Jesus expounded the following to his apostles after his resurrection:
And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
(Luke 24:47)
I think this passage captures much of what the gospel is all about. In other places, he calls it, "the gospel of the kingdom" (e.g., Mark 1:14, Mat. 24:14, Mat. 9:35, Mat. 4:23, Acts 28:31). To understand the kingdom of God, one needs to understand the idea of the reign of Christ. How does Christ reign? He reigns in our heart, but how? The first message we must receive of the gospel is repentance.
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
(Mark 1:14-15)
Two direct admonitions are given here: 1) repent, 2) believe the gospel. Modern Christianity loves to emphasize a part of the "believe" aspect, but many omit repentance altogether from their message. Grace is emphasized, and they delight to say that all sins are forgiven, but the idea of "repentance" is almost universally ignored. One reason for this is philosophical. Many fear that preaching repentance puts too much emphasis on works, and so they think that the preaching of repentance actually detracts from the gospel message! However, there is another reason at play here that might not be so obvious to many. I believe that the aspect of repentance is ignored because preaching repentance is the part that invariably brings persecution against the Christian. Everyone likes to hear that God loves them and that their sins are forgiven. Few like to hear that they need to repent because Christ wants to reign in their heart. When you tell someone who wants to keep on sinning that they are destroying society and that they need to repent, they become angry and want to hit you. A wise man who is willing to submit his life to Christ will love you for it, but most people in this world are not wise. They will literally hate you and attack you for carrying this message.
I would challenge everyone in this forum to consider that the foundation of the gospel message, the foremost instruction, is repent. I say this not because of philosophy or theology, but because it is plainly stated in Scripture in many places. It seems to be always mentioned first. Secondary to this admonition to repent is added the promise of the remission of their sins. The concept of the gospel message is that the time of God's kingdom is at hand and may be entered into by all those who make themselves ready for it through repenting of their sins and believing upon Jesus Christ.
Who is worthy of Jesus Christ? Those who have repented and humbled themselves before the Lord. Who is not worthy of Jesus Christ and the remission of sins? Those who refuse to repent and continue to walk with self being their master and Lord.
Remember when Simon wanted to buy the power to baptize people in the Holy Ghost? Peter said to him, "You perish with your money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter." These are pretty harsh words to a newly baptized Christian. In other words, Peter told him that he was not worthy of Jesus Christ, and he instructed him to repent of his wickedness and pray, if perhaps he might be able to find forgiveness from God." Although Simon appears contrite at this point in Scripture, and he asks Peter to pray that what Peter had said concerning him not come to pass, church history tells us that Simon became a great enemy of the gospel, going into towns where he knew Peter was going, attempting to disrupt the work of God in every way that he could.
The idea that some people are worthy of the gospel and some people are not should not be foreign to us. The idea that everyone is a worm in God's sight and that none of us are better than the other defies reality. It is based upon a grain of truth, that we are all sinners and need Christ, but it goes into the realm of deception when it does not consider that those who repent and believe in Christ truly are transformed and enter a new kingdom, the kingdom of God, where righteousness rules. When it ignores that the people of the way of Christ are blessed with good works and love in their heart, and are better off for it than they were before, and better off than those wicked among us who refuse the gospel, then it makes a mockery of the very gospel that it pretends to magnify.
If you have a different perspective of the gospel, I would like to hear it. However, I very much would like to ask you to express it using God's Word. We should not determine what the gospel is by how we want it to be or by what seem to us to be warm fuzzies. Rather, we need to grasp what the gospel is through Scripture, and accept it whether we like it or not. I don't like the idea that some will suffer everlasting damnation in the eternal fires of hell, but if God says this is his way, we need to accept it and be humbled by it.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
(2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Peace be with you.
David Miller.
---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org
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