The Gospel

[Prentis]

Yes, the most basic of things. Yet unless we understand it, how will we move in the right direction? In this thread, the aim will be to lay out the gospel, it's purpose, and discuss it.

The Gospel starts at Reconciliation

Romans 5:6
For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Romans 5:10
For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son...

'Repent and believe, and you will be saved'. In this way, we are brought into the race, and by faith, find access to his grace.

Titus 3:5
not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

This is available to all who repent and believe, and is according to his mercy and his calling.

 

[Prentis]

This leaves man carnal, and the work incomplete. It is equal to the coming out of Egypt of the Israelites. Reconciliation does not mean we enter his rest, rather, it is the beginning of a walk in which man must go through trials and tribulations. One who has started this has not yet entered the promised land.

The reconciliation is the beginning line of our race.

A dangerous thing that is taught nowadays is that Christianity is an end, rather than a means. The whole purpose of reconciliation is that we might run the race, attain Christ, and be transformed into his image. We need to be brought to spiritual maturity.

 

[Prentis]

Romans 5:2
through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

All that is required to have access to the grace of God is faith. To the degree that we enter by faith, God empowers us. But that is only the beginning.

After Reconciliation, we must move on to Sanctification.

 

[Selene]

The four Gospels include Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Each Gospel spoke about Jesus Christ and portrayed him in different ways.

The Apostle Matthew wrote his gospel to the Jewish people. It is speculated that the Gospel of Matthew was originally written in Hebrew and later translated into Greek due to the many Hebrew idioms found in this gospel. Matthew portrayed Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. In his gospel, the Apostle Matthew traced Jesus geneology all the way back to Abraham to show the Jewish people that Jesus was indeed the long-awaited Messiah, the King of Israel, and the Son of God. (See Matthew Chapter 1)

St. Mark was the secretary to the Apostle Peter, and he wrote his gospel to the Romans. In this gospel, Mark portrayed Jesus as a suffering servant because to portray Him as a king would not sit well with the Romans who were the rulers of a vast empire at that time. Because Christ was portrayed as a suffering servant, there is no geneology in the Gospel of Mark because a servant (or a slave) does not have any geneology. Slaves were considered property and hold no geneology.

St. Luke was a companion of St. Paul and often traveled with him. St. Paul went out to the Gentiles and in Luke's Gospel, Jesus was portrayed as the "ideal man." To portray Jesus as the "ideal man" would appeal to the pagan world. Thus, we see in Luke's Gospel that Jesus' geneology goes all the way back to Adam, the first man (See Luke 3:23-38).

The Gospel of John was to the Church and the entire world. In this Gospel, Christ was portrayed as God. There is no geneology in John's Gospel because God does not have one. St. John shows at the beginning of his gospel that Christ is the Word since the beginning. God has no geneology because He is the Supreme Being.

All four Gospels are meant for all people for they are the inspired Word of God along with the rest of the books in the Holy Bible.

 

[Prentis]

The four Gospels include Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Each Gospel spoke about Jesus Christ and portrayed him in different ways.

The Apostle Matthew wrote his gospel to the Jewish people. It is speculated that the Gospel of Matthew was originally written in Hebrew and later translated into Greek due to the many Hebrew idioms found in this gospel. Matthew portrayed Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. In his gospel, the Apostle Matthew traced Jesus geneology all the way back to Abraham to show the Jewish people that Jesus was indeed the long-awaited Messiah, the King of Israel, and the Son of God. (See Matthew Chapter 1)

St. Mark was the secretary to the Apostle Peter, and he wrote his gospel to the Romans. In this gospel, Mark portrayed Jesus as a suffering servant because to portray Him as a king would not sit well with the Romans who were the rulers of a vast empire at that time. Because Christ was portrayed as a suffering servant, there is no geneology in the Gospel of Mark because a servant (or a slave) does not have any geneology. Slaves were considered property and hold no geneology.

St. Luke was a companion of St. Paul and often traveled with him. St. Paul went out to the Gentiles and in Luke's Gospel, Jesus was portrayed as the "ideal man." To portray Jesus as the "ideal man" would appeal to the pagan world. Thus, we see in Luke's Gospel that Jesus' geneology goes all the way back to Adam, the first man (See Luke 3:23-38).

The Gospel of John was to the Church and the entire world. In this Gospel, Christ was portrayed as God. There is no geneology in John's Gospel because God does not have one. St. John shows at the beginning of his gospel that Christ is the Word since the beginning. God has no geneology because He is the Supreme Being.

All four Gospels are meant for all people for they are the inspired Word of God along with the rest of the books in the Holy Bible.

Thank you for your contribution, Selene

Sanctification

[sup]1[/sup] Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, [sup]2[/sup] of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. [sup]3[/sup] And this we will do if God permits. (Hebrews 6)

We are called to overcome. The trials of the wilderness are to test our faith, and make us ready and strong for our Lord. Today, much of the gospel being preached is 'accept the Lord Jesus and you will be saved', which is correct, until we attach to saved an meaning of guaranteed eternal salvation.

 

[Prentis]

Rather, we learn the opposite. Hebrews 5 continues with...

[sup]4[/sup] For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, [sup]5[/sup] and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, [sup]6[/sup] if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

[sup]7[/sup] For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; [sup]8[/sup] but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

If we do not continue in the desert faithfuly, trusting God to give us the land, we put God to shame. We are a shame upon his name, and rather than inheriting glory, we will be shamed ourselves. Thus salvation begins at reconciliation, which is freely given to the one who repents, and continues to sanctification. There we must persevere if we are to also go on to glorification.

"IF we suffer with him, we shall also be glorified with him". We must have faith as Caleb and Joshua!

 

[Prentis]

Sanctification then is the process that comes AFTER we have been made alive in the Spirit.

We have tasted of the power of the age to come. We have been reconciled to God and cleansed from our old sins. Now we must move onto perfection.

[sup]22[/sup] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [sup]23[/sup] gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. [sup]24[/sup] And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. [sup]25[/sup] If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. [sup]26[/sup] Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another

We must now clothe ourselves with Christ, that is, put on his character.

 

[Prentis]

How then do we put on his character? The crucifying of the deeds of the flesh; by obedience Christ was perfected, and so it is with us.

[sup]5[/sup] But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, [sup]6[/sup] to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, [sup]7[/sup] to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. [sup]8[/sup] For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. [sup]9[/sup] For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
[sup]10[/sup] Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; [sup]11[/sup] for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Entrance into the kingdom is supplied if we are faithful in these things, and become like Christ. We must follow his example; he seeked no glory for himself, was submitted to God no matter the cost, loved all, and died for the ungodly. We must grow in these things that we might be as he is.

If we are reconciled, God will equip us for good works, but for these we must also became adequate in character. If we become vessels fit to contain the weight of his glory, then he empowers us to do his work, and he works through us.

 

[Prentis]

[sup]40[/sup] A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.

If we succeed in training and have our character conformed to Christ, then we will walk as he walked, standing by the power of God through faith.

 

[Prentis]

I leave you with this. (For now!)

[sup]12[/sup] Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. [sup]13[/sup] Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, [sup]14[/sup] I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
[sup]15[/sup] Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. [sup]16[/sup] Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.

 

[Prentis]

This is the Gospel of God's grace.

It is the gospel of the new creation, by which the most abundant grace is made available to us, if only we enter by faith, that we might stand pure and without blemish on the day of the Lord. For God is able to save to the uttermost those who come to him through Christ.

 

[FHII]

Prentis, how are we sanctified, or by what means are we sanctified?

 

[Prentis]

Trials and tribulations, FHII

Through those, if we learn from them what the Lord wishes to teach us, and faithfully allow them to burn away the chaff, to refine us as gold, we can come to have a mature character which always praises God and gives him honor.

If we have this character, we become a fit vessel for the Lord's empowerement and ministry. If he counts us faithful then, he will empower us.

 

[FHII]

Trials and tribulations, FHII

Through those, if we learn from them what the Lord wishes to teach us, and faithfully allow them to burn away the chaff, to refine us as gold, we can come to have a mature character which always praises God and gives him honor.

If we have this character, we become a fit vessel for the Lord's empowerement and ministry. If he counts us faithful then, he will empower us.

Prentis, that's a nice answer, but according to the Bible, something different sanctifies us:


Heb 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Trials and tribulations are fine, they work patience, exerience and hope (Romans 5), but everywhere I look in the Bible, it says Jesus sanctifies us, with only a few exceptions. Of those exceptions, none says we are sanctified by our trials and tribulations, nor anywhere does it say we sanctify ourselves.

 

[Prentis]

Brother, I have searched this thread and found that I did NOT say we sanctified ourselves. I have said we must continue unto sanctification, and that sanctification is the process which comes after being made alive in the Spirit, which are both true! Sanctification is the working out of our salvation, it is the process of being saved, in our soul, while reconciliation is the quickening (salvation) of our spirit.

[sup]20[/sup] But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. [sup]21[/sup] Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

It is not us who sanctifies us, of course. But who gives us the trials and tribulations? It is God. All things that we receive are from God, and if we receive them as such, God uses them to do their work in us. (You asked what are the means of our sanctification)

[sup]3[/sup] For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; [sup]4[/sup] that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,

Again, he sanctifies, but we must know how to be a vessel of sanctification and honor. We are BEING sanctified (Hebrews 10). He does the sanctification, but we do the pressing on and attaining. God, through Christ, sanctifies us, while we, through Christ, overcome and attain. It has to be both!

 

[Prentis]

People are so desirous to bring everything to a point of 'it is only God who does it' as though we did not have a choice in it'. There is such a fear in our modern Christianity of the idea that we must walk hand in hand with God, and we must work out our salvation, that it has fallen into a ditch that says 'I can do nothing, it is all God'. We can do nothing without God, and with God all things are possible, which means we must CHOOSE to walk with God, where all things are possible.

The moment that someone claims we must work out our salvation, do the works of God, it points to the ditch on the other side of the road and says 'You are teaching works!' or 'You are teaching overcoming by the flesh!'

The world, the crowd, is as a child, swayed from one ditch to another, always fearing the other, and hating the way of God. It is senseless and crazy. The church, because it has allowed itself to be conformed to the world, and be of it, is also now like this. Fearful, pointing fingers.

But we must walk the narrow road. There is no boasting indeed, and it is by the grace of God. But it is required of us that we be found faithful, and that we would produce fruit. Both, if alone, are lacking. One's foolishness is that it believes in works, but works of the flesh. The others' is that it believes in no works, and is then against doing the works of the Father. Ultimately, both fail to please God with the kind of faith he desires.

 

[Prentis]

The above is what happens when men search the scriptures, and draw their own conclusions from them. Thus we have the Arminian fighting with the Calvinist both using the same Bible!

Unless we put aside all our fears, all our preconceptions, and all indoctrinated beliefs backed by whatever institution, we cannot come to the knowledge of the truth and the understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

[FHII]

But we must walk the narrow road. There is no boasting indeed, and it is by the grace of God. But it is required of us that we be found faithful, and that we would produce fruit. Both, if alone, are lacking. One's foolishness is that it believes in works, but works of the flesh. The others' is that it believes in no works, and is then against doing the works of the Father. Ultimately, both fail to please God with the kind of faith he desires.

What kind of works are you talking? Fruits of the spirit or fruits of the flesh?

The Bible is very clear on many issues.... Grace is not of works of the flesh, we are sanctified by Jesus' offering once and for all... things like that.

 

[gregg]

don/t be like peter after CHRIST was killed.he met CHRIST he walked and followed CHRIST he heard the words of life,then he went fishing, he thought that was all.JESUS HAD TO REMIND HIM FEED MY SHEEP.there are things WE must do after JESUS has come in our life,we just can't sit on the bank and fish. they saw him, yet they didn't they heard him, but didn't understand,he had to come back to them.maybe prentis is being sent to you

 

[FHII]

don/t be like peter after CHRIST was killed.he met CHRIST he walked and followed CHRIST he heard the words of life,then he went fishing, he thought that was all.JESUS HAD TO REMIND HIM FEED MY SHEEP.there are things WE must do after JESUS has come in our life,we just can't sit on the bank and fish. they saw him, yet they didn't they heard him, but didn't understand,he had to come back to them.maybe prentis is being sent to you

Or maybe I am being sent to prentis. My point is that we are saved by grace through faith and not of works. I don't have a "But if.." sentance after it that nullifies that clear point. What's prentis' point? Furthermore, what's yours?