Transcript
Ben Fallon: Paul, here's a fun one for you today. It's a bit of a critique, but it comes from a place of love and appreciation. Here it is.
I love all your teaching, but I'm confused about your use of the word ‘gospel’ everywhere. Three examples are your marriage book, your parenting book, and your leadership book–they all have the word ‘Gospel’ in the title. Marriage: 6 Gospel Commitments; Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles; Leadership:12 Gospel Principles. Can you elaborate on what you mean by the gospel and your practical definition? And being very logical, I see the gospels as the first four books of the Bible and or the good news of Jesus Christ that we share with nonbelievers, and the message they accept to become a Christian. Are you concerned that overusing the word ‘gospel’ might minimize or distract from this core definition?
Paul Tripp: I actually love this question. I think it's very important to talk about, and there are several things I want to say. The first thing I want to make very, very clear is that it is true that the core message of the gospel, as presented in Scripture, is the bad news of sin and the good news of the redeeming grace through the righteous life, substitutionary death, victorious resurrection, and royal ascension of Jesus. That is the core message of the gospel.
It is not true that the gospel begins with the four gospels in the Bible or restricted to that. In fact, the first introduction to the gospel is Genesis 1, because in Colossians we're told, and in John 1, we're told that Jesus, who is at the center of our gospel hope, is the Creator. You're introduced to your savior in Genesis 1, and literally the whole Bible is a biography of Jesus.
I just finished a Bible project, where one thing I did, is I wrote a gospel summary of every book of the Bible, because there's a chord of the gospel, the true gospel, that goes through every book of the Bible. So having said that, there's something else I think is important to understand, that between the ‘already’ of our conversion and the ‘not yet’ of our homegoing, the gospel is meant to be three things to us, and these are clearly presented in Scripture.
First, the gospel is an identity. I love, love, love Galatians 2:20, “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.” Now here's what Paul is saying. “I have been given a brand-new identity, so fundamental, that I can say, ‘It's not me who lives anymore, but Christ who lives in me. I am in Christ.’” But then he says, “Everything I do in life now is shaped by that identity.” That identity shapes my marriage. That identity shapes my parenting. That identity shapes my work. That identity shapes my sexuality. That identity shapes the way I use my money. It is a fundamental transformation that happens in my living because of this new identity.
Second, and this overlaps, the gospel is a lifestyle. I think in this place, Ephesians 4, the first two verses are very helpful. Paul says, “I therefore, as a prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another love.” Now think about this; what is this calling he's talked about? Well, here it is. He's just spent three chapters explaining the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and what he is saying is, “Now you are called to live out that gospel in your relationships.” And what he does in chapters 4-6 is, he applies the truths of the gospel to marriage, to parenting, to anger, to money, to the workplace, to communication, to all the places we live every day. Paul is saying, “Don't you understand that this gospel is meant to form the lifestyle wherever you are and whatever you're doing?” So, the gospel is an identity; the gospel is a lifestyle.
The third thing is the gospel is a lens. It's like a set of glasses that I put on to interpret and understand everything in my life. Let me give you an example. As Jesus was leaving his disciples, he says these words, this is John 13:34, “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.” Now Christ is saying, “In order to understand love, you have to put on your gospel glasses, and you have to interpret love from the vantage point of the gospel.” And so, he says, “Love one another in the same way that you have received love from me. Love one another with gospel love.” So, the gospel becomes a lens for me to understand and interpret everything in my life. What's the task of marriage? I have got to look at that through the lens of the gospel. What's the task of parenting? I have to look at that through the lens of the gospel. What's the task of moral purity? I have to look at that through the lens of the gospel. What's the task of my money and resources? I have to look at that through the lens of the gospel. What's the task of a citizen? I have to look at that through the lens of the gospel. And the Bible talks about all of these things. So, yes, the core message of the gospel is the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ in the rescue, justification, and sanctification of sinners, of course it is. But between the ‘already’ of my conversion and the ‘not yet’ of my homegoing, there are three functions of the gospel that Scripture makes very clear: The gospel as an identity, the gospel as a lifestyle, and the gospel as a lens.
And when I take the gospel as my identity, and I take the gospel as my lifestyle, and I take the gospel as my lens of understanding, it transforms the way I live. What that means is I need the gospel today as much as I needed it the first moment I believed because the truths of the gospel continue to rescue me; they continue to reorient me; they continue to protect me from sin; they continue to be a guide for my life. I need the gospel in my life, not just as an entrance into salvation and an exit into eternity, but an identity, a lifestyle, and a lens. Those three things have formed everything I do in ministry. Those three things are why I write the books that I write, so that the people would understand the power of the gospel in the places where they live every day.
And no, I am not afraid of overusing the word ‘gospel’ because it is one of the most important words you can ever understand and ever use as a shaping influence in the way that you approach your life.
BF: Thanks, Paul. And if you want to partner with us as we share the gospel around the world with millions of people, we would love for you to join our community of supporters. Paul Tripp Ministries is a non-profit organization, and we rely on the generosity of those who believe in this gospel mission. You can donate online at paultripp.com/give or contact our donor partnerships team by emailing give@paultripp.com.
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