Gospel… What does this term “Gospel” mean? Many of us know it means “good news” but what is the good news? Many oversimplify it to the message of salvation.
- Man was created perfect
- Man chose to disobey a direct order from God hoping to be "just like God" which he already was because he was created in his image.
- This disobedience caused a disconnect from God and this brought sin. Sin caused death which brought fear.
- Jesus came in the fullness of time and lived a perfect sinless life. His sacrifice, death, burial and Resurrection from the dead bought and paid for our redemption. It restored us to our created and rightful place as his created son's. Not to be confused with Jesus his only begotten Son. Begotten vs. Created (adopted)
- In him we have our life and being. We were living in a curse as a result of Sin. Jesus redeemed us from that curse.
- We became born again. Spiritually new. Old things passed away all things became new.
- We still have a mind that needs renewal and a body that needs regeneration. However we are spiritually new. United to God.
- We have now been given the ministry of reconciliation
- God is not holding against any man his sin, but man must still be reconciled to God and receive the gift already given in order to see the benefits of it. Man can reject God's gift either through ignorance of it or direct rejection of it, choose to go to hell and God will respect his right to do so. But God is not willing (modern English: it is not in God's will) for any man to perish, but all should have eternal life with God. So the decision is left in the hands of man to decide his fate... in other words the ball is in our court.
Gospel… what does the bible say about the word Gospel and what is the Good News? What is meant when the angel told the apostles to go and preach the FULL message of this new life? Acts 5:20
In short: what I found studying "Gospel" in the bible is that there is a difference between "Gospel" and "Salvation". Salvation is included in the Gospel. But Gospel is much more than salvation.
In prayer one day months before we started our talk the Lord asked me one day:
Lord: " What is Gospel? "
Me: " Christ died so I don't have to go to hell."
Lord: " So pretend I'm a man in a far off place, never heard of a car, but you mention one in a story you tell me of the land you came from... I interrupt you and ask you 'what is a car?' You reply: 'A man made vehicle with a combustion engine.' Have you told a lie or untruth?"
Me: " No... but it is a rather incomplete description and doesn't really tell him anything about the car that would help him know what it is."
Lord: "Exactly... that's what people are doing with my gospel. They over simplify it until it really doesn't mean much to the person who is listening with untrained ears"
In further Prayer I realized that a car is not the sum total of it's descriptive parts, but rather a means to take me from where I am to where I need to be. I would say the Gospel is the same. A section of scriptures describe the combustion engine of the Gospel... the primary part... the part upon which all others are based, the entry point... Christ died for my sins is the entry point. The starting ground. Undeniably.
Jesus is quoted to have gone about preaching and teaching the Gospel: "of the Kingdom of God". I submit that the "good news" is "the Kingdom of God". It is the restoration of ALL that was lost by Adam. Jesus spent most of his time on this topic. Within that he explored forgiveness of sins, right living, repentance, God's provision in Mathew chapter 6-7. He explored the call to Love which is the greatest of all commands. We have been given the ministry of reconciliation. The Gospel/Good news is that the Kingdom of God, or God's active Kingdom is now available to all men freely for those who are willing to access it through faith in His Word, which is his Covenant with Man.
John Eldredge in Wild at Heart wrote (and I paraphrase from memory it's been a while) that "men are walking around like ghosts, having the faint impression they used to be kings, but have long since forgotten."
We were kings. We were created in God's very image and His likeness. Adam was given dominion over this entire planet. In fact the planet was created for man not man for the planet. When the bible calls Satan the god of this world it begs the question... Where did he get that title?
Certainly God the LORD does not send the Dog to guard the meat? Satan and God are at war, were until Jesus came. So where did Satan get his title? Adam.
Adam was the ambassador of God on this planet. God created the entire planet for Adam not for himself. When psalms says, and later Jesus quotes, that we were gods, some translations say judges which is also correct, it isn't saying we were or are God's equals, but it is saying something we have forgotten.
We were created in HIS image and HIS likeness. We were and now are again HIS son's through creation and adoption and HIS ambassadors on this planet. Satan got his title from Adam. Jesus, the second and last Adam, got it back. This planet was a gift to us and for us.
So the Gospel in it's true essence is that we have been restored for our rightful place as kings in authority on this planet. The Kingdom of God, or God's way of going things is ours for full access. Only the Second Adam, Jesus has the FULL, ULTIMATE authority. He is our King. He is the King of Kings... we are the kings that he is King over. We are made a royal priesthood.
SO... The Gospel is: The Kingdom of God has come and that everyone who chooses to may enter it.
In that Kingdom includes freedom from Hell and entrance to all Heaven has to offer. Freedom from sin and entrance to His Righteousness. And much much more.
In Excellence, Darrell G. Wolfe
In prayer one day months before we started our talk the Lord asked me one day:
Lord: " What is Gospel? "
Me: " Christ died so I don't have to go to hell."
Lord: " So pretend I'm a man in a far off place, never heard of a car, but you mention one in a story you tell me of the land you came from... I interrupt you and ask you 'what is a car?' You reply: 'A man made vehicle with a combustion engine.' Have you told a lie or untruth?"
Me: " No... but it is a rather incomplete description and doesn't really tell him anything about the car that would help him know what it is."
Lord: "Exactly... that's what people are doing with my gospel. They over simplify it until it really doesn't mean much to the person who is listening with untrained ears"
In further Prayer I realized that a car is not the sum total of it's descriptive parts, but rather a means to take me from where I am to where I need to be. I would say the Gospel is the same. A section of scriptures describe the combustion engine of the Gospel... the primary part... the part upon which all others are based, the entry point... Christ died for my sins is the entry point. The starting ground. Undeniably.
Jesus is quoted to have gone about preaching and teaching the Gospel: "of the Kingdom of God". I submit that the "good news" is "the Kingdom of God". It is the restoration of ALL that was lost by Adam. Jesus spent most of his time on this topic. Within that he explored forgiveness of sins, right living, repentance, God's provision in Mathew chapter 6-7. He explored the call to Love which is the greatest of all commands. We have been given the ministry of reconciliation. The Gospel/Good news is that the Kingdom of God, or God's active Kingdom is now available to all men freely for those who are willing to access it through faith in His Word, which is his Covenant with Man.
John Eldredge in Wild at Heart wrote (and I paraphrase from memory it's been a while) that "men are walking around like ghosts, having the faint impression they used to be kings, but have long since forgotten."
We were kings. We were created in God's very image and His likeness. Adam was given dominion over this entire planet. In fact the planet was created for man not man for the planet. When the bible calls Satan the god of this world it begs the question... Where did he get that title?
Certainly God the LORD does not send the Dog to guard the meat? Satan and God are at war, were until Jesus came. So where did Satan get his title? Adam.
Adam was the ambassador of God on this planet. God created the entire planet for Adam not for himself. When psalms says, and later Jesus quotes, that we were gods, some translations say judges which is also correct, it isn't saying we were or are God's equals, but it is saying something we have forgotten.
We were created in HIS image and HIS likeness. We were and now are again HIS son's through creation and adoption and HIS ambassadors on this planet. Satan got his title from Adam. Jesus, the second and last Adam, got it back. This planet was a gift to us and for us.
So the Gospel in it's true essence is that we have been restored for our rightful place as kings in authority on this planet. The Kingdom of God, or God's way of going things is ours for full access. Only the Second Adam, Jesus has the FULL, ULTIMATE authority. He is our King. He is the King of Kings... we are the kings that he is King over. We are made a royal priesthood.
SO... The Gospel is: The Kingdom of God has come and that everyone who chooses to may enter it.
In that Kingdom includes freedom from Hell and entrance to all Heaven has to offer. Freedom from sin and entrance to His Righteousness. And much much more.
In Excellence, Darrell G. Wolfe
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