The Gospel Is For Christians
There is nothing unique in Chase’s book. Everything he writes can be found in a number of other books written by great evangelical authors. However, this very fact makes The Gospel Is For Christians unique. The very best of what can be read in a number of books can be found in this one book. Why? Because of the simplicity and comprehensiveness of Chase’s main idea.
Chase explains:
[W]e need to remember that the gospel is not something that we leave behind at the front door of the Christian faith so that we can pursue other things. The gospel is everything for the believer” (9).
The gospel isn’t only for unbelievers. As the title says, the gospel is for Christians because the truth of the gospel affects every area of the Christian’s life.
Chase intentionally imitates the style of Paul’s letters. He begins with an explanation of the gospel and then turns to application of the gospel in the second half. Because the gospel is comprehensive in the second half of the book Chase applies the gospel to several areas of life: personal spiritual growth, the church, church growth, missions, marriage, and parenting. He does not cover each subject as thoroughly as he could, but his task is breadth rather than depth.
For this reason, The Gospel Is For Christians is an ideal book for use with young believers. Whether you are guiding a young believer through one-on-one discipleship, leading a small group, or teaching a class of adults or youth, this book is perfect for founding young believers on a solid understanding of the gospel and for teaching them how the gospel affects many areas of life.
If I was a pastor, college minister, or youth pastor, I would order cases of this book to give out to everyone in my ministry because if every Christian could understand the gospel and its application as clearly as Chase presents it we would see unparalleled transformation. As Chase himself writes, “Remember, we can’t assume that people know the gospel” (270), and likewise we can’t assume that people know how the gospel ought to affect every aspect of life.
