Why preach the gospel to yourself (No. 14)

Here is another reason -- "Exposed by the Cross, Part I" -- to preach the gospel to yourself as provided by Milton Vincent in his book A Gospel Primer for Christians.

It was while rehearsing gospel truths in Romans 5-8 that the Apostle Paul was moved to speak of his struggle with sin and exclaim, "O wretched man that I am!" While reviewing God's abundant saving grace on another occasion, Paul was prompted to confess that he was "the foremost" sinner of all.

Likewise, the deeper I go into the gospel, the more I comprehend and confess aloud the depth of my sinfulness. A gruesome death like the one that Christ endured for me would only be required for one who is exceedingly sinful and unable to appease a holy God. Consequently, whenever I consider the necessity and manner of His death, along with the love and selflessness behind it, I am laid bare and utterly exposed for the sinner I am.

Such an awareness of my sinfulness does not drag me down, but actually serves to lift me up by magnifying my appreciation of God's forgiving grace in my life. And the more I appreciate the magnitude of God's forgiveness of my sins, the more I love Him and delight to show Him love through heart-felt expressions of worship.

(Scriptures cited: Rom. 7:19, 23-24; I Tim. 1:15; Heb. 4:13; Luke 7:37-38, 40-47.)