Wednesday, March 30, 2016

One, two, three, or more



How many Gospels are there? Again, this blog was inspired by a recent sermon at our Ft Myers church.  In fact, it was the Easter Sunday service.  Again, this blog is my thoughts and reflections on that sermon.  The sermon focused  primarily on two statements made by Paul, one to the Ephesians:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.

And one to the Galatians:
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!

The Galatians were practicing a “different gospel”, one of works, requiring the Gentiles to follow the Jewish laws under the Old Testament Abrahamic covenant, including particularly circumcision.  Paul rebuked them and warned them that if salvation is dependent on observing Jewish laws, it was not by grace, but by works.  And, if it is by works, we are all headed for Hell along with the person preaching it.  The word at the end of Paul’s statement to the Galatians, “curse” is only used 5 times in the New Testament. It can also be translated anathema. One of those times is in 1 Corinthians 16:22:
If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed! Come, Lord !

What happens to the person who does not love the Lord?  Hell

Now most people are thinking, “Well, I don’t believe that or our church does not believe that” or “We don’t preach a different gospel”.  Let’s examine ourselves.  If we teach that God loves us more because of what we do or that if we don’t do “X”, you are not a faithful Christian, we are very close to preaching different gospel, if not there already.  If we act or think that our works make us more pleasing to God or make Him love us more, have we not added a works requirement.  If anything is added to the Gospel of Grace, it is no longer a Gospel of Grace.
Some believe that baptism is necessary to wash away sins or is required in order to insure salvation, thereby, salvation by works.  What about tithing?  Many believe or require tithing.  Tithing was mandated in the Old Testament law.  In fact, it’s requirement post-dates circumcision. The Galatians required that the Gentiles be circumcised.  Paul tells them if they do that, they are then “debtor(s) to do the whole law”.  Requiring tithing is part of the same law that required circumcision.  If tithing is required, something has been added.  It was and is part of the Old Covenant.

Are there other areas that we practice different gospel?  Some teach, in effect, that there is a pre-Pentecost gospel, a post-Pentecost apostolic gospel and a post apostolic gospel.  How do I say this?  Is the gospel preached by the twelve apostles and the Seventy, while Jesus was on earth, the same as the gospel that the apostles and evangelist preached after Pentecost?  Is there a third gospel preached after the apostolic period.  In spite of their denial, in essence, this is what is taught in many churches today. 

When Jesus sent out the 12 in Luke 9, Luke records”
“Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick…. So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.”


When Jesus sent out the 72 in Luke 10, He said:
“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. …. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, The kingdom of God has come near to you…I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”

Just prior to His ascension, Jesus charged those present at His ascension:
"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

What had Jesus taught them?  What had He commanded them?  What was the gospel Jesus taught?  What gospel did they preach in the early church in Acts?  What gospel did they practice in Acts?  What happened when they preached that gospel? 
They went forth , and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following .

Did God stop “confirming His Word”?  Or is it that we are preaching different gospel?

Paul instructed Timothy:

Then Paul charged Timothy:

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

There are many who believe, teach and/or act as if the gifts and manifestations of God ceased when the apostolic period ended.  How foolish to think that the gospel that Jesus charged the 12 and the 72, somehow, somewhere, sometime, changed when the last apostle died. 

These same people use Jesus’ words to the 72:
“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

to send out missionaries, but ignore, or worse deny the remainder of Jesus’ charge:

Heal the sick who are there and tell them, the kingdom of God has come near to you…I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”

 Sounds like different gospel to me!

Does that mean that these people are cursed like the Galatians preaching a false gospel?  I hope not and think not.  The “different gospel” of the Galatians was false in that it taught a “works” gospel as a means to salvation.  The “different gospel” that I hear too often today, is not a “works” gospel.  It is an “incomplete gospel” Today’s “gospel” means something different than the “true gospel.  Call it a “diminished gospel”.  The “means” to  the gospel is still faith; but the “gospel” has taken on a different or diminished meaning. I personally know many brothers and sisters in Christ, who truly love the Lord, who are saved; but, who have short changed God’s grace in their beliefs regarding the totality of what Christ purchased for us on the cross.  In doing so they are diminishing the goodness and grace offered to the body and to the lost.  The author of Romans asks the reader:

“do you despise the riches of His kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”


By diminishing the accomplishments of Christ’s atonement that are available to use through faith, we are a stumbling block to the body; but, more so to the lost.  In a few weeks we will celebrate Pentecost; when Christ poured out on His body, the church, the Holy Spirit, filling the body with His power.  The word used for “power” in Acts 1:8 is in Greek, “dunamis”.  It’s is the word from which we get the word dynamite.  The Holy Spirit fills the body of Christ with dynamite power, miraculous power, abundant power, mighty power.  He did it on Pentecost and still does it today! It’s still available.  We, the body of Christ, need to use it.  Instead, we are walking around like we have a fire cracker, rather than a stick of dynamite.  Will we have to give account of our misuse, disuse, and diminishment of the gifts given to the church?  I think so! Jesus said to the religious leaders of His day:


May we pray that it is never said of us.  May Christ never say in reference to your church, my church, His church:


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