The Lens of the Gospel
“Blessed is the onewho does not walk in step with the wickedor stand in the way that sinners takeor sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,which yields its fruit in seasonand whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”
The amazing thing about eyeglasses is that they’re so much more than just an accessory—though they can be a very stylish one! Eyeglasses literally change your perspective. Sunglasses help us when the sun is too bright and our eyes need protection to see clearly. Prescription glasses correct our vision, allowing us to see the world as it truly is.
The gospel can have the same effect on our lives.
However, I always dreaded when people would ask me to share my testimony. I thought it wasn’t particularly remarkable and struggled with some fuzzy details. My parents say I accepted Jesus when I was four, though I don’t remember that moment. In sixth grade, I recommitted my life to Christ. For years, these milestones were the core of my testimony. In recent years, I’ve come to realize that my testimony is much more than these events. It encompasses every moment in which the gospel transforms, shapes, and impacts my life.
When Christians share their testimony, they often simply refer to the time or date when they accepted Christ as their Savior. Even though the moment we receive Christ is a very important event to celebrate, it is not the finish line of our testimony. It is the start of it. The real depth of our testimony comes from the ongoing journey—how God continuously transforms, reveals, and matures us throughout our lives. While the start of our faith journey is important, it’s the everyday experiences and growth that truly enrich our testimony and reflect the ongoing work of God in our lives.
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving”. Colossians 2:6-7 (ESV)
The gospel is not just a historical event that we believe happened. It is supposed to be the lens through which we look at all of life. It informs how we look at relationships, our homes, and work. So, how do we look at life through the lens of the Gospel?
The Gospel Narrative
Before we can view life through the lens of the gospel, it’s essential to grasp the full narrative of the gospel. The gospel story encompasses the entire narrative of God’s redemptive plan, beginning with creation, moving through humanity’s fall, and unfolding through Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. It continues with the Holy Spirit’s ongoing work in our lives and looks forward to the ultimate culmination of God’s kingdom. Understanding this broader story helps us see how every part of our lives can be aligned with God’s redemptive work and purposes.
Creation - To grasp the gospel narrative fully, we need to recognize and believe that God created everything good. The story begins in the Garden of Eden, where God made the world perfect and sinless. Adam and Eve, along with all creation, existed in a state of complete harmony and goodness. There was no pain or brokenness in their world. However, today’s world is so filled with suffering and brokenness that we might become numb to it. It’s easy to forget that this was not how we were initially created to live. We were made for a world of wholeness and beauty, not the brokenness we experience now.
Brokenness - However, brokenness is undeniably a part of the world we live in. It entered through Adam and Eve’s decision to disobey God. From that moment, not only was humanity’s relationship with God fractured, but brokenness and suffering also began to permeate our world. Everything in our world is touched by sin. And each time we choose our own way instead of God’s, we contribute to the ongoing cycle of brokenness in some form.
Redemption - Even though Adam and Eve, along with all of humanity, have endured the consequences of sin and its associated suffering, God has been actively working to restore and redeem the world. Through Christ, God provided a way for our sins to be forgiven and our fractured relationship with Him to be mended. As Scripture tells us, “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3-4). This profound act of redemption not only addresses our personal reconciliation with God but also initiates the broader restoration of all creation. Through Christ, God is working to bring life to what was once dead, renewing and healing the world from its broken state.
Applying the Gospel Narrative To Life
After we understand the entire Gospel story, believers can start to look at life through the lens of the Gospel. They can look at life through the redemptive narrative of creation, fall, and redemption. In essence, seeing life through the lens of the gospel means recognizing how our personal experiences and challenges fit into the larger framework of God’s plan for creation and redemption. It involves understanding how our daily lives reflect and participate in the ongoing story of grace, transformation, and hope that the gospel gives us. It’s seeing life as God sees life.
Creation - When looking at life and the world around us, Christians need to be asking the question “How did God create this?” or “what is God’s original design for this?” Everything God created was good and when we follow His plan we will see the blessing of that.
Brokenness - We also need to understand how brokenness affects our world. Every time we choose to live apart from God’s plan/design, we will experience brokenness. There are three types of brokenness in our world. General brokenness is the effect of simply living in a broken world. For example, the fact that everyone has to die is an effect of sin. Specific brokenness is the effect of having a sinful nature. It is the sin that we personally commit. For example, the pain and brokenness that an affair causes. And finally, there is collateral brokeness. This is the brokenness we experience because of others. For example, the pain and brokenness you experience when someone gossips about you. Whether we personally choose to sin or we experience the aftereffects of someone else’s sin, the consequence for in is always brokenness. Brokenness in our relationship with God and others.
Redemption - And finally, understanding redemption in our world. Christ not only came to redeem mankind from a broken relationship with God but to bring redemption to all creation. And as believers, we get to be agents of redemption in our world. Not only do we get to proclaim the message of the Gospel and see people’s relationship with God restored but we also get to be agents of redemption in a more general sense. When we witness a friendship restored through forgiveness and love, that is redemption. When someone who is sick is healed, that is also restoration. Any glimpse of redemption we are blessed to see in our world is a taste of what is to come. And that is our hope. As Paul says, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” (1 Cor. 13:12).
When we look at life through the lens of the Gospel, not only does it help us understand the world better but it gives us purpose and hope. It helps us to understand pain and suffering. It also helps us to understand that life is not about us. It is about being a part of God’s redemptive work in the world around us.