We are gospel centred
“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved… 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 accordance with the Scriptures…”
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Hi Church,
In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul reminds the church of what he calls “of first importance” — the gospel. Not as a slogan. Not as a theme. But as the defining reality in which they stand and by which they are being saved.
But what do we mean by “gospel”?
The word itself can be used in different ways. Sometimes it refers to the four biblical accounts of Jesus’ life. Sometimes it simply means “good news.” Both uses are valid. But when we speak about being gospel centred, we mean something very specific. We mean the good news of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection for us — for our sin and for our salvation. We are talking about real historical events that took place in time and space, and about their life-changing implications for us today.
According to Paul, these events are not secondary matters. They are not one doctrine among many. They are of first importance. The cross and resurrection of Jesus are to be central — not peripheral — in the life of the church and in the life of every believer. If the gospel is of first importance, then it must shape everything.
That conviction lies behind what we describe as our four priorities at EBC. Over the next few newsletters, we’ll explore them together. At the heart of them all is gospel centrality — and then the way that same gospel shapes our discipleship, our community, and our mission.
In other words, we’ll be asking four simple questions:
What is this “Gospel Centred” thing about?
What is Gospel Centred Discipleship?
What is Gospel Centred Community?
What is Gospel Centred Mission?
Next time, we’ll look more closely at two marks of gospel centrality:
A focus on Jesus
A focus on grace
One final thought for today. The challenge with any slogan is that over time it can lose its meaning. In recent years, “gospel centred” has been attached to almost everything. But the label itself is not the point. As Dane Ortlund wisely said:
“The label ‘gospel-centered’ is neither here nor there. There's nothing sacred about it … Every generation must rediscover the gospel for itself. ‘Gospel-centered’ happens to be the label attached to this generation's recovery of grace. When we tire of the label, get a new one. But keep the reality.”
The label may change. But the reality must not. What matters is the pure doctrine of God’s grace to sinners through the death and resurrection of his Son. May we be a people who stand in that gospel, who depend on Jesus, and who are sustained day by day by his grace.
To God be the Glory!
- Pastor Mike