Three years ago we studied the 10 saving acts of Jesus, as outlined in the sketch video above. The wonder of the Gospel is that you can express it in four words – “Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8) – and you can spend a lifetime studying and applying its truth.
In all of our ministry at Oakwood we seek to keep the Gospel at the center. This means we emphasize the good news of Jesus’ finished work in our worship services, Community Groups, Bible classes and personal relationships. The Bible makes the Gospel central to its story and message, so we follow suit by focusing on Jesus and the cross.
“For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”
1 Corinthians 2:2
This helps us avoid the dual dangers of legalism and laziness. On the one hand, Christians can fall into legalism, believing that our works contribute to our salvation. This may look like discipline and “holiness” but can quickly devolve into self-reliant religion that brings glory to self rather than to Jesus.
On the other hand, we can fall into laziness, presuming upon God’s grace and neglecting discipline and true holiness. These are the equally dangerous sins of the two brothers in the parable of the prodigal son. The younger brother was obviously sinful in his self-focus, squandering his inheritance in immoral living. But the older brother, in a stunning twist, was equally sinful in his self-reliance. By judging both his younger brother and his father, the older brother exalted himself and wound up missing out on the celebration of the father’s mercy.
The Gospel calls us away from both self-focus and self-reliance, choosing instead to focus on the Lord even as we trust completely in Him.
In both of these sketches you can see the “shape” of the Gospel. Though Jesus is fully God and deserving of all worship and devotion, He humbled Himself by being born as a human baby, living a life of service and giving up His life on the cross. Because He lowered Himself, God the Father exalted Him to the highest place.
The path of Jesus is the path we are called to follow. It is not the upward path of self-exaltation but the humbling path of surrendering ourselves to the Lord and devoting ourselves in service to others.
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”
James 4:10
“And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.'”
Mark 8:34-35
This is why the first step toward salvation involves conviction of sin and repentance. Until you come humbly to Jesus to be forgiven and set free from your sin, you cannot take hold of the life He offers. This is also how we pursue the fullness of the Holy Spirit every day of our lives. We humbly come to the cross, we turn from our self-focus and self-reliance and we surrender ourselves in loving service to the Lord.
Our culture glorifies the Self, but the Gospel calls us to crucify the self.
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20
When we follow this path of humility, confession, repentance and surrender, it positions us to receive mercy and blessing from the Lord.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
Jeremiah 17:7-8
For more Gospel resources, click here.