A pastor from a sizeable evangelical church read my book, “The 26 Gifts of Christ’s Finished Work”, and was convinced that this would be a suitable book to solidify the faith of newly baptized members. He ordered 20 books to give to the church’s baptism candidates.
When he told me that, it immediately resonated with me. I never had that intention in mind when I wrote the book, but after it was written, I saw that it could be excellent for those beginning in their faith journey, and those who had been Christians for some time but never had a thorough understanding of the fullness of the gospel.
The common understanding of the gospel is something like this:
God is our Creator
We disobeyed God and are separated from him,
God sent Jesus to suffer and die for our sins,
That we may be saved from judgment and have eternal life.
If we think this is the fullness of the gospel and all that a disciple needs to grasp, we are so off the mark. John Stott, the great evangelical theologian, wrote in his book, Understanding the Bible: “It seems to me that our greatest need today is an enlarged vision of Jesus Christ. We need to see Him as the One in whom alone the fullness of God dwells and in whom we alone can come to fullness of life.”
On a personal level, an enlarged vision of Christ will lead us to a more profound gratitude and relationship with God. It enables believers to experience the blessings of the gospel, thereby transforming their lives and equipping them to share the gospel accurately in its fullness.
It is a key to Christian maturity: “He (Christ) is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end, I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me” (Colossians 1:28,29 NIV). Paul himself practices this tenet of preaching and teaching for he said, “but we preach Christ crucified…”(1 Corinthians 1:23 ESV).
Watchman Nee, the great Bible teacher from China, wrote: “Long-lasting victory can never be separated from a long-lasting stand on the foundation of the Cross.” Some of my struggles in the Christian life could have been lessened if I had grasped Christ’s finished work and its implications for my life.