A Gospel-Centered Home March 21, 2007
Posted by Joe in : General Lessons , trackbackErin,
Thanks for keeping things during my recent SRS hiatus. You blogged admirably love and I am thankful. In particular, I appreciated your second to last post regarding our need for the gospel. As I have mentioned to you, the Lord has been working on me big-time as of late. Of course, he has been working on us both, and as always, it is good to put such things into the written word.
In relationship to parenting, the reality is simple: we cannot raise gospel-centered kids in a gospel-centered home unless we ourselves are gospel-centered. Now, I confess that in the past I wasn’t always sure what I meant when I would make such a statement. What does it mean to be gospel-centered? How can I become such a man? Well, after reading John Ensor’s book, “The Great Work of the Gospel” over the past few days, I have begun to see the light. It is almost as if I am hearing of the gospel for the first time. Amazing….
I have said for quite some time that the Lord uses the same message to save and sanctify His people, but I’m not sure that I ever believed it. This is probably because I did not realize understand how. Sure, I had read Mahaney’s, “The Cross-Centered Life” but for whatever reason, it just didn’t seem to sink in. Well, what has begun to sink in is the reality that the gospel message is used by the Lord to show us who we already are and thus, aid us in becoming such people.
Maybe others differ from us in this regard, but we easily fall back into a works-based mentality. We are always striving for more and more of the Lord. Such a pursuit is good and necessary, but the truth that must be emphasized is that it is only successful because of what Christ has done on our behalf. Also, it is only a pursuit of joy if we continually keep our mind’s eye on Christ’s great Person and Work. For the moment we begin to lose sight of the gospel, we lose sight of God. How can we faithfully pursue Him apart from the message through which He most plainly reveals Himself and humbles us? Such a notion is impossible.
I could say more, but I over one practical step. It’s simple really, but it is one that we can never let go of, namely, we must be continually meditate and return to the gospel message. Over and over again, in prayer, in our speech and in our thoughts, we must return to the fact that Jesus Christ died in our place and that through faith in Him, we are righteous in the sight of God. He is our Substitute and faithful High Priest and apart from Him, we have no hope at all.
I don’t think it is overstating to to say that this is one of the greatest things we can do for our children. Our hearts must be inundated with gospel, so that we might inundate their hearts with gospel. May the Lord grant us grace to feel the weight of the gospel message and to subsequently, rejoice with tears!
Seeking to be gospel-inundated with you,
Joe
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