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Preach The Gospel To Yourself

I can’t tell you who I heard the phrase, “Preach the gospel to yourself” first. But as a pastor, it has become a mantra I often repeat. 

The gospel encapsulates the profound message of Jesus Christ — his identity and purpose. It serves as a constant reminder of our essence apart from Christ, exposing the gravity of our sins and the magnitude of His grace. This transformative message is not just about what Christ came to do but also about who we are becoming through Him.”

Greg Gilbert in his book The Gospel defines it this way, “First the bad news: God is your Judge and you have sinned against him. And then the gospel: but Jesus has died so that sinners may be forgiven of their sins if they will repent and believe in him.”

What do we benefit from preaching the gospel to ourselves:

We see how God is not holding out on you.

God isn’t withholding anything from you. In Christ, we possess an abundance beyond our wildest imaginations. Every spiritual blessing is bestowed upon us (Eph 1:3). The gospel serves as a poignant reminder that Christ sacrificed everything to lavish His blessings upon us.

You reflect on the goodness of God.

In Romans 2:4, we encounter the profound question, “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”

The gospel serves as a lens that sharpens our focus on God’s goodness. Despite our deserving of condemnation and death, God extends kindness and goodness to us. Through Jesus’ sacrificial death, he stood in our place. Every gift, care, and watchful eye on us are expressions of God’s inherent goodness.

When you preach the gospel to yourself you remind yourself that this life may be hard, but nothing can take away the love of God

Romans 8:38-39 assures us that nothing, not even death, can sever us from the love of God. In John 16:33, the Bible acknowledges that tribulations are inevitable in this life—it’s not a question of if but when. The gospel becomes our beacon, reminding us that this earthly life is not our ultimate destination. With the endurance of Jesus as our inspiration, we find the strength to endure whatever challenges come our way.

Bad circumstances fail in comparison to eternal life in/with Jesus. 

In 2 Corinthians 4:7-11, the Apostle Paul vividly articulates the trials and tribulations he faced, emphasizing that these challenges pale in comparison to the richness found in Christ.

He eloquently states, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”

The gospel acts as a poignant reminder of the selfless gift bestowed upon us by Jesus and the unparalleled richness we find in Him. This perspective helps us recognize that our challenging circumstances are overshadowed by the abundance we possess in Jesus.

Consider the inspiring perspective of Joni Eareckson Tada, who, despite enduring the challenges of paralysis since a diving accident at age seventeen, envisions expressing gratitude to Jesus for her wheelchair in heaven:

“I hope I can take my wheelchair to heaven with me—knowing well that it’s not biblically correct. But if I could, I would have my wheelchair right next to me when God gifts me with my new, glorified body. Turning to Jesus, I would say, ‘Lord, do you see that wheelchair? You were right when you said we would face trouble in this world, and that wheelchair brought a lot of trouble! Yet, the weaker I was in it, the harder I leaned on you. The harder I leaned on you, the stronger I discovered you to be. So, thank you for what you did in my life through that wheelchair. And now,’ I always say jokingly, ‘you can send that wheelchair to hell, if you want.'”

When you preach the gospel to yourself no gift can be better than the gift of Jesus.

In 2 Corinthians 9:15, the Apostle Paul exclaims, “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!”

Within this passage, Paul conveys to the Corinthian church the importance of generosity. His plea is not coercive but rather a proclamation that as generous people, we reflect the character of our generous God.

The measure of God’s generosity prompts us to ponder: What do we truly deserve, and what does God freely give? The gospel serves as the profound response to these questions. Therefore, let the resounding truth of the gospel be a constant refrain in your life—preach it to yourself!

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Joyful Endurance

I have never tried to run a marathon and I don’t have a strong desire to do one in future. But like all sports, it requires one to build endurance.

Did you know as a Christian we need to have a spiritual type of endurance to finish well?

The Apostle Paul writes, “I press on towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:13). Paul was focused on Christ as he ran his race with endurance to the finish line. 

The word Paul uses for “press on” reflects complete concentration or focus. Just like an athlete competing where their focus is unbroken. They are not distracted with what is around them but their attention is solely on the prize of winning or completing.

It Matters How We Start and How We Run To the Finish Line

As a Christian it matters not only how we start the race, but how we run it so we can finish well. Like Paul, we must have this laser focus on what God has called us to do. What is that exactly? It is looking to Jesus, it is proclaiming the gospel, it is enduring in this life.

Church, let us run this Christian race well. The only way we can endure is because Jesus endured for us.  The author of Hebrews writes, “Let us run this race with endurance that is set before us,  looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Though it is is Hard- It is one of Joy

It is my prayer for you and for me that we would joyful endure until the end where the Father will say, “Well done my good and faithful servant” (Matt 25:23).

Yes, the Christian will face troubles and trials. Yes, it will be moments of affliction (1 Peter 4:12; 2 Cor 4:17-18). But, there is joy (James 1:2-4)! This joy is found in Christ. This joy is given by the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22-23). This joy is eternal and supernatural. This joy endures until the very end!

I would rather go through the afflictions of this world as I know the joys of Christ than to be untouched from affliction while missing the riches that are found in Christ. That is true misery.

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Waiting in Anticipation!

I don’t know why but I get excited waiting for a package that I already know is coming. I check the tracking number, I double check on it’s arrival date and you know what? When it comes I get still get excited and somewhat surprised though I know it was coming.

What do you get excited about that is coming your way? Maybe it is the holidays and spending some time with family that you have not seen in a while. Maybe it is finishing a project or anticipating that tax return. You know they may be around the corner and you can’t wait! There is something even greater that one can anticipate. That is what Jesus is doing in you and through.

The Apostle Paul was in prison and he knew a trial before Caesar would take place. He knew death could be on the horizon for him. Yet, we see Paul writing to the church in Philippi that he was anticipating something else.

He writes, “it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death” (Philippians 1:20).

Straining the Neck Forward

What was Paul eagerly expecting? That phrase means to strain one’s neck forward in anticipation. Like a child excitedly waiting for something to come Paul was eager too. Paul knew one of two things would happen, death or life. He was eager in how he would finish regardless.

It was like a student prepared for a test, saying, “Bring it on.” Paul did not want to be ashamed of Christ. He even wrote in another place, “I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). He was hopeful of finishing well whether it was his time in prison or his time on earth.

Do You Eagerly Expect to Not Be Ashamed?

I wonder why as Paul was already so bold that he needed to include this verse. He already proved that he was not ashamed. But I also know he was human. And, humans are prone to fail in times of sorrow, hurt, and strife. He may have seen his weakness and didn’t want to cave under the pressure. He may have felt lonely at times and he could have not been strong and maybe even ashamed of the gospel.

I don’t know why he did, but I am thankful that he included this in the letter. I am weak. I am prone to fail too and in some ways I do. There are moments that I am bold and other times maybe even ashamed. I am not even in prison for my faith and yet I am fail over and over. It should be the believers prayer like Paul that we can eagerly expect whatever happens down the road that we can go forward with full courage not being ashamed of the gospel. I am weak but he is strong and it is by his grace that I continue on with eager expectation (2 Cor. 12:9-10).

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Be Like…Tychicus

be like... Tychicus |
I have a friend who is always willing to help, be there when there is a need, even when it is not the most convenient. I am beyond thankful for this friend. If you have someone like that, you know what a treasure that is to have. There is a man mentioned in the Bible named Tychicus who my friend reminds me of, and we can be encouraged to be more like him.
Be like who? Tychicus! Just say his name 3 times fast! He is mentioned by the Apostle Paul at the end of Ephesians as “the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord whom Paul was sending to them as an encourager (Ephesians 6:21-22).” At the end of Colossians, Paul again mentions this loved brother by adding that he is a faithful servant (Colossians 4:7). Continue reading “Be Like…Tychicus”

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Don't Be Like Demas

I have some friends who were part of their school’s cross-country team. The importance of the long race is not just how one starts, but how they maintain their endurance through the whole race. The same is true for us as Christians. The book of Hebrews encourages the Christian to run with endurance the race that is set before them by looking to Jesus, who is the founder and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1–2). Continue reading “Don't Be Like Demas”

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Be…Like Onesiphorus

The Bible is full of encouragement and direction in pointing the Christian to look to Jesus. One of those ways is through the example of Bible characters. We get to see the good and the bad, the celebrations and the warnings, all which points us to God’s unmerited grace in the lives of the saints.
“Be” is a new series that will focus on different characters of the Bible and will highlight either their Christlike character or we will see the warning from how they lived. It’s easy when one reads Scripture to put themselves in certain texts and want to be like Paul or David or Peter. Though this may not be bad, the Christian’s ultimate goal is to put on the character of Christ (Colossians 3). The “Be” series will focus on those people mentioned once or twice in Scripture that were a help or a hurt to the church. Continue reading “Be…Like Onesiphorus”