DEMONSTRATING THE GOSPEL IN OUR LIVES

“The gospel of Jesus Christ transforms our character and builds Christlikeness into it—a Christlikeness that cannot be hidden and makes its own impression on others. For becoming ‘worthy of the gospel of Christ’ is, in simple terms, becoming more like the Lord Jesus.” – Sinclair Ferguson.

We, as Christians, often believe that the gospel is only for unbelievers. The Gospel is seen as the entryway into a relationship with God, but once it has served its purpose, it should be set aside for “more advanced theology.” Yes, we might pull the Gospel from the shelf now and again as a means to an end when we feel the need for forgiveness, but its primary role is in our initial conversion. That thought process couldn’t be further from the truth. The Gospel is not merely a push start for the Christian life; The gospel is the foundation, the formation, and the primary motivation for the Christian life. It is how everything is renewed and transformed by Christ—whether a heart, a relationship, a church, or a community.

Demonstrating the gospel means showing, not just telling. When reading a book, readers need to see ideas illustrated in practical action rather than just being told one thing after another. The same principle applies when we want to communicate to anyone the life-changing reality of knowing Jesus. In other words, does your life reflect what you believe? People need to see changed lives, not just hear explanations of what we believe and why. That is not to say we should avoid verbally explaining the gospel to people. But the words won’t mean much if our behavior and actions don’t match our words. Showing what you believe is often more effective than a meticulously researched argument for belief in God.

After all, most of us are not trained in apologetics. But we do have various relationships with believers and non-believers. In these relationships, we will have the opportunity to demonstrate what we believe daily. Living a life that reflects Jesus means putting his teachings into action in your daily life. This includes being kind, compassionate, and merciful and treating others with respect.

Think about that for a moment.  If someone doesn’t know Jesus, they can see our reflection of Christ in how we treat them, love them, and be His hands and feet on earth. God must live inside of us, wanting to radiate from our words (thoughts), attitudes, and actions, and how we love others as He loves us.

Living out our faith is a daily commitment. It’s about allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us, guiding our actions, words, and attitudes to reflect Christ. We must intentionally demonstrate our faith through our actions and the gospel’s transformative power by how we live our lives.

Discussion Questions:

1. What were the primary ways Jesus demonstrated His love for others? (e.g., healing the sick, feeding the hungry, teaching the marginalized)?
2. What are some of the things that we can do today?