the Gospel ....
'what is the Gospel'? this is a question some like to ask me. not because they want to know but because they want to be good and sure i know what they know. they want to be sure that i get it right according to them ... not anyone or anything else.
so let me be clear.
the Good news is that Jesus came to rescue humankind and all of creation from the plight of sin. we don’t have to live subject and bound to sin because Jesus has made a way for all to be free and reconciled to his father. a saving relationship with Him, that of trust, devotion and worship, is what He came to seek from those who are lost. scripture says that all of creation longs for His (jesus) return and in Him is the fullness of God and complete satisfaction in life for all.
one of the key points that is often said to be acknowledged ... is that the ‘bad’ news of the gospel is Hell, eternal separation from God. 'In order for there to be good news there first has to be some bad news.' ok true on that point ... only that point. i do not believe Hell is the bad news. its awful and real, but still not the bad news. the bad news is that in our sin we are naturally separated from God; to live without God from the inception of life, carrying and being responsible for the weight of our sin. by definition many on the earth right now are living in Hell because they are still separated from God. for Hell to be the bad news, makes good news of Jesus a simple and selfish escape from one bad place to some place glorious. that gospel is not based on a loving sacrifice but based on escaping a terrible place. If my motive is escape, is that salvation? No. so this gospel that recommends escape ... this is watered down.
so I focus on the wonder and love of God ... that He longs for everyone to be reconciled to back to Himself. now this is good news. simple - yes; scary? no! the bad news is that God allows us to choose freely a life with Him or not, while here on earth and elsewhere. i focus on life here and now because this is what we are given to live. regardless of whether I choose God or not, I still live in the now. in other words, if I choose a life with Christ I am not whisked heavenward immediately but rather I still potentially have much life to live. why is that? of course the opposite is true too. the reality - i still have life, purpose, accomplishments that I need to discover... and in all of this, opportunities to discover God for the first time or in new ways for the millionth time.
i think of that cheesy bumper sticker, ‘smoking or nonsmoking’, referring to the question of ‘what will you choose?’ ... Hell or Heaven? i don’t want anyone choosing either. i want people choosing Jesus because of what a life joined with Him can look like for everyone, for you, me and the people we know, the hurting confused individuals too. a life with Christ, through thick and thin, is victorious, often arduous yet satisfying, wearing because we still have a sin nature, yet strengthening and energizing, hard but infectious.
Jesus calls us to be salt and light, now. not later. he calls us to encourage and be encouraged now; to permeate all of life with His message, character and essence; to light and bring His radiance to the darkened areas; to love those who are still unloveable. this is the Good News. the Bad News is that we may choose and have the option not to part take in a life of freedom with Christ now and stay bound to the consequence of sin . we cheapen the Gospel by making it about us and our future; whether we’re safe or whether we’re Hell bound. ‘Now is the TIME salvation’ and what can flow from this time forward can and is beautiful and God glorifying if you let Him guide you to a further understanding of who He is and what He has done.
another thing I refuse to do or focus on evangelistically is ‘landing the plane’. what does that even mean? it means we should selfishly force people to make a decision today... afterall ‘if you were to die today, bla bla bla. ' connected to this thought is the idea that 'if I can wrap this message up with a bow and present it in completion, people will have to choose and I’m off the hook because I did my part'. 'and if you don't accept ... thats your problem!' 'your blood is not on my hands!' God or Hell? ... ... selfish selfish selfish! that's all this approach is. ... ... we forget that infinite God crashing into finite man fosters a lifetime of questions, doubt and problems. i believe God is a discovery made after many attempts and efforts by one to discover what on earth God is doing... or why He even exists. a journey if you will. salvation is too huge for quippy cliche evangelistic equations. most times it takes time for a genuine relationship to bloom and take shape. this is true in the human world ... and being made in His image, why would it be any different for us and God? we forget that Jesus calls His followers to MAKE disciples not just get the info out there. there is work involved, and it takes the fruits(gal5:20-22) to see this thru.
the Gospel is ... or the tip of the Gospel (good news) is ... Jesus died for all to be reconciled to the Father; he died sacrificially to carry and cover the consequence of sin for humankind; he died to satisfy sins demands of death so that we would be free and live how He intended life to be lived here on earth, now -we know this because he came back to life here on earth; we also get to eternally live with Him in the future in heaven.
thank you - grace and peace.
0 comments:
Post a Comment