The gospel …
… is five thoughts united into one Person, expressed as God Himself.
What are the 5 thoughts?
• God
• Sin
• Separation
• Reconciliation
• Belief
5 concepts in the Gospel.
Each uniquely necessary.
Cannot get any of the five wrong. It’s a five point test.
First is the identity of God.
We need to identify the correct deity.
Which God is the right God?
Some other gods disqualify themselves from offering a true salvation.
The gospel flows forth from the core heart of the true God.
Statement: there is wisdom in introducing people to God before introducing them to the gospel. Change my mind. :)
Knowing God properly, then results in embracing the gospel.
[Please tap above to LISTEN to the podcast audio version, as more flavorful content is inside the audio render.]
This God is our God.
The one true God.
To know God is to know the gospel. To misidentify God is to misconstrue His gospel.
One possible objection to receiving the gospel and believing the good news is an underlying mistrust of God. Because when a person truly understands who God is … then receiving the gospel of God is nearly unavoidable. :)
The God test: let’s test your knowledge.
Is God love? Y / N.
How then is love expressed?
Would Love Himself develop a rescue plan for humanity?
Is God the Creator? T / F.
True, false, or I have conflicting information to resolve.
If we are made by a Maker, then we are responsible to respond to our creator as our designer. Design indicates purpose.
Is God the Word?
Can this God communicate?
How does He communicate?
The true God, who made me and loves me, and communicates with me, would definitely design a plan of reconciliation. Yes?
Many people misunderstand the gospel, because their foundational perception of God is missing parts.
Millions of people believe in “a god” who is big and merciful. But they don’t have all the necessary ingredients for a God who is capable of providing salvation. I need a God who is both willing and able to provide me complete salvation.
Only once we have a clear perception and reception of who God is, can we then move on to properly understanding the rest of the gospel.
Core components of this one God who qualifies to be my Saviour:
Creator. Designer.
Love. Expressed.
Word. Communicator.
Holy. He must be holy. Completely pure and glowing. Amazingly separate from natural sin. Triple-wow high and lifted up holy, holy, holy! Worthy of getting our attention. :)
Not a liar. If God could tell a lie, my salvation could not be secure.
Capable of suffering as my substitute. A God who cannot come down and suffer among us is disqualified as a God of salvation. For salvation includes suffering.
Lawgiver. God must give guidelines for proper and best behavior. A God with no good laws cannot be a great Saviour. Rules protect precious things for my future. The law giver must have excellent motives. The law from God explains the vast difference in God’s behavior and humans natural behavior.
A desire to make Himself known to everyone. Even to every individual. A loving God must be willing to convey His plan of salvation, and not hide it, otherwise He would be selfish.
This God — the God who offers salvation — must be from everlasting to everlasting to be making the offer of eternal life. He cannot offer that which He does not have. His life must be eternal, and He must be the source and sustainer of both this life that now is, and the life to come. Evidence of His consistent eternality should be available. Are you looking for a God who is capable of salvation? Ensure that God has no beginning and no ending.
He must be a builder. “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” You know this to be true deep down inside. “And whither I go [My Father’s house] ye know, and the way [to My Father’s house] ye know.” We are saved from one situation, and rescued up into a divine, prepared place.
The true God of salvation must be stronger than death. Therefore, He must have the power of resuscitating dead things back to life. True rejuvenation of completely dead & rotting bodies being completely revitalized to walk in newness of life. Picture something dead. Only God can make dead things alive. “Jesus said unto her, I am the Resurrection, and the Life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:”
External. Salvation is designed to arise from outside of self. Salvation is not … and cannot be found within me. I am not the source. There are no self-made-Saviours. “Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.” Many false promises are built on the idea that salvation is deep within myself. What sort of salvation would that be? If I could save myself, then I do not need God
Exclusive. Yes, if there was an alternative path of salvation, there would have to be duplicate gods. Like several pathways to different heavens .. to be with different gods. As essentially going to heaven is going to be with this God to be around Him for ever. We don’t need to compare religions. We just need to compare gods. Match up any god out there with “the salvation-giving God” and let’s determine a winner.
Helpful servant. Because salvation must have a purpose. Saved for what? Saved for who? Saved for why? Service to God and service to others. The pattern … the ultimate pattern for service is our God. God serves. God helps. If there were no positions open for servants after salvation, once a person became born from above they would float away into Eternity in some other dimension. But believers stay … to serve. We are each called to salvation AND called to service. The complete design of salvation includes the necessity of service. This statement about God’s nature is not a stretch. Salvation is a community event. Designed for Sharing and Serving.
Which God Qualifies to Offer Salvation?