Living for the Gospel

If your life were an outline, what would it look like? Where would the gospel be on your outline? Would it be a sub-point? A main point? Or would it be title of the whole thing?For Paul, the gospel was the title for the outline of his life. All other parts of his life were subordinate to the gospel and developed out of the gospel. When he wrote a letter to the church at Rome, he introduced himself like this:Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God (Rom. 1:1).He clearly understood that the gospel was not merely a part of his life. It was his life. It was the cause of his life and the purpose for his existence. Do you also believe that? Whatever your occupation and status in life may be, do you view it all through gospel lenses? Do you carry out your work, make your decisions, build your relationships, strategize your investments, and frame your conversations with the gospel in mind?Isaac Watts expressed a similar awareness of gospel priority when he wrote the words to the well-known hymn, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross. He concluded that:

Love so amazing, so divine,Demands my soul, my life, my all.

I invite you to listen to this introductory institute lecture on the background of the Apostle Paul, who wrote the New Testament letter called Romans.And as you do, I encourage you to reflect on the question, "Am I living for the gospel?"