The gospel, according to the Word of God:
God has designed a particular way to live since the creation of the world, but the presence of sin has violated that. Isaiah 59:2 “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” It doesn’t matter who you are. Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. There is a punishment for sin, and because God is just, he has to be true to His promise. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”.
1 Thessalonians 1:8-9 “He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might”. But because he loves us, he brought in a sacrifice to take the place of our sins and make us righteous. 2 Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
Jesus is the only one who can save us from our sin. He’s the only true substitute. Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” John 14:6 “Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Then you have to choose to accept Jesus. Romans 10: 9-10 “If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Acknowledge your sin and your need for a Savior. Repent of your wrongdoing. Accept that Jesus has died for you. Commit to a life of holiness. 1 Peter 1:15 “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do”.
You would think it should be as simple as that. The Bible is very clear. But our world, for all the intelligence that exists, has found a way to fight over the word of God, as if we suddenly know more than the one who authored it. It is men who complicate the gospel, not God. And that’s just the way the devil likes it. Drive a wedge in the children of God, render them useless and foolish to the rest of the world. Do not be deceived or led astray. There is but one true gospel. It doesn’t have a name in front of it. It doesn’t have a style. It is simply the salvation of Jesus Christ poured out onto all people.
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I’ve heard many titles given to different “gospels” preached by different people, like the “health and wealth” gospel or the “prosperity gospel”. Let me tell you something. There is no such thing as the “prosperity gospel. There is only one true gospel, and prosperity has always been a part of it. But wait (you might ask), what about the disciples? They were poor. First of all, were they really? And second of all, do you intend to live like the disciples? They gave up absolutely everything to follow Jesus and preaching the gospel became their entire life. So if you’re planning to use the disciples as your example of what we should believe, then you’ll have to live out everything the way they did.
Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Other translations say, life to the fullest, or a rich a satisfying life. But here is where people go wrong with this thinking. God doesn’t bless us so we can hoard it unto ourselves. God enriches us and prospers us to sow back into His Kingdom. This isn’t some get rich quick scheme. God owns all the gold and silver in the world anyway. When the Bible talks about blessings and prosperity (which it does in spades), it’s communicating that God will supply all our needs, and take care of us, so that we can then take care of His work on earth.
Look at Psalm 34:10. “The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.” Those who seek the Lord. Not those who just want more money so they can buy all the latest gadgets. It’s so easy to get this twisted, which is why it’s become such a controversial subject. But the Bible, from start to finish, is about God desiring to bless his people, to prosper them, to enlarge them and to provide for them. Having a “poverty” mindset (which is false anyway because no one actually intends to live it), is simply a way to appear more holy and humble. But it’s not the way God has created us to live.
The only “gospel” that is false is the one that preaches grace covers all, no matter what you do, no matter how you live. Grace is not a free pass to sin and live however you want. Grace is a gift from God that empowers us to live holy. It’s by God’s mercy that we have been forgiven, and then He gives us His grace to carry on living righteously. Look at what the Bible says in Titus 2:11-14:
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are ready to do good works.”
Jude 1:4 provides a warning of exactly what we shouldn’t do when it comes to the gift of grace: “There are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.” So does Romans 6:1-2, “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer.”
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There are so many differing opinions on this subject that it’s easy to get confused. But let me try and clarify things as best I could. There is no other power, no force on earth, no person, no other relationship and no religion that can set you free from the strongholds that have kept you bound. Only the life-changing, life-altering power of Jesus Christ can transform any situation. There is nothing this world can offer than ever come close to a life in Christ Jesus. God loves you, He has a great plan for your life and He is for you, even when it seems everything else seems against you.
If you want to start over, if you want to follow Jesus and be filled with his Holy Spirit, you will never be the same. Pray this prayer out loud;
Jesus, I confess my need for you. I admit that I have been living the wrong way and I want to follow you for the rest of my days. Forgive my sins and wash me clean. I am no longer the same, but I have Christ in me. Thank you for saving me and for setting me free. I want you as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus name, amen.
WONDERFUL!!! RIGHT ON! LOVE IT!