Listen to the Podcast: The truth Talk! podcast | What is the Full gospel?
One of the core theological concepts of the christian faith is the Gospel. If your’e a christian, there is no way that you do not know what thr Gospel is. For those of you who do not know, it simply and literally means: Good News. The Gospel is the good news of Jesus. The Good news of salvation to the earth from sin and death.
Why?
A question arises though: Why do christians share this ‘Good News’?
i’m glad you asked. The sharing of the good news is not a human ideology rather a divine command. Yes, In fact it was the very last thing that Jesus said before He left the earth.
'And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. ' Mark 16:15-16
This is the reason why christians are the ones that go out of their way to share their faith and make sure those around them know about Jesus. The act of sharing the gospel is called evangelism.
The Gospel is so powerful that it has changed the lives of many through the years. However, I see a lot of evangelicals and christians often missing out some crucial parts of the gospel when they share it. I do not blame them because this happens as a result of doing what they’ve seen and heard. There are parts of this powerful gospel that isn’t emphasized as much as the others. I am not trying to give a new gospel from what is shared already. However, I am trying to share the full truth that needs to be emphasized to understand the true power and meaning of the Full Gospel.
Unbelief and condemnation
One side note that I do want to talk about is the part of the scripture in Mark 16. as you read earlier, Jesus explicitly says that those who do not believe in Jesus will be condemned. There is often a question of what happens to those who aren’t necessarily bad or sinful and don’t believe in Jesus in judgement? Well, the answer is in this verse. The only way to heaven is Jesus. There is no other way. If someone does not believe in Jesus, they are condemned or in other words: will end up in Hell. One thing we often don’t realize about christianity is that salvation and eternal life is not due to good works or sinlessness. it is by faith in Jesus through grace of God. Salvation has nothing to do with us.
Getting back to the Full Gospel, one of the most famous scripture that articulates it clearly and concisely is John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
If we have to break it down:
God Loved us
Sent His Son Jesus
Jesus died on the cross for our sins
When we believe in Jesus, we have a ticket to eternal life
Jesus bought us with His blood. We are His, not our own
He becomes our Lord and Savior
When He becomes Lord, we become servants and followers of the Master
The Gospel
I want to next show you the things about this good news that people often talk about and then get to the things that people rarely say.
Benefits that People Talk about
He loves us
He knows us
We are His children
He forgives us
He takes care of all our needs
He protects us
He blesses us
He guides us
He heals us
Cost that No one Talks about
'Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ' Matthew 16:24
You need to deny yourself
Everything is not about you
God saved you so you can serve Him
Trials and tribulations will accompany you
The devil will attack you
You have to grow spiritually
You need to bear fruit
You have to give up your will to do His
The Right Perspective
That being said, the things that are emphasized aren’t in anyways false or wrong. They are the absolute truth. They are all scriptural. However, a high emphasis on these parts of the gospel has made the gospel lose its glory and power in certain ways.
I say this because we often hear the prosperity gospel that in my opinion makes God look so cheap. Often like a marketing salesman than the powerful, majestic, royal, just, everlasting King of Glory. He is not to be taken lightly or treated as another product on the market. No, the Gospel is not merely prosperity. It is an invitation for an everlasting covenant with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
Salvation is reconciliation with the God of all creation. We broke the relationship with Him when we sinned in the garden. Not only then but throughout history. We humans are good at messing up our relationship with God no matter the number of chances we are given. God didn’t have to send His only Son to save us. We don’t deserve eternal life or the sacrifice of Jesus.
God went out of His way to save us. He bore the pain and shame and sickness and death hat we could never overcome. Salvation cost God everything. He laid His own life to buy us. Buy us with His own blood. So if we ever dare to look at that God and say that He has to bless us or has to heal us or has to deliver us, we are so arrogant and prideful. He has already done way more than we deserve or could ever earn.
Instead when we become followers of Jesus, our authentic and automatic response to His salvation must be surrender. It must be a posture of servant-ship that comes organically.
We must look at God as our Lord and Savior. Lord means master. In other words, we are no longer in control. His lordship does guarantee all the good and hopeful things that are often emphasized in the gospel. However, if we ever get to a place where we demand God of those blessings, we are nothing but ungrateful servants who are revolting against our Lord who gave us eternal life.
Our response should always be self-denial and willingness to carry the cross. Only salvation is free; everything that comes after it is costly. In case you didn’t know, there is a lot that comes after merely saying, “I believe in Jesus”!
So, If I have to concisely tell you the Full Gospel it would be this:
The good news is that God came down giving up all His rights and privileges to die for us, so we can be free and have everlasting Life through Faith in Jesus. Our Faith in Jesus, reconciles us with God. So, we choose to follow Jesus which requires self-denial and carrying the cross daily.
The Gospel isn't just what God has done for us. It is also how we respond to it daily living our lives in awe of that God and the beauty of salvation!
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