What is the Gospel?

The word “gospel” means “good news”

The good news is about the Son of God, Christ Jesus…

“It is the gospel of God…concerning His Son” (Romans 1:1,2)

The good news was made known to the Apostle Paul through a revelation of Jesus Christ…

“For I am making known to you, brethren, as to the gospel, which is being brought by me, that it is not in accord with man. For neither did I accept it from a man, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 1:11-12)

The good news is powerful…

“…it is the power of God unto salvation…” (Romans 1:16)

The good news reveals the righteousness of God…

“For in it the righteousness of God is being revealed…” (Romans 1:17)

Is there a simple statement of the basis for the good news? – yes there is…

“For I give over to you among the first what also I accepted, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He was entombed, and that He has been resurrected the third day according to the scriptures...” (1 Corinthians 15:3-5)

So, what happens when I do the right (just) thing which is to believe the good news…

“Being, then, justified by faith, we may be having peace toward God, through our Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom we have the access also, by faith, into this grace in which we stand, and we may be glorying in expectation of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2)

We are righteous (justified), we have peace toward God, we embrace that our future salvation from death is a gift by the grace from God, and we glory in our expectation of salvation from death at the return of Jesus Christ!

Astonishing

"What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me...You then, my son, be strong in the GRACE that is in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 1:13-2:1)

Just because a church is mainstream, fills pews, has clergy, stained glass windows, baptisms, and worship teams doesn't mean it proclaims Paul's message. Paul was shocked that some of his converts were departing from his message of the all inclusive "grace of Christ". We should remember that grace means unmerited favor, and be "astonished" that most churches preach a "different gospel" - at best a gospel of grace mixed with free will and works - which is "really no gospel at all".

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the GRACE of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all." (Galatians 1:6-7)

Paul "certified" that the gospel he preached was not made up by men.

"For I certify to you, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not devised by man."(Galatians 1:11)

He did not "peddle the word of God for profit" like "many others" were doing.

"For we are not like so many others, who peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as men sent from God." (2 Corinthians 2:17)

Why did the Galatians, and most Christians, accept "another gospel" and "desert" the "sound teaching" of Paul?  Because they tend to accept the teaching about Jesus of the "polished" speakers considered "super-apostles". They should return to the "teaching" of the apostle that was actually "sent from God" "free of charge".

"For if someone comes and proclaims a Jesus other than the One we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit than the One you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it way too easily. I consider myself in no way inferior to those super-apostles. Although I am not a polished speaker, I am certainly not lacking in knowledge. We have made this clear to you in every way possible. Was it a sin for me to humble myself in order to exalt you, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?" (2 Corinthians 5:4-7)

Paul,the Evangelist

The apostle Paul was an "evangelist" in the true meaning of the word - a bearer of the good news from God. I do not find any evidence that those who consider themselves evangelists today even know what the "evangel" (good news) is so here it is from Paul, the evangelist.

"God commends His love for us in that while we were sinners Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

“When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His son.” (Romans 5:10)

“For the wages of sin is death,but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

“For even as in Adam ALL are dying, thus also, in Christ shall ALL be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22)

“God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself not counting their sins against them.” (2 Corinthians 5:19)

“And having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile ALL unto Himself.” (Colossians 1:20)

“God our Savior…will have ALL men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim. 2:4)

"...there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who have himself as a ransom for all." (1 Tim. 2:5-6)

“Trust in the living God, who is the Savior of ALL men.” (1 Tim. 4:10)

“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

WHAT SHOULD WE DO WITH THE EVANGEL (GOOD NEWS)

"Prescribe and teach these things." (1 Tim. 4:11)

The Green Mile - Dead Men Walking

Did you see the movie “The Green Mile”. It was about a man on death row. On death row when the inmate made his final walk to his death they called it the Green Mile and those around him would say as he passed by - “Dead man walking”.

Mankind, from the cradle to the grave, are simply dead men walking for the Bible tells us that…

“All have sinned...the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 3:23a; 6:23a)

But God has given us the good news that after our death…

“…the free gift of God is eternal life…” (Romans 6:23b)

Baptism is sometimes misunderstood in churches. In the church where I grew up in the Pastor would repeat these words when he baptized someone - “buried with Christ in Baptism, raised to walk in newness of life”. 

To many this meant that the one being baptized had been saved, had died to sin of the old life, and when they come up out of the water they were clean from sin and would go live thereafter in newness of life among the church family. 

That is not what Baptism represents at all. 

Baptism is the visual testimony of the Good News that just as Jesus died, was buried and was the first to be raised to immortal life, so in like manner all people die, and will be raised to walk in immortal life...That is THE GOSPEL.

“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him…The last enemy to be destroyed is death…so that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:22-28)

So go tell somebody the good news that although the wages for sin is death, the free gift of God is eternal life…and give thanks.

Creation's Liberation

God’s plan for mankind has always been to save them all. The revelation of that plan, however, did not come to mankind until it was revealed to the Apostle Paul between 33 and 50 AD. Up until then God had only revealed his dealings with regard to his chosen people Israel as shown to Moses and the other Prophets to Israel. What He had planned for Gentiles was a “mystery”.

“Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation…which was not made known to people in other generations…This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 3:2-6)

Without the revelation of the salvation of Gentiles as well as Jews, the Gentiles had “no hope” and were “without God in the world” only in the sense that they were unaware of God’s plan for them.

“That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12)

But God chose Paul to give the good news of His intent to save everyone by the resurrection of the dead to immortal life.

“…this grace was given me to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known…As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (Ephesians 3:8-10; 1 Corinthians 15:22)

The church which Paul was establishing with this good news gospel was to share the good news to everyone. It has failed because it was corrupted by religious men starting before Paul died.

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all… I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ…the grace of our Lord overflowed to me, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.” (Galatians 1:6-11; 1 Timothy 1:14-16)

What we see today is a form of legalism, which only saves those who obey a gospel invented by religious men which has nothing to do with grace and ”which is really no gospel at all”. 

Mankind, through the promise of salvation, are set free from the fear of the harsh penalty of the law (death)- by faith in the glorious “hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.”  The whole creation is to be saved by he same God who "subjected it" to frustration.

“For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.” (Romans 8:20-24)

The Hidden Good News

"But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe." (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)

Let’s be clear about some terms used above.

1. The "gospel" is the good news that there is life after death.

2. That good news is "veiled" to those who think in death they or others perish.

3. The term “perishing” means to die and stay dead.

4. Those "blinded" are those "who do not believe" that there is life after death for mankind.

The good news was and will always be hidden (veiled) to those who do not believe in life after death (the gospel). They are blinded by the present age where life does in fact come to an end in death. They do not believe that there is life after death.

The good news is also hidden to those of the various religions of the world. Though most adhere to some form or another of life after death, they limit the scope of that life to a few chosen devotees to that particular religion. Everyone else will perish, or far worse in some religious doctrine. Again, their minds are blinded to the fact that the good news of life after death is for all mankind and God intends to save all from death to life, from sinner to saint, from perishable flesh to imperishable spirit, from mortal to immortal, from a son of Adam to a son of God.  

Christ Jesus was raised to show us the certainty of the good news. Don’t take my word for it, read it for yourself…

“If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep…For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive…Now if there is no resurrection…let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die…Do not be misled…the body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body...The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven…And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man… Listen, I tell you a mystery...we will all be changed — in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable…When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory...thanks be to God! He gives us the victory...” (1 Corinthians 15:20-57)

Trust Free Will or Trust the Lord

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

The term “free will” has gone the way of the word “love” in the English vocabulary. The terms have been so misused that few have a clue what is intended when the words are used in conveying biblical truth. Read 1 Corinthians 13 for what biblical love involves but that is not what I want to post about today.

When I use the term free will of mankind I mean those things God allows mankind to self-determine.  God does not give that right to mankind for all things.  Some things, especially the eternal things, God reserves for Himself. 

For instance it is clear to me in studying Scripture that man does not self-determine his birth nor does he self-determine his eternal destiny. God is solely responsible for both.  It is also clear to me that the choices we make after our birth and before our death have consequences that play out in this present life. The bad choices we make the bible calls SIN, and death is the result for even one sin,,,thus the term sinners.

The Scripture is also clear that death, the penalty for being imperfect, was determined by God alone.  Since we all sin, we all die, and that is the will of God.  Only the timing of our death can be influenced by our own choices.

And what follows death God has reserved Himself and that is what the Bible terms the Gospel.  The term refers to the GOOD NEWS that God has determined to give mankind a new life after death.  And not just the same old imperfect mortal life, but a perfect and immortal new life.

And since the bible teaches that God is no respecter of persons, He gives the gift of life to all for free, not by a choice we make, but according to His grace and love for us. He created us imperfect, and it is His responsibility to save us from that imperfection...and He says in the Bible that He will do so....

"It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things." (1 Timothy 4:9-11)

Again, life and death are determined by the sovereign choice of our Creator. He determines when, where and to whom we are born an imperfect and mortal living soul, and He alone has determined that soul’s perfect immortal destiny. 

All of us will give account for how we responded to the various circumstances we encounter in our imperfect, mortal body.  Some of our responses will get rewarded and some tossed on the garbage heap.  But all of our circumstances were allowed and directed by God from birth to death. Along the way some of us choose to trust God, some choose to trust man, and others choose to trust one religion or another.  But when all are resurrected and look back on this life, we all will realize that trusting God is always a good thing, trusting men and their religions not so much.

Unashamed

2 Timothy 1:8-15:

“…do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity…”  (verses 8-9)

Paul suffered for preaching that the purpose and the power of God is to save sinners by His grace freely given before they were created, not by works done or choices made.  

“…but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher.”  (verses 10-11) 

Jesus revealed this purpose of God when he appeared and suffered death on the cross. His death, burial and resurrection brought to light the once hidden good news that “life and immortality”  will follow death.

“…I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.”  (verses 12)

Paul, and all who proclaim the truth, suffer for doing so, however, we do so unashamed, being convinced that salvation from death will come to pass for all in accord with the grace of God. 

"Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you. You are aware of the fact that all who are in Asia turned away from me."  (verses 13-15)

We guard this treasure and entrust it to others, even though many will turn away from the truth. One can enjoy and be comforted by this glorious hope only by believing we are standing in the grace of God.

“...be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus…we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand.” (2 Timothy 2:1; Romans 5:2)

The Gospel Is Not An Advertising Gimmick

“The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23)

“Being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24).

I know you have seen advertisements which claim they will give you a product for FREE. Then, when you responded, you found out in order to get the so called free gift you had to sign up to pay for more of the product in order to get what they claimed was free.

The modern day Protestant evangelical movement began in the early 18th Century. It continues to this day. I was a part of it for many years. I dropped out when I discovered that this movement had an eerie similarity to the offer of a free product from advertisers.

Think about it for a minute. How was the gospel of salvation presented to you? Was it presented as a free gift IF you believed, repented, invited, accepted, and received it? And were you told you were doing the right thing (justified) before God IF you joined the church by being baptized, regularly participated in the “Lord’s Supper” (communion) and supported the church by “tithing”, “praying”, “witnessing”, etc. etc.?

The GOSPEL is not an advertising gimmick to get you to join an institution of men. The Gospel is a declaration of the SALVATION of sinful mankind by the GRACE OF GOD. It is proclaimed to us in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ Jesus, the Son of God.

“Now I make known to you, brethren, THE GOSPEL which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also  YOU ARE SAVED, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

Paul says it is “THE GOSPEL” by which “YOU ARE SAVED” and in which “YOU STAND”. It is true that he also emphasizes the gospel is what he and they “received”, but receiving it did not SAVE them, it simply allowed them and us to enjoy in this life the joy and peace "THE GOSPEL" gives.

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with people believing, repenting, inviting, accepting and receiving the Gospel, UNLESS they are doing so in order to get saved.

The Salvation of the sinner is FREE, and so is JUSTIFICATION. One does not acquire them by responding to an “offer”. They are given "freely by His grace" to mankind as a result of the “redemption that is in Christ Jesus”.

They are yours as a free gift through the LOVE and GRACE of God so believe and ENJOY the gospel... 

"...because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the GRACE of God in truth." (Colossians 1:5-6)

It Is Finished

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 15:57-58)

It appears to me that the percentage of people in the world who profess Christ as the savior is no more, and maybe less, then the percentages at the close of the third century AD. We have more buildings, organizations, missionaries, ministries and raise more money than at any time in history yet very little impact on the percentage of people who follow Christ.

So why? Well my opinion is simply that we have misunderstood passages like the above. We interpret the above passage as teaching that Christians are to DO the work of the Lord. But that is NOT what it says. The work of the Lord was done BY THE LORD and it was to “seek and to save those which are lost”. The LORD was Victorious. He SAVED the world. The work “is finished”. There is no WORK left to do for evangelicals or anyone else.

So what is OUR “labor” which is said not to be "in vain” mentioned above?

Our "labor" is to tell people, starting with our children and grandchildren, that they have been RECONCILED to God by the blood of Christ and will be SAVED from death when Jesus returns to RESURRECT the dead. Then there will be no more tears, sorrow, pain, suffering, sin or evil. Then there will be no more liars, thieves, murders, child molesters, politicians, theologians, republicans or democrats. As for NOW they should do the best they can to live life in appreciation for what God has and will do for them in Christ and do the best we can to convince others to do the same.

“…since we know what it is to be in awe of the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God….Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again… All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ…God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation…God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:11-21)

Evangelicals hear sermons on grace, salvation and discipleship every week, but do not distinguish between Law and Grace or Salvation and Discipleship. Salvation is a done deal. Discipleship is a matter of living life like we appreciate such great Grace that saved us.

“When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him…Jesus said, Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing…the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One…He said, IT IS FINISHED! And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit." (Luke 23:33-35; John 19:30)

Missing The Mark

“For the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ of Lord” (Romans 6:23)

I have been thinking about sin as that term is used in the Bible. It occurs in many forms and for individuals it ranges from innocently missing a free throw in basketball to murder in the first degree. But the greatest sin of the past 1700 years or so, in my opinion, is not individual sins, but the collective sin of most institutions of Christianity with respect to His plan in Christ Jesus to save the world.

Jesus Christ was sent by God to atone for and take away the sins of the world and he is proclaimed in the Bible to be the "Savior of the world".

"John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world… he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world…we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world… God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” (John 1:29; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:14; 2 Corinthians 5:19)

Since about 325 AD the institutions of Christianity have encouraged others  to accept an “offer” to save, and added their own twist that anyone who refuses that offer will suffer eternal conscious torment in the lake of fire. There is no "offer" to save the world but the finished work of Christ in saving the world.

I sometimes wonder if it is this sin which will trump them all when Christians stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it has robbed the world, NOT of salvation which Jesus secured for all mankind, but of the KNOWLEDGE of the finished work of our Savior…

“This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things…And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming...For the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ of Lord” (Romans 6:23)

“But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? (Galatians 1:8-10)

Pretty harsh wouldn’t you say? Paul says anyone who preaches a gospel contrary to what he had preached to them was accursed – meaning “devoted to destruction” (death-not tortured in hell).

So don’t you think it important to know what Paul preached, and receive it?

So what did Paul preach?….you will have to read Romans through Philemon to get it all but 1 Corinthians 15 will give you a good summary.

But it is what he did NOT PREACH about that is very interesting to me….he did not speak of eternal conscious torment in hell even one time…even to deny it. Why? Because it never crossed his mind that anyone would believe such a thing. So how did the doctrine get introduced into the church?

Well, as I read history, it was not introduced into the church until around 187 AD when Christian teachers like Tertullian of Carthage began to blend Greek philosophy — human speculative reasoning - with the teachings of God’s Word.  And Plato (427-347 BC) had talked about hell as a place of torment for immortal souls almost 400 years before the birth of Jesus. It was not based on the Bible but on Greek myth and philosophy. Bible verses were later sought to uphold the ancient philosophies of the Greeks, and were added to the teaching of the Church as best I can tell.

Eventually under the influence of Augustine, in about AD 430, the concept of endless conscious torment was brought into general acceptance by the Catholic Church in the Western world, and has remained a “destructive heresy” of both the Catholic and Protestant Church to this time. That is why I am wary of the opinions of “wise men”, even those of well respected theologians and philosophers…I prefer to read the Bible for myself.

I like what A. W. Tozer says about men who are constantly seeking the approval of wise men…

“I cannot believe in the spirituality of any man who keeps an eye open for the approval of others, whoever they may be. The man after God's own heart must be dead to the opinion of his friends as well as his enemies. He must be as willing to cross important persons as obscure ones. When we are wholly lost in Him the frantic effort to please men will come to an end. The circle of persons we struggle to please will be narrowed to One. Then we will know true freedom, but not a moment before.” (A. W. Tozer - The Price of Neglect, Page141)

If I am lost…at least it is in His Word, not in wise men and their philosophies!

The gospel (good news) is for every person and it is really simple. Intellectual religious types stumble over its simplicity and twist it to try to control behavior by bringing guilt and shame. Take the following verses in Hebrews…

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

SIMPLE EXPLANATION: The book of Hebrews presents Jesus as the Savior of the world and the Great High Priest of Israel. He is the AUTHOR of our faith that God will save mankind and that God will FINISH what He promised. We have a great cloud of witnesses that died without having experienced what they had been promised. All those promises will be fulfilled when Jesus returns to resurrect the dead.

RELIGIOUS EXPLANATION: We have a great cloud of witnesses who are looking over the balcony of heaven and watching our every move and cheering us on when we do good and shaking their head in horror when we sin. So we better go to church, quit drinking, smoking, chewing, cursing and having too much fun in the world because Grandma is watching our every move. We are in a race for our eternal destiny and how we live and the choices we make will determine whether we are saved to sit with Jesus at the right hand of God in heaven or burn in hell for all eternity.

One explanation gives peace and hope and is the promise of God - the other is an attempt to scare the hell out of us. Paul, however, opted for peace and hope…

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us” (Romans 5:6-11; Romans 8:30-21)

“For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest.” (Hebrews 4:1-3)

There is great peace and “rest” in this present evil age only to those who believe the gospel. And I am talking about the good news gospel of life AFTER the death of sinners.

“All have sinned and come short of the glory of God...the wages or sin is death, but the free gift or God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 3:23; 6:23)

Preaching the gospel is of no value in giving “rest” in this present world unless it is mixed with faith that God will actually resurrect us, and those we care about...not because we make the decision to be saved, but because God made the decision to save sinners.

He raised Christ Jesus, “who became sin on our behalf”, and Jesus promised to return and raise us. Eventually all will find this rest after the resurrection, but NOW, in this life, only those who BELIEVE God find peace, rest and hope.