My reading plan brought me to II Kings 5 -- I actually was a day late -- and the story of a Gentile military hero, Naaman. For all his prowess as commander, he had one overwhelming problem: He was a leper. The account of his healing overflows with the gospel.
What we have is a person with an incurable sickness. He can do nothing to gain healing. He hears about a hope of healing. The offer of healing does not require any great work on his part. Healing comes through the only way prescribed, a way his natural self rejects at first. When he obeys the way prescribed, he is fully healed.
It is not hard to see the gospel in this account: A hopeless sinner without any way of saving himself hears the message of salvation -- a message that rejects any effort on his part -- and trusts in it for deliverance.
I consider myself so blessed to be living in a time of revival of gospel consciousness in the evangelical church. I am grateful it happened while I am still alive. Heaven knows I needed it in my own life -- and still need it.
We have seen this work of God expressed in multiple ways in recent years -- in the establishment of networks or conferences like The Gospel Coalition and Together for the Gospel; in the development of curricula like Praise Factory, Children Desiring God and The Gospel Project; in the publication of many books on the gospel, including such children's books as The Big Picture Story Bible and The Jesus Storybook Bible, and, probably most importantly, in a renewal of gospel preaching and teaching in many local churches.
Gospel consciousness has not marked most of my Christian life. I practiced moralism as a Christian for far too long. I parented for far too long as a Christian moralist. I taught the Bible for far too long as a Christian moralist. The remnants of that moralistic approach to the faith still cling to me and express themselves in ways I undoubtedly don't recognize at times. In my approach, the gospel was my entrance into the Christian life, but my focus in the Christian life was not on the gospel. That is another way of saying my focus was not on the person and work of Jesus.
It is a privilege, even a relief, now to think about and point others to the truth that we as Christians never outlive our need for the gospel. Our confidence remains in the gospel. We continually go back to the gospel for all things. Our life is about the gospel, which is another way of saying our life is about Jesus and His righteous life, all-satisfying death and authenticating resurrection.
May we constantly remember that truth, including when we read the Old Testament.
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