Christians Need the Gospel Too

I was recently watching American Gospel with a life group I am part of, and it sparked a thought that would not leave me. We talk about the gospel so often as though it is only for those who are not yet believers. The picture that comes to mind is an altar call, an evangelistic rally, or someone hearing about Jesus for the very first time. That is true. The gospel is good news for the lost, the broken, the weary. It tells us there is a Saviour who rescues us from sin and death. But if we stop there, we have flattened something much bigger into a single moment. The gospel is not only how you enter the Christian life; it is how you live it.

Christians sometimes roll their eyes when the gospel is mentioned. We know this already. We are saved. That response shows we have missed something. The gospel is not a piece of information you graduate from. It is the centre of Christian existence, the very truth that keeps your heart alive.

What the Gospel Actually Is

The word “gospel” comes from the Greek term euangelion, meaning “good news.” In the first century, it was used for royal announcements or history-shaping victories. To call Jesus’ death and resurrection the euangelion is to say: this is the good news above all good news. Paul captures it in Romans 1 when he says he is “not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” Through Christ, God has dealt with sin, reconciled humanity, and opened up a new reality where grace and power replace guilt and futility. Salvation is the doorway. Do not confuse the doorway with the whole house.

Union with God

Think about Paul’s repeated use of the phrase “in Christ.” This is not a metaphor to be skimmed over. It means that believers are brought into fellowship with God Himself. We are not simply forgiven people trying our best until heaven. We are joined to Christ, sharing His life. Ephesians 2:13 puts it clearly: those who were once far away have been brought near by His blood. The gospel, then, is about intimacy with God, not just rescue from judgment.

The message of Jesus is not just about what He saved us from but about what He is making us into. “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Forgiveness clears the slate, but transformation writes a new story. By the Spirit, we are empowered to live differently, to resist sin, to show love where hate once reigned. This is why the gospel cannot be treated as old news. It is the engine of our renewal, the constant reminder that God’s grace is not finished with us yet.

When shame insists you have failed too many times, the gospel speaks a stronger word: your sins are nailed to the cross. When weakness makes you feel inadequate, the gospel reminds you that His power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). When despair suggests you are out of options, the gospel opens up a horizon of hope.

Preaching the Gospel to Ourselves

If the good news is as wide and deep as Scripture insists, then Christians never outgrow it. We must return to it daily, rehearsing its truths until they shape our outlook. Preaching the gospel to ourselves means reminding our hearts that God’s love is secure, His Spirit is at work, and our future is safe in Christ. Romans 5:1 describes this reality with beautiful clarity: “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Peace is not a theory; it is a present experience of life under grace.

If the good news is as wide and deep as Scripture insists, then Christians never outgrow it. We must return to it daily, rehearsing its truths until they shape our outlook. Preaching the gospel to ourselves means reminding our hearts that God’s love is secure, His Spirit is at work, and our future is safe in Christ. Romans 5:1 describes this reality with beautiful clarity: “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Peace is not a theory; it is a present experience of life under grace.