Gregg's Rest Stop (The Gospel of God)

Published: Mon, 01/19/15

GREGG'S REST STOP

The Gospel of God

January 19, 2015

Paul, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ,

called to be an apostle,

separated to the gospel of God...

concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord...

declared to be the Son of God

with power according to the Spirit of holiness.

ROMANS 1:1-4

I'm very much looking forward to leading a study on Romans chapters 5 through 8 this coming Thursday through Saturday. This teaching is a highlight of my life and ministry. These chapters are the most comprehensive presentation of the gospel in all of the Bible. Consequently, the truths in these chapters are so foundational for our lives.

Romans 1:1 refers to the gospel as "the gospel of God." This phrase may sound generic and it is tempting to gloss right over it. However, this phrase is so profound and actually establishes THE focus of the entire letter to the Romans, and indeed, of all the Bible.

This Rest Stop focuses on the two glorious nouns in the glorious phrase the gospel of God: gospel and God. Be encouraged!

The Gospel...

The gospel is good news

The root of the word gospel literally means good news. In all of Paul's New Testament letters, he was thrilled every time he mentioned the word gospel. In Romans 1:16 Paul joyfully exclaimed: "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ." Paul fondly used the word gospel over 70 times in his letters, a word near and dear to his heart.

In his last letter just prior to his death, Paul encouraged his younger spiritual brother Timothy to "Remember Jesus Christ...according to my gospel" (2 Timothy 2:8). The gospel was so personal to Paul. Is the gospel that personal to us? Is the gospel near and dear to our hearts all of the time? Do we think of the gospel as my gospel?

The joy in response to the gospel of Jesus Christ is evident in the Old Testament prophesies of the gospel. Isaiah 36:5, 6, 10 describe the responses to the coming New Testament gospel: "The eyes of the blind shall be opened...the lame shall leap like a deer...waters will burst forth in the wilderness, like streams in the desert...the ransomed of the LORD shall return...with everlasting joy on their heads." Do our responses to the gospel testify of this type of joy?

And do you remember how the angel announced the coming gospel to the shepherds in Luke 2:10? The angel said, "Behold, I bring you good tidings (good news, i.e., the gospel) of great joy!" Luke 2:20 says that the shepherds responded to the birth of the gospel of Christ "glorifying and praising God for all the things they has heard and seen." Do we praise the Lord in response to hearing the gospel?

We can be lulled and distracted away from the gospel becoming the joyful heartbeat of our lives when we don't grow deeper with Christ into His gospel. Colossians 2:7-8 notes:

"As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him. Beware lest anyone cheat you through...the basic principles of the world and not according to Christ."

Following are two basic principles of the world that can tempt us from going deeper into the gospel with the Lord Jesus Christ:

1. A low view of sin. We can be lured into living moral lives through our good works. However, even our good works apart from dependence on Christ are sins! Romans 14:23 says, "Whatever is not of faith is sin." The gospel is not good news to those who become complacent in believing they are all right just as they are and are not growing deeper with Christ.

2. A low view of salvation. Limiting salvation to the forgiveness of sins misses the fullness of the gospel. Certainly, forgiveness of sins by the shed blood of Christ is so significant and is the doorway into which we enter salvation in Christ. However, we can become complacent with escaping the punishment of hell that we don't dig in deeply into the full glory of the gospel.

The forgiveness of sins takes away with the negative, but the glory of gospel also gives us the positive: a new life and a new identity in union with Christ Jesus! We are given the very righteousness of Christ! In Romans 1:17, Paul joyfully announces that "in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed!"

As we seek to grow in Christ through the Word of God, God will continue to reveal the awful depth of sin we were in and the awesome height of salvation to which He has raised us in Christ (see Romans 1:18-32, 8:30 and Ephesians 2:1-10)!

And as a result, we will be humbled and transformed into the image of Christ. And we will experience a profound joy for the gospel all the days of our lives and extend this gospel to others with the very love of Christ!

...of God

The gospel is of God

I love how Paul starts his letter to the Romans in the first three verses referring to the "gospel of God (the Father)...concerning His Son...according to the power of the Spirit of holiness." Oh how we can see that the gospel of God is the gospel of the glorious Trinity!

God the Father initiated the gospel, God the Son was sent by the Father to became the gospel, and the Holy Spirit empowered us to believe and to live the gospel!

All religions believe in God. However, only Christianity stands apart through this blessed doctrine of the Trinity. Read about each Person of the Trinity was involved in the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

God the Father: "Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4).

God the Son: Jesus said, "Therefore, My Father loves Me, because I lay down my life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This is the command I have received from My Father" (John 10:17-18).

God the Holy Spirit: "If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you" (Romans 8:11).

Surely this is the only true God of the only true gospel!

As previously noted, all religions believe in God, but without Christ and the Holy Spirit being a part of the Godhead. At best, other religions acknowledge Christ as another great religious teacher. All other religions are based on teachings and not on a divine Person. You can have Buddhism without Buddha. You can have Confusianism without Confusius. Etc. However, there is no Christianity apart from Christ.

Paul said that the gospel is "the gospel of God...concerning His Son" (Romans 1:1-3). Jesus is not just the bearer of good news from God - He Himself is the good news!

The good news is in the Person of Christ Himself and in what He has done in concert with God the Father and God the Spirit. Because the gospel is "the gospel of the Triune God," we can personally know God and glorify Him and enjoy Him forever!

Closing

What a joy it is to write out what God is writing on my heart.

And what a joy it is to not have to strive to write out my opinions to try to convince anyone of anything, but to simply write out truths God is showing me from His Word. In this way, my writings are all about my personal proclamation of the gospel of Christ at this point of my journey with Him. I pray these writings encourage you on your journey with Him.

You brother in Christ, Gregg

PS, Below is an overview of Romans 5-8 that I will be teaching January 22-24. Please pray for me. Pray for my strength to teach through the 12 hours. Pray for genuine joy as I teach and testify of the gospel from Romans. Pray for the 10+ people who will be attending.

Feel free to contact me for more details of this vitally important study. I would love an opportunity this year to come to your area to teach this study to you and others. I'd would love to hear from you!

Journey in Christ, Inc. is a biblical, Christ-centered discipleship counseling, teaching, and training ministry with a heart to come alongside pastors and the local churches in the Greenville SC area. I am a member of Holly Ridge Baptist Church in Simpsonville SC.

We have three full-time staff members, one staff member trainee, six board members, one ministry assistant, dedicated prayer partners, and a multitude of ministry partners.

Visit http://www.journeyinchrist.org for more details.

I would love to hear from you!

Contact me at (864) 483-3201 and/or gregg@journeyinchrist.org if you would like to know more how I can support you in your journey and ministry with Christ.