In the early 1900s, engineers building the Brooklyn Bridge faced a crucial challenge. They had to sink massive caissons into the riverbed, digging until they hit solid bedrock. Only then could they trust the foundation to hold the immense weight of the bridge.
One engineer noted, “The true depth of the river wasn’t measured at the surface but where we found what was unshakable below.”
The lesson? Strength isn’t in appearances but in the depth of what holds firm under pressure — a truth for bridges and leaders alike.
Maybe you think you grasp the Gospel. Maybe you’ve heard it preached a thousand times. But do you know if your grasp of the gospel finds traction in your life? How can we measure gospel depth versus just surface knowledge? Here’s five diagnostic questions that reveal whether what’s sunk deep into your heart is working out in your life.
1. Do You Confess Sin Like Your Heart Is Active?
Your grasp of the gospel shines through not in your perfection, but in your awareness of imperfection and the corresponding humility to specifically confess where it surfaces. True gospel understanding begins with the awareness that your heart is an active battlefield, often in skirmishes with disordered desires, misguided cravings or idols of comfort, approval, control, or success.
I remember a seasoned elder who shared during a leadership retreat that he had grown impatient with his family, snapping at his teenage son over a trivial matter. He didn’t stop there. “It wasn’t just frustration,” he said. “I realized I idolized respect. I expected my son to respond like I was the center of his universe. That’s pride. And I’m deeply thankful for the gospel because I need it to shape how I love him.”
The room fell silent — not in judgment, but in admiration for the transparency.
What about you? Do you name specific sins or sinful desires that drive you, or are your confessions vague and impersonal?
When confession is superficial or rare, it signals a shallow understanding of sin’s pervasive nature. But when you regularly acknowledge sin — naming not just your actions but the idolatry behind them — it reveals a heart actively engaging the bad news of the gospel.
We were not only sinners in the past, but we also remain sinful in the present. Forgiven? Yes! Declared righteous by Christ? Absolutely! But still sinners. Being able to get specific with how we sin displays how much we trust in Christ’s forgiveness and righteousness. As the Puritan, Thomas Watson once said, “Til sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet.”
2. How Do You Respond in the Face of Disappointment?
Disappointment surfaces when our desires are delayed or denied. Confronting frustration over feeling stalled is understandable–something we all understand. But when disappointment becomes a squatter within our soul, it reveals that our hope and satisfaction was grounded in something apart from God.
The gospel reshapes our expectations for life. Dreams and desires can never be fully satisfied in a broken world. We were created for another place where we possess permanent citizenship (Phil. 3:20). When our desires are disappointed, we remember that the finished work of Christ has connected us to a world where all tears will be wiped away and we will enjoy the ecstatic satisfaction of finally being home.
Because disappointment includes some quality of denial, we can feel like failures. But the gospel reminds us that our worth isn’t in achievements, completed goals or dreams being realized. Our identity is in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). We are chosen, loved, and secure—regardless of what happens in life. Disappointments become appointments, ordained by God, to trust in his goodness at work in his denial.
I remember mentoring a young pastor who had poured his heart into launching a new ministry. Despite careful planning and fervent prayer, attendance was minimal. Initially, he wrestled with discouragement, questioning his calling. But as we walked through the disappointment together, his perspective shifted. He realized his worth could not be estimated by his ministry performance or even ministry fruit. Christ loved him and valued him enough to sacrifice himself for his sins. The gospel pulled his mind away from disappointment and planted it on solid ground.
How about you? When things don’t go as planned, does your response demonstrate trust in the goodness of God even when your desires are delayed or denied? Or do you spiral into blame and despair?
You see, gospel-depth doesn’t eliminate disappointment. It transforms how you walk through it.
3. What Do Others Experience When They Correct You?
Your response to correction often reveals your level of Gospel traction. Are you approachable, teachable, and humble? Or defensive and brittle?
Too often, we respond negatively to feedback because we overvalue ourselves and others won’t meet our price. We feel diminished by admonition because our self-estimate is overinflated.
I should know. Too often I have had my bubble of self-importance burst by the pin of correction.
When your identity is rooted in Christ rather than your presumed rightness, correction becomes a gift rather than a threat. God’s approval was not won (and will never be won) by our performance. God purchased our approval through Christ’s performance–his perfect life, his sacrificial death, his triumphant resurrection. Trust in his finished work for us clears the way to receive important feedback without feeling like our identity is under attack.
I once had to deliver hard feedback to a church leader struggling with delegation. I braced myself for a defensive reaction, but his response surprised me. He listened intently, thanked me for the input, and even asked for prayer to grow in humility. He later confessed that he had been wrestling with pride and found the correction freeing because it reminded him of his dependence upon God’s grace and his acceptance in Christ.
How did you respond the last time someone pointed out a weakness or suggested some ways to improve? Did your response give them a passport to return or send them away with a “do not enter” sign?
God has created our souls so we are formed by community. Pray for the leader who is shaped exclusively by his own opinion. Such a man is being led by a fool (Prov. 18:2).
4. How Do You Respond in Seasons of Suffering?
Suffering tests your faith and reliance on the Gospel. Do you navigate trials with steady trust in God’s promises, honest lament, and willingness to be vulnerable? Or do you withdraw, grow bitter, or put on a spiritual mask?
Suffering reveals our vision for the Christian life. It helps us to measure our true grasp of leadership in a broken world. If it lands like an underserved surprise, something has dulled the truth that we follow a Suffering Savior who defined our calling by saying, “to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2: 21).
A friend of mine, a fellow leader, faced an extended season of suffering when his wife was diagnosed with a terminal illness. He could have turned inward or grown bitter, but instead, he consistently brought his grief to God in prayer. His suffering didn’t diminish his faith — it refined it.
Gospel-depth doesn’t make you immune to pain. It gives you comfort in the present and hope for the future.
5. How Do You Respond When You Are Sinned Against?
Nothing reveals gospel maturity more than how you respond to being wronged. Do you extend forgiveness, model patience, and prioritize love? Or do you harbor resentment, seek revenge, or cut off relationships?
Years ago, I observed a pastor falsely accused by a church member. Despite the hurt and damage to his reputation, he didn’t retaliate or hold a grudge. Instead, he sought to meet with the individual, listened to their grievances, and extended forgiveness, even when it wasn’t asked for. He later shared that his actions weren’t about being the “bigger person” but about reflecting the forgiveness he had received in Christ.
The way you respond when you feel sinned-against reveals your true grasp of the gospel. When you truly comprehend the depth of forgiveness you’ve received, extending it to others becomes not just possible, but absolutely essential to applying the gospel.
So, where are you in your gospel journey? These five areas aren’t meant to discourage you but to diagnose areas where the Gospel might need to sink deeper. The beautiful truth is this: even recognizing where you fall short is evidence of the gospel’s work in your life.
Because the gospel isn’t just about what you know — it’s about who you’re becoming.
Today’s Tenacious Question:
After reading the 5 questions, which one prompts gentle conviction by the Holy Spirit? Don’t be afraid to name it and confess it. What steps do you need to take from here to actually apply the gospel in this area?
Prayer:
Lord, we long to not simply talk and sing about the gospel, but to embody it in ways that testify to your glory and its transforming power. In the area we identified, give us the clarity to know how to apply the gospel and the courage to do it.
Photo by Kevin Engelke on Unsplash
