When talking about a gospel-centered life I am referring to a life where the Christian experiences a growing personal reliance on and experience of the gospel that protects him from depending on his own religious performance and being seduced and overwhelmed by his or her “performance” idols. Being gospel-centered is growing in the experience of the truths of his or her salvation such as: being fully reconciled to Christ, completely forgiven of all sin, perfectly justified before God, as accepted by the Father as Jesus is, identification with Christ, and enjoying an indivisible living union with Christ.
When these truths are not only known but also experienced they produce the hallmarks of a gospel-centered life—such things as:
Confidence (Heb. 3:14; 4:16) When the gospel is central in our lives we have confidence before God - not because of our achievements, but because of Christ's atonement. We can approach God knowing that he receives us as his children. We do not allow our sins to anchor us to guilt and despair, but their very presence in our lives compels us to flee again and again to Christ for grace that restores our spirits and gives us strength.
Intimacy (Heb. 7:25; 10:22; James 4:8) When the gospel is central in our lives we have and maintain intimacy with God, not because of our religious performance, but because of Jesus' priestly ministry. We know that Jesus is our mediator with God the Father and that he has made perfect peace for us through his sacrifice allowing us to draw near to God with the eager expectation of receiving grace, not judgment.
Transformation (2 Cor. 3:18; 1 Thess. 5:23; 2 Thess. 2:13) When the gospel is central in our lives we experience spiritual transformation, not just moral improvement, and this change does not come about by our willpower, but by the power of the resurrection. Our hope for becoming what God designed and desires for us is not trying harder, but trusting more - relying on his truth and Spirit to sanctify us.
Community (Heb. 3:12, 13; 10:25; 2 Tim 3:16, 17) When the gospel is central in our lives we long for and discover unity with other believers in the local church, not because of any cultural commonality, but because of our common faith and Savior. It is within this covenant community, if the community itself is gospel-centered, that we experience the kind of fellowship that comforts the afflicted, corrects the wayward, strengthens the weak, and encourages the disheartened.
In speaking about the church being gospel-centered what I am talking about is the primary emphasis of the church. Is the church oriented to and from the gospel or is it oriented to and from issues? Only churches that see the gospel as central to all that they do can be said to be gospel-centered.
Gospel-centered churches are driven by a love for Jesus and His Gospel. Therefore gospel-centered churches are so focused on Jesus and the hope of redemption that they are passionate and articulate about their theology. Their desire to make Jesus and the Gospel known is driven by their desire to see Christ receive the reward of His sufferings. They understand the need for doctrinal integrity and theological precision. And their understanding of the Scriptures and their Gospel-centeredness incites deep passion to work toward seeing as many people as possible repenting of their sin and trusting in Christ for the glory of God. When the gospel is central in a church it leads them out into the world on mission, while preserving their counter-cultural character as the people of God. Finally, the gospel-centered church is driven by love for God first and then others and this leads to joyful obedience that points back to God.
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