I was thinking about a conversation I had with my wife recently that sparked an idea that may help us in our Sunday devotion. I invite all of you to write a comment to this post answering the question below. The one rule is that you cannot look at what other people write. This has to come from you. Don't worry, there is no wrong answer. I will not reply to any comments made. Once you have written your comment THEN you can look at what other people have written. My wife and I thought it would be fun to see how everyone's personal experiences and testimonies have shaped their understanding of the term we so often use in the question below. Again, no peeking at other's comments (honor system).
Here is the question:
What is the Gospel?
Search Ponder Pray Repeat
3 Nephi 27 is the most clear and comprehensive answer to the question. L. TOm Perry, April, 2008 General Conference address, entitled, "The Gospel of Jesus Christ" is a nice companion in the study of 3 Ne. 27. The Gospel of Christ can also be defined as Jesus Christ himself, the comprehensive life, teachings, example, authority, etc. of Christ himself. The Gospel is, living according to the manner of Christ, being Christlike, in thought and deed. This is how Paul described the Gospel, or how to become a disciple of the doctrine of Christ.
ReplyDeleteGreat question Travis.
ReplyDeleteThe "Gospel" means the "Good news". I believe the "Good news" is that Christ came as a substitute for sin (all sin), and available to anyone who puts their faith in Christ for salvation. The "Gospel" (Good News) can be summed up by one scripture quote from Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." This verse tells the story. Since we are all sinners, and unable to live perfectly as Christ did there must be a sacrifice to atone for those sins. Christ paid that price as the old hyme says, "Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow." Without this great news, there would be no hope for our salvation. Praise God for his mercy.
I read an article, the other day, which said that the word "gospel" comes from the Greek for "good news." This much is wrong. Other languages may use words that arise from the Greek, but the English, "gospel" comes from German "gut spiel" which can be translated as "good news" or "good story." This article went on to say that the good news is that mankind is redeemed from sin by Christ's suffering on the cross. That's fair. I'd add that resurrection from death is also part of the good news. But this "good news" about redemption from sin presupposes the recipient of that news believes in an otherwise irredeemable corrupt state of humanity. This isn't always the case. So the gospel, which is the good news, is often prefaced with some pretty bad news. It reminds me of the cliche, "I've got bad news and I've got good news." But more broadly, the good news or good story can be considered the whole of Gods plan for the salvation of his children which is exhaustively inclusive with incidents of principle importance being the creation, the fall and the atonement. So the good news is a rather long story with a happy ending.
ReplyDeleteThis is just what I threw together on the fly:
ReplyDeleteThe Gospel is obviously the greatest news the entire human race has ever received and as such cannot be easily and completely described. But...
First, we must know in what context the Gospel is given. It is not only good, but also news. We must know what the old is to understand the new. The Gospel is Good News to hopeless desolation. Humans and Creation groaning without the full presence and power of God. Left to slowly decay and consume each other. A slow slide into becoming Hell. The Chosen People, the Hebrews, are given this Good News. And this is significant, because they were already in covenant relationship with God. They already had a means of cleansing sacrifice. They already had laws and ordinances to be in rightstanding with the Father. Yet, the Gospel was not only New to even them but Good. Into this darkness of sin and hopelessness comes the Good News, the Gospel.
The Gospel is Emmanuel - God with us. And if God is with us, then the Gospel IS Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus offered himself as sacrifice in our stead, to save us. The Gospel is that Jesus is the Christ, sacrificing himself for our salvation. Jesus offered himself and his sacrifice to any who had faith, which is trust, which necessarily includes belief. The Gospel is that all who would believe/trust/have faith in Jesus and his sacrifice would benefit from His sacrifice-receiving the punishment for our transgressions for us. The Gospel, thus, is mercy.
But the Gospel is not just that. This would leave us where we started (depending on your theology). No the Gospel gets better. Jesus did not just die for our sins, but he also rose again. So, with the sacrifice, so to with the rising, if we have faith and trust in Jesus and his resurrection, then just as He taught with baptism, we too will rise with Him. And not just as we were but as He is. First, in the sight of God, we will be righteous. Second, through the work of the Holy Spirit now, and probably later, we are and will be made more like Him, righteous in being. The Gospel, thus, is Grace.
But the Gospel is not just that. For with sacrifice and mercy we are kept from Hell. And with resurrection and Grace we are brought to Heaven. But with truly Amazing Grace, the Gospel is, again, God with us. Or, rather, Us with God. For by being in Jesus through faith, we will be in the same intimate communion with the Father as the Son is.
And if God is with us, then the Gospel is that the Kingdom of God is here/coming. Which means that the Gospel is that God has laid special claim, authority, and presence in the World. What will stand against it, and Him? And this guarantees the redemption of all of Creation that has been wracked and groaning since the Fall.
Jesus' promise/The Gospel is that a Comforter will come: “8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”
That is, for the person of faith in Christ, we will be reminded by the Holy Spirit of our righteousness in Christ (that we already have), since He goes to His Father. And in juxtaposition to the failures of men’s works so carefully recorded in the Old Testament, the Gospel tells us God is with Us. Just as God fixed our destiny, so too, God will fix us through His Power in the Holy Spirit. We will no longer hear Him from without, but from within. We will no longer be only guided and inspired by the Holy Spirit, but indwelt and extremely made over from within more and more into what we are meant to be - true bearers of the image of God.
In the meantime, the Gospel is that we may be called His. And Amazingly, yet again, He wants to call us His now. We bear His name, being His Body, His Bride, His representation in and to the world. God with Us, Us with God...
...The Gospel is that we are not only mercifully saved from damnation, but gracefully blessed with heaven, and not only that but with the very essence of Heaven and all that is Good, the very intimate presence of God Almighty - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - by our being in Christ. And this does not wait for heaven or the Second Coming, but now, with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, with the power of God working through us into a fallen world, working side by side with God, spreading the Kingdom of God, spreading the Gospel of, that is Jesus the Christ, the Way, the Truth, and The Life until the Kingdom has come on a New Earth with a New Heaven.
ReplyDeleteAnd how could I forget to actually use the words "adopted sons"-GRACE AMAZING!:
ReplyDeleteGalatians 4
3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Also, these are some great videos on YouTube of the Gospel:
First watch this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyYFxp7apl4
Then watch this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPIOkdNL-QQ