Preach the Gospel to Myself : How?

Have you heard of the book series Eat This, Not That? Well, the author contrasts food choices that would seem to be healthy, but are not, with food choices that are better for you. He advises to eat frosted mini-wheats rather than granola because granola has lots of sugar. Well,  I would like to create my own spin on this title.  The heart of this post is an encouragement to believers to “say this to yourself, not that.”  Preach the Gospel to yourself instead of living a life of bitterness, fear, revenge, doubt, regret, or in any other number of realms that equate to spiritual poverty. Do we really understand what it means to preach the Gospel to ourselves daily, why exercising this principle is so important, and why the Gospel does not stop meeting our needs after the moment that we identify with Christ and accept Him as our Savior?

If the Gospel is only a door that we walk through to become a Christian, then the Gospel is only for unbelievers. Once you become a Christian, is the Gospel only the Good News that you share with others so that they avoid Hell? Some people do not want a solution to their daily problems, so they view the Gospel as “fire insurance” only–something to tuck away in a file never to be referenced except in emergency. They want the “good life” now and in the hereafter. Others want the Gospel for the health and wealth life; they want the “make my life easy, Mr. Pastor.” The utilitarian view of the Gospel is “what can the Gospel do to make my life about me—about fixing me so that I can be happy?” So as a result, some people pray a prayer, yet they wallow in utter spiritual poverty the rest of their lives. The Gospel is so much more. The Gospel speaks to us our entire lives, saving us daily from ourselves. If we preach the Gospel to ourselves daily, every perspective will change.

Let me illustrate the concept in another way:  we are to know God and to enjoy Him forever.  The Gospel opens the door to knowing Him AND to enjoying the riches we have in Christ. I believe that C.S. Lewis likened the situation to someone sitting on a porch, enjoying a small space and a good view.  But behind that someone is a palace that has never been entered or enjoyed.  Or someone goes into a vault and is told to take all that he/she would like.  Whose fault is it if that person comes out with 5 cents. Or it’s like someone frolicking in a puddle when he/she could be riding the waves of the ocean.  People live in bitterness, doubt, anger, regret, depression, and desperation that call themselves Christians. The Gospel is the answer to all of our trials in life.  The Gospel is the Good News every day at my doorstep. How is that so?  Let’s look at my “say this to yourself, not that” list to see if it helps:

Do I talk this way to myself? That person offended me; my feelings are very hurt. I find it hard to forgive that person.

Or do I preach the Gospel to myself? In the great exchange, Christ took all of my sin and gave me His righteousness.  How could I hold one offense against anyone?  I am fully accepted at the foot of the cross.

This way? I must control this situation; I must change what is happening. It’s horrible. I must intervene!

Or the Gospel? God is sovereign; I do not need to be in control. He secured my eternity. He is in control. Trust Him.

This way? My standards are higher than that person’s standards.   Are they even saved?

Or the Gospel? The Gospel welcomes diversity of preferences in Christ. (Take a look at Romans 14.)

This way? I find my identity in my job. I find my identity in being a mom. I find my identity in being a wife. I find my identity in being single.

Or the Gospel? My identity is that I am a child of God because of the Gospel. If I lost my job or children or husband or friends, Christ must be my satisfaction, completely.

This way? My scars are too deep, and healing is impossible. I need someone to listen to the pain that I’m in daily.

Or the Gospel? The Gospel ALWAYS has hope from the Great Physician and Healer of my soul. He heals the brokenhearted. He cared enough to die for me.

This way? My past sin, disgrace, embarrassment and shame just will not go away. My past is unforgiveable. I cannot get over it. It keeps coming up in my thoughts.

Or the Gospel? God sees me as flawless because of the Gospel. He looks on us not only as if we had never sinned but as if we had always obeyed. Victory is possible.

This way? Those people are so much better than me.

Or the Gospel? Except for grace, none is righteous—not one.

This way? I deserve some relief financially. I deserve. . . .

Or the Gospel? We deserve Hell on a daily basis. The Gospel has snatched us from Hell by God’s grace.

This way? I will never forgive my mother (or someone else) for the hurt she has caused me.

Or the Gospel? How can I hold something against anyone else when God has forgiven me of everything?

This way? I need “me time.” I need to concentrate on what brings me pleasure.

Or the Gospel? Life boils down to one word—gratitude. I will live my life out of gratitude for the Great Exchange.

This way? Those neighbors got themselves into poverty: they are slobs, drunks, and disgusting people.

Or the Gospel? In the Gospel, we are to esteem others better than ourselves—always. I must reach out to the poor. It does not matter “how” they got where they are.

This way? I am bitter towards God because he took someone or something I loved away from me.

Or the Gospel? God is good, loving, and sovereign. He is always drawing us close through every incident in our lives.

This way?  I must protect my children from harm.

Or the Gospel? God is loving and sovereign. He watches over my children. He sees the future like we cannot. He is in control.

We need the Gospel every day . . . every moment.  The Gospel saves us from our selfish, me-focused lives.  In God’s greatness, goodness, love, graciousness, and sovereignty, He gives us the Gospel truth to remind us of our riches in Him. Preaching the Gospel to ourselves daily moves us from a place of spiritual poverty to a place of basking in the riches of the Gospel in Christ.

Taken from Dr. Judith Coats’s seminar on “Gospel 101.”