The True Gospel

I recently had an exchange with a fellow Christian wherein they made the comment:

"The gospel in 3 words is love. Make a friend, be a friend, bring a friend to Christ."

Now, I am not certain if they were saying that the Gospel is love, or if they were saying that the three-tiered "friend" model they presented is girded with love. What I am certain of is, that although the Gospel is rooted in the love of God, it is not merely "love" as a stationary concept or emotion. Nor is it, "Make a friend, be a friend, bring a friend to Christ." We Christians should adamantly oppose and labor to correct such misrepresentations of the Gospel.

Here is my response:

"The gospel is not something we do, but it is [an announcement of] something that has been done... and so we proclaim a message of something that has occurred in a historical context."

The good news is not that we do something. In fact, it is not good news if my efforts are the primary thrust (especially since our best efforts fall short, no matter who we are). Furthermore, a continuous action is not a message. A message is information that is proclaimed. With regard to the good news of the Gospel message, it is the historical information about God, Humanity, Holiness, Sin, Redemption, Judgment, Reconciliation, and Reprobation (though, this is not an exhaustive list, nor an infallible recipe) according to the Bible. The Gospel, therefore, is an informative message (though much more than a mere message) about a variety of biblical subjects; the good news of salvation that follows the reality of human depravity and the need of Christ Jesus the Savior.

While there is much to be said of God's sovereignty in salvation (with regard to predestination, election, regeneration, conversion, faith, etc.), the aim here is to present the external elements and communication of the Gospel, not to plumb the depths of soteriology. That being said, I usually find that people who speak of the Gospel also point to the response of the recipient of the message. This is also considered by many as an aspect of the good news, since the free offer of the Gospel is available to all persons (which is really good news). Many present this response as an essential aspect of the Gospel message. In many cases, however, if the Gospel is proclaimed accurately, a response is implied and not necessarily an explicit element. Furthermore, without going into too much detail, I would argue that Scripture is clear that any human response is a secondary cause... that is to say, the Holy Spirit, according to His sovereign will, 'causes' us to respond to the Gospel (in a way). Nonetheless, all people who have been confronted with the Gospel respond... either positively or negatively.

The following is the presentation of the Gospel (along with a call for response) that I declared to the person mentioned above. I humbly pray that the Holy Spirit not only uses it to inform and instruct Christians as to what the Gospel is, but also that if any unbelievers may read it, that He would give them an understanding and grant them repentance and faith in Christ Jesus for His glory and their joy.

"The all-powerful, sovereign, holy and majestic God, who has no beginning or end, Created the earth and humanity with it. He created man upright and in His image; they had a perfect relationship. Man committed treason by sinning against God when he and his wife were deceived... they disobeyed God and attempted to usurp His position of authority and steal His glory. God cursed the man and woman, the serpent who deceived them, and the earth. Adam and Eve were now separated from God and spiritually dead, and would see physical death as a punishment for their sin. Adam was the representative or federal head of all of humanity, and so we are guilty of the same sin. We have inherited the fallen nature of him... we are not sinners because we sin, rather, we sin because we are sinners by nature. Fortunately, God promised that the Seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent, and thus, save us from the penalty of sin. He maintained the bloodline through history through Adam to Abraham to Isaac to Jacob to Moses to David and all the way to Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Mary and Joseph. Jesus, who is the Messiah that the Law and Prophets in the Old Testament refer to is God in the flesh... the incarnation of the second person of the Trinity: the eternally begotten Son of God who was the agent of Creation. He lived a perfectly obedient life under the Law, following it completely. He was fully man and truly God... He is a man, because only a man can atone for the sins of humanity; likewise, He is God because only God is perfect and righteous. He willingly laid down His life as a substitution for the penalty of sin. The sin of he/she who believes in Him is covered and removed by His work on the cross. The wrath of God that is justly deserved for sin is satisfied by Jesus' sacrifice. His righteousness, by the application of the Holy Spirit through the instrumental means of faith, is accredited to those who believe in Him as Lord and Savior. We who trust in Jesus and what He has done are declared righteous according to His merits and not our own. He died, putting to death the power of sin... but He was raised to life by the same power of God that gives us faith and new life in Christ by the Holy Spirit. Though we die physically, we will be resurrected and inherit imperishable bodies so that we may live forever according to promises of God in Jesus. The person and work of Christ is the only way sinful humanity is reconciled with their holy and loving Father and Creator. There must be a response to what God has done in Christ... Deny Him, and you will be judged for your sin and incur the just penalty of the eternal wrath of God in the lake of fire... a conscience state of infinite torment and bodily agony/anguish. Respond with repentance (a perpetual lifestyle of turning away from sin and turning toward God) and faith (believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Savior and trust in the Triune God alone as worthy of praise and adoration; treasure Him above all things and live obediently) and you will be reconciled with your Creator and enjoy fellowship with Him for eternity in the place where there is no sin, no pain nor sadness... where every tear will be wiped away."

I welcome your comments, so... if you would like Scripture references, if you have prayer requests or questions, if you disagree or think I missed something crucial, or if you have any suggestions as to how this presentation can be improved (with regard to biblical fidelity)... please leave a comment.

Recommended books on the Gospel:

Complacent: Risking Souls in the Name of Tolerance

I recently read an article over at The Christian Post called "Bible Believers Can't Shake Intolerant Image, Says Atheist". I read a few things I disagree with and thought I would offer a brief commentary and critique of some of the comments. I just started following tweets from @ChristianPost and this is one of a few current articles that I've read with questionable content, so there may be more posts like this in the future. Let me say to those at Christian Post (as if any of them will read this), that I am unaware of the vision or mission of your establishment and this post is in no way a critique of the author or publication, rather a dissection of statements made therein...


"Joe Zamecki [Texas State Director of the American Atheists] believes that it is impossible for Christians to take a softer stance on issues such as homosexuality while adhering to the Bible..."

I wholeheartedly agree... and if you do take a softer stance, you don't esteem the Bible as the Word of God and probably aren't a Christian.

"...He cites staunch edicts issued by God in Leviticus as examples of how God is hateful and how His followers must be the same. Trying to adopt any other approach is, as he expressed, an act of hypocrisy."

Here we go again. An angry atheist taking the words of God (Leviticus 20:13) out of context to launch a futile ad hominem attack against the very God he claims he doesn't believe in. The problem is twofold... He is incapable of understanding: "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Cor. 2:14) nor can he discern the hatefulness in allowing sexually immoral behavior in the name of tolerance; and his arguments are inconsistent: “If you ever want that friendly church, then throw out the book" (along with the aforementioned "I don't believe in God, but God is hateful" argument). It isn't a church if the Word isn't brought to bear, true hypocrisy is ignoring sin in the name of love; ignoring or dismissing sin and calling it tolerance is not love.

‎"CFC [Changing the Face of Christianity] Founder R. Brad White, a former atheist, rejected Zamecki’s notion of disowning the Bible in order to reverse negative stereotypes. He said, as an unbeliever, Zamecki can’t 'grasp the complexities' of the Bible."

What about the doctrine of perspicuity? Scripture is clear. It does not withhold truth, but reveals it. It is light applied to the darkened mind by the Holy Spirit. True, Zamecki is (and always has been) an unbeliever, but the reason he can't grasp Scripture is because he is unregenerate. He lacks the Holy Spirit, and thus lacks the application of the Spirit's ministry of revelation or illumination in his mind and heart.

Another serious flaw in White's reasoning, besides "pushing for a [return] to real Christianity” (like it hasn't been around and we need to discover it) is that he confuses tolerance with complacency. I agree with him that we should "evangelize non-believers through honest, meaningful relationships" but it doesn't stop there, and when he calls for "leaving the judgment up to God" he misunderstands the concept of judgment. Of course we are not to "use [proof texts] as leverage to hate people" (one thinks of Westboro Baptist) or condemn them, but instead, speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15) and expound the authoritative Word of God. Now, there are many who have a judgmental spirit towards non-believers (especially defiant sinners and homosexuals), and I agree with the approach of "asking what [one] can do to help him or her overcome the situation " but he limits this to inside the church. Part of evangelism and outreach is to confront people on the outside with their sin, preach forgiveness in Christ, call for repentance and faith, and disciple them.

What really gets on my nerves? The last statement: "Salvation is 'a two-way street,' he insisted, and the unbeliever needs to make the first step." Wow! Remarkable. Now, in all fairness, White prefaces that statement: "If we really want them to connect to us to the point that they trust us and care what we think, [they must be] the one to ask [about salvation]." Regardless, the unbeliever doesn't make the first step... in fact, without God acting first, an unbeliever wouldn't ask about salvation let alone incline himself toward God. The gospel isn't connecting to people with hope that they ask you about Christ... we need to preach the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus and pray that the Holy Spirit gives them ears to hear the truth and eyes to see the glorious supremacy of Christ in all things. We need to speak the truth of sin and impending judgment, demand repentance in the name of Christ and preach Him crucified. Other than that, may the sovereign Spirit use our biblical faithfulness to produce effectual transformation for His glory.

From Everlasting To Everlasting

I recently wrote a paper for my Biblical Theology class on the outline of the Bible. I've posted it below...

"From Everlasting To Everlasting"

by Timothy Harris

Everything finds its beginning with God. The Bible says that God exists "from everlasting to everlasting" (Ps. 90:2, emphasis added) and since He has no beginning or end (Rev. 1:8) He operates outside of the finite human categories of time and space. There is one God in three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) who is Creator of all (Deut. 6:4; Isa. 40:28), and this God is transcendent, which means that He is "distinct from His creation. He is not part of it, for He has made it and rules over it... God is much greater than creation... He is independent of it," (Grudem, 267). Though God is independent of His creation, He is not completely removed from it. He is also immanent, which is a term that describes God's engaging with that which He has created. While the Creator of all things maintains His transcendant holiness, being completely "other" than His creatures, He is also personally interested and involved with His creation. God is particularly mindful of human beings, whom He created in His likeness and image (Gen. 1:26, 27). He has, according to His lovingkindness and for His glory, condescended to make Himself known to mankind through the Holy Scriptures. This collection of writings that was written over the course of about 1,500 years is not just a compilation of ordinary literature, but the very word of God revealed to man by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (1 Tim. 3:16; 1 Thes. 2:13; 2 Peter 1:19), the third person of the triune Godhead. The word of God (The Bible) is authoritative and inerrant; it is "living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart," (Heb. 4:12). The Westminster Confession of Faith describes the Bible as "the whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man's salvation, faith and life," (Chapter I; Article VI). So, since the Bible is the means by which God historically reveals Himself to humanity, and is also sufficient revelation of His will for all people everywhere for all time, it follows that our understanding of His revelation is recognized in a historically comprehensive and progressive manner.

"God is to be praised as Creator, by reason of the marvelous order, variety, and beauty of his works... God is to be trusted as the sovereign LORD, with an eternal plan covering all events and destinies without exception, and with power to redeem, re-create and renew; such trust becomes rational when we remember that it is the almighty Creator that we are trusting. Realizing our moment-by-moment dependence on God the Creator for our very existence makes it appropriate to live lives of devotion, commitment, gratitude, and loyalty toward him... Godliness starts here, with God the sovereign Creator as the first focus of our thoughts." (Packer, 22). At the beginning of time as we know it, God began His work of creation (Gen. 1:1). The Bible describes the creation account as a series of events spanning six days, in which God generated the heavens and earth and all that fills them (Gen. 1). He made everything ex nihilo (out of nothing), including man (Gen. 2:7), the crowning achievement of His creatures, whom He created on the sixth day. God saw that everything He made was good, and rested on the seventh day (Gen. 1:31; Gen. 2:1-2). He instituted the created order and placed man in the Garden of Eden to work and care for it (Gen. 2:8, 15). An established system of roles, responsibilities and relationships were given to mankind with regard to God and to the rest of the creation. Adam and Eve lived in perfect fellowship with God; humanity was created upright and was fully capable of unhindered worship. Humanity was pure and pleasing to God, and God was supremely desireable to the man and his bride, who were capable of enjoying Him and His glory fully.

"The tempter came from the spirit world with the suggestion that man, by placing himself in opposition to God, might become like God. Adam yielded to the temptation and committed the first sin by eating of the forbidden fruit. But the matter did not stop there, for by that first sin Adam became the bond-servant of sin. That sin carried permanent pollution with it, and a pollution, which, because of the solidarity of the human race, would affect not only Adam but all his descendants as well," (Berkhof, 221). The perfect harmony in the created order—the holy fellowship between God and man—eventually turns to disorder and darkness. One of God's angelic creatures defied the Almighty God and was cast down from the heavens. This fallen-angel then set forth an attack on the harmony of the created order by distorting the truth of God. A serpent, which was "both a real serpent and a demonic power, who made use of the former to carry out his plan" (Vos, 34), appeared in the Garden of Eden, deceived Eve and tempted Adam to willfully sin against God (Gen. 3:1-7). God pronounced a curse upon both the serpent and humanity (Gen. 3:14-24), but He would not leave His creation to ruin. With the penalty of death for sinning against God came His grace—the protoevangelium (first gospel). God promised that the Seed of the woman would set things right (Gen. 3:15). "The promise is, that somehow out of the human race a fatal blow will come which shall crush the head of the serpent." (Vos, 43). According to God's infinite wisdom and good pleasure, and for the supremacy of His glory, He predestined an elaborate plan of restoration for His creation. Before the creation event, God sovereignly decreed the intricate arrangement of His will for all things, including sin (which He did not author, but allowed temporarily) for the demonstration of His glory in His redemptive purposes.

"It is the nature of God that moves him to make His promises, and in keeping the promises which He makes, God does not take anyone into partnership. He is not only totally able to keep His promises without assistance, but He insists upon doing doing so. As these promises emerge they are focused upon the central theme of salvation. The God of the covenant is revealed as God the Savior. The point of the promises is that He pledges Himself to a total work of salvation," (Motyer, 2). After Adam and Eve were removed from the Garden of Eden by God (Gen. 3:24), they had children (Gen. 4). The sin of man endured as the oldest son of Adam and Eve murdered the younger (Genesis 4:8). The wickedness of man continued through the next several generations, but God chose to extend grace to a man named Noah (Gen. 6:8) and his family by revealing His plan for a global flood and establishing a covenant with him (Gen. 7-9:17). Though God saved humanity through Noah, sinful man again attempted to steal God's glory, but the plans were thwarted and God scattered them and confused their language (Gen. 9:1-9). Several generations later, Abram was called out of his country by God and given the covenantal promises of land, seed, and blessing (Gen. 12-23). He believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:3). Abraham (God changed his name from Abram) and his wife Sarah had a son, Isaac to whom the covenant promises were extended (Gen. 24-25:1-23). Likewise, Isaac and his wife Rebekah had a son (Jacob), to whom the covenant promises were also extended (Gen. 26-35). Jacob's son Joseph, was sold into slavery by his brothers (Gen. 37:12-36), but God blesses him so that he becomes mighty in Egypt (Gen. 39:2-6; Gen. 41:37-57). The favor of God towards the Israelites (descendants of Jacob) eventually becomes a reason of envy and hatred by Egypt and Pharaoh oppresses them (Ex. 1:8-22). God calls the nation of Israel out of bondage with signs and wonders through the leadership of Moses and enters into a covenant with Israel (Ex. 2-15). The Lord gives them the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai and establishes laws to govern them by and instructs them to make an ark and a tabernacle for Him to "dwell" in (Ex. 19-27). A priesthood and formal system of sacrificies is instituted as well, so that atonement is made for sin (Ex. 28-29; Lev.). The first generation (with the exception of Joshua and Caleb) wandered in the desert for forty years and the Lord condemned them to death, but Joshua led the second generation into the promised land (Deut. 31:7-8; Num. 14:20-38). Israel continued to rebel against their leadership, so God appointed them Judges like Joshua (Josh. 1) and Samuel (1 Sam. 3) to govern them. The nation desired a king like their neighbors, so God gave them Saul (1 Sam. 9-10). He ruled well for a time, but disobeyed God and was replaced by David (1 Sam. 15-16). God then made another covenant, this time with David and His bloodline (2 Sam. 7). David's kingship was passed to his son Solomon (1 Kings 1), but the kingdom was eventually divided into the tribes of the northern and southern kingdoms (1 Kings 12:16-24). Over the next few hundred years, both kingdoms would be taken into captivity (Jer. 24). When the nation was freed, many went home to rebuild, but a large number stayed in the land where they were taken captive (Ezra 1-2). Wars raged throughout the land, dynasties rose and fell, and the people of God were in utter ruin; their hope in God dwindling. While the future of God's chosen race seemed uncertain and their outcome bleek, the Lord God, whose word is true, would show His faithfulness in keeping His promise perfectly.

"Although the work of redemption was not actually wrought by Christ till after His incarnation, yet the virtue, efficacy, and benefits thereof were communicated unto the elect, in all ages successively from the beginning of the world, in and by those promises, types, and sacrifices, wherein He was revealed, and signified to be the seed of the woman which should bruise the serpent's head; and the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world; being yesterday and today the same, and forever," (The Westminster Confession of Faith: Chapter VIII; Article VI). After about four hundred years the second person of the Holy Trinity, condescended and took on flesh to fulfill the covenant promises (Luke 2). God the Father sent His Holy Spirit upon a virgin and she conceived a child and named him Jesus (Jehovah is salvation). Born of the Davidic bloodline (Isaiah 11; Matt. 1; Rom. 1:2-4), this "Lion of the Tribe of Judah" (Gen. 49:8-12; Rev. 5:5) fulfilled all that was foretold of Him in the law and the prophets (Luke 24), and performed signs and wonders. Jesus of Nazareth, who was fully God and fully man, was born under the law and lived a perfectly righteous and sinless life (1 John 3:5). This God-man, came into the world to provide salvation to sinners by propitiating (atoning or satisfying) God's wrath on sin (Rom. 3; Heb. 2).Though He was betrayed by one of His disciples, and unjustly tried, imprisoned, and sentenced to death, this was not unknown to Him, for He prophesied about His crucifixion (Matt. 16:21-23). The cross of Christ was an event that demonstrated the glory of God by simultaneously showing His justice and mercy. "The most spectacular display of God's glory is in a bloody instrument of torture because that is where God's goodness was most displayed," (Carson, 115). Not only did Christ know about it beforehand, but He and the other members of the Holy Trinity foreordained it. This was an integral part of God’s plan of redemption. The gospel of Jesus Christ, who lived and died, and was raised and exalted to the right hand of the Father, was the message of redemption and reconciliation that the Old Testament institutions and promises pointed to. The salvation of sinners has now been fulfilled by His substitutionary atonement on the cross. He died, was buried for three days, and conquered death by rising victoriously from the grave (1 Cor. 15:1-4). While His atoning work is finished, Christ lives and intercedes for us now. As was promised, He poured out His Spirit upon the leaders of the church in the first century and that Spirit continues to minister to believers today in a variety of ways.

"Finding all of our supreme joy and contentment in the God who is there, this God who discloses Himself forever and perfectly, inexhaustibly, before His own blood-bought people, means that all of the culture of the new heaven and the new earth will be suffused with shalom, with the well-being, the flourishing, the social peace whose measureless source is the one who sits on the throne, and the Lamb," (Carson, 222). There will soon be a day when Christ shall return to defeat the enemies of His kingdom and bring His people home to rest (1 Thes. 3:11-13; Rev. 19). It shall be a terrific and awesome day when the Lord returns; while His people will be saved from eternal torment, those who are not His will be justly condemned (Rev. 20:11-14) "When the time comes and the Lord Himself swings His sickle, time as we know it will be no more, and judgment will be final... you move into the new heaven and the new earth—or you move into hell itself—and you remain in principle what you are already. If as a Christian you are already seen as righteous in Christ, if you have already been increasingly conformed to the likeness of Christ, you move into a new heaven and a new earth, and righteousness becomes yours..." (Carson, 209-210). Everything finds its fulfillment with God. That which He has made serves its ultimate purpose according to His will. Human beings, in particular, will either be freely justified by faith and reconciled to the Creator, or justly condemned and eternally separated from the Almighty God for denying Him. We will either experience the terror of hell and inherit death for the wages of sin, or positional fulfillment of God's promise to His children; namely, that they will rest in a land of their own in His presence doing what they were made for: worship. "The heavens are the LORD’s heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man. The dead do not praise the LORD, nor do any who go down into silence. But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the LORD!" (Ps. 115:16-18).

Bibliography:
Berkhof, Louis. Systematic Theology: New Combined Edition; Grand Rapids; Eerdmans (1996) p. 221
Carson, D.A. The God Who is There: Finding Your Place in God's Story; Grand Rapids; Baker (2010) pp. 115; 209-210; 222
Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine; Grand Rapids; Zondervan (1995) p. 267
Motyer, J. Alec. "Covenant and Promise"; Evangel: The British Evangelical Review; Vol. 1:1 (1983) p. 2
Packer, J.I. Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs; Wheaton; Tyndale House (1993) p. 22
Vos, Geerhardus. Biblical Theology: Old and New Testament; Banner of Truth (1975) p. 34
The Westminster Confession of Faith. (1646) Chapters I.VI; VIII.VI

All Scripture references are from the ESV (English Standard Version).