Tag Archives: Gospel

Moving from a Private Relationship with Christ to a Public Declaration

23 Wednesday Sep 2015

Posted by in Bible, Christian, Christianity, Faith, God, Inspiration, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Life, Love, Spiritual

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All of us have certain parts of our life that are private and public. For example, it is generally best not to divulge information regarding one’s love life to the public or even to strangers. Usually, if any information is shared, it is within the realm of secrecy with those who are trustworthy. However, there are other elements of life in which it is perfectly acceptable to share publicly. One instance can include one’s general interest such as participating in sports or even being a spectator of sporting events.

Most of us utilize a delineation between what should be shared publicly and what should remain a private matter. However, as it relates to one’s relationship with God through Christ, the question that should be answered is whether or not we who are in Christ should remain private about or faith or not. Should Christians relegate themselves to a private relationship with Jesus Christ? The answer to this question can be found Mark chapter 8. The key verses are verses 34-37.

In this passage, Jesus is speaking to His Disciples in which He predicts His own death on the cross. The Apostle Peter then reprimands Jesus in verse 32. However, in verse 33, Jesus rebukes Peter for his reprimand. Notice what Jesus continues to say in verses 35-38:

(NLT) “Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

These 4 verses are not only convicting, but these words spoken by Jesus are meant to challenge every believer not only to follow Christ but to lose their life for the sake of the Gospel and for Jesus. In return, one will gain eternal life and a life that is lived with purpose and abundance according to God’s Will. However, notice what Jesus says in verse 38:

“If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Jesus makes it clear that if anyone is ashamed of the message of Jesus Christ then Jesus Himself will be ashamed when He goes before God in Heaven. Essentially, this means that if we who are in Christ are not in full allegiance to God both privately and publicly, then God will not be pleased with our life. The point of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is to spread the good news about Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and the ability that such sacrifice provides for humanity to be redeemed.

Also, notice the words that Christ uses when he says, “these adulterous and sinful days” which is meant to suggest that the people within the culture at that time were sinful and adulterous. If you look at our world today, sin has increased and it has become acceptable to many. God is calling every person who claims to be a Christian to follow Him through Christ.

This means being adamant about one’s relationship with Christ and even one’s stance regarding sin. If you look at the life of Jesus, He openly taught the masses in addition to challenging people to come out of their sin and not to return to it. One other example of a public declaration of faith and allegiance unto God occurred in the book of Acts chapter 4. In this chapter, Peter and John are brought before the Sanhedrin Council.

The Sanhedrin Council were a group of 71 members who were responsible for instituting or approving law within the land of Israel. You can think of them as the equivalent of the U.S. Supreme Court. In Acts chapter 4, Peter and John are arrested for preaching the message of Jesus Christ, and they are later brought before the Council for questioning. In verse 2, there were Sadducees and Priests who found Peter and John relaying the message of Christ and they found it to be appalling.

(NLT) “These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead.”

In verses 5-7, Peter and John were then questioned by the Council in which the leaders asked the following question in verse 7, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?” Here is the response that Peter and John give in verses 8-12:

(NLT) “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people, are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead.

For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

If you look at these verses, it is clear that Peter is defending the faith and publicly proclaiming both the healing power of Jesus Christ in addition to the fact that salvation only comes through the name of Jesus Christ. This is a great example of what it should look like for those who are in Christ to unashamedly share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Peter and John were persecuted for standing up for Jesus Christ and they were brought before powerful individuals.

We are living in a time in which there are some who claim Christianity that believe it is better to be ‘private about their faith.’ If you look at these two scriptures from the book of Acts and Mark, you can see that privacy was not a policy as it related to declaring the message of Christ. It is true that everyone must make their own choice regarding their eternity and who they will serve, but we as Christians are not called to be silent.

The goal of every Christian should be to spread the Gospel to the lost, and to be examples of Christ in how we live. Doing so privately only excludes those who are in need of a savior. The fact is that we are all in need of a savior, however, if we who are in Christ do not share the Gospel with others then we are essentially depriving those in their sin of the very opportunity that we had.

There are Christians in today’s society who are afraid of the consequences of sharing their testimony of their spiritual conversion. It is as if challenging someone to come out of their sin and to accept Christ is no longer a priority. Rather, the priority has centered around being peaceful and agreeable with those in the world. However, the Apostles and even Jesus Christ were not timid about God and the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

We who are in Christ need to have the same tenacity and the same unflinching resolve as it relates to sharing the Gospel. Part of the reason why so much sin is occurring in our world is because there are Christians who know the truth of God but have not openly shared it with others. We who know the truth and who have been transformed must make a decision to let the world know of the salvation that is available. The call is for every person who is in Christ to stand up for God and make a public declaration of what it is you believe.

If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you are apart of those who are lost. Jesus Christ died on the cross for you and His blood was shed for your sins. The amazing gift of life that God has given to you is available, but you must choose Christ. Those of us who are in Christ must publicly declare and show forth the truth of God in what we do and what we say. Privacy about one’s relationship with Christ should not be the norm, but instead our lives should be the shining city on a hill that cannot be hidden.

Unashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

21 Friday Aug 2015

Posted by in Bible, Christian, Christianity, Faith, God, Inspiration, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Life, Love, Spiritual

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If you have been exposed to a certain truth then usually you would find it difficult to stifle the knowledge that you have gained. For example, if you found that there were certain foods or chemicals that proved to be dangerous to your health and the health of your family, you would probably find the time to discuss it with those closest to you. The reason is because the element of truth was divulged which means that you became aware of what was at one point destroying your health. You were unashamed in lifting the haze from the eyes of others. Even if it meant a rebuttal against your new found evidence, you chose to communicate the truth unashamedly.

We are living in a global society in which it seems that just about everything you can think of is permissible. Whether it be committing adultery, being homosexual or transgender, or even the beginning of approving marijuana as a legal drug – there are many behaviors and lifestyles that are seemingly no longer off limits. Our society has grown increasingly sinful to the point that whatever you feel is best is how you should live. However, the caveat in this mentality is that it is now expected that those who disagree with such lifestyles should not tell someone else ‘how to live their life.’ 

This is especially true for those in Christ. It seems that many Christians have become marginalized as it relates to speaking God’s truth to others.  Or, many have purposely sat on the sidelines and avoided the truth of Jesus Christ to avoid a confrontation with others. However, in the book of Romans chapter 1, the Apostle Paul gives his own statement regarding the Gospel of Jesus Christ and remaining unashamed of the Gospel.

In the first part of this chapter (verses 1-6) the Apostle Paul greets Christians in Rome via a letter that he had written. It is important to focus on what Paul says in verses 2-5 when he talks about the Gospel.

Verses 2-5:

(NLT) “God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life, he was born into King David’s family line, and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name.”

Notice that Paul says in verse 5 that God had given he and other Apostles the privilege and authority to spread the Good News to Gentiles everywhere regarding the things God has done for them. This was so they would believe and obey God which would bring glory to His name. The key word in this scripture is ‘privilege.’ The Apostle Paul understood that it was and is a privilege for all Christians to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who are in their sin.

In this scripture, Paul also uses the term ‘Gentiles’ who were a group of people who were considered to be godless or pagan. There was a major divide between the Jews and the Gentiles because they both stood on opposite ends of the spectrum concerning salvation and how they lived. However, despite the historical implication between the two groups Paul understood that salvation was for all. (Inclusive of the Jews and Gentiles as verse 16 says.)

Going back to the scripture, Paul shows us that it is a privilege and an honor to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those who are in their sin. Part of the reason why many Christians and Pastors have deviated from teaching and proclaiming the Gospel is because the sense of it being a privilege and an honor has become lost. How great is it that you and I who are in Christ have an opportunity to be representatives of Jesus Christ? God being the creator of the universe has picked you and I to proclaim His truth to a dying world. There is no other opportunity greater than that.

In verses 8-15 of chapter 1, Paul continues by stating that he longs for fellowship with Christians in Rome.  He also reiterates his willingness to spread the Good News to all which he sees as his obligation or duty as a representative of Jesus Christ. After verses 8-15, the key verses to focus on are verses 16-17.

(NLT) “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

Paul makes it clear that he is unashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In these two verses, he points to the fact that it is God’s power that is at work during the salvation process.  In addition to this, Paul mentions that the Gospel or the Good News is the message of how we as humans are redeemed or as he says “how God makes us right in his sight.” The process of the transformation from a sinner into a saint is done by faith as Paul concludes in verse 17.

However, the key point of this passage is that Paul was unashamed when it came to delivering the Gospel throughout the world. That is the same boldness and disposition that we as Christians need today. Too often, there have been too many cases of Christians who have capitulated to what the world desires. Instead, we who are unashamed and truly in Christ should push back against satan’s agenda.

If you examine the life of Jesus’ 12 Disciples, each one of them with the exception of the Apostle John, were martyred for the faith.  Basically, they gave their lives for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus. This is what seems to be missing in Christianity today. Many Pastors and church leaders are so focused on maintaining their membership that they have essentially forsaken the Great Commission.  God isn’t concerned with the number of members that a church has. His concern is whether or not the Gospel of Christ is being proclaimed and whether or not the image of God is being perpetuated in humanity.

It seems that the body of Christ today has lost the actual goal of Christianity. The goal is to preach and teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost. Instead, many have allowed a sinful world to dictate what can and cannot be declared publicly. The interesting thing is, many who are in their sin have become more vocal about what it is they believe. We are seeing new movements within our world that have nothing to do with instituting godly values or godly principles.

Those who are unrepentant in their sin are now becoming the majority while it seems those in Christ have become silenced by the media and by the majority. Many Christians today don’t want to offend those in their sin, so they pacify the behaviors of others rather than speaking the truth of God to those who are dying in their sin. In effect, the body of Christ has become weakened because many have laid down their arms and shrank back from the stance of declaring God’s truth.

The Apostle Paul was unashamed of the Gospel and he like many other Disciples during his time were killed for what they stood for. The fact is, the cost that Jesus Christ paid was greater than any persecution (whether it be verbal or physical) that we could endure. If we are ashamed of the Gospel, then it says little to nothing about the power of the Cross of Jesus Christ. It also says that we as believers don’t care about our fellow humans who are destined for Hell.

If we as true believers fail in our assignment to reach out to anyone who is in their sin, then we are not worthy of the calling that Jesus has given to us. To those of you who are not in Christ, you are the very one’s that Jesus died for. Christ died for all, but He died and rose again so that you and I could be redeemed from our sin. Accept His sacrifice and repent of your sins. The Good News is the story of redemption from destruction and a separation from God. That is the Gospel that must be given to all of humanity. We must share it unashamedly for Jesus Christ.

The Good News – What Exactly is it?

20 Monday Jul 2015

Posted by in Bible, Christian, Christianity, Faith, God, Inspiration, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Life, Love, Spiritual

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Everyone likes to hear good news because it signifies that something pleasant has occurred.  Good news could be that you will receive a raise or a promotion on your job.  It may mean that you received a positive diagnosis from your doctor after getting a negative report.  Good news essentially means that a person’s fortune or current status in life has improved from a previous status. It is the positivity of any news story that provides joy, hope, and an elevated outlook towards the future.

It is the same type of hope and joy that can be found when the Gospel of Jesus Christ is examined.  What does the term, ‘Gospel’ mean and how does it translate into ‘The Good News?’ In the book of Mark Chapter 16, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is recorded. In this chapter, there is an account of Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of James, and Salome. The three women purchase burial spices in order to anoint the body of Jesus in the tomb. According to verses 3-4, they find that the stone which had been in front of Jesus’ tomb had been rolled away.

In verses 5-6, they encounter an angel of the Lord. They are told by the angel that Jesus is not dead but alive.  They were then given the instructions to go to Peter and the rest of the Disciples to deliver the news. However, because they were too frightened, they did not deliver the instructions right away as they had been told. The next day, Mary Magdalene is the first to see Jesus. Mark 16: 9-11 says the following:

(NLT) “After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went to the disciples, who were grieving and weeping, and told them what had happened. But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn’t believe her.”

Notice that the initial reaction of the Disciples was that they did not believe the news that was given. However, Jesus scolds the Disciples and gives them instructions in verses 14-15:

(NLT) “Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead. And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” 

This particular translation uses the phrase, ‘Good News’, however, other translations use the term, ‘Gospel’.  Essentially, the term ‘Gospel’ means, ‘Good News’. The word ‘euangelion’ is Greek for the word, ‘Gospel’.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is considered the ‘Good News’.  However, why does Jesus use that phrase, and why does He instruct the Disciples to go into all of the world to preach this ‘Good News’?

If you look at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in its essence, it was an occurrence in human history that forever changed the dynamic of humanity’s initial destiny which was that of destruction. Jesus Christ’s sacrifice was the very act that repaired the chasm that existed between God and humanity. John 3:16 which is one of the most quoted Bible verses, simply states that it was the act of God’s love that gave humanity an opportunity to be redeemed through Jesus Christ. ‘The Good News’ is that Jesus Christ came to die for the sins of the world so that you and I could be redeemed and set free from our sin.

However, the Gospel of Jesus Christ isn’t simply a New Testament occurrence. ‘The Good News’ is actually for both the Old and New Testament because the Gospel goes as far back to the book of Genesis.  The reason why sin entered into the Earth originally was due to Adam & Eve’s disobedience.  Thus, the generation of every person after Adam & Eve, inherited the sinful nature that exists within the world today. Based on that fact, humanity was destined for destruction because of the original condition of being in sin. That is obviously the bad news.

It is important to note that even in the Old Testament of the Bible, there were prophecies of Jesus Christ coming to save humanity from its sinful condition. For example, the Prophet Isaiah prophesied of the 1st coming of Christ:

Isaiah 9:6

(NLT) “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

The above scripture is a direct prophecy of the 1st coming of Jesus Christ. Basically, the Gospel of Jesus Christ isn’t limited to the New Testament of the Bible, but it encompasses the entirety of God’s Word.  It was always in God’s plan to redeem humanity through Jesus Christ, even before He came to the Earth to die and rise again. So, the point is that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is indeed good news for all of humanity. The reason why it is called ‘The Good News’ is because, we as humans now have a way of avoiding destruction.

In our sinful state, we are unable to have fellowship or communion with God. It is because of our sin, that we are separated from truly knowing God in an authentic relationship.  However, when Jesus Christ came to die, the power that sin had over humanity was broken.  Christ was the advocate who took the punishment and death that was ours to pay. It was because of Christ’s willingness to become sin for us, that you and I now have an opportunity to be cleansed of our sin through His precious blood.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is indeed ‘The Good News’ for the entire world. Nowhere else in human history will there ever be a greater love than God’s love, and a greater story of redemption. By birth, you and I were born into sin and it is because of that reality that we deserve destruction.  However, the destruction that is pending can be cancelled upon the acceptance of Jesus Christ as your Lord & Savior.

Unfortunately, there are many Pastors and even Christians who have not adequately expressed or shown the world what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is. There are those who have either watered down the Gospel or have not taken the time to focus on it which, in essence, rejects Christ’s original instruction. Jesus’ original instruction to the Disciples was to preach the Gospel unto all of the nations.  That should be the goal of every Christian because ‘The Good News’ is meant to be spread unto all of humanity.  Not spreading this ‘Good News’ only means that many will be unaware of the reality of Hell and destruction.  Also, by not adhering to Jesus’ instructions, many are missing out on knowing God in an authentic relationship for themselves.

Do you know Jesus as your Lord & Savior?  If you have not accepted Christ’s sacrifice, you have an opportunity.  The bad news is that you are destined for Hell and eternal separation from God’s presence if you do not accept Christ’s sacrifice.  However, the good news is, that Jesus Christ is your way out of such a horrid destiny.  The price has already been paid.  Reach out to Jesus and confess before Him that you are a sinner in need of His saving grace. When you do that, you will be saved, and you will be able to declare the Gospel to another lost soul. This in turn perpetuates the opportunity toward those who will be forever changed because of Jesus Christ.