The Full Gospel - The Good News
The Gospel literally means, “The Good News.” So often The Gospel is reduced to a simple,
overused and phrase: “Jesus loves you.”
Although this is wholly and completely true, it utterly falls short of
all that The Gospel entails. The Gospel
is the story of how The Almighty Creator and Sustainer of the Universe not only
loves us, but paints this incredible picture:
The PENALTY
The PROBLEM
The INVITATION
The ADOPTION
The COMMISSION
The INDWELLING
THE PENALTY OF SIN
Whether we choose to admit or acknowledge it, we are all
rebels to God because we were born in sin (Romans 3:10-12, 23). We are locked away in a prison cell with no
way to escape. Eventually the Enemy will
come and destroy us – but Jesus stands in our place and takes the penalty for
our sin and rebellion (Romans 5:8).
THE PROBLEM OF SIN
Not only does God save us from the PENALTY, but He saves us
from the PROBLEM. He didn’t save us so
we can stay in the prison cell.
Forgiveness was the avenue He used to open the door so we could
experience the freedom outside the prison cell!
We no longer have to be slaves to sin! (Romans 8:1-2; Galatians 5:1, 13;
John 8:36; John 10:10).
THE INVITATION TO HIS
VERY NEAR PRESENCE
God doesn’t just saves us from the PENALTY and PROBLEM, but
also gives us an INVITATION to His very near presence (Hebrews 4:16; 1 John
5:14). He wants us to live where He
lives (Philippians 3:20; John 14:2). We
aren’t to thank God from a distance, but God wants us to come in and know Him (John 17:3).
THE ADOPTION AS A SON
OR DAUGHTER OF THE KING OF KINGS
God decides that saving us from the PROBLEM, the PENALTY,
and giving us an INVITATION isn’t enough, but decides to ADOPT us as His
children (John 1:12; Romans 8:14-17; Romans 9:8; Galatians 3:26; Galatians
4:5-7; Ephesians 1:5). As Children of
God, we are part of His family! We go
from once being a rebel to now becoming a child of the Most High King, because
of His great love for us (1 John 3:1).
THE COMMISSION TO
REPRESENT THE NAME, IMAGE, AND REPUTATION OF GOD ALMIGHTY
After saving us from the PENALTY, the PROBLEM, after the
INVITATION and the ADOPTION, God COMMISSIONS us to go out and tell others of
His great love (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15-16; Romans 1:16). We have the astonishing privilege to serve as
Christ’s ambassadors to the world (2 Corinthians 5:20)!
THE INDWELLING OF GOD
– HE LIVES IN US
This is the most mind-boggling, world-changing, upside-down
part of The Gospel. It’s so
condescending on the part of our God and King.
Not only was there the PENALTY, the PROBLEM, the INVITATION, the
ADOPTION, and the COMMISSION, but He realizes that we can’t do it on our own
(John 15:5). So He decides to come
into us, and make His home in us. The Almighty God decides to dwell inside His
children and empower us (Matthew 28:20; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Joshua 1:9;
Deuteronomy 31:6). His Spirit, the same
Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, lives inside of us (Romans 8:9-11;
Ephesians 1:13-14; 1 John 4:13).
We can’t do it on our own.
But we don’t have to do it. We
don’t have to do the impossible. We
don’t have to fail any longer. God lives in us!
LIFE CHANGING POWER
Don’t pray that God
would teach you how to love how He loves.
Pray that He would fill you with Himself, and He would love in and through
you.
Don’t pray that He
would teach you to have joy. Pray that
the living God full of joy would enter into you.
Don’t pray that He
would teach you how to be peaceful. Ask
for the God of peace, the Prince of Peace, to infill you.
Because if you try and
imitate in your own strength, you will be a miserable replica.
But if you allow the
impartation of Jesus Christ to overtake you,
Suddenly it all works.
Because it’s Him
imitating Himself.
And He’s very good at
being God.
*Eric Ludy – The Gospel
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