This post is the manuscript of a seminar that was originally written for a men’s retreat. But even though I wrote it specifically for men, it has application for all who desire to be gospel-driven. If you want to save the document in WORD format, click on the link below. Blessings!

Real Men are Gospel-Driven lecture notes

Real Men (and women) are Gospel-Driven
Dan Cruver

Introduction: The title of my session is “Real Men are Gospel-Driven.” I could have entitled it “Real Men are Gospel-Centered” just as easily. But in either case, the topic as it stands has broad application. I could talk about men being gospel-driven as husbands, as fathers, as congregants, as servants, as leaders, as employees or employers, etc., but my emphasis here is not so broad. What I’m primarily concerned with here is men being gospel-driven as students of Scripture. Why? Because it seems to me that if men are gospel-driven in this way, if men are gospel-driven in their study and application of Scripture, then they will increasingly become more gospel-driven in all these other areas of life. A husband and father who is a gospel-driven student of Scripture will find that he is becoming more gospel-driven as a husband and father. A single man who interprets and applies Scripture from a gospel-driven or gospel-centered perspective will find that he is becoming more gospel-driven in all of his relationships. So even though my primary concern here is with the study of Scripture, I’m not losing sight of the big picture.

At this point someone might say, “What does it even mean to be gospel-driven? I’m not sure I know what it means in general let alone what it means to be gospel-driven as a student of Scripture.” For now let me merely introduce an answer to that question by quoting Jerry Bridges from his article entitled “Gospel-Driven Sanctification.” Hopefully, by the time we conclude this session today you will have a fuller understanding of what it means to be gospel-driven particularly as it relates to Bible study. Regarding progressive-sanctification Bridges writes:

“We must always keep focused on the gospel because it is in the nature of sanctification that as we grow, we see more and more of our sinfulness. Instead of driving us to discouragement, though, this should drive us to the gospel. It is the gospel believed every day that is the only enduring motivation to pursue progressive sanctification even in those times when we don’t seem to see progress. That is why I use the expression ‘gospel-driven sanctification’ and that is why we need to ‘preach the gospel to ourselves every day’” (from “Gospel-Driven Sanctification” by Jerry Bridges).

What is gospel-driven sanctification? According to Jerry Bridges, it is sanctification that is motivated and empowered by the gospel. At the heart of gospel-driven sanctification is the conviction that the gospel is the very power of God for growing in Christ-likeness (cf. Romans 1:16-17). So, what is a gospel-driven man as it relates to life in general? To state it succinctly, a gospel-driven man is a man who lives and breathes the gospel. He is a man (1) who believes that the gospel is not just the power of God to give him entrance into the Christian life, but also the power of God to live the entirety of his Christian life; and (2) who lives accordingly.

What is a gospel-driven man as it relates to the study of Scripture in particular? He is a man (1) who believes that the center and ultimate reference point of Holy Scripture is the life, death, and resurrection of Christ; and (2) who interprets and applies Scripture accordingly. That being said, let’s consider the following two points as it relates to being gospel-driven men in our study of Scripture: (1) The Essential Centrality of the Gospel: A Biblical Perspective; and (2) The Functional Centrality of the Gospel: A Biblical Paradigm. Read the rest of this entry »