Preach the Gospel To Yourself Daily

       It is essential that followers of the Lamb draw their life from him.  This means learning how to preach or proclaim the Gospel to yourself and that daily.  You need to hear the good news of Christ finished work and present intercession on your behalf daily.  The following points are my feeble attempt to do this for myself.  I hope they will be of help and encouragement to others. 

I am a justified and dearly loved son/daughter of the Living God. 

The Lord knows my heart and the depth, degree, pervasiveness of my remaining and indwelling sin.   The Lord uses circumstances to expose my sin so I might see it and seek Him more earnestly for grace to repent and believe, so I might have the power to love and serve.  

My sin (thoughts, attitudes, and behavior, i.e. both the root and the fruit of sin in my life) is my sin and does not belong to, nor is it caused by anyone else.  The Lord forgives me for every “eruption of my corruption”.  He continues to pardon, forgive and cleanse me. 

    Eruptions of my sin in terms of root (unbelief) and fruit (sour relationships, neglected opportunities, conflict with others, self-pity, playing the victim, lusts of the flesh, etc.)  in no way change my justification, acceptance and sonship with my Father.  Though if not dealt with, will disrupt my fellowship with my Father. 

I am not in any real or substantive bondage to my sin.  Though it annoys me, harasses me, hollers at me, etc., using lies and deception to create in me a perception of being in its power.  This is not the case.  I am not a bondslave to sin, in that sin has no legal power over me.  I am free from it. Therefore, I can freely and honestly, with godly sorrow, face my sinful thoughts, attitudes and acts, confess them and repent of them.  

I need not and I must not allow myself to be given over to despair because it only makes me more vulnerable to temptation.  I can be confident and bold in approaching my heavenly Father's throne of grace, knowing that he will receive me there being favorably disposed toward me as his dearly loved and justified child.  He welcomes me.  

Jesus Christ is my elder brother and Great High Priest who represents me before that throne of grace.  I can go to him for help when I am being tempted.  He sympathizes with me.  He knows my weakness and he will give me help.  I am not alone.  

My circumstances, including the stance other people have toward me (for good, for ill, or indifference) is the Lord’s providence toward me. This is His doing and if I am called of God and love God, the present ordering of my circumstances are for my good.  

As I hold to the truth and to the sweet savor and nutrition of the Gospel, I will change by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit who works in my life.   

He is the Spirit of Adoption who testifies with my spirit, that I am a dearly loved child of God. The Spirit of adoption is also the Spirit of holiness and when through the Gospel he testifies to the former he does so always to lead me down the path of the latter.  

So it is only by the hearing of the Gospel of God’s grace that I will grown by bearing the fruit of the Spirit produced in my life and walking in the good works that God has prepared for me in advance to do and which by doing adorn the Gospel.   

    
 Thanks be to the Father for his infinite love, thanks be to the Son for his sustaining grace, thanks be to the Spirit for his intimate communion.  Thanks be to the Triune God for such a great salvation!