Although I accepted Christ into my heart at a young age, this past year and a half is the first time I think I actually began to fully understand the truth and the power of the gospel. I think people are sometimes afraid of Christianity and not as willing to follow Christ because they believe that it is only for perfect people. You have to be perfect to be following Christ because he is perfect. Only perfect people who attend church on a regular basis and don't cuss or drink too much alcohol can follow Christ.
Actually, I have come to find out, it is the exact opposite. We are ALL imperfect, and none of us even have a chance of becoming perfect while here on earth. That is why we need a savior. We desperately are in need of a savior who can wash away our sins completely. Not only that, but why WOULDN'T we want to passionately and radically follow the man who lived a perfect life and then sacrificed it in the worst, most painful way possible- death on a cross for you and me?
I've been reading through Romans lately and dwelling on the truths, the sometimes hard truths, that Paul writes about. I'm finishing up Radical by David Platt and its absolutely stellar!! Platt writes about the 7 different truths that Paul describes throughout Romans which I think is a perfect picture of the gospel. It goes something like this...
Truth 1: All people have knowledge of God because he has made it plain to us
"Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities- his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."
-Romans 1:19-20
Truth 2: All people reject God
"For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened...they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the creator...they have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity." -Romans 1:21, 25, 29
This is you, me, your mom, my mom, my brother's friend's mom's ex-husband, my neighbor down the street, etc.
But really, looking at my own life I can see clearly how I daily worship things created rather than the creator. The devil makes it so easy. I often find my self worshipping anything and everything except the one that really matters: friendships, school, organizations, technology, myself.
Truth 3: All people are guilty before God
"There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." -Romans 3:10-12
Truth 4: All people are condemned for rejecting God
"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin." -Romans 3:20
Truth 5: God has made a way of salvation for the lost
*sigh of relief...oh praise Jesus*
"But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known...this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." -Romans 3:21-22
Truth 6: People cannot come to God apart from faith in Christ
"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." -Romans 10:9-10
Truth 7: Christ commands the church (his followers) to make the gospel known to all peoples
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" -Romans 10:13-15
LET'S GO!!!!!
"If people are dying and going to hell without ever even knowing there is a gospel, then we clearly have no time to waste our lives on an American dream." -David Platt
