Deacons, as you know, this past Sunday we discussed the Third Mark of a Healthy Church Member from Thabiti M. Anyabwile’s book, “What is a Healthy Church Member?”. Anyabwile argues that “The gospel is absolutely vital to a vibrant, joyous, persevering, hopeful and healthy Christian and Christian church.”
I believe that statement is true. For that reason I commend to you the task of becoming saturated with the gospel. When something becomes saturated by something else, it takes on a different quality or nature. The nature change of a Christian, who is gospel saturated, is magnificent. One goes from negative and despondent to joyous, from consistent struggles with sin to persevering in righteousness, from always seeing doom around every corner to hopeful for a future glory promised and certain. In short, one who is gospel saturated moves from a state of sickliness to a state of vibrant health. So again, I commend to you the task of being gospel saturated men. The church needs its leaders to be among the healthiest of everyone in the church.
The question is, how do we become gospel saturated people? According to Anyabwile, first we must know what the gospel is. We must know that it is the good news of God’s saving grace and redemption brought to a lost and justly condemned people through the obedience and sacrifice of God’s Son so that any who would believe in Him, confess Him as Lord and repent of their sins are guaranteed forgiveness and life ever more.
We will talk about further means of becoming gospel saturated over the next few weeks. For now, I encourage you to seek out, in God’s Word, pictures of the gospel, things that help you better understand the gospel in its entirety and commit those things to your heart.
Blessings, Mark
The basis for these writings on being a Healthy Church member are from Anyabwile, Thabiti M.What is a Healthy Church Member?. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2008.