REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King who serves as associate pastor at Remnant Church in Manhattan, was first posted on April 3, 2014. Cami is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div.).
Devotional Thought for This Morning
“Losing the Gospel: How It Is Done”
Galatians 1:6-9
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
Once a friend came to me and asked, “What is the gospel?” A little confused by the question coming from someone who’d been a follower of Christ longer than I had, I replied, “Uh… the good news… about Jesus…” (fearing I might have been asked a trick question). But it wasn’t a trick question at all. He explained that he always thought the Gospel was: “Jesus died for our sins,” but he was perplexed by the talk of the “gospel” in chapters in Matthew occurring long before Jesus had even died. We pondered for a bit wondering: What exactly was Jesus preaching? What is the “good news”? My friend’s question was one that forced us to return to the foundation of our faith (the Gospel) and grapple with it anew, longing to know it more fully.
In this passage, Paul is pleading for the Galatian believers to do the same. Teachers had come and taught them false doctrines (salvation contingent upon their ethic affiliation) and in the midst of it all, they’d lost sight of the heart of the Gospel that saved them – that God came for us and, by His grace, reconciled us to himself through Christ (not by works, ritual, or ethnic affiliation, but by grace alone). But I wonder, would they have been so easily deceived had they intentionally kept the Gospel message at the forefront of their minds?
How often do we meditate on the Gospel, that good news that brought us life? It’s so multifaceted that I doubt we’ve exhausted its depths. And it’s so good that it certainly never gets old.
Whether our focus is on the coming of God’s kingdom, or the defeat of sin and death, or the gift of peace and eternal life, let’s look at the Gospel anew today and rejoice in the finished work of Christ (his life, death, resurrection, and session at the right hand of God). Let’s plunge the depths of God’s perfect plan for the salvation of the world and be reminded of the heart of our faith.
Prayer: Thank you Lord for the Gospel! Thank you for your plan of salvation and the good news that brought me life, for Jesus and what he accomplished on my behalf! Help me to gaze upon it anew today and keep it at the forefront of my mind. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 66
Lunch Break Study
Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-8: Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
Questions to Consider
- How does Paul describe the Gospel in these verses?
- Why does he make it a point to list all the people who saw Jesus?
- What is meant by “first importance” in verse 3?
Notes
- That Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised from the grave – all in accordance with the Scriptures (i.e. prophesy found in the OT).
- To remind the readers of the truth of the narrative. It’s a pretty implausible story (sin defeated and death overcome), but it is a true story and hundreds of people saw it happen first hand.
- These truths are top priority! They are central to our lives and our faith.
Evening Reflection
In your own words, what is the Gospel? What facets of it are most precious to you today? Spend some time reflecting on the first time you remember hearing the Gospel (Where were you? How did you respond?). Thank God for his amazing work of salvation in your life.