The gospel is not just one more thing to schedule into your day planner or kitchen calendar. The gospel shapes everything about you—requiring you to come to God on His terms.
As women who understand and embrace the gospel, we find God’s Word so dynamic that it at once defines us, motivates us, and satisfies us.
Defined by the Gospel
When we are born again, life starts to make sense. Within the pages of Scripture, we find the blessed answer to the age-old question, “Who am I?”
We learn that we are made in the image of God. We also learn that as women, we are made distinctly female as opposed to male. Most important, we discover that we are of great value to God, as demonstrated by Christ’s death on the cross. The gospel, therefore, not only brings dignity and value to our humanity. It brings purpose and meaning to sex distinctions.
We learn further that we are sinners. Genesis 3 records the decision of Adam and Eve together to rebel against God’s good plan, bringing sin and death to mankind (Gen. 3; Isa. 53:6; Rom. 3:23). We find that we can be saved from God’s wrath against all ungodliness (Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:3–9). We see that we can become children of God and members of his family, the church (John 1:12; 3:5–8; Mark 3:31–35). Finally, we are partners with all the saints for the sake of the gospel (Phil. 1:1–6; 2:14–15).
Apart from the angels, who were not created in God’s image, we are the only beings in the universe who can hear God’s Word and respond to it. Genesis reveals that the first thing God did after creating Adam and Eve was to speak to them. You and I can hear the Word of God!
Because we were created in his image, our souls have a moral sense that can respond to his Word in obedience. Women, you bear the image of God and are complex spiritual beings who can hear God speak and, through his grace, respond.
Sisters in Christ, think of it. In the gospel, we need not have an identity crisis. We know who we are.
Motivated by the Gospel
The gospel is motivating. It gives us purpose in life: “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col. 3:17).
The Scriptures show us where we fit into God’s plan for the world and detail what we are to do with our lives. The Bible is the how-to manual for bringing our lives under the discipline of the gospel. We have been given work in spreading the good news, in being part of the family of God, in responsibilities to nurture others and serve the poor and helpless. The gospel informs every aspect of our lives as single or married women. It gives meaning to whatever we do because, as gospel women, we are doing it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Satisfied by the Gospel
Marie Antoinette is notorious for her heartless statement about the starving people of France who had no bread: “Let them eat cake.” This same queen, surrounded by lavish furnishings, extravagant clothing, abundant and exotic food, and servants to provide for her every wish, also despairingly said, “Nothing tastes.”
It is not surprising that she could find no satisfaction in material possessions, but it is tragic indeed for those who claim faith in the gospel to search anywhere else for satisfaction.
As a pastor’s wife, I have often had Christian women express to me their longing for something they do not possess. In their search to find what is lacking, they casually diminish and even dismiss what they have taken for granted—the knowledge of God and his gracious provisions for us discovered in the pages of Scripture.
Here’s the gospel truth: “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Pet. 1:3). God’s provision for his children is astonishing! We have everything we need! Do you believe this?
Do not doubt that the simple gospel has everything you need and more. Jesus told the woman at the well, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst” (John 4:13–14).
Via The Gospel Coalition. This article is adapted from Barbara Hughes’s Disciplines of a Godly Woman (Crossway, 2013). Barbara Hughes has supported her husband, Kent, in his pastoral ministry for over 40 years while also raising four children. She is a popular teacher of women’s groups and the author of several books. Barbara and Kent live in Spokane, Washington, and have an ever-increasing number of grandchildren.
