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THE
GOSPEL
To
millions of
Christians throughout the world, the 'GOSPEL OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST'
has something to do with being " saved by the shed blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ, which covers us and saves us from the results
of our own sins and thus assures us that our immortal soul will
live on in immortal bliss in Heaven." That the Bible does not
teach this simplistic idea becomes apparent as we delve
into the Holy Word of God.
WHAT
IS "THE GOSPEL"?
What
then is THE GOSPEL? What does it refer to.....what are the benefits
of knowing about it and why is it so important that one of Jesus'
last instructions to His disciples was..." Go ye into all the
world and preach the Gospel to every creature"....(Mark 16:15).
In the Greek Scriptures, this passage is rendered as...."Go into
all the world and proclaim THE GLAD TIDINGS to the whole creation......"
Any good Greek Dictionary will provide us with the true meaning
of the word "gospel", and it simply is.....THE GOOD NEWS OR THE
GLAD TIDINGS of something.
THE
GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD:
The
Apostle Mark tells us that Jesus " came into Galilee preaching
the GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD"...(Mark 1:15), whilst Luke
records the same event as...."He (Jesus) went throughout every
city and village preaching and showing...THE GLAD TIDINGS OF THE
KINGDOM OF GOD." (Luke 8:1). Thus we have no difficulty in finding
out from the Scriptures themselves, that the Gospel which Jesus
taught, concerns the glad tidings of the coming Kingdom of God,
on the earth, to be ruled over by Christ and the saints who will
be appointed, when He comes. That Kingdom has not come, and we still
await the fulfilment of the promise of the "glad tidings", of which
Jesus spoke.
ISAIAH'S
GOSPEL PROPHECY FULFILLED:
The
Prophet Isaiah wrote some remarkably prophetic words which Jesus
read in the Synagogue in Nazareth....."The Spirit of the Lord
is upon me , because He hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to
the poor......to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.....this
day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears..." (Isaiah 61-1.....Luke
4:18-21). Isaiah's prophecy came to pass before the eyes
of those assembled to hear the Lord Jesus.
JESUS
AND BAPTISM:
Philip
the evangelist, when in the City of Samaria, was...."preaching
the things concerning the Kingdom of God and THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST...there
were baptised men and women..."(Acts 8:12) Thus it was the
GOSPEL MESSAGE associated with Jesus, that caused people to believe
(in that Gospel) and be baptised. It was not a new Gospel. It was
the same Gospel Paul tells us was preached to Abraham...."God......preached
before the Gospel unto Abraham, saying in thee shall all nations
be blessed"..(Gal 3:8). He adds later in the chapter...."That
the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus
Christ" (v.14). Then in v.27 Paul makes it clear that all
people, both Jew and Gentile, who "PUT ON CHRIST" (in baptism),
become Abraham's seed and "heirs according to the promise".
That
promise assures people who wish to inherit it, they may have eternal
life in a world made new at Christ's return, when they may finally
attain immortality......"The gift of God is eternal life"
(Rom. 6:23)
IMMORTALITY
AT JESUS RETURN:
The
Lord Jesus, in His last message to us through the Apostle John,
makes it quite clear there can be no reward of eternal life or immortality,
until He comes again, for He said quite clearly..."Behold,
I come quickly and MY REWARD IS WITH ME, to give every man according
as his work shall be."..(Rev 22:12). We therefore know that
no one has any spark of immortality in this life and will not have
until Jesus comes.
THE
GOSPEL AND SALVATION:
We
know with certainty, from Mark 16:15-16 that people who "believe
and are baptised shall be saved.". Saved from what?
The
Apostle Paul enlightens us by telling us of the day when..."The
Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels....in
flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey
not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ....WHO SHALL BE PUNISHED
WITH EVERLASTING DESTRUCTION"...( 2 Thess 1:8-9). To "obey"
the Gospel we simply have to apply in our daily life, the principles
the Gospel teaches, believe in the promises God has made to us in
the Scriptures and be baptised into the saving Name of Jesus Christ.
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