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**I wrote this for an app and I liked how it helped me understand what I'm learning in life better, so I thought I'd post parts of it here so I can always remember.

By the grace of God, I have come to see Christ as "the way, the truth, and the life." (John 14:6) As I am being sanctified by the Lord, he has led me to understand and believe in the ultimate reality of the preeminence of Christ. (Colossians 1:18) Thus, every day I am learning to comprehend and value the eternal, unstoppable, immeasurable importance of the Gospel.

This understanding influences everything about my life because it is deeply rooted in how I understand the world. As I approach anything, I look at it through the lenses of the gospel. There are three questions to ask: Who is God? Who is man? Who is Christ? From these questions the perfect holiness of God, the sinful depravity of man, and the reconciliation that comes from Christ on the cross is illuminated! And I truly believe that this is key to life!

I want to be God-centered and exalt Christ; therefore, I hope to point people to Christ and his gospel. So as I approach the topic of student development, I can only approach it in the way I've come to understand the world--through the gospel. Forgiveness comes from the gospel. Reconciliation comes from the gospel. Love comes from the gospel. Believers are empowered to forgive because they have been forgiven much. Believers are empowered to have mercy because ultimately, God has had mercy on us. "We love because he first loved us." (1 John 4:19)

Through the gospel, life makes sense. It is so vital; we never lose our need for the cross. From conversion through sanctification, as our awareness of God's holiness increases, and a growing awareness of our flesh and sinfulness increase, the cross looms bigger and we grow in the gospel, which is being able to rest in Christ. Rest in Him as our perfect Redeemer--the One who is "our righteousness, holiness, and redemption." (1 Corinthians 1:30)