A Quart of Gospel Encouragement
“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11
I read this quote months ago: “Encouragement is the engine oil that keeps the gears of our relationships from gunking up and grinding down. Sincere, specific words, face to face. Such power.” – Dane Ortlund
Did you know that the most common reason people leave the mission field is not because of the field, but because of team conflict with other missionaries? Likewise, often times people don’t leave churches because of poor preaching but because of poor relationships.
What does the Gospel have to do with how we relate with one other? And how can we encourage one other? The Gospel is the one thing we often think we can ‘move on’ from, but in reality, it is the one thing we need to keep returning to.
A quick survey of Scripture passages focused on the work of Christ and asking the question, “What is now true because of Jesus?” yielded the following truths:
Because of Jesus We…
- Have eternal life, do not come into judgment, and have passed from death to life. – John 5:24
- Are new creations. 2 Corinthians 5:17
- Have been justified by faith, have peace with God through Jesus. – Romans 5:1
- Have no condemnation and are in Christ Jesus. – Romans 8:1
- Have been set free by the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. – Romans 8:2
- Are indwelled by the Spirit of God. – 1 Corinthians 3:16
- Have been adopted to God as sons through Jesus, according to God’s will. – Ephesians 1:5
- Have been raised with Christ, we have died, and our lives are now hidden with Christ. When Christ
appears we will appear with Him in glory. – Colossians 3:1-4
- Have been loved by God. – 1 John 4:7-11
- Enjoy Christ’s victory over the accuser. – Revelation 12:10-11
Let the Good News encourage you today! If you didn’t exhale a huge sigh of relief after reading the truths above, then I encourage you to read them again, slower, and let them sink in. These truths came at the cost of the incarnation of Christ, the ministry of Christ, the humiliation of Christ, and the crucifixion of Christ.
Put simply: Gospel encouragement leads us to relational encouragement.
The relational gears in our houses can, and do, get easily gunked up. Husbands and wives get stressed and overwhelmed by self-dependence and busy hearts. Siblings get frustrated with each other and their parents when things aren’t going their way.
Maybe when life is getting stressful, and the kids seem to always be fighting, or the schedule seems to be the master, what really is needed is a quart of Gospel Encouragement for our hearts, and then a quart of verbal encouragement to those God has placed us around.
Of course, Sunday morning is our corporate time of Gospel Encouragement, but what about Monday through Saturday? Starting our days in the Word to remind ourselves what is true because of Jesus. Doing so will help us and motivate us to verbally express those things we appreciate about each other, the ways we see that God has gifted each other, the way we see God at work in their lives: OIL for the gears of relationships.
The dinner table may be a good place for this, or bedtime, or breakfast, or lunch, or wherever. I encourage you, be encouraged by the Gospel, and go encourage someone in your life today.
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” 1 John 4:18-21
Persevere, Joey Turner Pastor of Student Ministry