Over the past year I have expressed my desire for Clearwater Christian College to be gospel driven, to embrace a strong ecclesiology, and to align with the compass points of Christ, His Word, His grace, and His church. The opportunity related to this wonderful theology is making application of it in the everyday routine of my personal life as well as the operations of the college. I am blessed by many who have written on the topic of gospel centrality in either blog or book formats. One such blessing came to me from the keyboard of J.D. Greear and his book entitled, The Gospel. I especially appreciated how he attempted to make application of the gospel to his own life with a prayer that he uses for meditation. I have added this to my journal and have likewise attempted to focus my thinking on gospel realities and the place of them in my life and college operations. As I meditate on these things I am also attempting to anchor myself to key gospel texts of Scripture. It is my desire to serve you today with some of these transforming and encouraging realities.
This is the Gospel Prayer that Pastor Greear offered for meditation. There is nothing magical or mystical about it. The prayer is simply a summation of gospel truth for reflection.
In Christ, there is nothing I can do that would make You love me more, and nothing I have done that makes You love me less.
Your presence and approval are all I need for everlasting joy.
As You have been to me, so I will be to others.
As I pray, I’ll measure Your compassion by the cross and Your power by the resurrection.
The biblical texts that dominate me with gospel centrality include some very well known passages like John 3:16, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son …. In addition, Paul in Romans 1 reminds us that the gospel is a key promise of the Scripture, that it is about Jesus, the eternal Son of God resurrected from the dead, and that it includes His grace that calls us to obedience and service. Again in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul focuses the gospel on the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. In Colossians 1, we see the transformative and fruit bearing nature of the gospel.
What Scriptures are coming to your mind? What key thoughts help you focus on gospel truth and application in your life and ministry? May God help us to be dominated by the biblical texts and theology of the gospel that produce lasting fruit in us.