Together, the stories about what Jesus did and what He taught, are the church’s central messages. They are called The Gospel and without it, churches would have no meaning. No other message can change hearts and lives like the retelling of Jesus and His love.
The Bible doesn’t teach that you will be rewarded with eternal life in Heaven by being good. Rather, it teaches about God and how we may relate to Him. A religious person called Nicodemus visited Jesus one night. He had his own perception of Jesus even before he came. He believed Jesus performed miracles because God helped Him to perform them. Nevertheless, he wanted to know who Jesus was. Jesus said he would never understand Him until he knew Him personally. He could not relate to Him unless he had a spiritual birth, a complete change in his life, in which He would make God central. He called it being “born again.” In other words, for him to know Jesus personally, a change in his life was essential; a complete makeover.
Jesus told Nicodemus that although he was a teacher, he still did not understand the need to put his complete trust in God. He was an educated person, a member of the Sanhedrin, the supreme council and highest religious and legal authority of the ancient Jewish nation. Like others, he could sit in church each Sunday and not understand the need to believe in God’s reality and put his trust in Him.
We know that many don’t have faith in Jesus even though they’ve heard the Gospel taught every Sunday morning. They have their own answer to being godly; that all who go to church are basically good and do what is good. However, the Gospel does not expound upon being good or religious. The principles are there for one to make a personal decision to follow Jesus or not. We saw that Nicodemus had a spiritual change in His life after having met Jesus. He indicated it by bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes for Jesus’ burial.
Mystery surrounds the Gospel because the work of God’s Spirit is invisible and mysterious. Jesus called for a radical change in Nicodemous’ life; similarly in ours. A conversion experience is a mystery in itself. He compared the work of the Spirit with the wind, which we cannot see although we can experience its effects. We can’t explain how the Spirit works in a new believer’s heart, but He, the Spirit, affects people with His will, and acts in accordance with the Sovereign will of God. We are unable to develop a relationship with God without already having had the Holy Spirit change us. He calls us, then convicts and converts us. There is nothing in us that will predispose us to come to God. No one, nor anything but the Holy Spirit will draw us to Him. Spiritual re-birth is totally by God’s grace. The Spirit brings us into union with God. One will realize it when the Spirit of God touches deep into his or her heart.
Applying the Gospel to our lives will help to give us a new life and relationship with God. Scripture tells us, “God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 17, 18) To Emphasize that message, that believing or not believing in God, is a choice to be made, the Scripture states, “Whoever does not believe is condemned already.” God gave His beloved Son “that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:15)
It is not logical that God would sacrifice His Son to die for anyone, especially for His enemies. One can’t explain it correctly until he or she truly believes, because the Gospel is foolishness to those who don’t believe. Scripture tells us, “the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)
Many Christians have difficulty explaining in more than one sentence, what being a Christian means to them. They could refer to the statement that tells how much God loves us, as stated in John 3:16. It is the very crux of the Gospel stating the supreme sacrificial act of God giving His Son. John’s Gospel explains that Jesus is the living God. He was “God in the flesh.” God sent Jesus on a mission, which was to die. Why did He have to die? He died for you and me, because God could not forgive us of our sins and forget about them without a Supreme Sacrifice. There isn’t a sufficient sacrifice other than that of God’s Son.
If God did not love us sufficiently, He would not have bothered to provide His Son to redeem us from the penalty of sin, which is to be completely annihilated from God. Man is in a sinful state and God is Holy. Because of this, God cannot look at sin. Because God is just, His justice has to be satisfied. If it were satisfied, man would be dead without another consideration. God, with His incredible love provided the solution, which is to rescue us from ourselves, if we request to be rescued.
A comparable situation would be if you were judged guilty for a misdemeanor, and the judge said, “You are guilty and your penalty is a thousand dollars. However, I acknowledge that you are unable to pay, so I will write the cheque to pay your fine myself.” That is comparable to what God did. On the cross, Christ took our punishment, to pay for our sins and redeem us so we’d be guiltless before God. We no longer need to have a broken relationship with God.
Whosoever believes will have eternal life. Even so, everyone will benefit from the Gospel; not just those who believe in Christ’s deity. That’s because there is so much that Jesus taught that could improve the quality of our lives.
We avoid the words perish, hell, punishment, Satan, etc., as if they were imaginary. They are not, but very real. Scripture tells us that Satan is like a roaring lion walking up and down the earth to entrap us. 1 Peter 5:8 reads, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” He makes evil attractive to entice the unwary to accept their appeal. For the wise, who make the correct choice between evil and good, Scripture promises eternal life with God, a Spiritual life that begins by a relationship with Jesus. God’s love is paramount.
How is it that God can condemn people to eternal separation from Him? Actually, He doesn’t! God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world. We are all condemned until we believe. There is no condemnation to those who believe in Jesus, “who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1) Because Jesus was perfect, He was the Perfect Sacrifice for our sins. Jesus is the only way to pay for our sins. It is “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us." (Titus 3:5) It is by the precious blood of Jesus who was sacrificed for our sakes, that we are saved. Jesus is a gift of love from God.
The piper who would like to have a hymn at his or her fingertips to support the Scriptural verse, John 3:16, could choose, “That Grand Old Word, Whosoever.” Scripture reserves the reward of eternal life to “whosoever believes,” which requires a complete makeover.
Jesus told Nicodemus that although he was a teacher, he still did not understand the need to put his complete trust in God. He was an educated person, a member of the Sanhedrin, the supreme council and highest religious and legal authority of the ancient Jewish nation. Like others, he could sit in church each Sunday and not understand the need to believe in God’s reality and put his trust in Him.
We know that many don’t have faith in Jesus even though they’ve heard the Gospel taught every Sunday morning. They have their own answer to being godly; that all who go to church are basically good and do what is good. However, the Gospel does not expound upon being good or religious. The principles are there for one to make a personal decision to follow Jesus or not. We saw that Nicodemus had a spiritual change in His life after having met Jesus. He indicated it by bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes for Jesus’ burial.
Mystery surrounds the Gospel because the work of God’s Spirit is invisible and mysterious. Jesus called for a radical change in Nicodemous’ life; similarly in ours. A conversion experience is a mystery in itself. He compared the work of the Spirit with the wind, which we cannot see although we can experience its effects. We can’t explain how the Spirit works in a new believer’s heart, but He, the Spirit, affects people with His will, and acts in accordance with the Sovereign will of God. We are unable to develop a relationship with God without already having had the Holy Spirit change us. He calls us, then convicts and converts us. There is nothing in us that will predispose us to come to God. No one, nor anything but the Holy Spirit will draw us to Him. Spiritual re-birth is totally by God’s grace. The Spirit brings us into union with God. One will realize it when the Spirit of God touches deep into his or her heart.
Applying the Gospel to our lives will help to give us a new life and relationship with God. Scripture tells us, “God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 17, 18) To Emphasize that message, that believing or not believing in God, is a choice to be made, the Scripture states, “Whoever does not believe is condemned already.” God gave His beloved Son “that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:15)
It is not logical that God would sacrifice His Son to die for anyone, especially for His enemies. One can’t explain it correctly until he or she truly believes, because the Gospel is foolishness to those who don’t believe. Scripture tells us, “the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)
Many Christians have difficulty explaining in more than one sentence, what being a Christian means to them. They could refer to the statement that tells how much God loves us, as stated in John 3:16. It is the very crux of the Gospel stating the supreme sacrificial act of God giving His Son. John’s Gospel explains that Jesus is the living God. He was “God in the flesh.” God sent Jesus on a mission, which was to die. Why did He have to die? He died for you and me, because God could not forgive us of our sins and forget about them without a Supreme Sacrifice. There isn’t a sufficient sacrifice other than that of God’s Son.If God did not love us sufficiently, He would not have bothered to provide His Son to redeem us from the penalty of sin, which is to be completely annihilated from God. Man is in a sinful state and God is Holy. Because of this, God cannot look at sin. Because God is just, His justice has to be satisfied. If it were satisfied, man would be dead without another consideration. God, with His incredible love provided the solution, which is to rescue us from ourselves, if we request to be rescued.
A comparable situation would be if you were judged guilty for a misdemeanor, and the judge said, “You are guilty and your penalty is a thousand dollars. However, I acknowledge that you are unable to pay, so I will write the cheque to pay your fine myself.” That is comparable to what God did. On the cross, Christ took our punishment, to pay for our sins and redeem us so we’d be guiltless before God. We no longer need to have a broken relationship with God.
Whosoever believes will have eternal life. Even so, everyone will benefit from the Gospel; not just those who believe in Christ’s deity. That’s because there is so much that Jesus taught that could improve the quality of our lives.
We avoid the words perish, hell, punishment, Satan, etc., as if they were imaginary. They are not, but very real. Scripture tells us that Satan is like a roaring lion walking up and down the earth to entrap us. 1 Peter 5:8 reads, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” He makes evil attractive to entice the unwary to accept their appeal. For the wise, who make the correct choice between evil and good, Scripture promises eternal life with God, a Spiritual life that begins by a relationship with Jesus. God’s love is paramount.
How is it that God can condemn people to eternal separation from Him? Actually, He doesn’t! God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world. We are all condemned until we believe. There is no condemnation to those who believe in Jesus, “who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1) Because Jesus was perfect, He was the Perfect Sacrifice for our sins. Jesus is the only way to pay for our sins. It is “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us." (Titus 3:5) It is by the precious blood of Jesus who was sacrificed for our sakes, that we are saved. Jesus is a gift of love from God.
The piper who would like to have a hymn at his or her fingertips to support the Scriptural verse, John 3:16, could choose, “That Grand Old Word, Whosoever.” Scripture reserves the reward of eternal life to “whosoever believes,” which requires a complete makeover.
Brother, that is a wonderful, stirring presentation of the gospel! Thank you so much for your heart for Jesus and to make the gospel clearly understood by all. How fantastic to be people, and pipers, in His wonderful service, all by His amazing grace and provision. I am so thankful to have read this wonderful post today. It is like adrenaline for the soul!
ReplyDelete~brad