A Personal Gospel

John 3, 4

Do you ever have trouble with those one-size-fits-all hats or gloves? Even though I’m a small guy, sometimes I’ve found that my fingers are too long for those gloves.

Or even for shirts and pants that comes in sizes, too often dress shirt sleeves are too long, and all my pants have to be hemmed.

I remember I met a guy who had custom made shirts: dress shirts made to his exact measurements.

Today, I’d like to share how the gospel is not a one-size-fits-all thing. Rather, God gives us as it were custom-made gospels that fit the specifics of our stories and our needs.

Our vision is to renew lives in Christ to transform our city and the world.

Last week P. Young talked about the power of accountability in renewing our lives. Today, I’d like to talk about having a personal gospel renews our personal lives.

We need to recognize there are different pictures or stories that get at different aspects of the gospel. I’d like to go through a few examples and perhaps you’ll find that you identify more strongly with some more than others.

Legal/courtroom

We have committed crimes, the verdict is guilty, and are sentenced. We feel guilty and a strong need to make up for that guilt: do penance, do good works, trying to make up for something we’ve done wrong.

But Christ takes our verdict, our guilt, our punishment, and He gives us His righteousness. We’re released, set free, and Christ becomes our substitute. Our sin and guilt are removed (Romans). Justification.

Relational

We were alienated from God, our relationship and fellowship was broken. We feel we there’s no way we can approach God, no way we can be accepted to God. We think maybe if we do lots of good works, God might accept us.

But Christ removes the sin that separates, makes amends, bridges the divide, and instead of being an enemy, we are embraced, loved, adopted into the family (more relational; Prodigal Son). Reconciliation.

Acceptance/Love

(I feel like there’s a lot of this.) We are not accepted, not loved, not good enough. We don’t like ourselves and we doubt anyone else really loves us for who we are. We spend our lives trying to find approval, trying to become lovable.

In a crowded room, despite being surrounded by her closest friends, when Grace listened beyond the din of her conscious thoughts she knew that deep down she still felt alone. This has been a familiar feeling for most of her life. When her friends recall times spent with their families at childhood soccer games, family vacations, and even just the day in and day out banter of life around the dinner table, all she could remember were her parents telling her that the reason they worked until dark was to provide her with a better future. After her father died and her mother retreated into a world of further business and distraction, she began to dream of the day when she would meet her soul mate who would know her intimately, who would complete her sentences before she would, and who would whisk her away from her inner dreariness. But her relationships were characterized by efforts to move towards others to gain acceptance, but at the same time moving away to avoid being hurt. Her fear of being alone became a wall of separation between her and others.

On the outside Bill appeared to be assured and self-sufficient. Having graduated from a prestigious university and recently landed a dream job, by most people’s standards he was headed for a life of privilege. But inside Bill had a nagging thought that one day everyone was going to find out that things aren’t as they appear. One day the balloon would burst, and he would come crashing down and who knew how far he would fall before hitting the bottom. Even though he is esteemed by others, on a very basic level he feels like he doesn’t measure up. He believes that “if people really knew me, they would find out that I am just an imposter.” And so his every interaction with people is a carefully crafted presentation of the image he feels would maintain this charade, because in the end that is the only way he knows how to elicit the love, respect, admiration, and praise of others. But the currency he gets in return never provides him with the assurance and security he seeks as a person who is loved and accepted.

The gospel is a message of love and acceptance. You are loved as you are. You don’t have to do anything to be loved, you are already dearly loved, more loved than you could ever imagine. You cannot be loved any more than you are already. And when you understand that love, instead of spending your life trying to receive that love, you can spend your life living out of already being loved.

Shame/glory

We don’t struggle with feelings of guilt or loneliness but feelings of shame. We feel embarrassed about ourselves, about things that have happened in the past, about deeper inadequacies. We spend our lives in fear, trying to cover ourselves, putting on a mask.

People just assumed that Sharon was going through a phase. When she traded in her preppy blouses for all black attire, some thought she had a new appreciation for the goth culture. But when she began to gain weight at breakneck speeds and her face could no longer be seen behind the hair draped in front, it was clear she was forming a position of isolation from the world. No one knew that she was raped. She hadn’t told a soul. How could she anyway, because they were technically dating at the time, and she felt responsible for allowing it to get to that point. All she could do now was to hide from her past. She tried to put weight in between herself and her sexuality, and the veil of hair prevented others from looking into her eyes and seeing her deep sense of shame. As fast as she could run from this moment in time that she still cannot believe happened, the memories seemed to run faster and catapult themselves into her every waking moment and then bleed over into her sleep. Sharon felt as if there were no more sense in keeping boundaries and maintaining respectability, because that had been taken away from her, and so she fortified her shame by drowning herself in alcohol, drugs, and distancing herself from others with an acerbic tongue. Just as the long sleeve shirts she wore would serve to cover up the evidence of failed attempts to end this life of silent pain, her primary mode of living became an effort to hide from the shameful events in her life that seemed to be growing exponentially.

Our shame is exposed and then our shame is covered. Christ takes our shame (every scar and skeleton in the closet, every regret and failure) and transforms us to glorious heavenly beings that perfectly bear the image of Christ. We are not damaged goods—we are heavenly beings. We are not just justified, we are sanctified, we are glorified. There is nothing to hide. Christ has taken our shame and given us glory.

Drive to achieve

Some of feel a drive to achieve. You are never satisfied. It may be academic or career ambitions, it may be popularity or fame, it may be money, but you always want more, you want to get a little further ahead.

Tom was also an overachiever. He was bright, diligent, disciplined and ambitious. He was never satisfied with being average. In school he took the hard classes, he took extra classes, and he did well. He wanted to stand out and be on top. He lived by the principle of delayed gratification: work hard today, and enjoy the fruits tomorrow. Play later, now is the time to get ahead, and so Tom was always busy. Every day, every hour; he hated wasting time. For Tom, life seemed like a competition, and he wanted to win. If he felt others were ahead of him, he’d feel dejected or jealous. If he felt others were behind him, he felt a little superior. And so with such discipline, diligence and drive, Tom had a lot of success. Each success would give a rewarding satisfaction, but the satisfaction would quickly fade. The irony was that no matter how much Tom achieved, he always wanted a little more. He lived with that restlessness, always wanting just a little more.

The feeling isn’t guilt or rejection or shame, but restlessness. I’m a version of something like this. And one day as I was praying, this phrase came to me, “The race is over!” Christ has already crossed the finish line. He has won victory for me. He has achieved it all. The race is over . . . I won (in Christ) . . . so stop running!

I was finding my significance in what I accomplished. But the gospel says, Paul, Christ gives you significance in what He accomplished. There is no more striving, nothing more to do. The race is over! You can’t add to what Christ has accomplished.

So now, I run, but not to win my race. My race is over. Rather, this is now Christ’s race. My story, my life is completed. I’m here to do the work of Christ.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal 2:20)

My life is over. Now it is it is Christ in me.

It’s not a one-size-fits-all gospel.

Gospel should map on individually to our lives (not generically)

It is interesting how in presenting the gospel, to Nicodemus, Jesus said, “You must be born again.” It is as if Jesus’ gospel to Nicodemus was, “Don’t put your confidence in your Abrahamic lineage or religious devotion. You don’t need a little revision. You need to start all over. You need to be born again.”

Where as to the Samaritan woman, Jesus’ gospel was, “I know you. I know everything about you. I know the worst you’ve done and the emptiness, fear, and shame you feel. But here I am, talking to you. I’m not here to reject you. I’m here to offer you Living Water, I’m here to offer you myself.”

It is not a one-size-fits-all message.

Let me add that even for the same person, the gospel metaphors may change as God reveals different aspects of our sinful hearts. That is, as we grow, we find deeper and broader ways the gospel applies to us.

I want to help you to recognize a personal gospel.

See the difference between “our striving” (works righteousness) and “gospel living.”

To find your personal gospel, you need recognize a fundamental shift the gospel brings.

You can go to church, pray, serve in ministry—

all to try to get rid of guilt, to somehow make up for the wrongs you’ve done.

all to try to become more acceptable to God, maybe God will accept me now.

all to cover your shame, to hide; it is your mask.

all to achieve, to be “successful” as a Christian.

But for all of these, you’re using Jesus to fill your need.

OR, you go to church, pray, serve—

all because you’re already forgiven and seen as righteous.

all because you’re already acceptable to God

not because you’re trying to hide your shame, but because you’re free and glorious, and you worship Him for it. In fact, you’re willing to share your sin, mistakes, inadequacies (in accountability).

all because you not finding your significance in your achievements, but you’ve found your significance in Christ’s achievement. He’s won the race for you. You don’t have to get ahead in your career or in your spirituality. You’re already “successful” in Christ.

It is not “so that I can get” living, but “because it’s already given” living.

There is a shift when we no longer live to get something, but we live because we already have something. There’s a freedom.

There’s a difference between singing to become the American Idol vs. singing because you are the American Idol.

In Galatians, Paul argues against legalism, trying to keep the law to earn God’s approval. He says to the Galatians, they are not children of slavery, but children of freedom, not children of works but children of promise. You don’t have to do anything to earn God’s approval.

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. (Gal 5:13)

Christian life is to live in freedom. We are free from the bondage of trying to earn God’s approval. We’re already accepted. So now, we use that freedom (not to sin) to love one another.

In Matthew, Jesus describes how pagan have to worry about what they will eat and drink and wear. People worry all the time. Jesus says, the God who takes care of birds and lilies is more than able to take care of you.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Mt 6:33)

Christian life is to live in security, safety. We are afraid of what to eat or drink. We’re already safe and secure, taken care of. So now, we use that security (not to be lazy) but to seek God’s kingdom, to serve His purposes.

It is not “so that I can get” living, but “because it’s already given” living.

Or to put it another way, the gospel says, You no longer try to find significance and value in yourself or what you do. You have significance and value in Christ and what He’s done.

How can we find our personal gospel?

Be honest about what your deepest desires are, your strongest drives, your greatest fears. At the core, what are you living for?

You want to be loved, accepted. And your life is a quest to protect yourself from rejection or to find a safe place where you do feel deeply and genuinely loved and accepted.

You want to achieve. Life is a race, and you want to win, or at least get further ahead. You have this drive to stay ahead of the pack.

You do live in shame and fear. Everything you do is a covering, a way of hiding the inadequacies you feel inside.

We’re all wanting something, living for something, trying to find meaning, joy, significance in something. There’s some story of how we’re trying to fill our hearts with something that Christ was meant to fulfill. There’s some story of living for a need instead of living from being satisfied and fulfilled in Christ.

You need to be honest and recognize what is that “so that I can get” you’re living for.

That Christ is our Sufficiency, our Solution—that’s the gospel.

How is Christ the “because it’s already given” that replaces your “so that I can get.”

Repent of trying to solve your own problem, being your own savior, your self-reliance, and trust that Christ is more than you could have ever asked for or imagined.

Repent of trying to earn your own righteousness or make yourself more acceptable to Him or trying to find acceptance and love or trying to cover all your shame

Repent of trying to find your significance in yourself, and believe that Christ gives you new status and glory.

Trust that Christ is gloriously sufficient.

Then ask the Holy Spirit to apply that hope, that salvation, that victory to your soul so that you feel it. You feel it so much that you actually live differently.

For my kids, there’s a difference between knowing Dad loves them, and having Dad give them a big hug and whisper, “I will always love you.”

It is more than just cognitive therapy. There is the power of God in His gospel, where He meets you, and you feel whole, strong, full, forgiven, loved, rich, etc. There is power where by faith you experience and live in gospel freedom.

I tell myself, Paul, relax, the race is over, stop running! You don’t have to get things done, you don’t have to do more things. Christ has already achieved it all.

There are times when I say it, but I still feel a little anxious about my busy schedule. And there are times when I feel free. I feel God taking away the anxiousness, showing me He’s in control, He’s the hero of the story not me, and giving me inner rest.

“Preach the Gospel to yourself”

I’ve heard the phrase, “Preach the gospel to yourself.” I’ve feel I’ve grown to appreciate this more and more. Learn to preach a personal gospel to yourself so that you remain in gospel living.

“Preach the Gospel to one another”

Last week P. Young gave a powerful message on our need for mutual accountability. What do we do when we hold each other accountable? Beyond opening up about deeper struggles, beyond asking whether we’ve been pure or faithful or disciplined, we also preach the gospel to one another. We help each other see the Sufficiency of Christ for whatever hole we’re trying to fill.