1. Memorize the Gospel
The Bible refers to memorizing Scripture as storing up His Word in our hearts. God wants us to tuck His promises into our hearts so that, no matter where we are or what we're doing, we can pull them out and be strengthened by their truth. God has given us passages to help us preach to ourselves. Here are a few key passages that speak of God's work of salvation through the cross which we should never forget.
Isaiah 53:3-6
He was despised and rejected by men; a man of
sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one
from whom men hide their faces he was
despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he
has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet
we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and
afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities; upon
him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed. All we like
sheep have gone astray; we have turned every
one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on
him the iniquity of us all.
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God, and are justified by his grace as a gift,
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
whom God put forward as a propitiation by his
blood, to be received by faith. This was to show
God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance
he had passed over former sins. It was
to show his righteousness at the present time, so
that he might be just and the justifier of the one
who has faith in Jesus.
Romans 5:6-11
For while we were still weak, at the right time
Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely
die for a righteous person, though perhaps for
a good person one would dare even to die, but
God shows his love for us in that while we were
still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore,
we have now been justified by his blood, much
more shall we be saved by him from the wrath
of God. For if while we were enemies we were
reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much
more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be
saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice
in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through
whom we have now received reconciliation.
Romans 8:32-39
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him
up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously
give us all thigns? Who shall bring any
charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who
died, more than that, who was raised, who is
at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding
for us. Who shall separate us from the love
of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution,
or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or
sword?
No, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him who loved us. For I am
sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor
rulers, nor things present nor things to come,
nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything
else in all creation, will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4
For I delivered to you as of first importance
what I also received: that Christ died for our sins
in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was
buried, that he was raised on the third day in
according with the Scriptures.
2 Corinthians 5:21
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew
no sin, so that in him we might become the
righteousness of God.
Galatians 2:21
I do not nullify the grace of God, for if justification
were through the law, then Christ died for
no purpose.
2. Pray the Gospel
The gospel should be at the center of your prayer life. The gospel makes it possible for us to approach God. We must acknowledge that Christ's work on the cross is what makes our very prayer possible. We should thank Him that, because Jesus bore God's wrath for sin, we will never be separated from God's love. Lets thank Him that, because of the cross, we are reconciled to God and have been given the Holy Spirit to dwell in us, lead us, guide us, and empower us to resist sin and serve God. Let us ask God to bless us graciously with all that we need to obey and glorify Him.
3. Sing the Gospel
"A Christian's heart should be brimming every day with the song of Calvary. One thing we must do is not just wait for sunday worship but, we should make cross centered worship a regular part of our dailt routine. Here is one of CJ's favorite hymns:
'Twas I that shed the sacred Blood,
I nailed him to the Tree,
I crucified the Christ of God;
I joined the mockery.
And of that shouting multitude
I feel that I am one;
And in that din of voices rude
I recognize my own.
Around the Cross the throng I see
That mock the Sufferer's groan;
Yet still my voice it seems to be,
As if I mocked alone.
4. Review how the Gospel has changed YOU
Many people today want to forget the past. The mistakes they've made and the sins they've committed aren't subjects they like to revisit. One of the best ways we can draw near to the cross is to remember the past. It should remind us of how marvelous God's salvation really is. For me reminding myself of my ugly sins in the past has given a heart to not make the same mistake twice.
5. Study the Gospel
- Camp out in the books of Romans and Galatians. Author John Stott, among others, has written excellent commentaries on both to assist us in our study.
- Don't be afraid of technical theological terms. Take the time to learn the meaning of such words as atonement, substitution, propitiation, justification, redemption, reconciliation, and salvation. If you're looking for a guide, the Atonement by Leon Morris explains each of these words in detail :) Understanding them will and has helped me appreciate and marvel at what God has done.
- Read your whole Bible with your eyes peeled for the gospel. It has been noted that every passage of Scripture, whether it's in the Old or New Testament, either predicts, prepares for, reflects, or results from the work of Christ.
Remember we cannot do any of this on our own. We need God's Spirit to light the truths of the cross within our hearts.
