Gospel Movement

Header - A Gospel Movement

Gospel movement with God

The Gospel moves us from an impersonal “boss-employee” relationship with God to a personal “Father-child” relationship with Him—from a self-centered, fear-based motive to act morally to a love-based desire to delight (obedience) and delight in (worship) God.

Gospel movement with Lordship

If we are known to the depths but loved to the heights, if we are saved by God’s grace at such an infinite cost to Him, then He can ask anything of us and it can still be a joy for us to obey.

Gospel movement with self

We no longer base our identity on what others think of us (reputation) or even what we think of ourselves (self-image) but on what God thinks of us in Christ (1 Cor. 4:3-4). The Gospel produces neither an inferiority complex (since God sees us as infinitely beautiful in Christ) nor a superiority complex (since we know we are all sinners saved only by grace). The transforming power of the Gospel simultaneously produces in us both confidence and humility.

Gospel movement to problems

The moralizing approach to solving problems says, “Repent, you are not living right.” The psychological approach says, “You must accept yourself just as you are.” The Gospel says, “You are relying on something other than Jesus Christ to save you.”

Gospel movement between individuals

Through the Gospel we become a new people of God, united to Christ and to each other. Since the Gospel both humbles us and yet assures us that we are loved, we are now free from both envy and pride, both inferiority and superiority. We no longer receive our sense of worth through approval from people or through power over people. This makes our relationships things of beauty driven by love (Gal. 5:6). We neither use people nor are overly dependent upon them; rather we are free to serve, affirm, or confront others—whatever is best for them.

Gospel movement between people groups

The Gospel removes cultural pride and diminishes race as a primary component of identity, making it possible to avoid idolizing one’s cultural strengths while appreciating those of others.

Gospel movement to worship in the community

Worship is the process by which we continually attribute the most worth to Jesus. He alone is worthy of our worship and He alone can fulfill us. Many other things compete for this place of worthiness in our lives, and the Bible calls them idols. It’s not a matter of “if” we will worship, but “what” will we worship? We must continually repent of our attempts to seek independence from Him or to find satisfaction in anything else besides Him.

Through the Gospel we strive both personally and corporately to identify, expose, and destroy all idols that compete with the one true God for our attention and devotion. If there is no personal transformation occurring within our body, then corporate worship will be like a lodge meeting instead of an encounter with the living God. If, on the other hand, we are being personally transformed, then our worship will be alive and outsiders will be attracted to what is happening (1 Cor. 14:24-25).

Gospel movement of respect

The Gospel teaches us to have deep respect for non-Christians since the only thing in our lives worth boasting about is Jesus. Since we are sinners saved only by grace, it is our responsibility to humbly demonstrate our reliance on Christ and live out our security and peace as we boldly tell His story.

Gospel movement of hope

The Gospel teaches us to have hope for non-Christians. We do not see anyone as hopeless since every conversion, including our own, is a supernatural miracle of God.

Gospel movement of courage

The Gospel prevents us from basing our identity on the approval of others. This enables us to speak confidently and directly while not speaking with pride, arrogance, and self-righteousness.

Gospel movement of love

The Gospel keeps us from being defensive and taking things personally. Because our value is derived from Christ, we do not feel the need to win arguments or prove ourselves through witnessing. We evangelize because we love people, and we love people because God first loved us.

Gospel movement of mission

Paul says that the Gospel “is the power of God for salvation” (Rom. 1:16). The kingdom of God is gradually but ruthlessly growing (Matt. 11:12; 13:1-23).

Gospel movement of priests

The Bible claims that the body of Christ is a “royal priesthood” (1 Pet. 2:9). Every believer is called to become disciples that bring healing to the lives of the people of our city. At Resonate, the laity is encouraged to minister to others.

Gospel movement of churches

We desire to see the entire city of Fremont transformed by the Gospel of Christ. This goal will take more than a single church location to accomplish. It will take an entire movement of churches. We aim to plant churches with the same Gospel-based core values in every neighborhood and people group in the city.

Gospel movement of healing racial divisions

The Gospel is the greatest foundation for civil relationships in a pluralistic society. Since we are saved by Christ and not by our own wisdom or performance, we can look at those who are not like us (even non-Christians) and realize that we can learn from them. We do not use our culture’s strengths as a basis for self-justification (as is the case with racism and nationalism), but in humility we desire to see racial and national divisions healed (Gal. 2:14; Acts 2:1-12).

Gospel movement of healing economic divisions

Jesus is the supreme example of sacrificial giving (2 Cor. 8:9). His Gospel produces in us generosity and a desire to see economic divisions healed (2 Cor. 8:1-15). Out of gratitude to God for the grace He has shown us we now desire to supply the needs of others (Matt. 25:31-40), even the needs of those who are undeserving as we are (Is. 64:6; Luke 6:32-35). One of the marks of a heart truly transformed by grace is a life poured out in deeds of mercy and justice (Is. 1:10-17; James 2:12-14).

Gospel movement of work

When the Gospel cleanses us of the kind religiosity that is itself an idol, then our so-called “secular” work becomes as valuable and God-honoring as full-time Christian ministry. When you use your gifts in work—whether by developing software, practicing law, swinging a hammer, mending broken bodies, or nurturing children—you are answering God’s call to serve humanity.

Gospel movement through our jobs

Our worldview drastically shapes the motives and methods that we employ in our work. The Gospel motivates us to strive for excellence in our work, not out of greed or selfish ambition, but out of gratitude to God and a desire to see Him glorified among our employers, co-workers, customers, friends, and families.

We encourage each other to perform our work as unto God out of gratitude for the grace He shows us in the Gospel. We do not want fellow Christians to privatize their faith away from their work or express their faith in terms of subculture. Rather we want to see growing Christians working in their vocations with Christian distinctiveness, thus transforming the culture from the inside out.