Guest Post: Gospel for Everything

Hello! I hope that you are having the best day ever. 

Today is a Guest Post Day! The heart behind this is to feature young women who trust and serve the Lord. I urge you to be encouraged by the stories, scripture, and truth. 

Amy, who happens to be one of my amazing first cousins, is one of the most challenging, encouraging, and inspirational followers of Christ that I know. She and Kyle, her husband who is also amazing, moved to New York City a few months ago. They are working with international students from unreached countries at Columbia University. They are working with international students from unreached countries at Columbia University. They live in Harlem and minister to those students by conducting conversation groups. They share the love and message of Christ through these conversation groups. It's absolutely amazing. 

You can find more information about their ministry here.

"The gospel is not just the way to enter the kingdom, but the new way to do everything and to face every problem and to grow in every step."- Tim Keller

If you asked most people (including me) to describe the Gospel it would be something like: "Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and resurrected the 3rd day so we could have fellowship with God if we believe Jesus is the only way to receive eternal life." And, that is right! But, the gospel doesn't stop in our lives after we confess with our mouth (Romans 10:9-10). The reality of the gospel must be the lens we see all of life through- everything, every problem, a way to grow in every step.

I DON'T murder, cheat, steal, get drunk and I DO go to church, serve others and overall I'm pretty nice. Many of us don't commit the "big sins" but we are probably self-righteous, judgmental, are withholding forgiveness, jealous, or are a little entitled. In Galatians 3:2-3, Paul says: "Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?  Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?"

Paul is saying...Your works didn't save you. So, why are you trusting your actions to make you more like Christ? God saved you. Lean on Him, love Him, and let Him work in your heart...if your heart is good your actions will follow... not the other way around. 

An idea that I keep hearing in NYC is "Preach the Gospel to yourself." Now that doesn't exactly mean walk through the Romans Road in your head every time you have a flash of anger or an insecure thought. But, it does mean reminding yourself of the truth Paul talks about. Don't rely on yourself to fix yourself. Let it go and allow God to heal the deeper heart issue...the action is not the issue the heart is. Example: The other night our team was going to a West African apartment complex. I got really sick about an hour before we left. I felt terrible but insisted to my husband that I was going. He told me I was crazy and to stay home. I did, but the first few minutes at home I really struggled with guilt and worried about what the rest of the team was thinking. Then, so powerfully the Lord reminded me that I didn't go to a West African apartment complex to deserve His love...why was I trying to become more holy and earn His love now by going? I preached the Gospel to myself by reminding myself that the Gospel is not works. The Gospel is not trying harder. The Gospel is Jesus. I get to fall in love with Jesus and let Him change me from the inside out. 

Now to my legalistic friends who have red faces right now. Yes, we should continually be working for the Lord. But, the motivation should be from the heart. My motivation was pride, fear of man, and guilt for not serving God 24-7 seven days a week even when I'm sick. The motivation should be adoration because we are so in love with the Lord. And, that kind of love only comes from realizing we are not perfect. And, also resting in the fact that we don't have to be! 

Our walk with Christ started with the beauty of the Gospel! I love in the quote where Keller says the Gospel is the new way to do everything. Wow. Why do we choose to live daily in our flesh? Our flesh didn't please God, so He sent Jesus. Our flesh doesn't please God, He gives us His Spirit so we can daily live the Gospel. No matter what problem, sin, or struggle the Gospel is the way to live.

-  Amy