A wise mentor once told me that growing in the Christian life is not mainly about learning more things. Rather, it is about growing deeper in one thing. It is about seeing how that one thing affects and shapes everything else.
What is that one thing in which we should grow deeper? It is the gospel, of course—the good news about what Jesus has done to save sinners like us. Paul said the gospel is “of first importance” (1 Cor. 15:3).
The Gospel is of First Importance
Our goal should always be to grow deeper in the gospel and allow it to transform every aspect of our lives. Listen to the way the great British preacher Martyn Lloyd-Jones put it in his book, Spiritual Depression: “The gospel is not something partial or piecemeal: it takes in the whole life, the whole of history, the whole world. It tells us about the creation and the final judgment and everything in between.
It is a complete, whole view of life, and many are unhappy in the Christian life because they have never realised that this way of life caters for the whole of man’s life and covers every eventuality in his experience. There is no aspect of life but that the gospel has something to say about it. . . .We must realise the greatness of the gospel, its vast eternal span.
We must dwell more on the riches, and in the riches, of these great doctrinal absolutes. . .as we see it all worked out and put into its great context we shall realise what a mighty thing the gospel is, and how the whole of our life is meant to be governed by it.”
This year, I encourage you to make it your goal to grow deeper in your understanding and experience of the gospel.
Main Competitors to Growing in the Gospel
Unfortunately, there are ways that well-intentioned believers pursue good things in the Christian life. But in the end, such things do not help us grow in the gospel. Here are a few good examples to consider.
Spiritual Disciplines
The disciplines God has given us for our spiritual growth, such as Bible reading, prayer and fasting, are essential to grow in Christ. However, these practices do not necessarily produce gospel growth, in and of themselves. If we perform them mainly as guilt-driven, box-ticking exercises disconnected from the person and work of Jesus, they will not result in long-term transformation in our lives.
Emotional Experiences
Emotions are a very important part of the Christian life. In fact, God commands us to love him, fear him, and never be lacking in zeal (all experienced emotionally). Unfortunately, some people just move from one Christian meeting to the next, seeking their next emotional high, which is usually from exciting music, passionate preaching, or warm fellowship. Emotional experiences may feel good, but they will not produce lasting spiritual growth if they are detached from the gospel.
Ministry Activities
Believers should be volunteering in church, sharing the gospel, serving the poor and generally pursuing good works of all kinds for the benefit of those around us. However, sometimes these activities can simply be a means of making ourselves feel good, or even a source of pride. Even worse, these might be ways that we are trying to earn God’s favour and blessing. We can easily slip into pursuing ministry activities without motivation from the gospel, which in turn leads to little fruit in ourselves or others.
What Does it Mean to Grow Deeper in the Gospel?
Growing deeper in the gospel means understanding the gospel more clearly, treasuring it more dearly, and walking in it more nearly. Gospel growth involves the following:
- A deeper appreciation of God’s holiness, glory and beauty.
- A deeper awareness of our own sinfulness and the impulses of our hearts that lead us away from God again and again.
- A deeper wonder of Jesus, the most excellent person who ever walked the face of the earth.
- A deeper amazement of the cross, where our Saviour died for us.
- A deeper experience of God’s full and complete love for us.
- A deeper realisation of who we are in Christ.
- A deeper desire to turn from our sinful ways and habits.
- A deeper longing to know God, and to grow in an intimate relationship with Him.
- A deeper passion to live for God, and to honour Him in every aspect of our lives.
- A deeper burden to help the lost come to know Jesus.
This is not an exhaustive list of growing deeper in the gospel. Ultimately, the whole Bible is about the gospel, and the gospel should fire our hearts and guide every aspect of our lives.
How Do We Grow Deeper in the Gospel?
Pursue Gospel-Infused Spiritual Disciplines
The whole point of reading the Bible, praying, fasting and other disciplines is to lead us into a deeper understanding and experience of the gospel. So we should read our Bibles with a view to understanding how every particular passage connects with the gospel. We should pray with a helplessness and childlikeness that comes from the gospel. Fasting should be seen as a means to grow deeper in our dependence on God through the gospel. In other words, we should let every discipline lead us to the gospel again and again.
Pursue Emotional Experiences Rooted in the Gospel
An emotional experience is good and godly when it arises out of the truth of the gospel in our hearts. The gospel should cause us to shudder at our sinfulness, pour out praise for the cross, and shout for joy for the victory we have in Christ. These are feelings that come out of the gospel and bring glory to God.
Pursue Gospel-motivated Activity
The work of the gospel in our hearts leads to action. As the gospel takes deeper root in our hearts, we want to live less for ourselves and more for the one who loved us and gave himself for us—as well as for those created in his image. So the gospel leads us to want to serve God, to love others as Christ has loved us, and to share the good news with those who have not yet heard it. And as we pursue good works motivated by the gospel, God reinforces it more deeply and strongly in our own hearts.
May God help us to grow deeper in the gospel this year.
