I don’t have to prove myself.
Gospel Gratitude
Finally, as the day is ending and I'm laying in bed, preparing to drift off to sleep, I take the time once again to preach the gospel to myself. This time, I do so reflecting with thanksgiving for what God has done for me that day in Christ.
1. I'm Thankful for His Provision. God has given me more than I could ever deserve. Everything has come from his gracious hand (1 Cor 4:7; Jas 1:17). I am especially thankful that for all of my sinful imperfections, he has loved me and provided Christ as my Savior (Rom 5:8). Knowing him, I can be thankful in all circumstances (1 Thess 5:17).
2. I'm Thankful for His Care. Whether obvious or not, God has been watching over me, caring for me as his child (Rom 8:12–13. This means that even on the worst days, he has been working for my good (Rom 8:28–29).
3. I'm Thankful for His Power. I'm about to sleep because I'm a finite creature. Yet, God never sleeps. I never have to worry about him being too weak to keep his promise or answer my prayers. Peace can fill my mind in my final waking moments of each day because I am in Christ (Phil 4:7).
Preach!
There is much, much more that could be said about preaching the gospel to yourself. But I hope a glimpse at my own experience may be helpful. I hope you've been encouraged to find a way to adopt this practice for yourself. Whether it looks like my methods, you follow a better example, or your find way that looks especially well for your own mind and heart, make it a habit to preach Christ to yourself!
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