We all remember the moment when the gospel became clear. Maybe not a definitive moment in which we confessed Christ as Lord, but the moment when we realized that the gospel was all about what Jesus did for us, and not about trying to earn our way into God’s good graces. The moment when we realized that Christ’s work on the cross satisfied everything we owed God for our sin, making us righteous in God’s sight. The blended picture of Christ on the cross, where God nailed our debt to the cross (Col. 2:14), and of the risen Lord walking out of the tomb was crystal clear.
But, tragically, over time, we lose focus on that picture that was once so clear. Whether it be because of work, school, relationship problems, or more commonly, fellow Christians offering well-meaning, but hindering, advice. And our vision blurs. So we go on, pressing through life with a blurred vision of the gospel that was once so impeccably clear. Nothing would please the enemies of the kingdom of God more than if we walk through life with a blurred vision of the gospel.
When we have a blurred vision of the gospel, we lose focus in every other area of life as well. Instead of being a gift to be stewarded well, money and material possessions become things we own and can do with as we please. Talents become all about bringing ourselves glory, instead of gifts to be used for the kingdom and glory of God. Relationships become self-serving instead of self-sacrificing. People become assets to be used instead of images of God to be cared for and loved.
This is why we constantly see Paul preaching the gospel to Christians, reminding them of the gospel which they first believed and saw so clearly. When we read and study Scripture, it doesn’t just take us back to a moment and a vision we once had, but it refocuses our vision for where we are right now. It takes a stance against all the lies that have clouded our ability to see clearly, and helps us refocus on the gospel and combat those lies with the gospel.
This makes me ask, how can a Christian really focus on the gospel and advance the kingdom of God if they aren’t consistently in Scripture, getting a refresh on what the gospel really is?
This blog was inspired in part by the title of my good friend Dan Robinson’s new blog. Check him out and follow him at VisionsBlur.
