thoughts on the gospel...part 1

I have discovered that as a Christian it is pretty easy to go around making statements about things we know little about...or have researched...or personally experienced. This can be very dangerous to both ourselves and to others as we can be very easily deceived. That's what makes a clever magician so effective and entertaining to watch. It's just a simple fact about our human nature...we can be conned...hoodwinked....have the wool pulled over our eyes...or be led astray. That being led astray possibility is the scariest one as it seems many times we are willing to follow someone down an unknown path solely based on what we hear or are promised. This is the modus operandi of purveyors of false teachings and distorted gospels. Things can sound just good enough to our ears and be oh so close to the real gospel that we can be agreeing and following along before we ever know what has happened. Jesus was very clear about the danger. In Matthew 7: 15-20, He says,

 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them”.

 There is a weird paradox operating in the true gospel in that it has the power to save every sinner and provide a life in eternity but it also has the power to corrupt those who would seek to use it for their own purposes. As I said previously the true gospel is totally sufficient unto itself and nothing needs to be added nor taken away. So, the bedrock upon which all truth rests is in knowing what the gospel is and then...logically...hopefully... you see what it is not. So, in a nutshell only...I will not elaborate here...the real gospel is the good news of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that provides full and free deliverance from the power and penalty of sin according to the grace of God alone through faith in Jesus Christ alone. That's it. Sadly, the gospel that we live by and share with others today has become the main and essential narcissistic tool of false prophets and teachers. It has become a one size fits all “cure-all pill” for things like stress, personal fulfillment and happiness, child-rearing, diet-eating plans, and social justice causes of every description. The gospel is not a set of rules...or 7 steps to live “your best life now” by. The gospel is not a series of methodical instructions that one follows in order to get God to do something for him in return. Of course, that's exactly what we do. The gospel is not glibly dispensed advice for more prosperous and materially abundant living. The gospel is not a therapeutic inner psyche repairing psychological massage for troubled emotions...a bad childhood...ineffective parents...or any other thing we can use to dodge responsibility for the shape we are in. The gospel is not the end point cure-all for one’s personal woes...shortcomings...disappointments...or other failures in life. The gospel is not important or saving or even necessary because it can help “me” become a better “me.” All of this is taken care of by the real gospel. One of the serious problems with our understanding of the gospel is we believe that it is something we can do...or based on our works. Admittedly this doing part is a very important part of the gospel but it is only a part. It is just like in James 2: 17,18, where it says,

“ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.”

Just as faith and works are two separate components and cannot effectively work apart from each other neither can the doing and telling of the gospel message. People have tried and still are trying but the understanding of the message is impaired and those who you are trying to help suffer. The bigger question to ask is if what I am doing is totally glorifying God and extending the reach of His kingdom in the world. There are so many causes and organizations that are both advocating and physically doing work in the hard and dark places. I am glad and happy for anyone that sees a need and tries to address it in any manner...BUT...if you are not bringing the gospel with you and sharing that then you are missing a huge opportunity to have your work blessed by God in a very powerful way. There are many well intentioned people who are motivated by a variety of reasons to do things to help others. Some peoples identities are even tied into these great humanitarian causes. We become do-ers and we solely focus on the next big cause and how much that I can do and maybe become famous within the confines of that cause. The problem is that causes become very personal for one reason or another...we may have been closely impacted or maybe just because it's the cause du jour...we therefore strive to advance their agendas. We become passionate and even sometimes to the point of zealousness. We bring those causes into our churches and try to incorporate them into the framework of the gospel. There certainly is nothing wrong with that but often in our extreme enthusiasm we forget God...we lose sight of the role of Jesus...we get blinded and become less kingdom minded. The cause is Jesus...the goal is the whole true gospel. Anything less is...well...less. The importance to those who do not know the gospel...who we have not shared that story with...who have not been fed with both real bread and the transforming spiritual bread of life...who have not have not been given a cup of water in His name...the importance is just too big to leave it out. I do believe that the gospel can be a powerful blueprint for action in the world whether in missions or various causes but we simply cannot ignore mans corrupt and sinful nature and thus the extreme importance of sharing the true gospel...with everyone...everywhere...all the time.