In Part 1, we looked at the need to share the gospel as we engage in one-another relationships. In Part 2 we will take a look at the need to “apply the gospel” to life’s struggles.

Apply the Gospel

Any kind of mentoring, discipling, friendship, and all One-Another ministry should continue to be rooted in the Gospel. One of the best tools for One-Another relationships is this phrase: APPLY THE GOSPEL.

What do you think is meant by “apply the Gospel”?

As you engage in one-another relationships, you see how much people struggle with sin and suffering. You are likely to bump into some of these struggles if you have any kind of ministry, family life, or social life. Once you are fairly certain that someone has grasped the Gospel for salvation, you have an opportunity to help her to APPLY the Gospel to her life. You want to always be sure that you are not giving her the idea that she needs to change her behavior or mindset in order to earn approval, acceptance, or even worse, salvation. Always emphasize her eternal security; struggling people often wrestle with this Truth. Remind her of her identity in Christ and how He views her. It is not because she earned it, but because of the Gospel — His finished work on her behalf.

Let’s look at a few phrases you might catch on to as you speak with people that could indicate that they either do not have a clear understanding of the Gospel or that they are not applying it to their lives:

*“I don’t understand why God would do this to me.”
*“I can’t see any purpose in this.”
*“I just don’t know who I am anymore.”
*“I am so anxious and worried all the time and it consumes me.”
*“I feel so guilty.”
*“I do not deserve another chance.”
*“I don’t feel forgiven.”
*“He hurt me too badly; I can’t forgive him.”

Let’s look at those again, and see how the Gospel might apply. Realize that although we don’t have the full story in each of these scenarios, this is meant to show you what we mean by “apply the Gospel.”

*“I don’t understand why God would do this to me.” — The gospel tells us He suffered everything we do as He bore our sins (1 Peter 2:24).
*“I can’t see any purpose in this.” — The cross is why He can promise to work all things together, because it was the ultimate working together for good on our behalf (John 19:28-30).
*“I just don’t know who I am anymore.” — At the cross, we find our identity, upon conversion, we are a new creation (2 Cor 5:17).
*“I am so anxious and worried all the time.” — God made provision for you at the cross in every area, proving Himself completely trustworthy as your Heavenly Father (Philippians 4:6).
*“I still feel so guilty.” — You are forgiven at the cross, whether you feel like it or not (1 John 1:9).
*“I do not deserve another chance.” — Grace, because of the cross, flows freely (Romans 3:24).
*“I don’t feel forgiven.” — God’s Word says that you are forgiven when you place your faith in Him (Ephesians 1:7).
*“He hurt me too badly, I can’t forgive him.” — We don’t deserve God’s forgiveness, either, but we are forgiven (Romans 4:7).

These are just a sampling. There are many more Truths from scripture that help us to apply the gospel as the gospel binds us forever to the loving Father. The Gospel provides daily security as we wrestle with sin. Jesus promises to complete the work of redemption in our lives. We can have intimate communication with God because of the gospel. We are also compelled to live mercifully with others. As we apply the gospel, we are reminded of the rich, eternal, incomprehensible, overwhelming love of Jesus.

Gospel Amnesia 

When we are struggling, we tend to forget the gospel. Elyse Fitzpatrick, in her excellent book “Because He Loves Me” explains a dynamic that we see in 2 Peter 1:9 –  “whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.” Elyse explains:

“Peter writes that one reason we don’t grow in ordinary, grateful obedience as we should is that we’ve got amnesia; we’ve forgotten that we were cleansed from our sins. In other words, he is saying that ongoing failure in sanctification (the slow process of change into Christlikeness) is the direct result of failing to remember God’s love for us in the gospel. If we lack the comfort and assurance that his love and cleansing are meant to supply, our failures will handcuff us to yesterday’s sins, and we won’t have faith or courage to fight against them, or the love for God that’s meant to empower this war. Please don’t miss the import of Peter’s statement. If we fail to remember our justification, redemption, and reconciliation, we’ll struggle in our sanctification.”

When your counselee, mentee, friend, or loved one is struggling in her sanctification, revisit the gospel and discuss how it applies. In every type of struggle, God’s Word will give the answers as you dig deep and look for gospel applications.

As you engage in a One-Another relationship, after you have helped someone to apply the Gospel and she grasps these Truths, you can continue to disciple her as you apply Scriptural principles, commands, and promises to her struggles as well. This is ongoing “one-another ministry”! Simply put, this is DISCIPLESHIP.
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Look again at the woman at the well (John 4:28-42). After the woman received the Truth, she immediately went and told others. As a result, many believed. She exemplified One-Another ministry immediately upon belief. She did not wait to learn a formula or a program to start a ministry. She simply went out and shared her story, which included the gospel for salvation and the gospel for sanctification. Let’s do the same, as we minister Life On Life according to the One-Anothers of Scripture.
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 “One-another ministry” is simply a term for any kind of discipleship relationship. You can call it discipleship, mentoring, counseling, soulcare, and other similar terms. There may be some variations in the definitions of these terms, but one thing should be consistent in their nature: the Gospel.
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The Gospel has to be our starting point for all one-another ministry. The implication in the one-anothers is that we are to do life with other believers. Of course, we also do life with nonbelievers, but the one-anothers emphasize the role we play in each other’s lives, believer to believer.
 
The Gospel for Salvation
 
If you are in a relationship with a woman or girl that God has placed in your life and she has understood the Gospel, you have a very good starting point for one-another life together. If you are not sure she understands the Gospel, you have an opportunity to share it! How often have you asked a new friend (or an older one for that matter) what they think the Gospel is and how it applies to their life? We can’t miss this! It’s not only our starting point, but it is the ending point and everything in the middle, too.
 
The Gospel is for salvation. It is also to be applied to our lives from that point on. It is not to be applied in the sense that your salvation depends on performing a certain way or upholding a certain standard of perfection. In the process of living life, the Gospel applied has the potential to either gradually or immediately change your view of God’s sovereignty, how you behave, how you relate to people, how you make decisions and solve problems, how you view people, how you view yourself, and everything else about how you live.
 
Often women are intimidated about talking about the Gospel. What makes many women so weak in this area? Is it fear? Lack of understanding? Maybe they are not sure they can articulate it clearly. Maybe they are afraid they will say something wrong. Sometimes they are afraid that they won’t be able to back up what they say from Scripture, forgetting where to find the verses.
 
Your Personal Gospel Story
 
In a one-another situation, one of the very best ways you can share the Gospel is to share your own story of salvation. You can talk about what your life was like before you came to know Christ and what was happening when you first came to belief. You can talk about your understanding of the Gospel, and how it transformed you upon salvation and how it continues to transform you now. Sometimes, our own stories speak more clearly than going through a formulated “Gospel presentation.”
 
Woman at the Well
There is an account in the Bible about a woman that you are probably familiar with and how Jesus shared the Gospel message with her. The story of the woman at the well is found in John 4:7-26.
Jesus did not use a “formula” to share the Gospel with the woman. In this passage, we can take note of some ways to share a clear Gospel and to be sure it is understood:
 
* Jesus met the woman when she was alone. Often, people will be more honest if nobody else is listening.
 
* Jesus began with her immediate need — not spiritual, but tangible (v. 7). Because she was not a believer, she could not discern spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14). Therefore, He spoke about something she could relate to — water. We can approach people in the same manner of developing a conversation. If we are not certain they are a believer, we can make them more comfortable by starting with tangible conversations.
 
* Jesus, after establishing this conversation, turned to the spiritual (v. 10). He simply talked abut the things of God. The questions we ask could help us to see if the person understands what being a Christian means. We could ask “Are you involved in church?” or even “Do you love God?” We could then move on to asking about her salvation testimony and asking what her walk with The Lord is currently like.
 
* If this conversation reveals that the person does not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, then you can follow Jesus’ example from this passage before you go any further in relating with her. Verses 16-18 show how Jesus brought conviction, using the Law and gently pointing out her transgression. Gently speak with her and let The Holy Spirit do the convicting; let Him direct you as to what to say. Once she comes to an admission of her guilt, she is ready for hope.
 
* Jesus then revealed Himself to the woman at the well (v. 26). She was ready for grace. If the person you are talking to is ready for grace, be sure to present the work of the cross — that God sent His Son to suffer and die in our place. Tell her of the love of God in Christ, Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, and the defeat of death. You can say something like, “It’s as simple as this. We broke God’s Law, and Jesus paid our fine. If you repent and trust in the Savior, God forgives your sins and dismisses your case.” If a person is truly broken over her sins and grateful to God, then her confession will flow without prompting, either silently or verbally to you. Be sure to pray with her. Make sure she has a Bible. Encourage her to go to a Bible-believing church. Start a one-another discipleship relationship with her!
 
In next week’s post (Part 2), we will look at how to apply the Gospel in one-another ministry.
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The following is an excerpt from “Biblical Mentoring, Life On Life” by Ellen Castillo. This book is soon to be published and available at www.biblicalmentor.com.

The Gospel in Mentoring

The Gospel has to be our starting point for all One-Another ministry. The implication in the One-Anothers is that we are to do life with other believers, Life On Life. Of course, we also do life with nonbelievers, but the One-Anothers emphasize the role we play in each other’s lives, believer to believer.

If you are in a relationship with a woman or girl that God has placed in your life and she has understood a clear Gospel and is a Christian, you have a very good starting point for One-Another life together. If you are not sure she understands a clear Gospel, you have an opportunity to share it! How often have you asked a new friend (or old one for that matter) what they think the Gospel is and how it applies to their life? We can’t miss this! It’s not only our starting point for Life On Life, but it is the ending point and everything in the middle, too.

The Gospel is for salvation. It is also to be applied to our lives from that point on. It is not to be applied in the sense that your salvation depends on performing a certain way or upholding a certain standard of perfection. It is to be applied in the sense that you know it, understand it, can explain it, and BELIEVE it. In the process of living life, the Gospel applied has the potential to either gradually or immediately change how you behave, how you relate to people, how you make decisions, how you view people, how you view yourself, and everything else about how you live.

Often women are intimidated about talking about the Gospel. Let’s start by being honest about this in our own lives and ask God to help us to be able to explain a clear Gospel and to understand it and apply it to our own lives before we can help someone else.

What makes many women so weak in this area? Is it fear? Lack of understanding? Maybe they are not sure they can articulate it clearly. Maybe they are afraid they will say something wrong. Sometimes they are afraid that they won’t be able to back up what they say from Scripture, forgetting where to find the verses. There are many reasons that could be added to this list. In a One-Another situation, one of the very best ways you can share the Gospel is to share your own story of salvation. You can talk about what your life was like before you came to know Christ and what was happening when you first came to belief. You can talk about your understanding of the Gospel, and how it transformed you upon salvation and how it continues to transform you now. Sometimes, our own stories speak more clearly than going through a formulated “Gospel presentation.”

There is an account in the Bible about a woman that you are probably familiar with and how Jesus shared the Gospel message with her. The story of the woman at the well is found in John 4:7-26.

Please read John 4:7-26 in your Bible, then come back here to see what we can glean from this account.

Jesus did not use a “formula” to share the Gospel with the woman. In this passage, we can take note of some ways to share a clear Gospel and to be sure it is understood:

* Jesus met the woman when she was alone. Often, people will be more honest if nobody else is listening.

* Jesus began with her immediate need — not spiritual, but tangible (v. 7). Because she was not a believer, she could not discern spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14). Therefore, He spoke about something she could relate to — water. We can approach people in the same manner of developing conversation. If we are not certain they are a believer, we can make them more comfortable by starting with tangible conversations.

* Jesus, after establishing tangible conversation, turned to the spiritual (v. 10). He simply talked of the things of God. The questions we ask could help us to see if the person understands what being a Christian means. We could ask “Are you involved in church?” or even “Do you love God?” We could then move on to asking about her salvation testimony and asking what her walk with The Lord is currently like. For us, this can take courage.

* If this conversation reveals that the person does not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, then you can follow Jesus’ example from this passage before you go any further in relating with her. Verses 16-18 show how Jesus brought conviction, using the Law and gently pointing out her transgression. Gently speak with her and let The Holy Spirit do the convicting; let Him direct you as to what to say. Once she comes to an admission of her guilt, she is ready for hope.

* Jesus then revealed Himself to the woman at the well (v. 26). She was ready for grace. If the person you are talking to is ready for grace, be sure to present the work of the cross — that God sent His Son to suffer and die in our place. Tell her of the love of God in Christ, Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, and the defeat of death. You can say something like, “It’s as simple as this. We broke God’s Law, and Jesus paid our fine. If you repent and trust in the Savior, God forgives your sins and dismisses your case.” Be sure to include the essentials we talked about at the beginning of this lesson. If a person is truly broken over her sins and grateful to God, then her confession will flow without prompting, either silently or verbally to you. Be sure to pray with her. Make sure she has a Bible. Encourage her to go to a Bible- believing church. Start a One-Another relationship with her, Life On Life!

Any kind of mentoring, discipling, friendship, and all One-Another ministry should continue to be rooted in the Gospel.

One of the best tools for One-Another relationships is this phrase:

APPLY THE GOSPEL

What do you think is meant by “apply the Gospel”?

As you do Life On Life with someone applying the One-Anothers of Scripture with her, you will find that there will be many opportunities to share hope. Women and girls struggle in all kinds of areas. You are likely to bump into some of these struggles if you have any kind of ministry, family life, or social life. Once you are fairly certain that someone has grasped the Gospel for salvation, the help you give her from there is to help her to see the need for and ability to APPLY the Gospel to her life. You want to always be sure that you are not giving her the idea that she needs to change her behavior or mindset in order to earn approval, acceptance, or even worse, salvation. Always emphasize her eternal security; struggling people often struggle to believe this Truth. Remind her of her identity in Christ and how He views her. It is not because she earned it, but because of the Gospel — His finished work on her behalf.

Applying the gospel means to be MOTIVATED by the Gospel. When we grasp it, we are motivated to share it and apply it. It is what motivates us to change.

Someone who is joy filled and peaceful in spite of circumstances is someone who understands the Gospel.

If we are unregenerate, not a believer, we are going to be motivated by the flesh. (1 Cor. 2:14)

We are either flesh motivated, or Gospel motivated in our One-Another relationships. A believer can still choose their flesh at times, but as a new creation we are transformed, renewed, and no longer bound to the flesh nature. In order to stay Gospel-motivated, we need to keep saturating our minds with the Gospel Truths.

Preach the Gospel to yourself every day! You don’t preach it in the sense of being a sinner who needs salvation. You are already saved, and God says you are a saint. But you do still sin. These Truths of the Gospel, preached to yourself (remind yourself of them often) are profound, and you will want to share them with others as you do One-Another ministry! Here are some examples of Gospel applications that can help you to do this:

First, acknowledge your sins to God and rest assured of His forgiveness for those sins.

Recall that you have the promise of God’s forgiveness and acknowledge that your only hope of right standing with Him is Jesus’ blood that was shed (Hebrews 9:22), and His righteous life lived on my behalf.

As you engage in a One-Another relationship, after you have helped someone to apply the Gospel and she grasps these Truths, you can then also apply Scriptural principles, commands, and promises to her situations.