The Things We Should Really Know About the Gospel of Jesus Christ

 

Wattog here blogging about the things of God again, this time about the things we should really know about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  

The Gospel causes division
 

This may surprise you, but it appears that Christ Jesus, the One who the Gospel is all about, came to split the world in two.  Wow what a statement you may say, but read this.

Jesus said: Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: Luke 12:51  

I think what He means by that is that because of the Gospel, this world is filled with believers or unbelievers and I tell you by experience, the two don’t mix. 

The Bible records many incidences where Christ caused division whenever He was around and the divisions had to do with the Gospel and people’s heart reaction to the Gospel as it was being demonstrated and preached.

So there was a division among the people because of him [Christ].   John 7:43

After Paul the apostle opened up the Gospel and set its message before the Jews, there were 2 very different reactions. Read the whole chapter of Acts, but here are the 2 reactions.

And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. Acts 17

We cannot be neutral as far as the Gospel is concerned, we either believe it or we don't

 

After Paul had told some chief Jews about the kingdom of God and about Jesus Christ out of the law of Moses and out of the prophets, this was the result:

And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.   Acts 28:24

After Jesus told the people in Capernaum that He was the bread which came down from heaven and if they ate of that bread they would live forever, many of His disciples even said the saying was hard to understand.  Jesus knew what they were thinking and said:

the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.  Read John chapter 6

Gospel truth + Faith=Salvation

The Hebrews were reminded of how the children of Israel saw God’s works for 40 years, yet their hearts were hardened and they did not listen to God. . .they did not believe God.  The result was they did not enter into God’s blessed rest.  This is what was written to the Hebrews about that. 

Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. Read Hebrews 4:11-16

The Gospel is declared to us all the time, on television, on radio, on social media sites, by friends and family etc...we must ask ourselves this question. . .what is our heart reaction to the Gospel of Jesus Christ?  If you feel as though you don’t believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ, don’t be so hard on yourself.  Jesus scolded His disciples for unbelief after He rose again from the dead. 

Afterward he [Christ] appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. Mark 16:14  

We know later that the disciples went out and preached the Gospel and wrote of the Gospel and we are all benefiting from their mission to the world to preach the Gospel.  So there is hope if you are sitting there reading this in unbelief.  The apostles ended up revolutionizing the world!  Read on.

And the hand of the Lord was with them [apostles]: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. Acts 11:21  

The Gospel is preached to every living soul so that every living soul will have the opportunity to believe the Gospel about Jesus Christ and be saved!

We know the disciples went on to preach the Gospel.  Jesus Christ taught them the Gospel before He died on the cross and after He rose again from the dead.

To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: Acts 1:3

The Gospel was preached to Abraham

And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. Galatians 3:8  

I am not going to try and explain this next verse, but it refers to the spirits in prison.

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 1 Peter 3:18-20

The Gospel will be preached to every nation.

 

And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,   Revelation 14:6  

Sin is connected to believing or not believing the Gospel

Part of John the Baptist’s message was. . .
The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.     Mark 1:15  

The 10^th chapter of Romans is the Gospel on how to be saved.  It starts out with Paul writing;

Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. (1)

Then Paul continues on with why Israel was not saved:
they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. They being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. (2-3)

Then Paul explains how to be saved:
If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (9-10)

We need knowledge of the right standing with God that can only be obtained by believing in Christ.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ gives us that knowledge!  For a soul to confess Christ they must hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and believe it is truth.

Listen to the Gospel of Jesus Christ with an open heart and mind.  Our eyes and ears are channels that tune in the Gospel.  Do we listen to the Gospel when it is preached or do we turn it off?  Don't turn God off, give Him a chance to heal our hearts of unbelief. Unbelief in what God has done for us to save us, is what I think, the only sin that cannot be forgiven. Of course, some listen and still don’t believe, I know this, but sometimes I think they are not listening with their hearts, because I think our hearts were created to believe God and if our hearts listens, we will see,  but that’s just me. Remember it is the devil's goal to steal God's Word from us.

Fascinating Fact: Faith is fascinating! For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Ephesians 2:8
The list
Here’s this blog’s list.   Please read the entire text surrounding the Scriptures so that you may understand the full meaning. I am shortening them for you because this is a blog not a book. It is a list of things that we receive by believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, now it’s by no means all of the things, but some of the things. 

Fruit  Colossians 1:6  

The Holy Ghost. Mark 1:8
Honor to serve God Romans 1:9
The power of God unto salvation Romans 1:16
Peace   Romans 10:15
Blessings Romans 15:29
Strength to Stand  1 Corinthians 15:1  
Revelation of Jesus Christ.   Galatians 1:11  
Life and immortality 2 Timothy 1:10
Spiritual satisfaction   John 6:35
We will not die in our sins   John 8:24
We will not stay in darkness   John 12:46
We are made one with the Father and the Son  John 17:21
Blessed rest   Hebrews 4:3
Soul salvation Hebrews 10:39
Reward Hebrews 11:6  
God's love. 1 John 4:16
Born of God.   1 John 5:1
Victory   1 John 5:5
Beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Isaiah 61:1-3

An excerpt from the book, from the Heir series books, An Heir Wears.

After Jonah preached the people repented.  I think it interesting that when Jonah ran from God and refused to help God catch men, God had a big fish catch Jonah.

We should not run from God and fall asleep on our mission to catch men, because it is not God’s will that any perish.

Paul wrote to the Colossians about his preaching. . . his warning and teaching the Gospel, so he could present every man perfect in Christ Jesus..

. . . To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily. Colossians 1:25-29

Let us look at Jesus Christ in a ship.  He immediately rose up and saved His disciples;

And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? Mark 4:37-41

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 All Scripture from KJV of the Holy Bible unless otherwise noted