One of John Piper’s most important books is entitled God is the Gospel: Meditations on God’s Love as the Gift of Himself (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2005). The primary emphasis of the book is the fact that, whatever other blessings we might obtain when we believe in Jesus Christ, preeminent over all is the glorious reality of getting God!

The Apostle Peter put it this way: “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18a). God is the good news of the gospel. Getting God, knowing God, enjoying God, delighting in God, experiencing God in the immeasurable fullness of his grace and mercy and power and beauty, this is the gospel!

A while back Tim Chester articulated four truths about God that undergird our belief that God is the gospel and that when we have him, we have all we need. I’ve and expanded and adapted it for our purposes here at Bridgeway Church in Oklahoma City. Feel free to do the same with my version of it!

God is Great, so we don’t have to always be in control. He is. Job 42:2; Pss. 115:3; 139; Isa. 40; Eph. 1:11-12; Col. 1:16-17; Js. 4:13-17.

God is Glorious, so we don’t have to look elsewhere to satisfy our souls. He is enough. Pss. 4:6-7; 16:11; 27:1-4; 73:24-28; Hab. 3:17-19; 2 Cor. 4:6; Phil. 3:7-11; Jude 24-25; Rev. 4-5.

God is Good, so we don’t have to live in fear of people or trials. He is safe. Rom. 5:1-5; 8:28; 8:31-39; 2 Cor. 1:8-10; 4:16-18; Heb. 11; 1 Pt. 1:3-8; 4:12-19.

God is Gracious, so we don’t have to win his love by our efforts or good works. He has accepted us. Zeph. 3:17; Rom. 3:21-26; Eph. 1:3-10; 2:1-10; 2 Tim. 1:8-10; Titus 3:4-7.

God is Giving, so we don’t have to supply his needs, but rather let him supply ours. He is abundant. 1 Chron. 29:10-19; Acts 17:24-25; Rom. 11:33-36; Eph. 3:14-21; Phil. 4:19; 1 Pt. 4:10-11; Rev. 22:17.