The Gospel in Life

The gospel is preaching Jesus born of a virgin,living a sinless life (the God-man) and Him crucified for our sins and His resurrection on the third day showing what He did justifies.It is all those things and the responsibility of all to acknowledge ones sin before God,our need of Jesus ,repenting ,turning and trusting in the work of Christ.This work is of God alone but after it does not stop. What God has started , He will see it through in His people to the end . It has to to have an effect on ones world view  and life.

Granted at times we all feel its one step forward , three back but over a long stretch , one will and should see growth in how the gospel is shaping and conforming us to the image of Christ.

So as I was reading a news feeds today , I came across a story . A story that made me so sad , that it made stop and say to myself , this is a story that should make us so passionate with a heart that wants to share the gospel.

The story is gut wrenching sad . A little boy only 11 took his life thanks to being bullied. But the background fills in the details of why this young boy's heart was so hurting and lost that he felt he add no other recourse. First he lost his mom to cancer 3 years ago. Then just over a year ago was diagnosed with MS. So with  dealing with grief , now on top of that a disease that would rob him of much and eventually lead to a early death than a normal life span, was added to his plate . But the thing ,according to his dad that took the spark from his eye was the mugging at the hands of a punk in upper middle school. He had his Dad's i-phone , to listen to music and call home to see when supper was and stay in touch.This malcontent jumped him , plowed his face to the ground with force and broke his teeth. Then he was assigned a "protector" the rest of the year at his school  but was then called on to testify in a upcoming hearing against the young offender. Going back to school , his "protector" had moved on to high school and all the while this punks bodies began bullying him . Taunting and threatening him. Even the moron who did this evil cowardly  act , still had contact apparently (although he was under a restraining order -laugh now about this useless law). With the stress, the anxiety and the overwhelming battle with MS , this young boy put a bag around his head and suffocated himself in his bedroom. His Dad found him in the morning.

The gospel could have had life saving and real rubber hits the road impact in this sad tale. With all this young boy had gone through , what if the truth of Christ had impacted  this whole family's life. It could have caused a pause and a hope that simply does not exist apart from Christ and being reconciled to God.The gospel story would have brought good news in a dark place, light amid the storm clouds and an anchor amid the crushing waves that can sweep one away in this fallen world. Would the bullying still occur , yes , but in Jesus we have a great high priest that sympathizes with us. Jesus would understand this young boys struggle with being wrongly beaten , taunted and feeling forsaken.

But ultimately , the gospel could have pointed this whole situation to when everything sad will come untrue. The hope is not in this life or situations but on the hope that God is making all things new and will finish what He started when Jesus comes again. I'm not saying that life would have been easy or without  real ,profound struggles but the gospel changes how we see suffering,illness,pain,life and death.

The gospel has real , salt and earth implications . Its not just a pie in the sky thing but it gives feet to real living and real life situations. Its not some abstract thing that has no bearing on what happens even on a play ground.

So does this not fire your passion to share the good news . We should be , just so we can see people reconciled to God through Christ and escape the wrath to come. But in that great truth , real lives are changed and transformed. So my prayer for this Dad is that God will bring the gospel into his life and Jesus will become his Lord and Saviour . Bringing healing to a hurting heart. Even for the "punk" who played a huge role in this spiral down of this young boy , that he would be convicted of his sin and how he hurt in his evil act and repent before the day of judgement. The case is getting thrown out , and perhaps this young man is laughing or relieved but there is a higher court and unless he repents and trust in Christ , seeks forgiveness from this boys family , then he will not escape from this act.

But the gospel of Jesus Christ can do amazing things , for when God gets a hold of someone , the whole of life will be impacted for His glory .Nuff said.