When We Say “Gospel,” Do We Really Mean “The Spirit?”

Trevin Wax:

My point is to make this truth explicit rather than implied – to show the Spirit is the actor and the gospel is the instrument. In other words, to make the relationship front and center again.

Why does this matter? Because the point of knowing more about God is that we would know God more. The point of reflection on the gospel is relationship with the God of the gospel.

All this talk about being constantly reminded of the gospel and refreshed in the gospel is another way of saying we need the Holy Spirit to bring to mind the good news of Jesus and what He has done. (According to John 17, that is one of His roles.) So yes, we need to be refreshed by the Spirit as He once again applies the truth of the gospel to our wayward hearts.

Here’s my concern: If we lose the personal connection to the Holy Spirit, we miss the intimacy God wants with His people as well as the power God intended us to have.

So, by all means, let’s be all about the gospel. But let’s make sure that whenever we talk about the gospel, we have the God of the gospel in mind. He is the unchanging substance behind our changing terminology.

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