Monday, November 30, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Parables of Jesus
The Parables of Jesus Christ
Entry into God's Kingdom
God's Concern for the Lost
Lost Sheep Matt 18:12-14; Lk 15:3-7
God's primary concern is for those who stray Lost Coin Lk 15:8-10
God rejoices over the repentance of one sinner Lost Son Lk 15:11-32
All who repent are heirs of God's forgiving grace without distinction.
Prerequisite Attitudes to Enter God's Kingdom
Placing Value on Eternal Things
The Wedding Feast Matt 22:2-14; Lk 14:16-24
Though many are invited to partake of eternal life, few respond and many have trivial excuses. Hidden Treasure Matt 13:44
Saving faith has the quality of valuing the kingdom above all The Pearl of Great Price Matt 13:45,46
Total commitment to the kingdom should be given because of its infinite worth The Rich Fool Lk 12:16-21
The faith that saves is one that looks to eternal rewards
rather than earthly material things
Humility
Pharisee and the tax collector Lk 18:9-14
God's forgiveness comes to the repentant, not the self-righteous
Application Oriented Faith
A Wise Man's Foundation Matt 7:24-27; Lk 6:47-49
Obedience to the word of God provides a strong foundation for salvation Two Sons Matt 21:28-32
Reluctant obedience is more acceptable that fake obedience.
The "irreligious" Jew who repents will enter the kingdom rather than the unfaithful Jewish leaders.
Commitment
Building a Tower and a King Making War Lk 14:25-35
Only after on has counted the cost should he say that he believes
Forgiveness
Unmerciful Servant Matt 18:23-35
If you do not forgive in the manner that God forgave you, neither will you be forgiven.
Sufficient Information to Enter God's Kingdom
Rich Man and Lazarus Lk 16:19-31
The Word of God contains sufficient information to persuade people into the kingdom apart from their personal experience of miracles.
The Growing Seed Mk 4:26-29
God will bring about His kingdom apart from human effort
Nominalism - False Believers
The Weeds Matt 13:24-30; 36-43
Until the judgment day, it may be difficult to distinguish between real and nominal Christians within the kingdom of God. The Mustard Seed Matt 13:31,32; Mk 4:30-32; Lk 13:18,19
Though the kingdom begins small, it will be large at the end.
And non-Christians will nest in its branches. The Leaven Matt 13:33; Lk 13:20,21
Nominalism grows quickly in the Kingdom The Dragnet Matt 13:47-50
Though many enter into Christendom, they will be separated on Judgment day.
What about Israel & Judaism?
Attitude Towards the Old Covenant
New Cloth on an Old Garment Matt 9:16; Mk 2:21; Lk 5:36
New Wine in Old Wineskins Matt 9:17; Mk 2:22; Lk 5:37,38
Righteousness by faith is independent of the Law of Moses
Judgment upon unbelieving Israel
Tenants Matt 21:33-45; Mk 12:1-12; Lk 20:9-19
In the present age God has transferred stewardship of His kingdom from unbelieving Israel to other stewards
The Christian Walk
Application of God's Word
The Householder Matt 13:52
Disciples should be able to draw spiritual truths and applications from the Jesus' teachings.
Serving God - Obedience
Ten Minas Lk 19:11-27
Disciples of Jesus are to remain faithful until He returns Talents Matt 25:14-30
One must be prepared for the coming of Christ by commitment to service Unworthy Servants Lk 17:7-10
Disciples are not to expect gratitude for everything they do;
Service must come from a sense of mission
Fruitfulness
The Sower Matt 13:3-23; Mk 4:2-20; Lk 8:4-15
Productivity within the kingdom depends on the kind of response to the Word one makes. Barren Fig Tree Lk 13:6-9
God will bring judgment on those who produce no fruitfulness to God
Money
Shrewd Manager Lk 16:1-13
Christians should develop mastery over material things in service to God.
Love
Good Samaritan Lk 10:30-37
Christian love is to provide for the needs of others impartially
Gratitude of the Redeemed
The Creditor and the Two Debtors Lk 7:41-43
Gratitude for forgiveness is proportionate to the recognition of one's sinfulness. Workers in the Vineyard Matt 20:1-16
Christians should not be envious of the graciousness that God shows to others.
The Light of the Redeemed
Lamp Under a Basket Matt 5:14-16; Mk 4:21,22; Lk 8:16,17; Lk 11:33-36
Christians should promote rather than suppress the truth
Humility
Lowest seat at the feast Lk 14:7-11
Disciples are to be exalted by God, not by themselves
Persistence in Prayer
Friend at midnight Lk 11:5-13
If a neighbor will certainly help in time of need rather than bring shame on himself,
how much more will God meet the needs of those who ask Persistent Widow Lk 18:1-8
If an unjust judge will give justice because of persistence, how much more will the just and gracious God make things right at the coming of Christ.
Christ's Return and the Final Judgment
The Faithful and Wise Servant Lk 12:35-40
The faith that saves is one that looks to the return of the master The Fig Tree Matt 24:32-44; Mk 13:28-32; Lk 21:29:33
There will be signs of Christ's coming available for Christians. The Ten Virgins Matt 25:1-13
Those who intend to meet Christ at His return must be prepared in view of the imminence of His coming. Wise and Wicked Servants Matt 24:45-51; Lk 12:42-48
All true followers of Jesus will watch and be ready for His return. Watchful Porter Mk 13:33-37
True followers of Jesus will watch and be ready for His return.
The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources
Entry into God's Kingdom
God's Concern for the Lost
Lost Sheep Matt 18:12-14; Lk 15:3-7
God's primary concern is for those who stray Lost Coin Lk 15:8-10
God rejoices over the repentance of one sinner Lost Son Lk 15:11-32
All who repent are heirs of God's forgiving grace without distinction.
Prerequisite Attitudes to Enter God's Kingdom
Placing Value on Eternal Things
The Wedding Feast Matt 22:2-14; Lk 14:16-24
Though many are invited to partake of eternal life, few respond and many have trivial excuses. Hidden Treasure Matt 13:44
Saving faith has the quality of valuing the kingdom above all The Pearl of Great Price Matt 13:45,46
Total commitment to the kingdom should be given because of its infinite worth The Rich Fool Lk 12:16-21
The faith that saves is one that looks to eternal rewards
rather than earthly material things
Humility
Pharisee and the tax collector Lk 18:9-14
God's forgiveness comes to the repentant, not the self-righteous
Application Oriented Faith
A Wise Man's Foundation Matt 7:24-27; Lk 6:47-49
Obedience to the word of God provides a strong foundation for salvation Two Sons Matt 21:28-32
Reluctant obedience is more acceptable that fake obedience.
The "irreligious" Jew who repents will enter the kingdom rather than the unfaithful Jewish leaders.
Commitment
Building a Tower and a King Making War Lk 14:25-35
Only after on has counted the cost should he say that he believes
Forgiveness
Unmerciful Servant Matt 18:23-35
If you do not forgive in the manner that God forgave you, neither will you be forgiven.
Sufficient Information to Enter God's Kingdom
Rich Man and Lazarus Lk 16:19-31
The Word of God contains sufficient information to persuade people into the kingdom apart from their personal experience of miracles.
The Growing Seed Mk 4:26-29
God will bring about His kingdom apart from human effort
Nominalism - False Believers
The Weeds Matt 13:24-30; 36-43
Until the judgment day, it may be difficult to distinguish between real and nominal Christians within the kingdom of God. The Mustard Seed Matt 13:31,32; Mk 4:30-32; Lk 13:18,19
Though the kingdom begins small, it will be large at the end.
And non-Christians will nest in its branches. The Leaven Matt 13:33; Lk 13:20,21
Nominalism grows quickly in the Kingdom The Dragnet Matt 13:47-50
Though many enter into Christendom, they will be separated on Judgment day.
What about Israel & Judaism?
Attitude Towards the Old Covenant
New Cloth on an Old Garment Matt 9:16; Mk 2:21; Lk 5:36
New Wine in Old Wineskins Matt 9:17; Mk 2:22; Lk 5:37,38
Righteousness by faith is independent of the Law of Moses
Judgment upon unbelieving Israel
Tenants Matt 21:33-45; Mk 12:1-12; Lk 20:9-19
In the present age God has transferred stewardship of His kingdom from unbelieving Israel to other stewards
The Christian Walk
Application of God's Word
The Householder Matt 13:52
Disciples should be able to draw spiritual truths and applications from the Jesus' teachings.
Serving God - Obedience
Ten Minas Lk 19:11-27
Disciples of Jesus are to remain faithful until He returns Talents Matt 25:14-30
One must be prepared for the coming of Christ by commitment to service Unworthy Servants Lk 17:7-10
Disciples are not to expect gratitude for everything they do;
Service must come from a sense of mission
Fruitfulness
The Sower Matt 13:3-23; Mk 4:2-20; Lk 8:4-15
Productivity within the kingdom depends on the kind of response to the Word one makes. Barren Fig Tree Lk 13:6-9
God will bring judgment on those who produce no fruitfulness to God
Money
Shrewd Manager Lk 16:1-13
Christians should develop mastery over material things in service to God.
Love
Good Samaritan Lk 10:30-37
Christian love is to provide for the needs of others impartially
Gratitude of the Redeemed
The Creditor and the Two Debtors Lk 7:41-43
Gratitude for forgiveness is proportionate to the recognition of one's sinfulness. Workers in the Vineyard Matt 20:1-16
Christians should not be envious of the graciousness that God shows to others.
The Light of the Redeemed
Lamp Under a Basket Matt 5:14-16; Mk 4:21,22; Lk 8:16,17; Lk 11:33-36
Christians should promote rather than suppress the truth
Humility
Lowest seat at the feast Lk 14:7-11
Disciples are to be exalted by God, not by themselves
Persistence in Prayer
Friend at midnight Lk 11:5-13
If a neighbor will certainly help in time of need rather than bring shame on himself,
how much more will God meet the needs of those who ask Persistent Widow Lk 18:1-8
If an unjust judge will give justice because of persistence, how much more will the just and gracious God make things right at the coming of Christ.
Christ's Return and the Final Judgment
The Faithful and Wise Servant Lk 12:35-40
The faith that saves is one that looks to the return of the master The Fig Tree Matt 24:32-44; Mk 13:28-32; Lk 21:29:33
There will be signs of Christ's coming available for Christians. The Ten Virgins Matt 25:1-13
Those who intend to meet Christ at His return must be prepared in view of the imminence of His coming. Wise and Wicked Servants Matt 24:45-51; Lk 12:42-48
All true followers of Jesus will watch and be ready for His return. Watchful Porter Mk 13:33-37
True followers of Jesus will watch and be ready for His return.
The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
The Gospel - Good News
The Gospel – Good News!
Everyone has some concept of right and wrong, and everyone has done something wrong even by his or her own definition. “To err is human,” says a common proverb. Everyone has betrayed a friend, broken a promise or hurt someone's feelings. Everyone has experienced the feeling of guilt.
People therefore want God to stay away from them. They do not want a day of judgment, because they know they cannot stand before God with a clear conscience. They know they should obey him, but they also know that they have not. They are ashamed and guilty.
How can their guilt be erased? How can the conscience be cleared? “To forgive is divine,” the proverb concludes. God himself will forgive.
Many people know the proverb, but somehow do not believe that God is divine enough to forgive their sins. They still feel guilty. They still fear the appearance of God and the day of judgment.
However, God has already appeared — in the person of Jesus Christ. He did not come to condemn, but to save. He brought a message of forgiveness, and he died on a cross to guarantee that we may be forgiven. The message of Jesus, the message of the cross, is good news for all who feel their guilt. Jesus, the divine human, has died for us. Forgiveness is given freely to all.
We need this message of good news! Christ's gospel brings peace of mind, happiness and personal victory.
The true gospel, the real good news, is the gospel Jesus preached. It's the gospel the apostles preached: Jesus Christ and him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2), Jesus Christ in Christians, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27), the resurrection from the dead, the message of hope and salvation for humanity — this is the gospel of the kingdom of God!
God has given his church the commission to proclaim this message, and zeal of his Spirit to accomplish the task.
In 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, Paul described the gospel Jesus gave his church. Notice carefully his words: “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
”For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.”
What Paul calls “of first importance” is the fact that Jesus is the Messiah or Christ, that he died for our sins, was buried and was raised, all according to the Scriptures. Further, he highlights the fact that there were plenty of witnesses to Christ's resurrection, lest any should doubt that Jesus was really raised from the dead.
”By this gospel you are saved,” Paul asserts. Our goal, like Paul's, should be to pass on that which we have received, that which is “of first importance.” What we must pass on is exactly what Paul and the other apostles received — that which is of first importance — “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”
All other biblical teaching hinges on these primary facts. Only the Son of God could die for our sins, and it is only because he died and was raised again from the dead that we can live in steadfast assurance of his return and of our inheritance of eternal life.
Therefore John could write: “We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.
”And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:9-12).
The gospel Jesus preached
Some people can get quite excited about Bible prophecy, it seems, but have a hard time getting excited about the central message of the Bible — salvation through Jesus Christ. God has given Christians the most precious gift possible and the responsibility to tell others how they, too, can receive that gift.
In describing to the centurion Cornelius the apostles' commission, Peter said: “He [Jesus] commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:42-43).
This is the supreme message, the good news, which the apostles came to see was the central message of all the prophets — that Jesus Christ is the One appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead, and that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name!
Most central truth
Luke wrote that Jesus reminded his disciples of the central truth of his message just before he ascended: “He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, `This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things'” (Luke 24:45-48).
When Jesus opened the apostles' minds so they could understand the Scriptures, what was it that he caused them to understand the Scriptures to contain? In other words, what is, according to Jesus, the central, most important truth to understand from the Old Testament Scriptures? That the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins would be preached in his name to all nations!
”Salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved,” Peter preached (Acts 4:12).
But what about the gospel of the kingdom of God? Didn't Jesus preach the good news of the kingdom of God? Of course he did! Is the gospel of the kingdom of God different from the gospel Paul, Peter and John preached about salvation in Jesus Christ? Not at all!
Entrance into the kingdom of God is salvation. Being saved and entering the kingdom of God are the same thing! Receiving eternal life is the same thing as receiving salvation, because salvation is being saved from sin, which brings death.
In Jesus there is life — eternal life. Eternal life requires forgiveness of sin. Forgiveness of sin, or justification, comes only by faith in Jesus Christ.
Jesus is both Judge and Redeemer. And he is also King of that kingdom. The gospel of the kingdom of God is the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. Jesus and his apostles preached the same message — Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the one and only way to receive salvation, deliverance, eternal life and entrance into the kingdom of God.
And when one's mind is opened to understand the Old Testament prophecies, as Jesus opened the apostles' minds (Luke 24:45), it becomes plain that the central message of the prophets, too, was Jesus Christ (Acts 10:43).
Let's go further. John wrote, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him” (John 3:36). That's plain language!
Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). If there is anything we must understand from the Word of God, it is that a person cannot come to the Father, cannot know God, cannot inherit eternal life and cannot enter the kingdom of God, apart from Jesus Christ.
In his letter to the Colossians, Paul wrote: “Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:12-14).
Notice how the inheritance of the saints, the kingdom of light, the kingdom of the Son, redemption and forgiveness of sins all coalesce together as one seamless garment of the word of truth that is the gospel.
In verse 4, Paul speaks of the Colossians' “faith in Christ Jesus” and the ”love you have for all the saints.” He describes that faith and love as springing “from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you” (verses 5-6). Again, the gospel is centered in the magnificent hope of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, by whom we have received redemption.
In verses 21-23, Paul continues: “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation — if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which 1, Paul, have become a servant.”
In verses 25-29, Paul continues to underscore the gospel to which he was commissioned and his goal in proclaiming it. He wrote: “I have become its [the church's] servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness — the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.
”To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.”
What the gospel is all about
Jesus Christ is what the gospel is all about. It is about his identity and activity as the Son of God (John 3:18), as judge of the living and the dead (2 Timothy 4:1), as the Christ (Acts 17:3), as Savior (2 Timothy 1:10), as High Priest (Hebrews 4:14), as advocate (I John 2:1), as King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 17:14), as the firstborn among many brothers (Romans 8:29), as friend (John 15:14-15).
It is about him as Shepherd and Overseer of our souls (1 Peter 2:25), as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), as our Passover sacrificed for us (1 Corinthians 5:7), as the image of the invisible God and the firstborn over all creation (Colossians 1:15), as the head of the church and the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead (verse 18), as the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being (Hebrews 1:3), as the revealer of the Father (Matthew 11:27), as the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6), as the door (John 10:7).
The gospel is about Christ as the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), as the ruler of the creation of God (Revelation 3:14), the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Revelation 22:13), as the Branch (Jeremiah 23:5), as the chief cornerstone (1 Peter 2:6), as the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24), as the desired of all nations (Haggai 2:7). It is about Christ the faithful and true witness (Revelation 3:14), the heir of all things (Hebrews 1:2), the light of the world (John 8:12), the living bread (John 6:51), the Root of Jesse (Isaiah 11:10), our salvation (Luke 2:30), the sun of righteousness (Malachi 4:2), the Word of life (1 John 1:1), declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:4).
Paul wrote, “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). Jesus Christ is the heart and core, the central theme, the foundation of the gospel.
One cannot preach anything else and be consistent with the Bible. Jesus told the leaders of the Jews: “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life” (John 5:39-40).
Message of salvation
The message Christians are called to proclaim is about salvation, which is eternal life in the kingdom of God. To receive that eternal salvation, to enter the kingdom of God, one must come through the only true Door, the only true Way — Jesus Christ. He is the King of the kingdom.
John wrote, “No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also” (1 John 2:23). Paul wrote to Timothy, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men — the testimony given in its proper time” (1 Timothy 2:5-6).
We are warned in Hebrews 2:3: “How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.” The message of salvation was first announced by Jesus himself — it was Jesus' own message from the Father.
John wrote of God's own testimony about his Son: “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:11-12).
John again showed the emphasis on the Son in John 5:22-23: “Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.”
That is why the church is to preach about Jesus Christ! Isaiah prophesied, “So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: `See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed'” (Isaiah 28:16).
Walking in the new life to which we as Christians are called in Jesus Christ, trusting in him as our sure foundation and praying daily for his second coming, we can rejoice in the hope and assurance of our eternal inheritance.
Everyone has some concept of right and wrong, and everyone has done something wrong even by his or her own definition. “To err is human,” says a common proverb. Everyone has betrayed a friend, broken a promise or hurt someone's feelings. Everyone has experienced the feeling of guilt.
People therefore want God to stay away from them. They do not want a day of judgment, because they know they cannot stand before God with a clear conscience. They know they should obey him, but they also know that they have not. They are ashamed and guilty.
How can their guilt be erased? How can the conscience be cleared? “To forgive is divine,” the proverb concludes. God himself will forgive.
Many people know the proverb, but somehow do not believe that God is divine enough to forgive their sins. They still feel guilty. They still fear the appearance of God and the day of judgment.
However, God has already appeared — in the person of Jesus Christ. He did not come to condemn, but to save. He brought a message of forgiveness, and he died on a cross to guarantee that we may be forgiven. The message of Jesus, the message of the cross, is good news for all who feel their guilt. Jesus, the divine human, has died for us. Forgiveness is given freely to all.
We need this message of good news! Christ's gospel brings peace of mind, happiness and personal victory.
The true gospel, the real good news, is the gospel Jesus preached. It's the gospel the apostles preached: Jesus Christ and him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2), Jesus Christ in Christians, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27), the resurrection from the dead, the message of hope and salvation for humanity — this is the gospel of the kingdom of God!
God has given his church the commission to proclaim this message, and zeal of his Spirit to accomplish the task.
In 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, Paul described the gospel Jesus gave his church. Notice carefully his words: “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
”For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.”
What Paul calls “of first importance” is the fact that Jesus is the Messiah or Christ, that he died for our sins, was buried and was raised, all according to the Scriptures. Further, he highlights the fact that there were plenty of witnesses to Christ's resurrection, lest any should doubt that Jesus was really raised from the dead.
”By this gospel you are saved,” Paul asserts. Our goal, like Paul's, should be to pass on that which we have received, that which is “of first importance.” What we must pass on is exactly what Paul and the other apostles received — that which is of first importance — “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”
All other biblical teaching hinges on these primary facts. Only the Son of God could die for our sins, and it is only because he died and was raised again from the dead that we can live in steadfast assurance of his return and of our inheritance of eternal life.
Therefore John could write: “We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.
”And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:9-12).
The gospel Jesus preached
Some people can get quite excited about Bible prophecy, it seems, but have a hard time getting excited about the central message of the Bible — salvation through Jesus Christ. God has given Christians the most precious gift possible and the responsibility to tell others how they, too, can receive that gift.
In describing to the centurion Cornelius the apostles' commission, Peter said: “He [Jesus] commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:42-43).
This is the supreme message, the good news, which the apostles came to see was the central message of all the prophets — that Jesus Christ is the One appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead, and that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name!
Most central truth
Luke wrote that Jesus reminded his disciples of the central truth of his message just before he ascended: “He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, `This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things'” (Luke 24:45-48).
When Jesus opened the apostles' minds so they could understand the Scriptures, what was it that he caused them to understand the Scriptures to contain? In other words, what is, according to Jesus, the central, most important truth to understand from the Old Testament Scriptures? That the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins would be preached in his name to all nations!
”Salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved,” Peter preached (Acts 4:12).
But what about the gospel of the kingdom of God? Didn't Jesus preach the good news of the kingdom of God? Of course he did! Is the gospel of the kingdom of God different from the gospel Paul, Peter and John preached about salvation in Jesus Christ? Not at all!
Entrance into the kingdom of God is salvation. Being saved and entering the kingdom of God are the same thing! Receiving eternal life is the same thing as receiving salvation, because salvation is being saved from sin, which brings death.
In Jesus there is life — eternal life. Eternal life requires forgiveness of sin. Forgiveness of sin, or justification, comes only by faith in Jesus Christ.
Jesus is both Judge and Redeemer. And he is also King of that kingdom. The gospel of the kingdom of God is the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. Jesus and his apostles preached the same message — Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the one and only way to receive salvation, deliverance, eternal life and entrance into the kingdom of God.
And when one's mind is opened to understand the Old Testament prophecies, as Jesus opened the apostles' minds (Luke 24:45), it becomes plain that the central message of the prophets, too, was Jesus Christ (Acts 10:43).
Let's go further. John wrote, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him” (John 3:36). That's plain language!
Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). If there is anything we must understand from the Word of God, it is that a person cannot come to the Father, cannot know God, cannot inherit eternal life and cannot enter the kingdom of God, apart from Jesus Christ.
In his letter to the Colossians, Paul wrote: “Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:12-14).
Notice how the inheritance of the saints, the kingdom of light, the kingdom of the Son, redemption and forgiveness of sins all coalesce together as one seamless garment of the word of truth that is the gospel.
In verse 4, Paul speaks of the Colossians' “faith in Christ Jesus” and the ”love you have for all the saints.” He describes that faith and love as springing “from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you” (verses 5-6). Again, the gospel is centered in the magnificent hope of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, by whom we have received redemption.
In verses 21-23, Paul continues: “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation — if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which 1, Paul, have become a servant.”
In verses 25-29, Paul continues to underscore the gospel to which he was commissioned and his goal in proclaiming it. He wrote: “I have become its [the church's] servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness — the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.
”To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.”
What the gospel is all about
Jesus Christ is what the gospel is all about. It is about his identity and activity as the Son of God (John 3:18), as judge of the living and the dead (2 Timothy 4:1), as the Christ (Acts 17:3), as Savior (2 Timothy 1:10), as High Priest (Hebrews 4:14), as advocate (I John 2:1), as King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 17:14), as the firstborn among many brothers (Romans 8:29), as friend (John 15:14-15).
It is about him as Shepherd and Overseer of our souls (1 Peter 2:25), as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), as our Passover sacrificed for us (1 Corinthians 5:7), as the image of the invisible God and the firstborn over all creation (Colossians 1:15), as the head of the church and the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead (verse 18), as the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being (Hebrews 1:3), as the revealer of the Father (Matthew 11:27), as the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6), as the door (John 10:7).
The gospel is about Christ as the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), as the ruler of the creation of God (Revelation 3:14), the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Revelation 22:13), as the Branch (Jeremiah 23:5), as the chief cornerstone (1 Peter 2:6), as the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24), as the desired of all nations (Haggai 2:7). It is about Christ the faithful and true witness (Revelation 3:14), the heir of all things (Hebrews 1:2), the light of the world (John 8:12), the living bread (John 6:51), the Root of Jesse (Isaiah 11:10), our salvation (Luke 2:30), the sun of righteousness (Malachi 4:2), the Word of life (1 John 1:1), declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:4).
Paul wrote, “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). Jesus Christ is the heart and core, the central theme, the foundation of the gospel.
One cannot preach anything else and be consistent with the Bible. Jesus told the leaders of the Jews: “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life” (John 5:39-40).
Message of salvation
The message Christians are called to proclaim is about salvation, which is eternal life in the kingdom of God. To receive that eternal salvation, to enter the kingdom of God, one must come through the only true Door, the only true Way — Jesus Christ. He is the King of the kingdom.
John wrote, “No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also” (1 John 2:23). Paul wrote to Timothy, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men — the testimony given in its proper time” (1 Timothy 2:5-6).
We are warned in Hebrews 2:3: “How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.” The message of salvation was first announced by Jesus himself — it was Jesus' own message from the Father.
John wrote of God's own testimony about his Son: “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:11-12).
John again showed the emphasis on the Son in John 5:22-23: “Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.”
That is why the church is to preach about Jesus Christ! Isaiah prophesied, “So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: `See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed'” (Isaiah 28:16).
Walking in the new life to which we as Christians are called in Jesus Christ, trusting in him as our sure foundation and praying daily for his second coming, we can rejoice in the hope and assurance of our eternal inheritance.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
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