Why preach the gospel?

So conversations don’t end up like the following:

A: How are you doing spiritually?
B: *pause* Not well.
A: Wsup?
B: Not really doing QTs and praying to God. Been busy.
A: Ok. I’ll pray for you.
B: Yea cool thanks. Wanna see my new iPhone app?

(DA Carson:) D-D-Do you see? The sheer banality of seeing your relationship with God based on performance (and if your Google calendar allows) instead of His grace.

How do I perform well enough to say I’m doing OK spiritually? What’s my pathetic metric? It’s the equivalent of asking “when is God faithful” because it surely isn’t everlasting!

“I’m not doing well spiritually” is like saying “I am less worthy of blessing in these bad times so I’m just waiting for God to deal me punishment…eventually. For now, I’ll fake guiltiness to church people, pay lip service promises, and God will have sympathy.”

Perverted! This “I’ll try harder” mindset. Success in the Christian life is not up to you! Christ’s infinite merit is the substance of the relationship between you and God. and that is very
very
very
freeing.
Now go and make commitments without burdens hanging over your head if you are indeed free.

And that is the gospel.

Jerry Bridges posed most of these challenges and I’m just letting you guys know.