CHRIST-CENTERED BIBLE STUDY
Lesson 7: Gospel-Centered Living
We asked a group of Christians, “What was your greatest need before your conversion?”
RevealThe gospel.
“The basic message that: ‘God made [Christ], who had no sin, to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God’ (2 Corinthians 5:21, New International Version®). [The gospel] tells us that we are more wicked than we ever dared believe, but more loved and accepted in Christ than you ever dared to hope.” - Tim Keller, “Fellowship Group Handbook.”
However, when we asked that same group, “What is your greatest need following your conversion?” we elicited a wide variety of answers.
I am suggesting that the answer remains unchanged.
Big Idea: As believers, we still need the gospel.
- You must continue to acknowledge your inadequacy and impotence to live righteously before God.
- And you must continue to trust wholly in the sufficiency of Christ—His forgiveness, empowerment and promises.
This is the process you went through when you came to faith, and it is the way you continue to live out your faith.
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” (Colossians 2:6, ESV).
As Tim Keller points out “The gospel is not just the ‘A-B-C’ but the ‘A-to-Z’ of the Christian life. The gospel is not just the way to enter the kingdom, but is the way to address every problem and is the way to grow at every step.”
Reflect: Reflect on the above quote by Tim Keller
RespondHow would you explain this to someone who has just come to faith?
How would you explain our continuing need of the gospel to a person who has been a Christian for a while?
The gospel should change not only who you are, but also what you do. It should shape not only the way you read and apply the Bible in your own life, but also the way you teach it to others.
Take a Step
Try it. Choose a different passage from the Bible and study it using the skills learned from this course as well as the road map image in Lesson 6 for help.
How did that go?
Do you feel like you could explain the purpose and process of hearing the music of the gospel to someone else?
We encourage you to take what you’ve learned here in this course and share it with someone else you know this week while it is fresh on your mind. That is one of the best ways to make sure you remember and really apply what God has revealed to you here.
What's Next:
Here are some final thoughts on Christ-centered Bible study
