Charting a Course for the Church
Part IV: Preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ

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Confusion about the true Gospel of Christ is not unique to the Galatian Christians of Paul's day. This should not surprise us. According to the teachings of Jesus, we live in a fallen world in which spiritual forces seek to subvert the work of God. Satan and those who serve him seek to sow doubt and confusion concerning the truth (Matthew 13:19, John 8:44, II Corinthians 4:3-4, II Timothy 2:26). That may not be the way we like to imagine our world, but it is the way Jesus taught that the world is. Paul refers to this when he says of Jesus that He, ". . . gave Himself that He might deliver us out of this present evil age" (Galatians 1:4).

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the Good News about God, the Person and ministry of Jesus Christ, what God has done for us through Jesus, and how we can be a part of it.

The Gospel has many aspects. The Gospel is both history (how God has acted in human events) and doctrine (how we should understand and respond to God's actions). For this reason, it is difficult to describe briefly, leading to many summaries of the Gospel. Even a quick survey of the evangelistic sermons of the Acts of the Apostles or verses such as John 1:12-13, John 3:16, II Corinthians 5:19, Titus 2:11-14, or each of the four Gospels, shows differences in message and emphasis. This can also be seen in the various Christian creeds, which are attempts to summarize the Christian faith. John wrote of the deeds of Christ alone, that ". . . if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books which were written" (John 21:25). Our understanding of the Gospel comes from many Scriptures in both Testaments of our Bibles.

Yet, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not shapeless. As we read the various Gospel messages and summaries in Scripture, and review the creeds, we find that they have much in common. In addition, the many concepts of the apostolic Gospel relate to one another in a consistent manner. We find that there is a definite body of truth that can be called "the Gospel of Jesus Christ." There are some teachings that are a part of the Gospel, and there are other teachings that are foreign to it (Galatians 1:6-9).

The Gospel is difficult to summarize not because it is plastic, but because it is so broad and so deep - as indicated by the many Scriptural terms used to describe it; words such as salvation, justification, regeneration, sanctification, redemption, atonement, adoption, forgiveness, promise, inheritance, adoption, grace, love, mercy, victory, blessing, cleansing, expiation, propitiation, victory, resurrection, and so on. The Gospel is very much like a many-faceted gem. There is just one gem, with a well-defined shape, for one of the characteristics that give a gem value is its hardness. Depending upon the light you are viewing it by and your specific point of view, one or more of the facets may reflect the most light. However, all of its facets contribute to its overall beauty and value. The value of the gem can only be fully appreciated by moving the gem or yourself to see all of its parts. To move is to view a somewhat different appearing gem - unchanged in substance - and with similarities in appearance - but different in appearance nonetheless.

Because of this, the Gospel may be preached somewhat differently to different audiences or individuals, according to their understanding and background, and according to which parts of the Gospel may need special emphasis for them. However, all of the Gospel message is important, and, sooner or later, all parts of it need to be understood and appreciated. Moreover, it must relate directly and consistently to the Gospel preached by Jesus and His chosen apostles.

Some of the major truths of the Gospel, along with some of the Scripture passages that teach and illustrate these truths, are:

• The God of the Hebrews is the one, true, and Most High God. He has demonstrated this in history, especially in the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:1-6 , I Timothy 2:5, Acts 17:30-31).
• The knowledge of the Gospel comes to us by revelation from God, not by reason or investigation (Romans 16:25-27, Ephesians 3:1-12).
• The Gospel is Hebraic, flowing from the canonical Hebrew Scriptures and worship (John 4:22, Romans 3:1-2, 9:3-5). This is so important that in one Scriptural metaphor the Hebrew prophets are grouped with the apostles in providing the foundation of the Christian church (Ephesians 2:20) and in the Revelation to John the apostles provide the foundation and the twelve tribes provide the gates to the Holy City. These draw our attention to the fact that the apostles, following the example of Jesus, referred constantly to the teachings of the Old Testament (Luke 24:25-27). We must be careful, though, to distinguish the Hebrew Scriptures from Hebrew culture. While all Scripture is inspired, Hebrew culture may or may not accurately reflect the truth and the nature of God.
• The Gospel concerns the problem of sin, which is accurately described only in Hebrew Scripture; the consequences of sin, especially the separation of mankind from God caused by sin; and its remedy (Isaiah 53:4-6, Mark 2:17, 10:45, Luke 19:10, 24:47, Acts 10:43, I Timothy 1:15).
• The Gospel is the Good News about our God, and especially the incarnation, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, eternal, second Person of one Triune God; God become flesh to dwell among us to reveal the eternal, first Person of the Trinity, God the Father (Acts 3:18, 4:10-12, 10:36-43, I Corinthians 15:1ff., John 1:18, 14:8-11).
• The Gospel is about what God has done for us through Jesus Christ (I John 4;10, II Corinthians 5:18-19, Titus 3:4-6).
• The Gospel involves the present and future work of the risen Christ, and the present work of the eternal, third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, in concert with the Father and the Son (Romans 5:8ff., Titus 2:11-14, I Peter 1:3, Acts 2:38).
• The Gospel concerns the Kingdom, or rule of God; which is present within those who truly love and serve Christ today, and which will be extended over all creation upon His bodily return (Luke 17:20-21, John 18:36, Matthew 6:10, Philippians 2:9-11).
• The Gospel proclaims the victory of God over sin, Satan and the kingdom of spiritual darkness, spiritual death, and physical death (Hebrews 2:14-15, Colossians 1:13, I John 3:8).
• The Gospel offers victory won on our behalf by Jesus Christ to everyone who repents (changes their mind, and thus their ways) and places faith in Jesus as the Messiah of God (Acts 2:38, 3:19, 26, 10:43, John 5:24, 8:31, 14:23-24).
• The Gospel inevitably leads to choice, and that choice has to do with how we relate to Jesus Christ. The acceptance of Jesus Christ as Messiah determines both our relationship with God today and our destiny for eternity (John 8:24, Acts 10:42, 17:30-31, Matthew 25, Hebrews 9:27-28).

These truths of the Gospel, like many of the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, are clear and readily within the understanding of those who will listen and pay attention to the Scriptures. However, what may not be as evident to those who are not careful is that there is also much about the Gospel that is deep, and some that is wrapped in deep mystery. Some aspects of the Gospel call for long, dilligent study, and careful statement. These are understandings that have engaged reverent scholars of the Christian faith for many centuries.

It is unfortunate today that so much Bible study is superficial, reflecting the prejudices of the students more than an accurate understanding of Scriptural teachings. Such superficiality leads to zeal without knowledge, grace that denies full salvation from the power of sin, a devotion to the practices of Hebrew culture that does not reflect the best Hebrew understanding of God or our world, a Jesus who saves but does not rule as Lord, a God who comes from our imaginations but does not govern them, and a morality that differs little from the world. Utimately this is a Gospel that lacks any true devotion to the God who gives us salvation. For truly the first duty of the truly redeemed is to listen carefully to what their Redeemer has to say.

Still other aspects of the Gospel are too deep for even the most careful Bible student or the most astute theologian, for they are rooted deep within the mystery of the nature of a holy and eternal God. The author of Hebrews directs our attention to great heroes of faith in chapter eleven, then to the example of Christ in chapter twelve. Then he leads us to understand that, in the New Covenant, we come to the actual realities of that which was merely symbolized in the Old. His purpose is to remind us that when we handle the Gospel we handle the holiest of things: the presence of a holy God, the precious atoning death of our Lord, and the eternal destiny of souls (cf. I Peter 1:17-19). To become careless with such precious and holy things is an affront to God.

When not caused by ignorance, irreverence, or carelessness, the failure to preach these truths accurately is a failure of faith in this Holy Gospel and in the God of this Gospel (Hebrews 2:3-4).

First printed in The American Night Watch Newsletter, Volume VI, Part 7, July 1998.

Copyright 1999 Sterling M. Durgy. All Rights Reserved.

The American Night Watch is a trademark of the Christian ministry of Sterling M. Durgy.

Scriptures taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968,1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Permission is granted to reprint this article as long as the copyright is included, this statement is included, and the article is not sold to the recipients.

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This page was last updated October 22, 1999.