The Gospel
Updated: Jan 30, 2021
“Both Jesus who sanctifies and those who are sanctified [that is, spiritually transformed, made holy, and set apart for God’s purpose] are all from one Father; for this reason He is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters…” - Hebrews 2:11 (Author Unknown)
The Gospel isn’t easy. It’s not a call to rules, nor religion…I don’t believe it’s even a call for man to love God. The Gospel is not a call to be a christian, it’s a man representing the judgement of God that sin is dealt with and love has embraced us.
The Gospel is neither a call to repentance, nor a call towards God. The Gospel is God’s declaration of salvation for the sinner by the grace he gives through His unconditional, unmerited, unfailing, faithful love. The Gospel is everything contained within the reality that Christ is God reconciling you to Himself, the Father. While repentance is a response to God’s declaration that you are loved, the Gospel is a person, His name is Jesus.
The Gospel isn’t easy. It’s not a call to rules, nor religion, it’s not even a call for man to love God. It is the Man that loves you enough that he died, counting you worthy of love — even while you acted as an enemy. No, many of you don’t actively hate God. However, when we sin we act in contrary fashion to how he would teach us to act. Those things, that are sin in God’s eyes, are by nature what enemies do to their enemies.
The Gospel isn’t easy because it’s a relationship with God on the table. To take what is offered from God (the gospel), and then turn it back towards him is called loving him. That’s not the Gospel, that response is called Christianity. To be a Christian is to live like God would towards everyone.
The Gospel is something you either respond to like soil to seeds, or reject. It doesn’t call you to repent by begging through pleas or threats concerning a certain lifestyle. It calls you to repent by crying out from every mountain, “I love you!”. It cries out from His heart to be known, to your heart to be known. Your heart, in turn, is the one that cries out to repent because of the love it perceives in the Gospel, that is, in Jesus.
The Gospel isn’t easy because it doesn’t leave room for compromise. It doesn’t paint in black or white. The Gospel paints in masterpieces. The Gospel brings no judgement, but doesn’t leave injustice on the table. The Gospel doesn’t allow sin, but isn’t afraid of being associated with your failures. The Gospel will sit with the rapists, pedophiles, children, women, aborted and murderers. The Gospel is Jesus.
The Gospel is a sword that cuts out the identity that thoughts, feelings, temptations, and others would give you. The Gospel allows you to be who you are as you were created to be— free from everything you struggle with internally not to be. The Gospel is a peace that is violent against the fear and chaos that threatens your internal being. It’s judgement is not punishment, it’s judgement is a love that leaves no room for Hollywood level debauchery or glamorized Southern Christianity.
The Gospel is Jesus. The Gospel isn’t easy. The Gospel loves the wrong and the wronged. The Gospel will allow us to forgive ourselves, others, and cause us to lay down everything that divides and destroys. The Gospel is a man that is universally inclusive of all who would seek him.
“The Lord … is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” — The Apostle Peter, a fisherman.