Contemporarily, the gospel has been tagged with different meanings and definitions. There has been different kind of humanistic perspective to the gospel, and from divers human formulations we can find the gospel of prosperity, the gospel of deliverance, the gospel of healing, the gospel of breakthrough, the gospel of ‘you will make it in life’, and so on. Many people define these activities as the gospel.
However, prosperity and every other activities attached to the gospel is not the gospel, but our inheritance in Christ. They are all simply a means to an end (Jesus Christ). We are not trying to get prosperity but we are seeking for Christ who is our prosperity.
In the kingdom of God, prosperity is not measured with material wealth one possesses. One can be materially rich and yet be poor in the sight of God.
In the letter to the church in Laodicea, Christ put a dividing line between human and God’s definition of prosperity. Revelations 3 verse 17;
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: (Rev 3:17)
Although some had increased in goods and they were seeing themselves as rich, but in the eyes of God they were naked, poor and miserable. The true prosperity is RECEIVING Christ.
Performing deliverance to a believer is also fraud.
Why?
Deliverance is what believers already have in Christ. (Col 1:13) Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Basically, deliverance is the supernatural transformation of a man from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light, and only Christ can perform this task.
One cannot perform deliverance to the person who has been delivered already.
Sadly, these activities (combined together) form the major content of the gospel which many men have subscribed to.
It all stems from lies that have found inhabitation in the hearts of many people for centuries.
When lies become the order of the day, the truth looks like a rebellion, and wherever another gospel is the message of the day, the true gospel is a rebellion.
‘Receive your car!
Receive your miracle!
Before the end of this year, you will receive your breakthrough, God is going to bless you’… these are the major messages of many preachers today. Huge crowds are chasing after them.
Naturally, the flesh and human senses tunes easily to this concept of instant miracle. Humans are very flexible to pick any concept of ‘easy belivism’ rather than their existential responsibility, so this make it easy for false preachers to erode the true message of Christ away in their heart and install ‘be rich’ messages in them.
This perfectly fits what Apostle Paul said to pastor Timothy.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; (2Ti 4:3)
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2Ti 4:4)
Instead of acknowledging and be grounded in the truth of what Christ has done for us, who we are in Christ, what we can do through Christ and what Christ is doing in us and through us, many still believe they are in an impenetrable dungeon and they are busy begging for the prison door keys that are dancing in their pockets. They are not aware that the death and resurrection of Christ brought independence in more than 2000 years ago.
These activities are entertaining to the ears but they are not the gospel.
From Genesis to Malachi, there are 39 books forming much of the Bible; many books as they are, yet they are not the gospel; they are the scriptures.
Miracles, signs, and wonders… Yes! They are spectacular and marvelous. Yes! They are entertaining to witness. They even make the performer popular that nowadays the so-called men of God use them to pull gigantic crowds. Powerful as they are, yet they are not the gospel. They cannot even save a single soul.
You remember the miracle of the bread and fish where Jesus Christ fed over 5000 people from 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes. All the people witnessed the miracle, they loaded their bellies, they enjoyed the food but when Jesus preached the message of salvation ‘whosoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life’ this message of eternal life was an offence in their ears.
What happened next?
They all deserted him except His disciples. They saw the miracle; they were entertained by the miracle; they enjoyed the food but they receive not the savior. This incident shows that miracles do not automatically bring salvation. You can witness a miracle and still remain unsaved.
Although, many call the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John the gospels but none of them is the gospel. As accurate in chronicling the eyewitness account of God as they do; they are not the gospel. They are the four books of gospel. They contain the gospel, but they are not the gospel. The best they can offer is a well-recorded historical account of God who became a man to save man.
The sad news is that the false gospel, best defined by the Apostle Paul as another gospel is spreading through the universe at a jet-propelled speed creating confusion in both Christianity and the circular world.
Now to many, the true gospel is a rebellion. When another gospel is deep-rooted in the veins, it becomes like a poison that devours anything that does not look like itself. To subdue the poison, a heavy concentration of correct antidote must be administered in the veins.
And in order to chain the false gospel, we need to administer the accurate, revealed, exact and precise knowledge of the son of God (which is the gospel of grace, the gospel of peace, the good news, the everlasting gospel to a diseased soul).
The setback is that, the true gospel is only being championed by a few, faithful and true shepherds as Jeremiah prophesied.
(Jer 23:4) And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.
The true shepherd casts away fear from the flock but a false shepherd dispenses fear-based messages packaged with a well-coordinated deception which is done deliberately to collect hard-earned money from believers.
The true gospel is the gospel of peace which removes fear from the flock, but a false shepherd instills fear in the flock.
And the resultant effects of fear-based messages are powerless, condemned, confused, defeated, and souls craving for peace.
The fundamentals of the gospel
Without the gospel, no one can be saved because God packaged the salvation of a man inside the gospel. The gospel is like a seed. You remember in the dark sayings of Jesus, He said, ‘If the seed does not die, it remains alone’. The power of the seed is in its multiplication. And the blessing of the entire world is in the seed.
You remember Jesus said,’’ Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. (Joh 12:24)
One seed is planted that billions may be formed.
If the gospel of prosperity, deliverance, healing, breakthrough, ‘how to make it in life’, the four gospels, Genesis to Malachi, are not the gospel.
What then is the gospel?
The gospel defined.
Apostle Paul boldly defines the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.
(1Co 15:1) Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
(1Co 15:2) By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
(1Co 15:3) For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
(1Co 15:4) And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Observe the following pillars of the gospel:
The gospel, therefore, is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ Jesus.
Is Paul’s definition of the gospel correct?
Paul’s definition of the gospel cites an important phrase “according to the scriptures.” This means Paul is not creating his own definition, but he took it from what is written in the scriptures.
The next question is, what are the scriptures?
The first time the word scripture is mentioned is in the book of Daniel 10:21.
(Dan 10:21) But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.
The second time, Jesus mentioned the word ‘scripture’ is in the four gospels. Let’s pick the narration in the book of Luke, immediately after Jesus rose from the dead on the road to the Emmaus:
(Luk 24:27) And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Take note:
At this point, there was no book of Luke, which means the book of Luke, and other three synoptic gospels were not yet written. So, they are not the scriptures.
Jesus combined the writings of Moses and all the prophets and referred them as the scriptures.
Thus, Genesis to Malachi are the scriptures.
Where in the scriptures did Paul pull out the definition of the gospel?
But before we jump into the detail, let’s see how the first, expert, skilled, and the greatest preacher in the entire universe, Christ Jesus defines the gospel.
(Luk 24:25) Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
(Luk 24:26) Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
(Luk 24:27) And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
(Luk 24:44) And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
(Luk 24:45) Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
(Luk 24:46) And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
(Luk 24:47) And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Comparing Jesus and Paul, here are the similarities:
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JESUS |
PAUL |
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Christ has to suffer. (Luke 24:46) |
Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures (1 Cor 15:3). |
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Rise from the dead the third day (Luke 24:46) |
Buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Cor 15:4) |
Looking at what Jesus and Paul said, this is what we can both agree:
Jesus and Paul are saying the same thing; the death, burial and resurrection of Christ Jesus.
What about all the prophets?
Brother Peter shed light in 1 Peter 1:10-11.
(1Pe 1:10) Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
(1Pe 1:11) Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
All the prophets had one specific message, they prophesied of the grace that should follow. (1Pe 1:10)
The following verse defines grace as the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. (1Pe 1:11)
We have seen that Jesus, Paul, and the prophets had one common message.
What is this message?
(Luk 24:27) And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
(Joh 1:45) Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
(Joh 5:39) Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
you can see that Jesus is the message of the whole Bible. He is the beginning; He is the center, and He is the end.
And He is the intent, the desire, the logos, the mind of God.
Now we have to admit with no doubt that Paul’s definition of the gospel is 100% correct because
Key Takeaway:
The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
