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(0)"...the Gospel ... of first importance..." (1 Corinthians 15:1,3). The Gospel was what the Apostle lived for. What he died for. He was the Apostle of the Gospel to the Gentiles. Everything he said was placed firmly upon the Foundation and Cornerstone of the Gospel. Paul urged people to be an imitator of him as he was an imitator of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). He lived the Gospel.
People have asked the questions, "How do I live the Gospel?" and "How do I imitate Paul as he was an imitator of Christ?" But I believe the better questions to ask are, "How can the Gospel live out in me?" and "How does the Gospel imitate Christ in me?"
In order for the Gospel to live out in us and to imitate Christ in us, we must first understand the Gospel. And when we begin to truly understand the Gospel, we will be passionate about it.
"If there's anything in life that we should be passionate about, it's the gospel. And I don't mean passionate only about sharing it with others. I mean passionate about thinking about it, dwelling on it, rejoicing in it, allowing it to color the way we look at the world. Only one thing can be of first importance to each of us. And only the gospel ought to be."
(C.J. Mahaney, The Cross Centered Life, 20-21)
But how? How can we begin to understand the Gospel in such a way that we become passionate about it?
We must understand that the Gospel is not only for the non-Christian. It is for the Christian as well. I would like to begin a series on "Gospel Passion", and I will begin this series by pointing you to an excellent resource by Milton Vincent, Pastor-Teacher of Cornerstone Fellowship Bible Church in Riverside, California - A Gospel Primer for Christians (you can find a copy here - you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader).
Over the next few days/weeks, I would like to read through this primer and post my reflections on what I am reading. Once I have read and posted on "A Gospel Primer for Christians", I will direct your attention to other resources that will help plant your knowledge and understanding upon the firm foundation we know as the Gospel.
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I have been using the Gospel Primer for about a year now, and have found it to be an extremely helpful tool. Thank you so much for emphasizing the Gospel the way you do!
John G.