At Providence, we often talk about the idea of ‘preaching the gospel to ourselves’ every day.  By this, we mean that we need to be reflecting on the realities of the good news so that they begin to penetrate how we speak, think, act, and live each day and in every circumstance.  The Apostle Paul calls this ‘walking worthy of the gospel.’  This means we seek to live in such a way that aligns with and is consistent with what we say we believe.  Our lives should be a display of the worth of the gospel!

One way that can be helpful in preaching the gospel to ourselves is to read books by authors who are going to challenge us to think through how we are applying gospel truth to every facet of our lives.  Right now, I am being challenged in this area through Timothy Keller’s book “The Reason For God.”  In the first chapter of this book he makes this statement, “Most religions and philosophies assume that one’s spiritual status depends on your religious attainments. This naturally leads adherents to feel superior to those who don’t believe and behave as they do. The Christian gospel, in any case, should not have that effect.” (Timothy Keller)

I encourage you to reflect on this thought.  Why should the gospel produce humility, grace, and kindness toward those who do not believe as we do?  How are we faithful to an exclusive gospel without being an exclusive group of people?