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The “Glorious Gospel” part1

 

 

Today more than before we see a decline in what we normally call commitments for Christ. All over the world there is a gospel been preached that have a falling rate of more than 80%. This should concern anyone that is concern about the lost. Many things need to be reconsidered about the Work of God among the nations. Gospel presentations are brought to a plane where its main centrality is man and what man can benefit from it. This had led to many erroneous things among the newly saved. Many are being reached but how many will become only a statistic of the whole enterprise? In Venda, for example after several outreaches we return only 6 months later to find a few of hundreds “commitments” while even among the very few, fewer still were really converted! This is most staggering. Whole mission enterprises is being build upon statistics of so called commitments for Christ, while many say that we cannot even judge this because we will not know now how many have truly been saved. Although the statement is true, it is also true that we can see the evidences of God’s saving Grace. If thousands have been saved and there is no evidence of this, what kind of salvation are we talking about? Is it possible that someone can get saved without any change in character and lifestyle? God’s grace never leaves someone in his sinfulness. If there is salvation, surely it must be salvation from sin, otherwise it counts for nothing! We have today a gospel message that do not save or redeem men from sin. It is man centered and not God centered. It appeal to man’s need and welfare but doesn’t meet the righteous requirements of God’s Righteousness and law. If it is real it must meet God’s righteous requirements of God’s Law. If it doesn’t it’s not real.

Don’t think it have anything to do with the gospel of Christ. A Gospel that continues to leaves men in a state of lawlessness is not real, it’s a deception. Many talks about the law, Paul says that there are many that do not know what they talk about especially when it comes to the matter of the law.

 

 “Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. (1Ti 1:5-7)

There are many teaching about the law today. If there is one doctrine that has become more evident it is that of the law. Even in Paul’s day this was a evident doctrine. Is the law still required or is it done away with? Such are the questions. Paul refers here of the “end of the commandment” speaking about the ultimate purpose of the law, what the law must bring to fullness. And what is the end of the commandment?  What is the ultimate giving of the law? The answer may amaze you. “It is this: “love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned!” everything the keeping of the law cannot in itself do! That is the end to which all things relate, the aim, the purpose of the commandment. What the law must accomplish in its final work is LOVE. But this love is defined. The three things essential to a pure and holy love are: (1) A pure heart; (2) a good conscience; and (3) sincere faith.   Without these three things real love cannot exist. The whole aim of the law is that we should love God out of a pure heart, with a good conscience and with a sincere faith.

 

What I want to get over is the relationship that the Law of God has with the gospel. In today’s gospel message little or none mention is made about the law. This is the great line of departure between the modern gospel and the true gospel. The modern gospel does not want to offend, it is seeker sensitive, and it is silent about God’s righteous requirements that must be met.  But the true gospel is inseparable from the law. It does not and cannot exist without the application of the law, which are the righteous acquirements of God.  “But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;

Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for men stealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. (1Ti 1:8-11)

Paul is here referring that the law is a part of the gospel and a central part of “sound” teaching’ or healthy doctrine. Any gospel and doctrine that omits the law is not healthy or “sound,” and is not the true gospel. Any presentation of the gospel that does not have at its background the presentation of the law of God. Of the righteous requirements of God, is not sound doctrine at all. Here Paul says that the law is a part of the gospel that was entrusted to him. David said in Psalm 19:7   “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul…” The law of the Lord is perfectly able to convert the soul.  We can talk about any subject as we like from Scripture, we can refer to different types as many do, but when it comes to the “glorious gospel” we cannot separate it from the righteous requirements of God that must be met through the law. If we do, we bring forth a gospel that doesn’t lead to Christ but to a self centeredness, where everything turns around man and his capacity.  Any message that therefore exists that does not meet God’s righteous requirement is a refuge of lies. Any gospel message that does not save from sin and its consequences is not the glorious gospel! Without the law we would not know God. Even after our conversion the law is not done away with. Its standards and requirements are met and bring us to a lively hope in Christ. A gospel that cannot meet these requirements is no gospel at all. The glorious gospel has been perverted. It has been changed to meet men’s requirements and not God’s. It is a man centered gospel. Salvation, to be real and available must be salvation from sin. Everything else fails. Any system of religion which does not break the power of sin is a lie. If it does not expel selfishness and lust, and if it does not cause love to God and man, and all the fruits of the Spirit, it is false and worthless. Any message and system that fails in this vital respect is a lie, can be of no use, is no better than a curse!  That which does not cause in us the spirit of heaven and make us like God (godly), no matter from where it comes or by what arguments are defended, is a refugee of lies. If it does not cause prayer or unify us with God or bring us into fellowship with Him who is Light is a counterfeit. The modern gospel does not produce a heavenly mind and expel a worldly mind; it does not wean men and cut off men from the love of the world. If it does not cause in us the love required in the Scriptures, the love of God and of His worship and of His people, indeed of all mankind, if it does not produce all those states of mind which fit the soul for heaven, it fails utterly of it’s purpose.

Let me add this here quickly. There are two forms of self-righteousness: the legal and the Gospel, both which is only a refugee of lies. The legal depends on duty – doing – evermore trying to work out salvation by deeds of the law. The Gospel form sets itself to get grace by works. Men try to get a new heart not by trying to turn from all sin, but by praying for it. Some you will meet that tells you: “I pray for a new heart!” They responded by trying to get what one can only through the glorious gospel can attain! Some time ago I met with someone like this. “What must I still do?” What is still to be done? More earnestness, more quiet times, more prayer, more, more, this is the Gospel form of self-righteousness. It obtain through his own merits or works what can only be obtained by the glorious gospel, by repent and bow the heart to God! All these doings come short of the righteous requirements of God. They fail in saving the soul from sin. There is a great deal of this gospel self-righteousness – this throwing off the responsibility upon God!

 

Where is the law of God in the modern presentation of the gospel?  The first basis and premise of the gospel today consist of a outright denial and not support for the law of God today. And how does it start? God loves you! Well there you have it. Right. That should be the end of the gospel. O.K. God loves me what have I to fear? What’s the problem? You just told me God’s loves me, what’s the problem? Not only that you go to the next part….and have a wonderful plan for your life! Well if God loves me and have a wonderful plan for my life what’s the problem, why do I have to go your way, you’ve just told me God loves me and have a wonderful plan for my life! If you ask what the problem is the modern evangelist will tell you well, God wants you just to love Him as He loves you and if you do then He can bless you by unfolding this wonderful plan that He has for your life. All God wants is for you to love Him! What we have today is a gospel that is so man centered that it doesn’t meet what it should. It falls short of the glory of God. Let me give you some examples of this modern gospel as it is proclaimed today by prominent leaders in spiritual circles. Here is a expert from Joyce Meyer Life from the Word devotional. Listen to her precise presentation of the gospel, she says: “God gave me a word for a meeting I was preparing to lead, it’s for anyone who needs to receive it … many of My people is in prison because they won’t accept themselves. Many of them are gifted and talented but they won’t express themselves because they fear rejection, they fear man, they fear what people will think. I want to love My people but they hold Me at arms length and wont let Me really love them because they’ve been hurt by others. They fear I will reject them as others have because of their weaknesses but I will NEVER REJECT them. Tell them I love them. Tell them to stop trying so hard to be acceptable to Me and to realize I accept them as they are. Tell them I don’t want perfect performance from them, I simply want them to love Me and to let Me love them.” Is this the sound teaching of the glorious gospel? Is this sufficient to convict sinners that they at enmity with God and in danger of hell’s fires should they die in their sins? Is this the stumbling stone spoken of by Peter in 1 Peter 2:8?  Who would stumble at that? God is this big granddad who loves you so much just loves Him back!? Note how this gospel degrades and lose value the prize that was paid by Christ at Calvary. If God truly love sinners and accept them just as they are (without changing), if God really doesn’t demand perfection and perfect obedience to His law, then why did Christ had to die to begin with? For what?  The modern gospel reduces the Sovereign God of all to servant of His own creation. The gospel is glorious because it demonstrates God’s glory – part of God’s glory is His attributes, some of which is His hatred of sin, wrath, judgment, condemnation and holiness but when those attributes are stripped from the gospel God becomes nothing more than a Santa Claus, that’s not the glorious God or His glorious gospel. People must see His holy hatred of sin and His condemning justice because they are part of His essential being. Only then can they understand His mercy, grace and love. The gospel is called glorious because it is how God’s glory is revealed! It begins with the law that condemns men to hell   but it end with reconciliation. All that God is comes together in the gospel – it is absolutely God centered. This is the gospel that Paul says was committed to Him by God. This is the gospel that ultimately caused Paul and others to loose their very lives, the gospel that may one day cost you your own life! Make sure this is the gospel that you carry to the utter ends of the earth. Paul in this remarkable account to Timothy gives him four simple things to watch for, because he deals here especially with false teachers. Simple things in seeking to determine the motives and the qualifications of those who would claim as the apostle Paul to be entrusted with the true gospel. It’s very easy to say. There are probably many pastors this moment like Joel Olsteen who feels that he is presenting the true gospel. Let me gives you this four things that will help you determine the motives and qualifications of those who would make this claim:

1) Whenever you sit under the teaching of anyone, look at their understanding of Scripture. Is their teaching Biblical sound (sound reference already stated). Do they tend to use more extra Biblical material than the Scriptures? Are there teachings centered on the Bible or is it centered on the topic thing. This means that you need to know Scriptures yourself in order to judge whether or not you being fed the Scriptures. You need to know the whole Scriptures diligently dividing the Word’s of truth, fed from the throne of God to be true Bereans.

2) What is the goal of the teacher? Does he seek only to honor and glorify God? Are they more interesting in winning friends and influencing people than to teach the unadulterated truth of God? Is there any detectable hypocrisy evident in their lives, or do they speak from a clear conscience? It’s easy for the Tele-evangelist to stand their in his thousand dollar suit and fancy car and tell you to sow your best seed, since it not it is his seed his sowing; he’s sowing your seed! Is there any hypocrisy detectable in their lives?

3) What are their motives in the ministry or work of God? Around what does it center? Does it have to do with only their specific concept and idea?  Are they approachable? Are they humble and selfless? Do it seems they delight themselves in the position they hold above the privilege they were given to share the Word of God. Are they in some type of control in any situation and do they submit to the authority of Scripture?

4) What is the effect of their teaching?  Are those taught by them having a deeper understanding of the Word? Do they accurately present the gospel or do they preach a softer message because they fear the reaction of people to the real gospel or one that is a self righteous gospel, or one that is man centered?

 

Continue….. The “Glorious Gospel” part2

 

 

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