Preaching the Gospel to Yourself, pt. 2

In the last post we explored why one should preach the gospel to oneself and the positive effects of employing this method in our daily walk with God. In part 2 I will discuss what it looks like and when it especially comes into play in our lives. I am by no means an expert on this, but I have found that in talking to people who are familiar with the concept, most are confused with the how and when of actually doing it. Perhaps my experience with it can offer some clarity to those questions and help others get started in utilizing this invaluable weapon in our fight for joy.

On the outset, a couple of notes:

• Always be learning the gospel better – whether its books, podcasts, lectures/sermons, or simply lots and lots of Scripture, we should always have our minds wrapped around understanding the gospel.
• You don’t have to be an expert – if you have enough experience with the gospel that it has saved you from your sin, then you have enough knowledge to preach to yourself; however, see point one!

With that said, let’s dive into the how, what, and when of this thing:

What? Like I said, if you know that Christ died for your sins when you were an undeserving wretch, you know enough. Of course, the more facets you know, the more its application can be felt, for example: if I know that Christ propitiated my sins (paid for them by quenching the wrath of God), then I am more likely to hold back my own wrath against someone who has wronged me – I then have a fuller picture of what Christ did on my behalf and can exhibit godliness to a stronger degree (all by the work of the Spirit, I might add)

How? Spurgeon calls the gospel “a balm for every wound”, and it works just like that – you apply it over sin, over trouble, over rejoicing, over failure, over frustration, and even over silence. The gospel of Christ will redeem every moment we let it.

When? With a background of “what” and “how”, when does this come into play? I will list a few situations that recur in my own life when preaching the gospel to myself has come into play.

• When I have sinned – I need to remind myself of Christ’s finished work on the cross and my standing before God (declared righteous on Christ’s behalf). This does not replace repentance, but after repentance is a sweet remedy
• When others sin against me – it is always important to view others’ sin in light of the gospel. Reminding ourselves that he/she is a wretched sinner either 1) saved by the same grace bestowed upon us, or 2) in need of that same grace bestowed upon us.
• When my mind is bored – there is no other time that I find my affections slipping more quickly away from Christ than when I am idle in my thinking. It is good at these times to just think through scenario after scenario of how Christ redeemed me, or even to take a step back and think of his atonement altogether. These times don’t necessarily call for immediate, practical implications, and so a lot of this time I spend pondering on the theological aspects of the cross, or perhaps trying to iron out some issue I am not that familiar with, relating to the atonement.

I know that when I started preaching the gospel to myself, 2 things happened quickly – my heart was more joyful in Christ, and my ability to articulate the gospel increased rapidly. Again, I am no expert on this, but if it has any similar effect upon you after reading this, then I suppose it was worth it. I’ll end on 2 more gospel-rich verses:

Colossians 1:21-22;

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him

Romans 3:24-26;

24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.