"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— [...] For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
~ (Ephesians 2:4-5, 8-9 ESV)Why is it that the simplest of things are the easiest to forget? Should it not be the other way around? But our minds are, for some reason, drawn to figuring out that which is complex or mysterious.
We can treat the Gospel the same way - as a complexity which we must figure out--a mystery game which we must play perfectly to get the prize at the end. But God is merciful: How the Gospel works is no mystery and He intended just that.
The Gospel is this: Christ died for the forgiveness of our sins and we need nothing more. The Father sees the righteousness of His Son alone when He looks at us--and He will have nothing more.
Anselm said, "The Glory of the Gospel is this: The One from Whom we needed to be saved is the One Who has saved us." Better yet, God's Word says in Ephesians, "by grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 2:5b).
The only "mystery" about the Gospel is the unfathomable fact of Who did it--that God's one and only Son would be sent by the Father, would step down form glory, would die for the sins of mankind who was completely lost and against Him. Mystery, in this case, must be prefaced with mercy!
Clutter keeps us from accepting the simplicity of the Gospel - that grace is actually, absolutely, and completely free. So shove the clutter off the desk of your mind and lift your eyes to the cross. Admire the simplicity. Thank Him for His complete mercy!
"O, come let us adore Him,
O, come let us adore Him,
O, come let us adore Him--Christ, the Lord!"
Challenge and Application Questions
- Do you tend to over-analyze?
- How do you tend to bring this into the Gospel?
- Will you challenge yourself to think simply?
- What has helped you remember the Gospel in light of all that tries to draw your attention from it?
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