A Gospel Primer for Christians Learning to See the Glories of God’s Love by Milton Vincent

Read this book and then read it again. A Gospel Primer for Christians is collection of reflections on the Christian gospel and the multi-faceted mount of implications that the gospel has for the Christian life. The book argues that the gospel message of Jesus Christ was not given so we could only embrace it and be converted. Rather, the gospel was given to us every day as a gift that keeps on giving all that we need for life and godliness. Our responsibility is to rehearse the truths that we are quick to forget and slow to understand. Milton Vincent writes,

There is simply no other way to compete with the forebodings of my conscience, the condemnings of my heart, and the lies of the world and the Devil than to overwhelm such things with daily rehearsings of the gospel

Milton Vincent, A Gospel Primer, p. 14.

The book begins with 31 reasons that we should rehearse the gospel daily. Each reason is provided by way of a beautifully written paragraph or two which stirs the soul to meditate and worship. This is one of those books you soak in. It is one of those books you pray through. The 31 reasons can very easily be incorporated into a daily quite time with the Lord by taking one reason per day for a month. This section is my favorite and I think the most helpful part of the book that I return to often. In these pages I am reminded that I can rest in Christ, that I can love my brothers and sisters in Christ, that I can endure trials, that I can fight sin and more through faith in the powerful implications of the good news of Jesus Christ.

That God would tell me to “take up” and “put on” this gospel armor alerts me to the fact that I do not automatically come into each day protected by the gospel. In fact, these commands imply that I am vulnerable to defeat and injury unless I seize upon the gospel and arm myself with it from head to toe. And what better way is there to do this than to preach the gospel to myself and to make it the obsession of my heart throughout each day?

Milton Vincent, A Gospel Primer, p. 16

Part 2 offers what the author calls a gospel narrative. It is a retelling of the whole gospel story in prose. From our sin against God to God’s work on our behalf and to our salvation, the author walks through the gospel as if through his own eyes and his own personal experience of it. Part 3 follows after to tell the same story once again only this time through poetry. Part 4 gets more personal. The author walks through the details of his own real story of conversion and his own awakening to the truths of the gospel.

If you find yourself easily discouraged, overwhelmed, or struck with anxiety pick this book up and meditate not only on the book itself but on the thorough collection of footnotes which ties everything the author says to particular Scriptures that he is expounding. If you have trouble making the connection between Christ’s finished work on the cross for you and how that impacts your every day moments, I encourage you to consider using this tool for your daily gospel rehearsing.

You can get A Gospel Primer for Christians on Amazon at this link.