Why Do Christians Need to Hear the Gospel Every Day?
This article is by Cameron Smart and published by For the Church
Some people believe that the gospel is only useful for evangelism—a message only unbelievers need to hear. Yet the Bible teaches that followers of Jesus need to continue hearing the gospel even after they are born again. Christians should meditate on the gospel every day in their personal Bible reading, and pastors should preach the gospel in every sermon. We regularly need to hear about the life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, as well as the call to repent of our sins and turn to Jesus in faith.
Here are eight reasons we need to hear gospel truths each and every day:
To evoke praise and thanks to God. God our Father is the one who should be in the news headlines each day. Rather than taking his incredible saving works on our behalf for granted, we should daily meditate on what he has done in Christ and offer up to him the worship and thanksgiving of which he is so deserving (Romans 11:33–36; Revelation 5).
To remind us of our identity in Christ. Hearing the gospel each day and each week focuses us on Christ (Col. 3:1–4; 1 Cor. 15:1–11). We easily forget who Christ truly is and who we are in him. The good news clears away the fog of forgetfulness and reminds us of what God has done in history and in his people.
To sustain us. Meditating on God’s Word and gospel truths roots our faith, makes us fruitful, feeds us, waters us, grows us, and keeps us firm through trials (Psalm 1; John 6:22–59; Jude 20–21).
To keep us from sin. The gospel sanctifies us because through it we grow in love for our Father, and we desire to please him with our life. The gospel is a greater treasure than temporary gratification, a greater pleasure than sin to enjoy. Knowing that there is no good thing we can do that would make God love us more in Christ actually frees us to love and obey him rather than to take advantage of His grace (see all of Romans 6).
To motivate us to do good works. The resurrection of Jesus Christ frees us to spend our lives no longer for ourselves but for those around us (Tit. 2:11–14; Eph. 2:1–10).
To protect us from despair. No sin we commit makes God love us less. The gospel frees us from despair. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, which was shown to us through the gospel of the Cross (Rom. 8:31–39).
To encourage others around us. When we’re reminded of the gospel, we are more prone to share a word of encouragement with others throughout the day. This encouragement in turn builds them up in the gospel and ministers truth to their hearts (2 Tim. 2:1–7). A terrific resource in this regard is the book Counsel From the Cross: Connecting Broken People to the Love of Christ by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick and Dennis E. Johnson.
To beat down our pride. A sober reflection on our sin and what God has done for us in the gospel destroys our pride and cultivates a spirit of humility before the Lord and others (John 3:16, 5:24; Tit. 3:1–7).