|
If you put your hand on your chest you will feel your
heart beating. In anxious moments, we have all felt the
strong thumping of this muscle as it pumps blood
throughout our system. We may hold our breath
momentarily, but we cannot stop the heart. Anyone who
has experienced a problem with their heart understands
how important this tiny organ is to their well-being,
though it is no bigger than your fist and weighs less
than a pound.
Our heart beats an average of 72 times each minute,
which is about 100,000 times each day. In a 24-hour
period it will have pumped the equivalent of 1,800
gallons of blood through more than 60,000 miles of our
circulation system. Without its labor life could not be
sustained.
On the last day of March 2002, my father passed away in
his sleep while watching TV. He had lived with me for
the last four years of his life. He was already expired
when the paramedics came, but still they worked
valiantly to restart his heart. They knew that a beating
heart means life to the body. He was pronounced dead
only when it became evident that they could not get a
heartbeat.
The Bible says that the life of a person is in the
blood. And it is the heart which pumps this life
throughout the body. If any part of our body is deprived
of the blood, it soon withers and dies.
Even in everyday life, when someone is really serious,
they may find themselves saying,- "Come on! Let's get to
the "heart" of the matter!" So, just what is the heart
of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Most of the Christian
world believes that the true gospel is a message about
Christ and his crucifixion. But many of our fellow
Sabbath keeping congregations teach a different message
as the gospel.
Under the leadership of Herbert W. Armstrong the
worldwide church of God taught that the one and only
true gospel of Jesus Christ was a message of a coming
kingdom or government which will be established on the
earth at the return of Jesus. This church broke into
many pieces in the 1990s because of massive doctrinal
changes. This in turn, produced a multitude of
congregations. Some affiliated with an off-shoot
organization and some, like us, became independent. Most
all of these churches continued to hold the belief that
to teach Christ, and Him crucified constituted preaching
a false gospel.
Notice this from "Mystery
of the Ages," by Herbert W. Armstrong,- "What
is the one and only gospel of Jesus Christ? It has not
been preached for 19 centuries, strange as that may
seem. . . It is necessary to believe that gospel to be
saved! And how can you believe it, unless you know what
it is? And for 1900 years, the world did not know. That
gospel was suppressed and replaced by man's gospel about
Christ." (P. 295)
Roderick C. Meredith, founder
of the Living Church of God in his booklet "Do
You Believe the True Gospel?"calls
the teaching of Christ, and Him crucified a "false
gospel." Notice, -
"Frankly, millions of sincere men and women have put up
with a false gospel." Mr.
Meredith begins the booklet saying -"Your
eternity depends on your willingness to understand and
believe the true gospel!"
David C. Pack,
founder of the Restored Church of God in his booklet "Which
is the True Gospel?" writes,
"the
knowledge of what the gospel really is has been hidden
from the world for centuries! Almost everyone believes
that the gospel is about the Person of Jesus Christ.
Certainly, Christ plays an extremely important and
central role to Christianity, but He is not the gospel.
The Bible shows that Jesus is preached in conjunction with the
gospel. Again, His role is enormous. But He is not the
gospel."
Perhaps I should say here that I believe the Bible
teaches a coming kingdom where Jesus will establish the
Government of God on the earth. However, I believe
"Kingdom" has to be Scripturally defined, a message of a
future Kingdom is not the central theme of the gospel in
the New Testament Scriptures.
Those who believe that a future kingdom is the main
message of the gospel are quick to point out that Jesus
said, -"Repent, for the kingdom
of heaven is at hand!" The
emphasis is always put on "Gospel of the
Kingdom." This is meant to say, that the true gospel is
a message "of a future Kingdom", not primarily a message "about
salvation in Christ."
After His death, the resurrected Jesus Christ appeared
to his disciples and commissioned them to take the
gospel to the whole world, notice -"go
therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and
the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all that I
commanded you." (Matthew 28: 19 -20)
We can look in the Bible and see what the heart of their
teaching was. Surely they knew what message was to be
preached. Also, it is important for us to understand
what the purpose of the gospel is. Is it to simply
announce a future event as a witness? Or is it a message
which has the power to save those who receive it from
their sins at the time they hear it? And one must ask
the question, how does announcing a future event redeem
anyone from the penalty of their sins?
The first place in Scripture where we see an apostle
preaching the gospel is in Acts
chapter 2. This of course, is Peter's sermon on
the day of Pentecost. In verse
21 Peter
says that all who will call upon the name of the Lord
shall be saved. In verses
22 -24, Peter tells the Jews that they had
killed the Son of God, but that God had raised him from
the dead. In verse
36, he tells them -"God has made Him both Lord
and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." It verses
37 -41, the Jews cried out -"what shall we do?"
Peter tells them to repent and be baptized in the name
of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. In verse
40, we see Peter exhorting them saying -"Be
saved from this perverse generation!"
In his entire message, not once did Peter mention a
gospel of a coming kingdom. Yet we see that 3000 souls
were saved that day as they received the message of
Christ and Him crucified.
Now, let's take a look at what Paul taught, notice 1
Cor.15:1-4, -"Now I make known to you brethren,
the gospel which I preached to you, which also you
received, and which also you stand, by which also you
are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to
you unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you
as of first importance what I also received, that Christ
died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that
he was buried , and that he was raised on the third
day."
Here, the apostle Paul
is clearly identifying what gospel he preached, again
there is no mention of a message of a soon coming
government being established on the earth, just the
saving message of Christ dying for our sins.
Notice also, that Paul said that
he had delivered to them what was of "first importance"
saying that he had received it from Christ. In his
letter to the Galatians Paul
said that he preached what Jesus had taught him
personally by revelation. In chapter
2, he reminded them that he had gone up to
Jerusalem and presented to Peter, James and John what
gospel he was preaching to the Gentiles, and said that they
had added nothing to him.
Earlier in his letter to the Corinthians he
said, -"And when I came to you brethren, I did not come
with superiority of speech or of wisdom proclaiming to
you the testimony of God. For I determined to know
nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1
Cor. 2:1 -2)
Here again we see the apostle Paul
preaching the message of Jesus Christ and him crucified,
even saying thatthis was the only message that
he had delivered to them in the beginning.
Clearly they received salvation through hearing and
receiving the message that God had become a man and was
crucified for our sins.
Notice also, -"For Christ did not
send me to baptize, but to preach the Gospel, not in
cleverness of speech, that the cross of Christ should
not be made void. For the word of the cross is to those
who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being
saved it is the power of God."(1 Cor.1:17-18) "For
indeed Jews ask for signs, and Greeks search for wisdom;
but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling
block, and to Gentiles foolishness."(1
Cor.1:22-23)
Here we find an apostle of Jesus
Christ preaching a message, the true gospel, - Christ
crucified. It is this message that has the power to save
souls. All who are lost in sin, which includes everyone
who has ever lived except Jesus, are in need of a
Savior. A righteous Savior who was willing to give his
life, by shedding His blood to blot out the sins of all
who would receive His sacrifice. An announcement of what
Jesus is going to do on the earth at His return is not
relevant, nor is it good news to those who are lost in
sin.
A "witness
message" cannot save, it can only warn or announce. As
Paul said the gospel is the power of salvation to all
who hear and receive it.
In his second
letter to the Corinthians Paul
said that if the gospel was veiled, it was veiled to
those who are perishing. He goes on to say that they are
blinded by their unbelief and cannot see the light of
the gospel, the glory of Christ, who is the image of
God. (2
Cor. 4:3-4) Again
we find the subject of the gospel is Jesus.
In his letter to the Romans, Paul said that he was set
apart to preach the gospel concerning the Son of God who
was resurrected from the dead. (Romans
1:1-4) Now
notice verses
16 and 17, -"For I am not ashamed of the
gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to
everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the
Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed
from faith to faith." Only the gospel of God becoming a
man and giving his righteous life for unrighteous
sinners has the power to save those who believe.
Paul told the Hebrews that
without the shedding of blood there can be no
forgiveness for sins. (Hebrews
9:22)He goes on to say that it was impossible
for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. (10:4) Paul
then reveals the righteous offering, a holy sacrifice
had been made once and for all, and his name was Jesus.(10:10)
When Paul wrote the Philippians he
told them that since he had been in prison greater
progress had been made in spreading the gospel (1:12) He
said that the "cause of Christ" had become well-known
throughout the whole praetorian guard. As a result,
people had far more courage to speak the gospel without
fear.
Paul admits that some
were teaching "Christ" out of selfish ambition, but said
that even in this he would rejoice because "Christ was
preached." Once again, we find the heart of the gospel
message was about the person Jesus Christ. Paul did not
say he rejoiced because a message of a "coming kingdom"
was being preached, but that "Christ was being
preached."
In the book of Acts,
chapter 8, we read the story where Philip
preached the gospel to an Ethiopian eunuch. He had come
across the eunuch reading the book of Isaiah.
More specifically, he was reading chapter
53 which
is the prophecy of Messiah as a suffering servant.
Notice, -"He was led as a sheep to slaughter; and as a
lamb before its shearer is silent, so he does not open
his mouth." (Acts
8:32 / Isaiah 53:7) The
Ethiopian confessed to Philip that he did not know the
meaning of this Scripture and asked if the Prophet was
speaking of himself or someone else. In verse
35 we
see that Philip "preached Jesus to him." After receiving
this message of Christ and him crucified, the man asked
-"What prevents me from being baptized?" Now notice what
Philip said,-"If you believe with all your heart, you
may." And the man answered Philip and said,-"I believe
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."(Acts
8:36-37)
Notice that Philip said, "If you believe with all your
heart" you may be baptized. Did
Philip mean that this Ethiopian must believe a "gospel"
that Jesus would establish a government on the earth in
2000 years in order to be baptized and saved? What
was it that this man said he did believe? Wasn't it that
Jesus Christ was the Son of God and had been crucified
for the sins of the world? Isn't that what Isaiah
chapter 53 is
all about? And didn't this man receive salvation through
the message of the suffering servant? Once again, we
find that the subject of the gospel is Jesus crucified.
And once again, we find nothing about a "gospel" of a
coming kingdom connected to the salvation of this
sinner.
Even when the angel Gabriel appeared to Joseph in a
dream, he proclaimed, -"And she will bear a Son; and you
shall call His name Jesus, (Heb."Yeshua" meaning
"Salvation") for it is He who will save His people from
their sins." (Matthew
1:21) The
purpose for this child coming into the world was to
"save His people from their sins."The angel did
not say, "To announce a future world-ruling kingdom."
In Acts
5 we
read where the Apostles were arrested by the Jewish
Religious leaders for "Preaching Jesus Crucified." When
those men forbade them to teach Jesus Peter replied, "We
must obey God rather than men."(Verse 29) He
goes on to remind them that they had killed Jesus by
"hanging Him on a cross." (Verse
30) He
testifies in the next verse that this Jesus is "Savior"
and in Him alone can one be saved. Afterwards these
Jewish leaders had the Apostles beaten, warned them
against preaching Jesus, and released them. Notice the
result,- they "rejoiced", "And every day, in the temple
and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and
preaching Jesus, the Christ." (Verse
42)
Paul told Timothy,- "Remember Jesus Christ, risen from
the dead, descendant of David according to MY GOSPEL,
for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a
criminal; but the Word of God is not imprisoned."(2
Tim. 2:8-9) This
was the message for which Paul suffered persecution. And
this was the "gospel" which he delivered.
"For there is one God, and one mediator also between God
and men, the man Jesus Christ, who gave Himself as a
ransom for all, the testimony borne at the proper time.
And for this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle."(1
Tim. 2:5-7)
In chapter
1 of Galatians Paul
warns of a curse for those who would preach or receive a
different gospel than the one which he taught. I do not
know what this curse is, or will be, but since it is in
the word of God I believe it is very real. Personally, I
want to make sure that I have received, confess, and
proclaim the true gospel of Christ, for I want no part
of a curse. Even then there were those who were
perverting the gospel of Christ. Even today, some teach
that Paul was warning against receiving a gospel of
"Christ crucified"other than the "true" message of a
"coming kingdom." But where do we find Paul saying this?
We have seen clearly, by the apostle's own words that he
preached Christ crucified and resurrected as the gospel
message.
Now, the Bible does teach that at the return of Jesus He
will establish a kingdom upon the earth and reign for
1000 years. But when Jesus was on earth as a man he said
that the kingdom of God was at hand. Was he referring to
a kingdom thousands of years away, to Himself as king of
the kingdom, or was he saying that a kingdom was really
then "at hand?"
In Luke
chapter 17 the
Pharisees questioned Jesus as to when the kingdom of God
was coming. He answered them and said,-"The kingdom of
God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will
they say 'Look, here it is!' or ' There it is!' For
behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst." (verses
20-21) I
am quoting from the NAS but the KJV renders
this,-"Behold, the Kingdom of God is within you." There
are some who teach that Jesus was only referring to
Himself because He would be the king of the kingdom when
He established the kingdom at His return in glory. But
Jesus taught that the kingdom was something that the
Jewish religious leaders of His day could have entered
into but were unwilling to. Notice,- "But woe to you
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off
the kingdom of heaven from men; for you do not enter in
yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to
go in." (Matthew
23: 13)
A high-ranking Pharisee named Nicodemus came to Jesus by
night inquiring about the Kingdom of God. This man held
the belief that this Kingdom would be established upon
the earth when Israel was exalted to power under the
leadership of a Messiah. But Jesus told him, "You must
be born again to see the Kingdom." (John
3:3)Jesus was saying that it is not enough to
be born of Abraham's natural seed to inherit the Kingdom
of God. One must be born of the "spirit." Jesus said,
"Unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot
enter into the Kingdom of God." (Verse
5) When
Nicodemus confessed that he still did not understand,
Jesus replied,- "If I told you earthly things and you do
not believe, how shall you believe if I tell you
heavenly things?" (Verse
12)Jesus is saying that the Kingdom of God is a
"heavenly thing," not a "earthly thing."
Now notice what Paul taught the Corinthians,- "Now I say
this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the
Kingdom of God." (1
Cor. 15:50)
If one "cannot see" the Kingdom unless he be "born
again", and if "flesh and blood" cannot inherit the
Kingdom of God, then the Kingdom must be more than a
physical government on the earth enforced by spiritual
beings on the earth. The nations which will be forced to
obey God after the return of Christ cannot enter nor
inherit the Kingdom of God because they will be flesh.
Though these nations will be ruled by the Kingdom of
God, they cannot enter the Kingdom of God, because one
must be "born again" of the "spirit" to even "see" it.
Can one enter the kingdom of God now? Notice what John
said in Revelation
chapter 1, verses 5 and 6,-"To Him who loves us, and
released us from our sins by his blood, and He has made
us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father." We
see here that those who are released from their sins by
the blood of Jesus then become a kingdom, and priests to
God.
In Revelation
chapter 5, verses 9 and 10 we
read the words of a new song sang in heaven
saying,-"Worthy are You to take the book and break its
seals; for You were slain and did purchase for God with
Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people
and nation. And
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our
God;
and they will reign upon the earth."
Now, concerning a kingdom which can be entered into now,
notice what Paul said in this letter to theColossians,-"For
He (Father) delivered us from the domain of darkness,
and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in
whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (1:13-14)
From these "Kingdom"
Scriptures, we see that those who are "born again" of
the "spirit", "become a Kingdom" or are "transferred
into the Kingdom of God."
At the return of Jesus in glory, the dead in Christ
shall rise in His glorious image, (1
John 3) spirit
and immortal, then those who are alive shall be changed
also with a "twinkling of an eye" and shall all meet the
Lord in the sky. Then they shall descend with Jesus to
the Mount of Olives. (1
Cor 15 / 1 Thes. 4 / Zech. 14) This
Body of believers are the spiritual entity spoken of in
Scripture, the Kingdom of God coming in all its glory to
the earth.
Did Jesus merely come to reveal the Father and announce
a far in the distance kingdom? Let us allow Jesus to
speak for himself,-"Now My soul has become troubled; and
what shall I say,-Father save Me from this hour? But for
this purpose I came." (John
12: 27) Here
we find Jesus telling us why he came into the world. At
this time He was preparing to suffer an agonizing death
on the cross for those lost in sin, and He was deeply
troubled. God, the Son had come into the world as a man
that He might die to redeem the lost.
Those who deny that
the gospel is about Jesus and Him crucified, going so
far as to believe that this is a "false gospel" cannot
feel free to adore Him. Though they know that He
suffered horribly and died for their sins, it is
difficult for them to openly worship Him or publicly
profess their love and appreciation for His sacrifice.
The label "counterfeit gospel" attached to the person
Jesus is like a dark cloud that hangs over their minds.
They may love Jesus, but they do not feel free to
publicly express it. They feel awkward just lovingly
saying "Thank You Jesus."
Though Christians should not be driven by emotion, they
should feel free to express proper emotion. The apostle
Paul once said,- "If we are beside ourselves, it is for
God and because of Christ. If we are of sound mind it is
for your sake. "For the love of Christ controls us,
having concluded this, that One died for all, therefore
all died ;and He died for all the that they who live
should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who
died and rose again on their behalf."(2 Cor.
5:13-15)
To understand that Jesus, our Savior, loves us with a
love so great that he suffered and died for us, should
cause us to be literally overwhelmed with deep gratitude
and appreciation. I never get tired of the gospel of
Jesus Christ, or find it burdensome to regularly express
my adoration to Him who gave His life for mine.
Recently, during a Friday evening Praise and Prayer
service here, a young man was suddenly filled with the
joy of the Lord and could not help but proclaim the
wonderful name of "Jesus" over and over as he publicly
prayed a prayer of gratitude for His sacrifice. He had
been raised in a church which taught that "Christ
Crucified" was a "false gospel." He never felt
comfortable saying "Jesus" so he would usually say "God"
or "Christ." To call Him "Jesus" was just too personal
for him,- until that night.
He now feels that he has entered a "new chapter" of his
life. It was like he was literally released from some
invisible chains which held him in bondage. He now feels
free to express with his lips what he has been feeling
in his heart for some time. Now he wants everyone to
feel the joy that he is experiencing in Jesus.
There is power in the blood of Jesus, the power to blot
out sin. Where sin is blotted out there remains no
longer a penalty, only freedom. As Jesus said in his
first message in the synagogue when He began His
ministry,-"He anointed Me to preach the gospel. . To
proclaim release to the captives. . . To set free those
who are downtrodden. . . Today this scripture has been
fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke
4: 18-21)
The gospel of Jesus Christ does set free those who are
downtrodden and releases those who were once held
captive by sin. It is the liberating and lifesaving
message that God so loved the world, that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should
not perish but have eternal life. (John
3:16) 2000
Years ago the love of God displayed its might on a hill
called Calvary. That is a life changing message, the
real heart of the gospel, -and the best news sinful man
could ever receive.
|
