BASIC Gospel
5 min read
9 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”
Revelation 5:9-10
In many ways, these verses summarize the gospel of Jesus Christ. In particular, it is important to remind ourselves that the reason for Jesus’s sacrifice is not simply so that we might go to heaven when we die, but to reign with Christ on the earth. In other words, the reason for Jesus’s sacrifice is (1) to redeem “persons from every tribe and language and people and nation” and (2) to make the redeemed “to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God.”
Churches that do not understand this gospel message—teaching it, preaching it, and living it out—die.
This gospel is why we gather to worship on Sundays and on other special occasions. This gospel is why we have prayer meetings. This gospel is why we go on mission trips and support both missions and outreach work. This gospel is why we do house church. This gospel is why we do everything that we do. At least, it should be.
We do not do these things simply for the sake of doing “holy” activities to build up our religious social club. Churches that do that die, unless they repent.
But being a gospel-centered church is not all drudgery and loathing—a prison where we are forced to swallow our pride, grit our teeth, and play nice with our EGRs (extra grace required people).
I mean, it may feel like that when we do not truly know the love of Christ in our lives. On the other hand, when we truly know the love of Christ in our lives, we realize that His love extends to all—especially our EGRs—and not just to me-myself-and-I. When we truly know the love of Christ in our lives, our EGRs are transformed into BASICs—brothers and sisters in Christ.
The drudgery and loathing we may have once felt about church turns into a sense of purpose, along with earnestness, love, and joy.
Father, I fall short each and every day of the love You have poured out to me. Forgive me, forgive my family, and forgive our community. Yet, by Your mercy and grace, You are growing us in the knowledge of the love of our Lord Jesus. May His love continue to grow and blossom in us to become a kingdom and priest that serve You, so that through us You might reach the world with this gospel of love. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
