How the Gospel of Jesus Keeps Transforming Us
Receiving the Gospel Doesn’t Just Give Us Assurance of Eternal Life, It Also Keeps Changing Us
“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:1–2)
The Good News Keeps Changing Us
Many Christians often think about the Gospel—the good news of Jesus—as something that only gives us assurance of eternal life in heaven. We think of it as being “saved.”
But, as we see in this passage, the Gospel does much more than just assure us of eternal life if we respond to it well.
Notice what Paul says the Gospel does in our lives after we become God’s children through the new birth:
By the Gospel, we “stand.” In other words, the ongoing power of the message of Jesus doesn’t just save us from sin, it also empowers us to stand strong in our faith. Ephesians 6 tells us to “stand strong in the strength of the Lord,” putting on His armor for spiritual battle.
The Gospel gives us the strength to stand up to the spiritual attacks the enemy brings against us. It empowers us to stand firm for what is biblical and right in a world that remains under spiritual darkness and sin.We are “being saved” by the Gospel. Salvation is both a one-time event and an ongoing process. When we receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are made new, born again, and granted the gift of eternal life. This is a done deal—we don’t need to keep asking for forgiveness or salvation; it is settled once and for all.
But salvation also means being made whole, healed, and restored. When we come to Jesus, He begins the process of restoring our souls—our minds, emotions, and sometimes even our bodies. In this way, we “are being saved.”
The Gospel doesn’t just give us the assurance of eternal life—it also continually works within us to save us from sin and the influence of Satan on our lives.
Our Part in the Gospel’s Ongoing Work
So, what do we need to do for the Gospel to keep transforming us?
We receive it, and keep receiving it. “The gospel I preached to you, which you received…” The more we say “yes” to God’s word, the more it will save us. James 1 tells us to receive God’s word with humility, and it will save our souls.
When we study, meditate on, and reflect on God’s Word, we open our hearts and minds to receive it. The more we do this, the more powerfully God’s Word will work in us to transform us.
You don’t have to make the Gospel work. It is God’s seed, and it carries His power. It will keep “saving you,” liberating you, healing you, and transforming you.Hold fast to the Word. The enemy’s biggest strategy is always to steal God’s Word from our hearts. If he can take the Word away, he can easily replace it with lies and deception.
So, Paul encourages us not only to receive the Gospel, but to hold fast to it. Understand that the enemy will always try to get us to let go of what God says and replace it with what he says.
God’s Word will produce His life in us—we just need to receive it, protect it, and hold onto it. The more we do, the more the life of Jesus will increase in us.
That’s why Paul says, “I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you…” When we remind ourselves of the Gospel, the Word of God, it will take deeper root in our hearts and the life of Jesus will increase in us.
My goal is to help busy believers experience God more deeply, grow consistently—both spiritually and personally—and confidently live out their unique purpose.
