Pensees: What does it mean to be a Gospel-centered Church?

What does it mean to be a Gospel-centered Church?

Buzzwords lose meaning. Expressions become faddish. “Gospel-centeredness” is already too meaningless anymore. Some think that they are Gospel-centered because they say, almost as an afterthought at the end of a message, “I would be remiss if I did not ask anyone here who might not know Jesus as his personal Savior that he can believe on Jesus today and walk down this aisle where someone will pray with him.”

But Gospel-centeredness is a culture. It permeates everything a person and church does. It is the Good News that is always in the forefront of one’s mind. It saturates every message and method.

Recently, I meditated on Galatians 3. I’ll not give my exegesis of the passage here, but I’ll share four brief statements that I think summarize Gospel-centeredness and, I believe, are clearly evident in Paul’s word from Galatians 3:1-9. I call them “Four Indicators of Gospel-Centeredness.”

Four Indicators of Gospel-Centeredness: Reflections from Galatians 3:1-9

1. To be a Gospel-centered Church means that we believe that the supreme blessing is in the complete expression of the Scriptural Good News, the truth, which is received by active faith alone.

Therefore, we preach the Gospel comprehensively.

2. To be a Gospel-centered Church is to believe that faith is a dynamic response of obedience to the Good News that perseveres all the way to the end of one’s life, and that it is this kind of faith alone that saves and empowers the daily walk.

Therefore, we preach the Gospel convictingly.

3. To be a Gospel-centered Church is to believe that the Gospel is not only for the beginning of the Christian walk, but also for the duration of the Christian walk.

Therefore, we preach the Gospel consistently.

4. To be a Gospel-centered Church is to believe that the Gospel is experientially dynamic throughout the lifetime of the believer.

Therefore, we preach the Gospel convincingly.