One Desire Fast is HMCC’s annual fast so we can start off the year hearing from God, both individually and as a church. This year’s theme is Saturate.
1 Corinthians 3:11 ESV – For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
As we learned about what it means to be saturated with God’s presence, we want to start with the first word of the FILL acronym – Foundations. The Gospel is the foundation of Christian faith. The word “Gospel” came from the Greek word “euangelion”, which translates to “good news”. In simple terms, the Gospel refers to the story of how God reconciled with us through Jesus Christ, after we had strayed from Him (Colossians 1:19-22). This God-initiating love is the central message of our Christian faith that separates us from all other religions. The Gospel story can be divided into four main sections: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration.
When God first created the earth, including us humans, He gave us dominion over everything He created on earth. However, when mankind chose to disobey God and fell into sin, we became separated from Him. Out of His love for us, God set out to bring us back to Himself and redeemed us through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. As a result, Christ’s redemption grants us an abundant life and empowers us to extend God’s restorative work on earth in this lifetime until death unites us with Him forever.
In our mission to saturate Hong Kong with the knowledge of the glory of God, it is important that we first experience what the Gospel means to us personally. Quoting John Calvin, the Gospel is not a doctrine that can only be grasped by reason and memory, but it is fully understood when we internalize it deep within our hearts. When the Gospel becomes our foundation, we are not easily swayed by the different storms that come our way. This may look like getting back up after we have made mistakes and being confident that God still cherishes us, or choosing to forgive those who have wronged us because we’re forgiven by God. Making the Gospel the foundation in all aspects of our lives keeps us firmly rooted in Christ. It empowers us to live with hope and purpose. It also enables us to share this good news with others.
The primary way of keeping the Gospel as our foundation is developing our relationship with God. When we seek God through His Word and prayer, God Himself places this understanding in our hearts and the desire to make Him known (Philippians 2:13). Seeking knowledge from external resources, such as books and articles, can also deepen our understanding of the Bible, especially when we are new to the faith or unfamiliar with certain terms and passages. Learn more about the Gospel through related posts on Gospel Fluency. Ultimately, God is the One who reveals to us the mystery of the Gospel and transforms it from head knowledge to heart experience.
Fasting may get increasingly challenging and reveal our tendency to build our foundation on anything but God. Instead of being swayed by our emotions or circumstances during the fast, let us be reminded of our Gospel stories, look to God with gratitude and saturate ourselves with His truths. In these next few days, we will delve deeper into the Gospel’s transformative power and how we can live this out in our daily lives.
Reflection and Application
- How does the Gospel impact your understanding of God’s character and His relationship with humanity?
- Have there been specific moments or experiences that have shaped your understanding of the Gospel?
Prayer Topics
- Express gratitude to God for the Gospel – His grace and the gift of Salvation through Christ.
- Pray for a deeper understanding and experience of the Gospel in our lives.
- Pray for the opportunities to share the Gospel with others and for the hearts of those who are yet to hear or receive the Gospel.
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