Friday, January 15, 2010

The Gospel in light of depression and anxiety

"I want to begin by observing that the gospel applies to the depressed and anxious person the same way it applies to the emotionally healthy person. We are all sinners in need of forgiveness who find our only hope in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. True life for all is found through repentance and faith in Jesus (cf. Acts 20:21; Rom 10:9-10).


In a world oriented towards personal pleasure and fulfilment, I need to understand that what is truly good is faithful service of God. In Christ, we see that our lives are for the glory of God. There is only one opinion that matters. The pride of my heart is humbled by the knowledge that I am not and cannot be God—that I cannot be superhuman—that I am reliant on God for his forgiveness and grace every day of my life—and that even what I achieve is achieved through the strength and action of God. Only the gospel can bring the required humility to assess ourselves rightly."