Gospel Clarity in a Year of Cloudiness
Do you recall the optimism when 2020 began? I remember being bombarded with marketing campaigns and communications about having “2020” vision and seeing more clearly. But as the circumstances of life unfolded this year, it turns out that 2020 has been the opposite of clear! In unclear times, we can “lose sight” of the bigger picture and instead dwell on the negative. On the positive side, unrelenting blurriness often results in us changing our “focus” to what is essential and provides true hope in times of uncertainty.
A Christian’s true hope is found in the gospel message! In fact, the word gospel derives from the Latin word evangelium meaning “good news” which is something we would all like more of these days. However, that sentiment is precisely the point: we cannot let our hope rise and fall with the circumstances of life. Instead, our hope must be in the unchanging and everlasting message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, especially when bad news abounds.
The State of Theology survey completed by Ligonier and LifeWay Research in 2020 found a wide spectrum of faith perspectives and confusion on Jesus and the gospel. What’s more, growing cultural and political influences have clouded over core truths that have been clear for generations.
Even so, the true gospel message remains unaffected and unchanged. As Christians, it is crucial that we “see through” to rightly understand the truth of the message in our minds and so it can readily shape our hearts.
The good news could be summarized as follows:
· God is holy and is sovereign over all things in history, present and future (Revelation 4:11)
· We all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23)
· God sent Jesus to dwell among us and be our redeemer (John 1:14, Ephesians 1:7, John 3:16)
· Jesus died in our place on the cross in place of the punishment we deserve for our sin (2 Corinthians 5:21)
· We are called to faith by God, we repent of our sins and confess Jesus as Lord (Acts 17:30, Romans 10:9)
· We are reconciled to God and forgiven, by grace, through faith (Ephesians 2:8)
· We become part of God’s family for eternity (Ephesians 2:19-22)
· We are transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:17) becoming equipped as Christians to love and serve others as we share the good news with them
In short, the good news is that we can spend eternity with God through faith in the Person and work of Jesus Christ no matter what uncertainty we face in this life. Additionally, God never leaves us or is unaware of our present challenges and instead promises to use them for our ultimate good and His glory (Romans 8:28).
My prayer is that as we turn the page on 2020, we take some time to examine the Scriptures and our present circumstances through the lens of the gospel message. This strange year is actually an opportunity to be clear on who we are in Christ, so we can share the good news about Him with others as we love them in His name in 2021.
A Christian’s true hope is found in the gospel message! In fact, the word gospel derives from the Latin word evangelium meaning “good news” which is something we would all like more of these days. However, that sentiment is precisely the point: we cannot let our hope rise and fall with the circumstances of life. Instead, our hope must be in the unchanging and everlasting message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, especially when bad news abounds.
The State of Theology survey completed by Ligonier and LifeWay Research in 2020 found a wide spectrum of faith perspectives and confusion on Jesus and the gospel. What’s more, growing cultural and political influences have clouded over core truths that have been clear for generations.
Even so, the true gospel message remains unaffected and unchanged. As Christians, it is crucial that we “see through” to rightly understand the truth of the message in our minds and so it can readily shape our hearts.
The good news could be summarized as follows:
· God is holy and is sovereign over all things in history, present and future (Revelation 4:11)
· We all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23)
· God sent Jesus to dwell among us and be our redeemer (John 1:14, Ephesians 1:7, John 3:16)
· Jesus died in our place on the cross in place of the punishment we deserve for our sin (2 Corinthians 5:21)
· We are called to faith by God, we repent of our sins and confess Jesus as Lord (Acts 17:30, Romans 10:9)
· We are reconciled to God and forgiven, by grace, through faith (Ephesians 2:8)
· We become part of God’s family for eternity (Ephesians 2:19-22)
· We are transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:17) becoming equipped as Christians to love and serve others as we share the good news with them
In short, the good news is that we can spend eternity with God through faith in the Person and work of Jesus Christ no matter what uncertainty we face in this life. Additionally, God never leaves us or is unaware of our present challenges and instead promises to use them for our ultimate good and His glory (Romans 8:28).
My prayer is that as we turn the page on 2020, we take some time to examine the Scriptures and our present circumstances through the lens of the gospel message. This strange year is actually an opportunity to be clear on who we are in Christ, so we can share the good news about Him with others as we love them in His name in 2021.
Mike O'Dean, Children and Youth Ministry Coordinator at First Baptist in Sturgeon Bay
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