The Words in Red

I've been reading through the gospels recently. I started in Matthew and am almost finished with Luke. I confess, that I have looked at the gospels as the grade school of Christianity. Christ's words are wonderful things to teach children.
Children seem to remember stories and teachings from the gospels. Do you remember this verse? "For God so loved the world, he gave his begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life."

"Certainly, Paul's revelation of Christ's work on the cross and his resurrection are the deep waters of Christianity," I thought. God definitely gave Paul a special revelation of Christ's work on the cross for the church and it is deep. I still think the church needs to learn it to understand the gospels. However, after learning what Paul teaches us, I believe we have to go back to Christ's words (in red) to be able to live out our daily Christian life. Or, should I say that I need to. I'm the one who neglected the gospels in my Christian walk.

Christ is the same after his resurrection as he was before going to the cross. What he faced we face. The characters are different but the issues are the same. He is our day to day coach as his words rise in our hearts addressing what we face moment by moment; sometimes consciously and sometimes in that spiritual place resting below our conscious thought.

While reading Christ's words, it's like Christ's presence within us gently affirms, "These are my words." As we know Christ is in us and we are conscious of his words, obedience is easier and joyful, his grace is in us holding us up through temptations and tribulations.

I never had this present sense of God's grace and help in my life only focusing on the epistles. I have a more literal interpretation of Christ's words and commandments now than I did before I started reading through the gospels again. They are the words in red (many Bibles have Christ's words printed in red).

Christ teaches and inspires us: through:

     Modeling his behavior before us culminating in his obedience to his father in dying on the cross;

     His teachings;

     His warnings; and,

     His commandments.