Like many people, part of my morning ritual is having some coffee and watching the news. But is it really news? I have watched it day in and day out for years, and it is pretty much the same thing, just different locations and different people: Sadly some folks died because someone either can't control their anger or was so greedy they wanted what someone else possessed; there is battle going on all around the world; traffic is heavy in metro areas; it is too wet in some areas and too dry in others; the Dow Jones hits new highs or new lows; politicians disagree, etc. ad nauseum.
This morning in several ways, God reminded me of something that I think for all of us who follow Him may seem like a no-brainer, but the longer I am alive, I am not so sure that everyone even in the Body of Christ really understands... the Good News (or Gospel) of Jesus Christ.
I will start off by stating what it is NOT. It is not a church membership nor a ticket to heaven, although it can lead you there. It is not a plan or purpose for your life, although through it you can you may definitely obtain these. Even though you can walk in the newness of life that can be found in Him alone, it is not a way to feel good about your yourself nor bolster your self-esteem.
The Apostle Paul hit the nail on the head in his description of what exactly is the Good News in his first letter to the Corinthian church. "Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures," (1 Cor. 15:1-4).
Anytime I lead someone to Christ, for me it is imperative that they understand the core of the Gospel, not just to be able to regurgitate the "Roman Road" or any other "plan of salvation." The sheer fact that "Christ died for our sins" is the first step. One must understand WHY Christ died for our sins. WHY did we need a Savior? I wonder if all of the American Church REALLY knew the answers to that, would we be as impotent as we are in our culture. Because if we did, it would transform us into the new creatures that Paul speaks of in his second letter to the same church. (2 Cor. 5:17) If we really grasped that one element of the Gospel, our faith would not be without works as James tries so hard to explain in his letter. (James 2:14-26)
You see, we were so desperately separated from God because of our failure to maintain a righteousness on our own that only God could reconcile us to Himself. THAT is the Good News! We no longer have to be separated from God by our missing the mark of His perfection, but rather because of His grace (giving us what we don't deserve), we can be reconciled to Him forever. We put our trust in the completed work of Jesus Christ when he hung on a cross to accept the full responsibility for everything you and I ever have or ever would do that was displeasing to God.
Consider Eugene Peterson's rendering of Romans 5:6-8: "Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him. "
For me I have to stop and remember regularly what the Good News did for me, otherwise, I get caught up in the day to day news report that can drown out what is truly good. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!" (Romans 8:1) Now THAT is some Good News!
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