Dear Ministry Leader, The Gospel Is for You Too
Dear Ministry Leader,
One of the dangers of being in ministry is that it is easy to forget that even as I preach the gospel to others, I need it just as much as everyone else.
I need the same rest that Christ alone offers.
I need the same grace to cover my sin.
I need the same gospel to transform my life even as I serve as a conduit of His grace.
Whether it is a standard we impose on ourselves or not, we can fool ourselves that as ministry leaders, we need to have it all together. I thought this when I struggled in those early days after we adopted our disabled daughter. I thought I shouldn’t struggle so much. Shouldn’t have so many doubts. And certainly not sin so often! I felt ashamed I wasn’t able to be a positive reflection of the strength of Christ.
But I have since realized that coming face-to-face with my own weakness was actually a blessing. The heavy burden of perfection that I was carrying—the false belief that what our church needed was an exemplary model of a joyful and victorious life in Christ—was not His burden but one of my own making.
It was in this lowest pit that I finally grasped what the gospel was really all about. It is not about my sufficiency and my performance but faith in His finished work alone. The gospel I preached is for me too.
I appreciate Paul’s example in 1 Tim. 1:15. He says, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” (ESV)
Note that he doesn’t say “I was” or “I used to be.” It is “I am.” Present tense. Right now. We will never outgrow our need for the gospel. Not Paul. Not you. Not me.
This is something we need to constantly whet our minds and hearts on daily. We need to pray, as David does, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Ps. 139:23-24, ESV)
The longer I walk with God, the more aware I become of how deeply my sin resides. I might be able to clean up on the outside, but He sees the places I hide from Him. Let us be quick to confess if He reveals any sin, remembering that “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9, ESV)
Every day has its challenges. When we’re out and about at work. When we’re at home with our loved ones. Just because we serve the Lord doesn’t mean that we will handle these challenges well every single time. In those moments, admit your need for the grace that comes from the gospel. Acknowledge that without this grace, we cannot live as He calls us to live. Then rejoice, for it is in these moments of weakness, His power is made perfect in us.
It is only when we are keenly aware of our need for the gospel will we be captivated by the amazing grace He offers us. People who are self-sufficient or just plain blind to their weakness have a hard time appreciating the good news of Jesus. May we never be so prideful to believe we have graduated from the basics of gospel truth. Rather, may we humbly rest in the good news of the Gospel—that through the work of the Son, we too are beloved children of God.
Your fellow struggler,
Vera
Featured Resource:
A Gospel Prime for Christians: Learning to See the Glories of God’s Love by Milton Vincent
Take a month out to drink deeply of the gospel. Read one of the brief devotionals, along with the accompanying Scripture references, and then “rehearse” the gospel by reading either the prose or poetic version of the gospel message. As you do, pay attention to any words or phrases that stand out to you and meditate on this truth throughout the day.
This book has been an excellent resource when I counsel. Whatever problem brings people to me, this book has helped my counselees to recognize their need for God and turn their hearts back to Him. Rehearsing it has also helped me to more firmly fix gospel truths in mind so that I don’t inadvertently go off track.
Other resources:
What is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert
A 9Marks title, this short and accessible book gives a thorough but concise explanation of the basic truths of the gospel. Because the gospel is central to all we profess and believe, and because it shapes all that we seek to do in our ministries, it is important to appreciate its many facets: God, man, Christ, faith and repentance, and the Kingdom of God. Like the gospel, it is both easy to read and understand but also very deep and profound. The focus is on our redemption through the cross of Christ and the author makes a strong point at how we must keep this—and nothing else—at the center of all that we teach and share.
Comforts From the Cross: Celebrating the Gospel One Day at a Time by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick
Thirty-one days of daily devotions celebrating the incarnation, sinless life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, ascension and ongoing reign of our Lord Jesus Christ. But beyond the facts, the author desires to help readers connect gospel truth to everyday life in real and tangible ways so that it impacts us as we live.
Gospel in Life: Grace Changes Everything by Timothy Keller
This 8-session Bible study series by the late Tim Keller includes a study guide and streamed video content (sessions are under 15 minutes) focusing on the gospel and how we can live it out in eight different domains, starting with the places closest to us and expanding outward to eternity. From examining our hearts, our witness, our work, to idolatry, community, and justice, this study helps us to make the most of our time here in the world we live in as we anticipate the world to come. As the tagline reminds us, the grace of the gospel should change everything about us and this study is a wonderful discipleship tool for those all—a great primer for those starting their journey of faith and those who have walked with Christ for decades.
Each session begins with the Bible study, then viewing accompanying lecture, and then a time of discussion with one another to bring the concepts into your particular sphere of influence. In between sessions is a Home Study, designed to prepare you for the following session. These pages provide reading, exercises and projects to introduce you to the topic and generally takes about 1 hour of prep work to complete.
The Gospel: How the Church Portrays the Beauty of Christ by Ray Ortlund
This book is part of the 9Marks Building Healthy Churches series. Seasoned pastor Ray Ortlund focuses on the life-giving gospel with a particular focus how the church strengthens (or undermines) the gospel message it purports to believe. But first and foremost, it is clear that Ortlund’s own heart has been pierced by the message of the Gospel—and that is then reflected in what he writes. In his personable style, Ortlund models how gospel doctrine rooted in the heart flows into the gospel culture of a church and its gospel witness. This is challenging, he admits, yet this very same gospel is what makes it possible.