Bible Reading Challenge #49

The Heart of the Gospel

Do you ever fear that if you had to explain the Gospel, you might struggle with it?
Do you ever wonder what all needs to be included if you were to summarize what matters most?

I want you to remember 1 Corinthians 15:1–10, because it has all you need!

1 Corinthians 15:1–11
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

This is the heart of what we believe as Christians. Two thousand years ago, God sent His Son to live among us and die for us, granting us victory over sin and death.

After teaching on a wide array of topics through the first fourteen chapters, Paul now centers on what matters most: Christ crucified for me.

This morning, I want you to reflect on verse 10, where Paul declares:

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain.”

I am loved because of His grace.
I am saved because of His grace.
I am redeemed because of His grace.
I will be with God forever because of His grace.

I am what I am not because of what I do, but because of what Christ has done.

Say that a few times as you end this time of reflection:

I am what I am not because of what I do, but because of what Christ has done.