There is no greater message to be heard than that which we call the Gospel. But as important as that is, it is often given to massive distortions or over simplifications. People think they�re preaching the Gospel to you when they tell you, �you can have a purpose to your life�, or that �you can have meaning to your life�, or that �you can have a personal relationship with Jesus.� All of those things are true, and they�re all important, but they don�t get to the heart of the Gospel.
The Gospel is called the �good news� because it addresses the most serious problem that you and I have as human beings, and that problem is simply this: God is holy and He is just, and I�m not. And at the end of my life, I�m going to stand before a just and holy God, and I�ll be judged. And I�ll be judged either on the basis of my own righteousness � or lack of it � or the righteousness of another. The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus lived a life of perfect righteousness, of perfect obedience to God, not for His own well being but for His people. He has done for me what I couldn�t possibly do for myself. But not only has He lived that life of perfect obedience, He offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice to satisfy the justice and the righteousness of God.
The great misconception in our day is this: that God isn�t concerned to protect His own integrity. He�s a kind of wishy-washy deity, who just waves a wand of forgiveness over everybody. No. For God to forgive you is a very costly matter. It cost the sacrifice of His own Son. So valuable was that sacrifice that God pronounced it valuable by raising Him from the dead � so that Christ died for us, He was raised for our justification. So the Gospel is something objective. It is the message of who Jesus is and what He did. And it also has a subjective dimension. How are the benefits of Jesus subjectively appropriated to us? How do I get it? The Bible makes it clear that we are justified not by our works, not by our efforts, not by our deeds, but by faith � and by faith alone. The only way you can receive the benefit of Christ�s life and death is by putting your trust in Him � and in Him alone. You do that, you�re declared just by God, you�re adopted into His family, you�re forgiven of all of your sins, and you have begun your pilgrimage for eternity.
Good question,for a lot of Christians have no idea,what the Gospel is.
The Gospel is not an event that we arbitrarily attend every Sunday.
the Gospel is not a message that some man packages and presents on Sunday mornings.
The Gospel,is not just John 3:16
The Gospel is not handing out tracts.
The Gospel is not something we do.
The Gospel is a person,His name is Yeshua/Jesus:
The Gospel,in its spoken and written form consists of 66 books.
There are 39 books written in Hebrew and Aramaic,called The Old Covenant
There are 27 books written in Koine Greek,called The New Covenant.
The reason these are Covenants and not Testaments; Within these books we have the promises
Of the God of all creation:
The God of Abraham, Isaac,and Jacob,proclaiming his Covenant with sinful,fallen man:
That He; El-Elyon,God Most High would send His Messiah, to redeem fallen man,
and to give redeemed man a better position with Him then what Adam had.
This Gospel contains the recorded words of the God of Abraham,Isaac,and Jacob;
God who cannot lie,nor change.
Within this Gospel we have the prophecies about the Messiah.
We have who and what this Messiah would be,and do.
We see the Messiahs,Life,character,attitude,personality.
We also see,his life,death,burial,and resurrection.
We see His dealings with sinful man,and His direct dealings with the Hebrews.
Within the gospel we are told many things concerning the Messiahs first time upon the earth,as the Suffering Servant.
Then we read about the second time He stands upon the earth,as The King of kings,and the Lord of lords ,
the Judge of all the earth.
The Gospel tells us what Yeshua the Messiah, has saved those who believe in Him from.
This same Gospel, tells those same believers what they have been saved to.
I would like to share some of what we have been saved from and what we have been saved to.
First:Eph 2:8 for by grace ye are having been saved, through faith, and this not of you--of God the gift,
Eph 2:9 not of works, that no one may boast;
Eph 2:10 for of Him we are workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God did before prepare, that in them we may walk.
First we are saved by Grace through faith,trusting Yeshua to save us,then we repent,this is Salvation through faith.
Repent,then trust Yeshua,this is works,there is no Salvation through mens works.
We have been saved from having to keep the Law in order to being Saved.
Yeshau kept,the whole law,and fulfilled all of the prophecies concerning theMessiah,as written within the Books of Moses,
the psalms and the prophets.
We do not obey the law to become righteous,rather we obey the Law because, we are clothed in the righteousness
of Yeshua,and the Holy Spirit empowers the Christian believers to obey the Law.
Rom 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Rom 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
We have been saved from the wrath of God,through the atoning,sacrificail death of the Messiah.
We have been saved from Gods eternal judgement upon sinful man.
Heb 10:11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
Heb 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
Heb 10:13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
Heb 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Heb 10:15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
Heb 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
Heb 10:17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Heb 10:18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
Yeshua took our sins upon Himself,and bore the judgement of God,on behalf of those trusting him to save them from the wrath,and Judgement of God.
Isa 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
We will be saved from this sinful flesh.
Rom 7:24 A wretched man I am ! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death?
Rom 7:25 I thank God--through Jesus Christ our Lord; so then, I myself indeed with the mind do serve the law of God, and with the flesh, the law of sin.
We are saved to proclaim the gospel:
Mat 28:18 And having come near, Jesus spake to them, saying, `Given to me was all authority in heaven and on earth;
Mat 28:19 having gone, then, disciple all the nations, (baptizing them--to the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
Mat 28:20 teaching them to observe all, whatever I did command you,) and lo, I am with you all the days--till the full end of the age.'
We are saved to Love the Believers of Yeshua:
Joh 13:34 `A new commandment I give to you, that ye love one another; according as I did love you, that ye also love one another;
Joh 13:35 in this shall all know that ye are my disciples, if ye may have love one to another.
We are saved to remember Yeshuas death:
1Co 11:23 For I--I received from the Lord that which also I did deliver to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was delivered up, took bread,
1Co 11:24 and having given thanks, he brake, and said, `Take ye, eat ye, this is my body, that for you is being broken; this do ye--to the remembrance of me.'
1Co 11:25 In like manner also the cup after the supping, saying, `This cup is the new covenant in my blood; this do ye, as often as ye may drink it --to the remembrance of me;'
1Co 11:26 for as often as ye may eat this bread, and this cup may drink, the death of the Lord ye do shew forth--till he may come;
1Co 11:27 so that whoever may eat this bread or may drink the cup of the Lord unworthily, guilty he shall be of the body and blood of the Lord:
1Co 11:28 and let a man be proving himself, and so of the bread let him eat, and of the cup let him drink;
1Co 11:29 for he who is eating and drinking unworthily, judgment to himself he doth eat and drink--not discerning the body of the Lord.
We are saved to worship Yeshua:
1Co 14:26 What then is it, brethren? whenever ye may come together, each of you hath a psalm, hath a teaching, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation? let all things be for building up;
There is so much more to say ,of what we the believers have been saved from, and saved to in Yeshua.
Yes the Gospel is The Good news of Yeshua as mans Sin bearer,propitiation,advocate,Redeeme rprovider, and mans protector from the wrath and Judgement of God.
Yet the Good news is also good,because there is not another Messiah,there is only one.
His name is Yeshua and He is coming again,to take His redeemed people to be with Him for eternity.
The Good news is this:Yeshua bore in his body;all of your sins and the judgement of God Almighty.
His death upon the cross for your sins and my sins; forever satisfied the wrath of God upon sin.
Yeshua will save you from the wrath and Judgement of God,for your sins.
Yeshua will give you eternal life,that is if you will trust him to save you from the wrath and judgement of God upon sin.
Eternal life is absolutely free for Yeshua has paid the price with His death.
Yeshua,is the Only way to the Father.
Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Joh 14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Joh 14:5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Will you trust Him this very moment to save you.
Again this is the Gospel,in short form:
Eph 2:1 Also you--being dead in the trespasses and the sins,
Eph 2:2 in which once ye did walk according to the age of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience,
Eph 2:3 among whom also we all did walk once in the desires of our flesh, doing the wishes of the flesh and of the thoughts, and were by nature children of wrath--as also the others,
Eph 2:4 and God, being rich in kindness, because of His great love with which He loved us,
Eph 2:5 even being dead in the trespasses, did make us to live together with the Christ, (by grace ye are having been saved,)
Eph 2:6 and did raise us up together, and did seat us together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus
Eph 2:7 that He might show, in the ages that are coming, the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus,
Eph 2:8 for by grace ye are having been saved, through faith, and this not of you--of God the gift,
Eph 2:9 not of works, that no one may boast; Eph 2:10 for of Him we are workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God did before prepare, that in them we may walk.
The gospel is the message of Jesus and his forgiveness for all who would believe. That means any one who confesses Jesus.
Really? Is that true?
The Mormons confess Jesus. Are they saved? Jehovah Witnesses confess Jesus. Are they saved? There are people who are living a life style of sin who claim Jesus. Are they saved?
I recall...the Word sayin...Repent of Sin, Profess...Not Confess...Jesus* as Lord and Savior, Believe unto Him ( Jesus* ), Be Born of Water an Spirit...these are saved...by Grace...( a Gift of GOD )...an Faith, we are ta walk by Faith an not by Sight...
Also recall...Nation shall rise up against Nation...Children against Parents...Brother against Brother...Etc...
Ima not gona throw a stone at a fellow sinner...ima jus love em no matter what cause Jesus* Hates the SIN...not the Sinner...xo
Row, you confess and profess Jesus, are you saved?
Yes, there are many cultic doctrines and teachings in the Mormon church, just as there twisted doctrines based on Calvin and Edwards and many others in your Reformed church's theology and doctrine And you follow what they have said more than what God has said, and God only gave us the His word through the apostles to write what God has said. So are they saved,?..because if not, then they sure got it all wrong understanidng what God said to write.
If the Reformist doctrines are not are based on what CHrist said but what Calvin said and thoguht God WAS saying, and we got it wrong, then whose report should we be following to be saved? God's or Calvin's?
So does this make the Reformist who beleve Calivn over what Jesus, and the apostles say, saved?
Especially with such foolish doctrine and teaching that the reformists believe , that only those who are of the special group the called or are the elect are saved, and only these can be saved and are saved?
It appears to me that there is a spiritual misunderstanding as to what the called and elect means and is referencing to in the scriptures. The Bible clealy states that Jesus died for the whole world and not a special group of people, and ALL, every person on earth who comes to Him,, will be saved.
There is not a special group of people who are the called or the elect. That would discredit the whosoevers, and ALL the world and only the few speciall people.
So does Calvin's doctrine save you, OR is it what Jesus Christ did on the cross by grace and through faith have you been saved? And whosoever believes in Jesus will and shall be saved? Funny you guys can preach doctirn of your church and Calvin, but not the doctrine of the Christ and that of the apostles.
No I don't adhere to the doctrine of Joseph Smith, who had it all twisted, just as Calvin and many of the Reformist about many things they misinterpreted in God's word.
But my job, as a SAVED born again beleiver in the Lord Jesus Christ is to tell them the truth about Jesus Christ, and not about Calvin or any of the Reform theologians who only died for their own sins, and are still in the grave, and God nor has anybody else raised them from the dead... so are they saved? because they too, also have many things wrong as do the Mormons. Jesus SAVES, NOT CHURCH DOCTRINE!
The Reformists are NOT the only called or elect who have repented of their sins and receive the blood shed on the cross by faith and the free gift of grace unto salavtion from God.This opportunity is offered to ALL THE WHOSOEVERS, who believe in Jesus Christ.
Paul says we will know the saved by their fruit, so does your fruit demostrate YOU being saved?...
Following the doctrine of a man is a cultic formation, just as the Mormons follow the doctrine of Joshep Smith, so does the Reformists follow the doctrine of Calvin. Jesus said follow His teachings an doctrine,which is the gospel of the crosee, and not man... so are the Reformists the only ones saved?
If the Mormons, Catholic, JW's ,Pentecostals, Methodist, Baptist, and whomever got it all wrong, what a great opportunity of witiness for you as a Reformists, who follows Calvin's doctrine and teachings. But did not Jesus command us to witness about Him? Evemn the Holy Spirit doesn't speak about Himself bt witnesses about Jesus, so it appears to me the Reformists also have it all worng as to who they are suppose to be witnessing about, salvation through Christ, or doctrine by Calvin?
If everyone is worng, but the Reformists, then tells us about the Jesus who know so we can all get it right, since you're right and everybody else is wrong. Than we ALL can be, and will be SAVED!..how 'bout that?:rocknroll::peace:
Ever noticed, arguments always start when people dicuss church doctrine, and man's teachings, and the most important is that those who dicuss the goodnedd of Jesus Christ and salvation through Him by faith, have many things in common, and are not tossed about with every wind of church doctrine... church doctrine never saved anyone!
#rd John says if any person comes teaching another doctrine other than the doctrine of Jesus Christ, this person is an antiChrist...
Row, I would agree with you and James on many things, but its your tones of self-righteousness. I suppose you can call it your arrogance on thinking you are of a special called or elect over everyone else, that makes it difficult for my ears to give ear to what you speak... does this makes you saved?
The reformed they are speaking of includes anyone who is not Roman Catholic. It started on October 31, 1511 when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the church. He was a Catholic Priest and Professor of theology.
When the Catholic church started selling indulgences for people to get into heaven, he was angered. He sat down and wrote out a list of 95 things the church was doing that he claimed were against the word of God. The pope refused to respond and he excommunicated him and put out an arrest warrant through the German Emperor.
He started what became known as the protestant reformation.
I believe you will find they are speaking of Luther, not Calvin. Although Calvin was a believer in the reformation, he came later.
Thanks Lee, I understand what you're saying, but the Reformed Protestant church teahcings and doctrines are solely based on Calvinist doctrine, Calvin, not Luther.
Luther was a Catholic, and did reform the chruch, but Luther never left the Roman Catholic church.The Reformed Protestant church started out of the Catholic church from what I understand, but they too, are in error according to many things the bible teaches about alvation, grace, and other things.
Yes, there are doctrines being taught in the Catholic church that are NOT in agreement with the Bible, and other Catholic church pratices and teaching I totally disagree with. BUT that doesn't mean those who have now started reading their bibles for themselves and are being TRANSFORMED by the word of God within the church, are not saved, or will not be saved.... there are many Catholic Reformed churches...that's the point I'm making.
I agree that all churches, and people, have some of it wrong, including you and I. The real truth is, none of us will know the whole truth in this life.
That is one of the places I was making my mistake in my postings, I was claiming to be right while someone else was wrong. The truth is, I could be the one that is wrong, or more likely, both of us. The truth is, there is enough in the bible to prove either Calvinism, or Arminianism. It all depends on the way a person looks at it.
We get on these sites and say that the world's great theologians are wrong. Who are we? I don't know about you, but I did not dedicate my life to learning to read and speak biblical Hebrew and Greek. These men did. They dedicated their lives to the word of God. Many of them locked away for years, studying and praying and fasting, then we come along and dismiss all they have done as false. What is wrong with this picture?
I like most of what Calvin says because it all fits perfectly with my salvation experience, but I also know that many people do not share the same experience I had. Does that make Calvin wrong? No. It just shows that God gives us only part of the whole picture, and like us, he only got it part right. Arminius was the same, he got part of it right, just not for everyone.
Now, I do believe God was going to start His church on Peter, but I also think the bible disproves apostolic succession.
As for Luther, he had no choice about leaving the Catholic Church, they kicked him out when he refused to take back his theses. He was the leader of the Protestant Reformation. Calvin came along 20 or 30 years later. His teachings were not original, by the way, they had been taught by Augustine from 387 to 430 AD. His teachings were also adopted by the Catholic church, but lost along the way until the reformation. Augustine claimed his theology was a return to what the apostles taught.
What so ever is not of faith is sin, Calvinism does not in any point of it's flower, agree with the word of God. It does not agree with the word is truth. it does not agree with the simple principle of believing the word of God.
I went to the memorial of a friend of mine,this past Sunday,27 June 2010.
During the meeting,her daughter,who is a professing Christian said: My mom is in a better place looking down on us.
The so-called Pastor,said the same thing,Yet what does God say in His Word.
Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Until the books are open none of us really knows,who actually has their name written in The Lambs Book of Life.
1Co 13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
1Co 13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
1Co 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
1Co 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
1Co 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
John 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
John 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Remember, when we look at other peoples lives,what is it that we see,
We see the externals that are the results of what is going on inside their hearts and minds.
The Lord,He sees what is going on inside the hearts and minds of everyone,He knows who is saved and who is not.
We try getting people to get rid of the symptoms of sin,
All manner of sexual sins,drunkeness,drugs,murder,and every and any types of sin imagineable.
We send them to rehabs,clinics,Christian retreats,and various places to deal with the symptoms of Sin(s).
El Shadday,God Almighty,He deals with the root of the symptoms.
When He deals with the root(s) of the si(s)the symptoms disappear.
Let us trust Yeshua and ABBA to deal with the root(s) of sin(s).
We need to be encouraging those who name the name of Christ;These need to be encouraged unto Love,Faith and Good deeds daily.
I hope everyone has a safe weekend.
Agape' and Chars:
George
We need the Holy Spirit to keep our eyes fixed upon Yeshua,
We are to be making disciples of the Nations, the Ghoyim(the Ethnos,the unclean ones).
We are not the judge that psoition and authority,these belong to Yeshua not us.
