The gospel is the good news that God has created us for a purpose, to love Him and love people. We have fallen short of that purpose because of our sin natures and our choices to sin which are ultimately expressions of independence from God. God has provided the possibility of us being reconciled to Himself and restored to our original purpose in life through the substitutionary death of Christ who paid the penalty for our sin. He has provided new life in Christ through his resurrection which empowers us to live the life He created us to live and to enjoy the blessings of eternal life with him forever. All of this is available by grace through faith which is expressed through transferring our trust from what we have done to what Christ has done for us. Saving faith is expressed through receiving Christ into our lives, repentance of sin, and commitment to follow Christ in the fellowship and service of his church.
This should be the focus of every evangelical ministry and teaching. When Paul talks about moving on from elementary principles to deeper things, he is not talking about leaving the gospel to go on to deeper truths. He is talking about expanding the implications of the gospel in understanding it in a more complete way and its applications in our everyday lives. Every passage of scripture is filled with expressions of the gospel.
We have many teachers today who teach in the name of evangelical Christianity, but they are not proclaiming the gospel. They teach moralistic messages about what they believe is right and wrong behavior, but no reconciliation in the cross or resurrection power to carry it out. They teach nice devotional messages about different themes of character development, but no reconciliation in the cross or resurrection power to carry it out. They teach the pop psychology of how live your best life now in order to be successful, healthy, and prosperous, but no reconciliation in the cross or resurrection power to carry it out. They teach mystical nuances of truth that make them seem to have an inside insight into the ways of God, but no reconciliation in the cross or resurrection power to carry it out. They teach to influence people to follow their own political agenda, but no reconciliation in the cross or resurrection power to carry it out.
Whenever we put any word in front of the gospel, like social gospel or prosperity gospel, it ceases to be the gospel and becomes something else. Teachers of the word are so tempted to tickle ears that it is easy to depart and teach what we think people want to hear in order to cater to felt needs. I don’t want my teaching platform to be used to carry out any agenda other than the glory of God through the power of the gospel. The Bible is not ultimately about you and me, it is about Jesus. Let’s lift up the name of Jesus and proclaim him as the hero of every message and teaching.
Pastor Steve
