Preach the Gospel to Yourself

In reference to yesterday’s post, several readers asked “What does it mean to ‘preach the gospel to yourself every day?’”

This phrase was popularized by author Jerry Bridges in his book, The Discipline of Grace, where he explains: “To preach the gospel to yourself, then, means that you continually face up to your own sinfulness and then flee to Jesus through faith in His shed blood and righteous life.”

Mr. Bridges asserts that the gospel isn’t only the most important message to preach to non-Christians but it is also the most important message for Christians to review each and every day. This is because....

“…preaching the gospel to ourselves every day reminds us that we are indeed sinners in need of God’s grace….It helps us to consciously renounce any confidence in our own goodness as a means of meriting God’s blessing on our lives. Perhaps more importantly, though, preaching the gospel to ourselves every day gives us hope, joy, and courage. The good news that our sins are forgiven because of Christ’s death fills our hearts with joy, gives us courage to face the day, and offers us hope that God’s favor will rest upon us, not because we are good, but because we are in Christ.

Hope, joy and courage are available in Christ, and by preaching the gospel to ourselves daily, we enjoy these blessings.

Tomorrow we answer the question: “How do I preach the gospel to myself every day?”