Author: petebeck3

Pete Beck III ministered as a pastor and Bible teacher in Burlington for over 34 years. He is married to Martha, with whom he has four children, ten beautiful grandchildren, and four amazing great grandchildren. He ministers in his local church as a Bible teacher and counselor. He has published two books - Seeing God's Smile and Promise of the Father - as well as a wide variety of Bible-related articles which he has compiled into books in PDF form.

Chapter 86: The Binding and Loosing Authority of the Church

God has given to the church authority for binding and loosing. The Greek word that is translated “church” in the New Testament is “Ekklesia.” The Greeks understood this was a community that set policy and determined governance. New Testament translators usually use the words “congregation” and “community” as proper English words to communicate its meaning. It certainly did not mean a hierarchically structured organization with vast land holdings and wealth, which is the direction things went after Emperor Constantine.

The modern conservative church has trended toward becoming insulated from society, being a kind of enclave or doctrinal fortress to which people are invited to enter. The liberal church, on the other hand, lost its identity in the pursuit of becoming like the world. This brings us to what some call the missional church, which is doctrinally conservative and sees itself as sent to the world to fulfill the Great Commission. It views itself as a training center for developing disciples or followers of Christ and as an “apostolic” sending agency to send those disciples out into the world to gain converts in whom they will reproduce themselves.

All members of a missional church are taught to see themselves as agents of change in their own families and areas of influence, especially those who have children. A small percentage will be called to the “religious” sector of society as church ministers and leaders. Most of the members of missional churches will understand themselves as sent to become engaged in all sorts of secular arenas, including education, government, business, media, and the arts. They seek to allow their “light to shine” in their communities, clubs, at the gym, at work, or wherever they interact with others.

No matter which area of society we are called to serve, our role remains the same – to be Christ’s representatives and wield influence for the kingdom of God.

Our Lord told Peter that the church has the power to bind and loose or release.

“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”  Matthew 16:19 (NASB95)

In another place, while speaking about church discipline, our Lord taught…

“Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. 19 “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. 20 “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”  Matthew 18:18–20 (NASB95)

We know that Jesus gave Peter “keys” of authority to unlock the door into God’s kingdom.

“I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”  Matthew 16:18–19 (NASB95)

Jesus did not build his church upon Peter, the little stone, but upon himself, the rock, the chief cornerstone. (Psalm 118:22 and Acts 4:11)

Peter’s confession of faith in the chief cornerstone was the doorway into membership in the church. The key that unlocked the door was the gospel.

Peter was granted the privilege of preaching the gospel first to the Jews gathered in Jerusalem on that first Pentecost. He also unlocked the door to the Gentiles when he preached to Cornelius and his family and friends. Peter mentioned this privilege when he recounted to the leaders in Jerusalem what took place in the house of Cornelius.

After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe.  Acts 15:7 (NASB95)

The preaching of the gospel unlocks the door into the kingdom of God, which the legalistic Jewish leaders had kept locked, according to Jesus.

“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering.”  Luke 11:52 (NASB95)

The preaching of the gospel “looses” or releases captives and sets them free.

Jesus spoke about this when he launched his public ministry at the synagogue in Nazareth by reading from the Isaiah the prophet.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, 19 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”  Luke 4:18–19 (NASB95)

The gospel is an authoritative proclamation that releases the authority of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit to save people and set them free.

Paul said that the gospel liberates or “looses” people from bondages that the Law can never accomplish. (Acts 13:39)

The church is authorized to proclaim the gospel’s power to loose people from sin, sickness, disease, demonic oppression, legalism, addictions, fear, and even death.

As Christ’s representatives, we can heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead; although, I have not personally witnessed the last one. Nevertheless, the Bible says we have such authority to loose.

Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”  John 11:43–44 (NKJV)

We also have authority to bind. Normally, I associate binding with restraining or restricting the devil’s activity.

Jesus told us that before we can liberate someone who is experiencing demonic oppression, we must first bind the “strongman.” Jesus said…

But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. 29 For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.  Matthew 12:28–29 (NLT)

We have Christ’s authority to bind demonic activity which is enforced by the Spirit of God.

Before I expel a demon, I first bind its activity and restrict it from acting in any sort of distracting way. I believe we also have the authority to bind the effects of disease, generational curses, addictions, recurrent sin, etc. based on Christ’s victory over these things.

We are authorized to proclaim that these things were defeated at Calvary and have no right to rule over us any longer.

Here is an example from Paul’s letter to the church in Rome.

For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.  Romans 6:14 (NASB95)

It is very important for us to understand that our authority to bind and loose is linked to what God has already done in heaven.

We bind and loose based on what God has already declared bound and loosed in his Word.

“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”  Matthew 16:19 (NASB95)

Our ability to bind and loose is based on Christ’s victory on the cross and through his resurrection, by which he disarmed the power of Satan, sin, sickness, death, and the flesh.

We also can declare God’s judgments upon the enemy and his representatives.

However, we must make sure that we are led by God’s Spirit when doing so, such as when Paul declared a judgment on Elymas the magician.

But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, 10 and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? 11 “Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord.  Acts 13:8–12 (NASB95)

We also have the authority to declare people’s sins remitted or forgiven through the gospel, as Peter did at Solomon’s portico.

Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.  Acts 3:19–21 (NASB95)

We also have the authority to announce the retention of people’s sins when they refuse the gospel, as Paul did.

Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 “For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles, That You may bring salvation to the end of the earth.’ ” 48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region. 50 But the Jews incited the devout women of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. 51 But they shook off the dust of their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium.  Acts 13:46–51 (NASB95)

God did not make us mediators through whom sins are absolved or retained, as is commonly taught in the Roman Catholic Church regarding priests. Instead, we have the privilege of pronouncing forgiveness to those who accept the gospel and judgment to those who reject it.

ome believe the church is called to rule spiritually over earthly governments by calling them into alignment with God’s kingdom purposes. For example, if a nation, such as ours, promotes abortions, which are murder and a form of child sacrifice to the demons, we should pray that government leaders will repent to adopt laws that conform to God’s kingdom. Whether or not we have authority to bind demonic powers over governments is disputed. Some believe we can do that; while others think that doing so is outside of our domain. What we can agree upon is that we represent Christ and his authority and kingdom here on earth. As such, we can bind and loose as directed by God’s Spirit and authorized in the Bible. Let us continue to pray that God will show us more clearly how we are to use our binding and loosing authority to further God’s kingdom here on earth. May his will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Click here to see all the articles in this series.
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Freedom from the Fear of Pain

The gospel provides us with freedom from the fear of pain.

In this series, I address some of the common fears we all experience and show how the gospel sets us free from them. I have often heard people say that they are not afraid of dying, just of what leads up to it, which often includes pain. Some have a higher tolerance of pain than others, but no one in his or her right mind would choose to experience pain.

Because of this, torture is often used to break people’s wills. In the military, those who go through SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) training are taught how to endure various forms of torture, but they are also told that everyone eventually breaks. The early church experienced awful forms of torture at the hands of Jewish and Roman authorities. Many of them endured those horrors rather than deny their allegiance to the Lord Jesus. None of us knows what pain may be ahead us as individuals, or even as a society, whether it be emotional, physical, or social. When pain comes our way, how will we cope? The Bible gives us hope.

The first thing we need to know is that our Lord willingly endured the excruciating pain of flogging and crucifixion for us. The Romans used this form of torture to remind their subjects of what could happen to those who rebelled against their rule. Public crucifixions were commonplace and served to intimidate the populace. That form of death could normally last for days as the victim slowly and painfully dehydrated and asphyxiated. Jesus warned his followers that serving him would require us to “take up our cross.” Everyone knew what this meant, which tended to “weed out” those who were not serious disciples.

Our Lord encouraged his disciples not to be afraid of those who could harm and kill the body.

I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5  But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! 6  Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7  Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. Luke 12:4-7 (ESV)

Jesus did not avoid the pain issue. Instead, he asks us to face it squarely with trust that God will be with us through every form of suffering.

Jesus found strength through the Holy Spirit to endure his ordeal. In the Garden of Gethsemane, he asked his Father to spare him, if possible, but, knowing the unalterability of his coming sacrificial death, he steeled himself against what lay ahead.

The Bible tells us that God’s grace is sufficient for everything that comes our way, including pain.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)

If we approach pain with the confidence that God’s grace will see us through, it will help us to have the strength in our wills to endure.

It requires faith to persevere without capitulating to fear.

Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance. Hebrews 6:12 (NLT)

Endurance, patience, and perseverance are proved through testing. We cannot have these things without going through difficulties. Consider what James the Lord’s brother wrote to the church in Jerusalem.

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3  For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4  So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2-4 (NLT)

The first Christians were prepared to endure because they expected to suffer for the sake of their faith.

Life back then did not include the great variety of pain numbing drugs we have today. Most people would at some time face physical suffering, perhaps great pain.

Whenever pain and fear come calling, it is an opportunity to trust in God’s grace to keep us.

King David gave us a most glorious truth to hold close.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 (ESV)

God will be with us and in us in every situation up to and including physical death.

Because of that, we are  more than conquerors, according to Paul. (Romans 8:37)

Lastly, the Bible tells us that, when Christ was flogged by the Roman soldiers, he carried our pain.

In other words, not only did he experience pain for our sake, he “carried” it so that it has no power over us.

But he lifted up our illnesses, he carried our pain; even though we thought he was being punished, attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done. Isaiah 53:4 (NET1)

The same Hebrew word that says our Lord carried our sicknesses and pains are used to describe how he bore our sins. If our sins were forgiven by his death as our scapegoat, then so are our diseases healed and our pain assuaged.

We can focus our eyes upon the one who was so unmercifully beaten and find the strength to endure.

Perhaps the pain inflicted on us will lose its sting, since he already carried it on our behalf. We may find that God’s grace will do far more for us than we now imagine. The key is to stay focused on the Lord and the help that will be given to us when we need it.

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9  But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 10  After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. 11  To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:8-11 (NASB)
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Freedom from the Fear of Invalidation

The gospel provides freedom from the fear of invalidation.

Before they disobeyed God and fell from grace, Adam and Eve knew nothing about fear. Afterward, sin began its deadly work of twisting their souls. Where before there had been innocent bliss, afterward they felt guilt, shame, and fear. Whereas before they had openly walked and conversed with God, afterward they hid from him. Before they had simply accepted their identity and security in God; since then all of that came into question. Our first parents were removed from their original home, a judgment was pronounced over them, and a horrendous reaping process began. God’s warning that they would die if they ate the forbidden fruit began to take effect. The first thing that died was their glorious spiritual connection to the Creator, which supplied them with everything they needed for joyful living.

After judgment began, Adam and Eve and all their descendants have had to try to figure out who they were and are apart from God.

Humans began a journey of attempting to “discover themselves,” instead of understanding and embracing their identity and purpose as received from the Creator. When we look inside to find the answer, sadly, we end up being confused and lost.

We can only know who we are in relationship to our Creator.

Invalidation is related to two other fears – rejection and abandonment. These three fears are intertwined and faced by everyone on the earth to one degree or another.

Invalidation is the result of not being properly affirmed, leaving us, depending on our personalities, in some condition of insecurity.

Invalidated parents usually have no idea how to affirm their children, causing a potentially endless repetition of dysfunction. Invalidated individuals tend to be insecure. Often they are desperately looking for others to affirm them, making them vulnerable to those who would use their fears against them. Rejection is what we experience when others do not like or accept some or all of who we are or what we say or do. It may involve some sort of exclusion or shunning. Abandonment is the final stage of invalidation and rejection. Abandoned people are forced to be on their own, alone in life. This article will focus on invalidation. The next one will address rejection and abandonment.

It is easy to see how invalidation is connected to our broken relationship with God.

Unless God himself affirms us, we will never know who we are.

Sin broke our connection with the Creator, leaving us “unplugged” from our proper source of validation. Every other source for affirmation is inferior and unable to satisfy.

The French philosopher Blaise Paschal wrote:

What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself. (Ichthus)

Jesus came into this world without ever having had to experience the results of Adam’s sin. He was not under its curse or judgment, he did not have an innate sin nature, and he was not cut off from his Father. As a result, he had no gaping hole in his soul crying out for validation. Nevertheless, his Father wonderfully validated him at the beginning of his public ministry for all to hear and see, which is what all good fathers do.

...a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” Matthew 17:5 (NLT)

Here Father God shows us what it looks like to properly validate a person. He made known to his Son and to all of us who would later put our faith in Christ what it means to be a child of God. Below is an explanation.

  1. Dearly loved son. The essence of validation is to be loved for no other reason than we are a child of the Father. (1 John 3:1) Children are meant to experience unconditional love. We are invalidated when that love is withheld or conditioned upon our earning or keeping it in some fashion or another. Because of sin, apart from Christ, none of us is ever “good enough” to deserve God’s love. We know in the depths of our souls that we deserve to be excluded, but the gospel undoes the lethal effects of sin and opens the door for us to receive supreme validation from our Father. Every person needs to hear God speak these words into his or her heart, just as Jesus heard them. When you read these words in the Bible, ask the Holy Spirit to minister them to you personally.
  2. Brings me great joy. This part of validation affirms that we are delighted in not only for simply being a son or daughter, but also because we bring joy and pleasure to the Father’s heart. It is one thing to be loved in spite of our faults and sins, but quite another to actively create joy in the beholder. Another way to put this is that God not only loves us: he likes us! It is extremely invalidating to find out we are loved because we are in the family but not liked at all. God likes us not because we deserve it, but because Jesus earned God’s approval for us. His Spirit resides in every believer, joined to our own spirits. How can God not like us? Every child of God needs to hear that he or she is well-pleasing from Father God in order to experience validation.
  3. Listen to him. This final part of validation tells us that we are significant. We are not some sort of trophy of grace to be set on a shelf and observed, but has no real function. We have been given an important part to play in God’s plan and have something important to say. We are highly regarded by God and should be by those who know and love the truth. Many of those people who experience the first two aspects of validation, do not receive this part. God wants every child of his to know how important he or she is to the work of the kingdom and to engage in that work.

Invalidated people struggle with feeling loved, appreciated, and significant. It is hard for them to fulfill their callings from God because of the hole in their souls.

In order to experience remediation, one of the most important things we can do is approach God the Father and ask him to minister his loving words of validation to us personally. A good place to start is by meditating upon the verse quoted above, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to us at a heart level their meaning.

Here is another great verse to consider.

No man has ever seen God at any time; the only unique Son, or the only begotten God, Who is in the bosom [in the intimate presence] of the Father, He has declared Him [He has revealed Him and brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known]. John 1:18 (AMP)

Jesus alone truly knows the Father, and he came to make him known to us.

“My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Matthew 11:27 (NLT)

Jesus died on the cross and rose again to enable us to enter into a relationship with his Father.

He wants us to know the Father’s love, and he will reveal the Father to all who ask him. (Matthew 7:7) Knowing the Father is eternal life and completely validating (John 17:3). Once we know him, it is our privilege to come boldly and confidently into his presence on a regular basis to spend time with him, talk to him, and listen to what he has to say. (Ephesians 3:12) We also have the life-transforming privilege of reading and meditating on his Word. Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit is the one who teaches us and reveals to us the meaning of God’s words, applying them to our hearts so that we can know, believe, and receive all the benefits. (John 14:26)

In order to overcome the fear of invalidation, we must first come to God, the only real source of validation, through believing the gospel.

If we confess our sin of rebellion and insubordination, trusting Christ to forgive us, and declare allegiance to the resurrected and reigning Lord of lords, we will be saved. (Romans 10:9-10) Then we can allow the Spirit of God to do his validating work in our lives, setting us free from the residue of lies that invaded and entrenched themselves in our hearts and minds when we were lost and separated from God’s truth.

Knowing that we are sons and daughters of the Creator God will set us free to overcome the related fears of rejection and abandonment that plague the souls of so many. I will cover those fears in the next article. In the meantime, consider the following.

But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5  God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. 6  And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” 7  Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. Galatians 4:4-7 (NLT)
Prayer

Father God, I now realize that you are the only one who can fill the hole in my soul. Thank you for sending your only son to make the only way for me to be reconciled to you. I confess my sin of going my own way. I thank you for forgiving me and setting me free. I confess that Jesus is risen from the dead, and I surrender to his lordship. Holy Spirit, thank you for coming into my life. I ask you to fill me up and teach me everything I need to know about God and his Word. I give myself to you. Use me as you see fit to help others and spread the Good News. Amen.

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Freedom from Fear of Shame and Judgment

 

The gospel provides freedom from guilt and shame and the fear judgment.

When Adam and Eve sinned, they immediately realized for the very first time that they were naked. Many have theorized that perhaps they had been covered previously with God’s glory, which hid their nakedness, but that is conjecture. It is more likely that sin changed them on the inside, introducing a brand new experience into their souls – guilt, shame, and fear. Sin opened their eyes to their new condition, which made them afraid of God and provoked them to hide. (Genesis 3:7-10) All people, whose consciences still work and who have not been thoroughly deceived, are aware of their guilt and shame before God, to one degree or another, which produces in us a fear of judgment.

We know we are guilty before God and dread facing him.

People try to get around guilt and shame by denying their existence. Many insist that laws and social mores are man-made constructs, which can be dispensed with and need not control our lives. Why should sex be limited to one person who is our lawful spouse? Who said that drunkenness and drug abuse is wrong? We should be free to do as we please, right? Who said that homosexuality and transgenderism is wrong? The thinking is that if we can eliminate the commandment, we can eliminate the guilt and shame, but this is wrong thinking.

The Bible says that God is the one who gets to define what sin is, and it is impossible to avoid the consequences of sin.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NLT)

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. Galatians 6:7 (NASB95)

However, there is such a thing as false guilt and false shame. When children are abused by adults, many times they are told that it was their fault that it happened. They are shamed into silence. They are told that bad things will happen if they reveal the abuse. Fear motivates them to keep it all to themselves with devastating results. Many adults carry a sense of guilt and shame into adulthood as a result of having been abused as a child, something over which they had no control. Lies are planted in the hearts of abuse victims, which hold them captive until God’s truth sets us free.

But there is also a real guilt and shame that no amount of deception and manipulation can erase.

This is because God is real and is our judge who will hold us all accountable to him and his laws. It is because sin is real, whether we believe it or not. Truth will always prevail over deception in the end. When we at last stand before Christ’s judgment seat, every lie will be swept away, and we will stand stark and exposed before the One who sees and knows all. (Hebrews 4:13) If we have not found the only way of escape, we will receive the death sentence that our sin has earned.

The gospel reveals that God has provided a way out for us by freeing us from real guilt and shame and fear of judgment.

The gospel is free to those who believe and receive it, but came at great cost to God. When Jesus submitted himself to die on the cross, the Bible says that all our guilt and shame came upon him. 

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

Because Jesus absorbed God’s wrath against sin, we can experience freedom from God’s judgment against sin.

This means that we can experience the following benefits.

  • Forgiveness – God will release us from the debt our sin incurred against God’s justice.
  • Justification – God will acquit us, declaring us to be not guilty in the courtroom of heaven, just as if we had never sinned. Instead Jesus’ perfect right standing with God will be given to us as a free gift. This is much greater than mere forgiveness, as you can see.
  • Redemption – Through Christ’s death and resurrection, we are released from all that previously held us captive, which includes shame.
  • Reconciliation – Not only are we forgiven and acquitted; God welcomes us into his circle of intimate friends.
  • Sonship – Not only are we God’s friends, he makes us sons and daughters, who have full rights, privileges, and authority in Christ.

Far from being under the thumb of guilt and shame, those who believe the gospel and pledge their allegiance to Christ are elevated to the highest honor and blessings.

When that day finally arrives when all shall stand before Christ’s judgment seat, we have been assured by the Judge himself that we will not be condemned.

I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. John 5:24 (NLT)

Paul restated this glorious truth in his letter to the church in Rome.

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 (NLT)

In another letter he said it a slightly different way.

For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. 10  Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. 11  So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 (NLT)

The apostle John wrote about this freedom from the fear of judgment, too.

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17  And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18  Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 1 John 4:16-18 (NLT)

The more revelation we receive of God’s love for us, the greater our experience of deliverance from guilt, shame, and fear, and the more our appreciation grows for the One who died to make all of this possible.

We will be motivated to serve him from the heart with a desire to bring him joy and glory. Who would not choose to serve such a God?

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Freedom from Fear of Powerlessness and the Loss of Autonomy

The gospel promises freedom from the fear of powerlessness and a lack of autonomy.

These two fears seemed to be behind Adam’s and Eve’s choice to rebel against God. Satan promised our first parents that they could become autonomous beings who were like God, knowing good and evil for themselves. They would no longer need to depend on God. They would be able to figure life out for themselves. Pride was behind this desire, but so was the fear that they were going to miss out on something really good if they kept obeying God. Pride wants us to be in control. It wants to be “good enough,” or even better than, maybe even the best there is. Pride wants to be self-sufficient and self-directed – autonomous. It fears losing these things. The opposite of autonomy is slavery, which is rooted in powerlessness. We generally fear and resent being unable to defend ourselves or make our own choices. This fear drives a lot of our choices and decisions in life.

The fear of losing our freedom inhibits some of us from responding positively to the gospel.

When presented with the gospel, many people say they are not yet ready because they still want to have fun. We are not ready to “give up” all the things that bring us pleasure because we are afraid God will take them away. We are afraid of losing our autonomy. We do not want to submit our wills to someone else, whose name is Jesus. This reveals that we believe we know what is best for us and that God is a “kill joy,” who wants to deprive us of what brings joy and fulfillment. Isn’t this exactly the same lie believed by Adam and Eve? Didn’t Satan tell them that God knew that eating the fruit of the tree of good and evil would bring them delight of which God wished to deprive them?

"God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” 6  The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. Genesis 3:5-6 (NLT)

The fruit they ate did open their eyes, but not the way they expected. Instead of making them “like God,” they became like Satan.

Autonomy proved to be a very bad road that took them off a cliff into the abyss of sin, death, and separation from God.

This is where the gospel comes to the rescue. The prophet Isaiah wrote centuries before our Lord Jesus was born.

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all. Isaiah 53:6 (NLT)

Jesus, the eternal Word of God who became a human being (John 1:14), demonstrated what it looked like to live as God originally intended.

So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. John 5:19 (NLT)

He was a new “Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45), the progenitor of a new race of humans through the new birth, who would be able to experience the freedom of living in subjection to God’s will and authority, rather than going the autonomous route.

God created us to be dependent beings who would experience the freedom of a shared life with him.

Jesus taught us that if we “lose our lives” in surrender to God, we will actually “find them” and experience what he called the “abundant life.”

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24  If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. Luke 9:23-24 (NLT) 

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. John 10:10 (NLT)

It takes faith to believe that, if we surrender our lives to Jesus, we will actually preserve them. It takes faith to believe that God’s will for our lives will bring more fulfillment and joy than doing it “our way.”

The fundamental sin of mankind is rebellion against God’s rule. The gospel calls us to surrender to the King and in so doing find freedom and joy.

Repentance is the act of turning away from our self-directed autonomous lifestyle and trusting that serving the Lord will fulfill us and bring him glory. In fact, if we prioritize bringing glory to God, joy will will always follow. The two are inseparable.

We can properly respond to the gospel if we overcome the fear of the loss of autonomy. We can abandon the illusion of having power over our lives and submit to the one who is truly sovereign. When we embrace our weakness, then we will be strong.

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10  That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NLT)

The gospel is counterintuitive. Everything in us wants to cling to being in control and strong. The gospel reveals that all this is a deadly lie.

The only way to experience abundant life is by relinquishing control and embracing our need for God.

By faith we surrender to the one who loves us beyond comprehension, who only wants the best for us, who gives us abundant life, and who makes us strong in the power of his might.

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15  the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18  And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3:14-19 (NLT)

 

Prayer

Jesus, like Adam and Eve, I fell for the lie that I could be best served by living a self-directed life. Please forgive my rebellion against your rule. I now surrender my life to you, Jesus. You are my Lord. Thank you for dying for my sins and rising again as Lord and King. Come, Holy Spirit, fill me to overflowing. Live through me. Help me to devote the rest of my days to experiencing the shared life you promise. I am tired of going it alone. I need you every moment. Help me to tell others about this great invitation to true happiness and fulfillment called the gospel. Amen

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The Gospel Frees Us from Fear – Introduction

The gospel frees us from fear.

Fear terrorizes countless people. There is a proper kind of fear and an entirely different sort that torments. The fear of God is positive and motivates us to turn away from evil and run toward God. Here is what Jesus said about the fear of God.

Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. 5  But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear. Luke 12:4-5 (NLT)

The Bible teaches us that the fear of God is the basis of wisdom.

Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever! Psalm 111:10 (NLT)

God is to be feared because he is our Creator. He sustains all life, and he will ultimately hold us accountable for how we lived our lives, judge us, and assign us to our eternal destinies.

The Bible teaches us that his justice will not be circumvented. We will all reap the consequences of our actions. (Galatians 6:7)

The gospel, however, reveals the good news that, although God wants us to properly fear and respect him, he has chosen to relate to us on the basis of a compassionate fatherly love, if we will accept the offer to be reconciled to him through faith in his Son, Jesus the Messiah.

Those who come to Christ can experience what it means to be set free from the kind of fear that torments people. 

We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 1 John 4:16–18 (NASB95)

Tormenting fear can be broken down into the following categories.

  • Fear of powerlessness and the loss of autonomy
  • Fear of shame and judgment
  • Fear of invalidation, rejection, and abandonment
  • Fear of pain and death
  • Fear of the unknown

In the articles that follow, I will show from the scriptures how the gospel sets us free from each of these tormenting fears that we may experience what it means to love and joyfully serve God and others from the heart.

For now, let’s close with the following foundational promise.

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)
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Anatomy of a Gospel Presentation: Driving It Home

In my previous article, I detailed how to use the New Testament record of the life and ministry of Jesus to explain how he fulfilled Old Covenant messianic promises and prophecies. The New Testament fills in our picture of the Messiah, providing amazing richness and clarity. The Gospel presents Jesus the Messiah King, who died for our sins and rose again in power, and who will return some day to judge the nations and rule over God’s kingdom forever.

In this article, I will suggest ways we can drive home this message to our hearers in a way that can provoke a proper response.

Once again, I am using Paul’s Gospel message that he delivered in Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:14-41) for a model of how we can present it. I will also refer to Peter’s presentation on Pentecost (Acts 2:14-41) , another excellent example. As I mentioned before, there are a great variety of ways to share the Gospel, as can be seen when we examine the different times it was shared in the Book of Acts. Nevertheless, there is a basic pattern that should be followed, if we are going to present a complete gospel and not an inferior “Gospel Lite.” I admit that some situations do not provide the time to be thorough, but, when we do have the opportunity, we should take advantage of it.

We never want to give people an excuse to reject the Gospel because we presented it inadequately.

We do not want inoculate people against the Gospel by giving them a small dose that enables the hearers to “wall off” future presentations, thinking that they have already heard it all. It took multiple chapters for each Gospel writer to present the story of Jesus. We cannot possibly do it in four bullet points. Jesus is much more than a bridge back to God. He is the reigning Lord of Lords.

The Gospel is a presentation of God’s Messiah King, not a set of steps to keep us out of hell.

The Passion and Crucifixion

The heart of the Gospel is our Lord’s passion, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit baptism on Pentecost, which launched the church’s apostolic ministry. Each Gospel writer gave us the most important details of this part of Jesus’ time on earth because in it we find the core of the Gospel message.

Just as a magnifying glass can focus sunlight into a single brilliant point that has the ability to ignite what it touches, the Gospel brings the Old Covenant context and New Covenant explanation into a fiery focus at the crucifixion.

Jesus, the promised Messiah, was put to death unjustly in order to ransom us back to God!

"Brethren, sons of Abraham's family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. 27  "For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him. 28  "And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they asked Pilate that He be executed. 29  "When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. Acts 13:26-29 (NASB)

Jesus’ agony in the Garden of Gethsemane revealed that he laid down his life primarily to please his Father and secondarily for our sake; although, the two are inextricably linked. Jesus demonstrated his amazing love by voluntarily laying down his life for the church – for us. But more than that – if we really want to drive our message home as Paul did – we must emphasize that he not only died for us, but because of us. It was our sin and rebelliousness that he took upon himself so that we can share in his right relationship with God the Father.

Peter powerfully presented our guilt on that first New Covenant Pentecost.

"Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— 23  this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. Acts 2:22-23 (NASB)

It is vital that people understand the magnitude of the evil committed by those (us) who put God’s Son to death!

The Holy Spirit can and can take this important truth and use it to break our hearts and elicit repentance. We should also explain that Christ’s sacrificial death is the sole reason for Father God’s offer of forgiveness and reconciliation.

This is the part of the Gospel that almost everyone presents, and it is vital, but it is not the end all. The Lamb of God ministry of Christ is a means to an end. Jesus died so that he might rise again in power and glory in order to enter into his Son of God / Son of Man Messianic King ministry. We should not curtail our Gospel presentation with the offer to receive forgiveness of sins. This trends toward being a consumerist Gospel that draws people to simply receive without any “strings attached.” It sounds wonderful, but it is not the full Gospel. Jesus did not die so that we can be forgiven and then do whatever we please. God’s purpose in saving us is to glorify himself by producing a multitude of sons (and daughters) who will reflect Christ’s character and ministry. Surrender to Christ’s Lordship is a very important “string” that we must trumpet thunderously, if we are doing to present to real Gospel.

Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2  which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3  concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, 4  who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5  through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name's sake, 6  among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; Romans 1:1-6 (NASB)
The Resurrection

If the Gospel were a musical symphony, the beginning would be a sonata-like lively presentation of the Old Covenant promises explained in the light of Christ’s birth and ministry, the focus of my first two articles in this series. The crucifixion would be a slow, somber adagio-like section, followed by a thunderous and lively allegro section that focuses on the resurrection. The finale would be a triumphant section that includes the giving of the Great Commission, the ascension, and the outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost, with the promise of his coming back as judge of the living and the dead.

The resurrection turned what looked like a horribly disappointing and disillusioning tragedy into a rousing victory celebration beyond our wildest dreams.

Let’s see how Paul and Peter constructed their resurrection portion of their message. First we have Paul at Pisidian Antioch.

"But God raised Him from the dead; 31  and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people. 32  "And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, 33  that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, 'YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.' 34  "As for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: 'I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY and SURE blessings OF DAVID.' 35  "Therefore He also says in another Psalm, 'YOU WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.' 36  "For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay; 37  but He whom God raised did not undergo decay. 38  "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39  and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses. Acts 13:30-39 (NASB)

Please take a few minutes to think deeply about these verses. Next let’s take a look at Peter’s presentation in Jerusalem on Pentecost.

"But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. 25  "For David says of Him, 'I SAW THE LORD ALWAYS IN MY PRESENCE; FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, SO THAT I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN. 26  'THEREFORE MY HEART WAS GLAD AND MY TONGUE EXULTED; MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL LIVE IN HOPE; 27  BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY. 28  'YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE; YOU WILL MAKE ME FULL OF GLADNESS WITH YOUR PRESENCE.' 29  "Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30  "And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, 31  he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY. 32  "This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Acts 2:24-32 (NASB)

The resurrection affirms that our sins are forgiven because it proves that God the Father approved and received his sacrificial atonement for our sins.

It also confirms that not only is Jesus God’s Lamb, he is God’s Messiah King, the Lord of lords, the glorious Son of Man prophesied by Daniel. Paul succinctly stated the import of the resurrection.

Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 23  Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, 24  but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25  He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification. Romans 4:22-25 (NASB) 
Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2  which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3  concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, 4  who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, Romans 1:1-4 (NASB)
The Ascension

Many Gospel presentations do not even include Christ’s ascension into heaven and the outpouring of the Spirit, which shows how far from God’s pattern we have strayed.

The ascension of Christ further demonstrated that God the Father fully accepted the sacrificial death of his Son and installed him as the currently reigning and one-day coming again Lord and Judge of all the earth.

"Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. 34  "For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: 'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, 35  UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET."' 36  "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified." Acts 2:33-36 (NASB)

The ascension marks Christ’s installment on the throne of heaven where he reigns until his enemies are finally defeated and he returns in glory to the earth he created and redeemed.

It also marks the outpouring of the promised Holy Spirit, which fulfilled the last part of the ministry that John the Baptist prophesied – Baptizer in the Spirit. (You can read more about John the Baptist’s prophecies concerning Jesus by clicking here.)

The giving of the Spirit provides believers with another benefit and requirement. The baptism in the Spirit equips and empowers us to obey Christ by being his witnesses in fulfillment of the Great Commission. (Acts 1:8)

Calling for a Proper Response

As any good salesman knows, the closing is critical. A great presentation means nothing without a sale.

We should never try to coerce or manipulate our hearers into a response, but we should give them a reason and opportunity to make one.

The proper reaction to the Gospel should be a sense of shock, sorrow, and amazement, coupled by a desire to get right with God.

The proper response is a combination of repentance, faith, and surrender.

We err greatly If we fail to convey the magnitude of the sin of rejecting and crucifying God’s Son. We fail our hearers if we do not emphasize that surrender to Christ’s glorious lordship is central to the Gospel. If we omit the necessity of a life of obedience to this amazing Good Shepherd and Lord, we seriously damage a person’s chances to live in a way that brings the utmost glory to God.

Paul asked his hearers to “take heed” to his message, lest they be lumped among those whose hearts were hardened against God.

"Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon you: 41  'BEHOLD, YOU SCOFFERS, AND MARVEL, AND PERISH; FOR I AM ACCOMPLISHING A WORK IN YOUR DAYS, A WORK WHICH YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE, THOUGH SOMEONE SHOULD DESCRIBE IT TO YOU.'" Acts 13:40-41 (NASB)

Peter’s hearers on Pentecost were gripped by his Gospel presentation. When he announced that the one they crucified has been made the Lord of lords, they responded accordingly.

Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" Acts 2:37 (NASB)

Such a response is music in the preacher’s ears and glorifying to God. It is evidence of the activity of God’s Spirit following a convincing presentation of the Gospel. Those who heard Peter understood his message, their guilt, and the need to get right with God. Peter gave them a clear path to accomplish this.

Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39  "For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." Acts 2:38-39 (NASB)
  • Repent – The Spirit works in us to convict us of our root sin of trying to be the lord of our own lives. True repentance takes place when we acknowledge our sins, turn away from them, ask for and receive forgiveness, and surrender to Christ’s lordship. Faith is required for us to repent. We are not simply sorry for our sins. Rather we receive God’s amazing provision for us in Christ and commit to a lifetime of service to his Lordship.
  • Be Water Baptized – Water baptism is a public demonstration of our repentance, faith, surrender to Christ, and our commitment to serve him for the rest of our lives.
  • Receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit – This equips Christ’s followers to fulfill the Great Commission. For more information on this, click here. We cannot adequately serve the Lord of the harvest without it.
Conclusion

My hope is that these three articles on the Anatomy of the Gospel have expanded and deepened your understanding of the Gospel and helped you see how important it is to share it thoroughly. According to Paul, the Gospel is the “power of God to salvation.” (Romans 1:16) Perhaps the reason we do not see more power released to save people is because we are not properly presenting the Gospel. Let’s see what God will do when we better trumpet the most powerful message in the world.

Click here to read more articles about the gospel.

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Anatomy of a Gospel Presentation: Providing a New Covenant Explanation

In my previous article, I showed how important it is to frame a Gospel presentation against the backdrop of God’s Old Covenant promises and history with the nation of Israel. I believe that the Gospel is somewhat unintelligible without knowing something about the Old Covenant promises that God would send a Messiah. Jesus is not a New Age guru who offers a path to personal peace. Rather he is the promised King of Kings who will rule the nations.

There are as many ways to present the Gospel as there are unique individuals and situations, but there is a pattern that God wants us to follow in order to preach the Gospel as the early disciples did. Paul wrote that the fully preached Gospel is the power of God to bring salvation to its hearers. Let’s not shortchange people!

In this series of articles, I am examining how Paul presented the Gospel when he was at Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:14-41). He was an apostle commissioned by God not only to go to the nations with the Gospel message, but also to establish the foundations of doctrine for the church. Luke’s account in Acts of Paul’s Gospel message is profitable for establishing our doctrinal understanding of the Gospel.

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17  so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NASB)

Paul used the ministry of John the Baptist as his launching point for providing a New Covenant explanation of how Jesus fulfilled Old Covenant messianic promises. John was the forerunner, the emcee, so to speak, who announced to the world who Jesus was and is. The people of Israel were in a state of high expectation regarding the appearance of God’s promised Messiah. Many thought it might be John, but he relieved them of that misunderstanding, declaring that the anointed one was coming and was now in their midst. (Luke 3:15-17) Can you imagine the level of excitement and anticipation that filled John and his followers?

As I wrote in another series of articles, John announced Jesus’ four messianic roles: Lamb of God (Savior), Son of God (Messianic King and Lord), Baptizer in the Holy Spirit (Lord of the Harvest), and Son of Man, the coming glorious judge of the living and the dead. The New Covenant account of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection fulfilled John’s prophecies. His death on the cross was a complete fulfillment of Passover and the Lamb of God ministry. His resurrection from the dead confirmed Jesus as the Lord. His ascension into heaven followed by the outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost fulfilled his Baptizer in the Spirit role with the church. The Son of Man role will be seen at his Second Coming.

The four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) provide an enormous amount of detail regarding Jesus’ life and ministry before he died for our sins and was raised for our justification. Peter summarized Jesus’ ministry better than most.

“You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38 (NASB)

What Peter’s hearers probably understood that we likely should clarify is that Jesus’ ministry fulfilled Isaiah’s messianic prophesies, confirming our Lord’s identity to all who had eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to understand. John the Baptist once again provides a hook for explaining this to our hearers. When John languished in prison, he had a lot of time to think and perhaps doubt. He might have been discouraged, and discouraged people tend to doubt. He sent some of his followers to Jesus to question him about his identity.

Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3  and said to Him, "Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?" 4  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5  the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. 6  "And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me." Matthew 11:2-6 (NASB)

The common expectation among the Jews was that the Messiah would lead them to a military and political victory over their Roman oppressors. Jesus obviously did not fulfill that expectation, leading to John’s and others’ doubts. Jesus’ reply cleared the air. He did not come the first time as the victorious leader of the armies of God. Rather, he came as the Suffering Servant to reveal God’s compassionate heart for the hurting and oppressed. (His Second Coming will fulfill the military and political side of things.)

When Jesus quoted Isaiah 35:1-10 in the above passage, he provided a New Covenant explanation and clarification of an Old Covenant messianic promise.

We should do the same for our hearers. I suggest you read Isaiah 35 in its entirety and consider how Jesus fulfilled it.

As part of providing a proper New Covenant explanation of Old Covenant messianic promises, we can show how Jesus fulfilled God’s promise to Abraham to raise up a descendant who would become a blessing to the entire earth.

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ. Galatians 3:16 (NASB)

We can show how Jesus fulfilled God’s promise to King David that he would raise up one of his descendants to rule over God’s kingdom forever.

"Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30  "And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, 31  he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY. 32  "This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. 33  "Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. 34  "For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: 'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, 35  UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET."' 36  "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified." Acts 2:29-36 (NASB)

We can share how Jesus fulfilled Moses’ announcement that God would raise up another prophet like himself.

"Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20  and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21  whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. 22  "Moses said, 'THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you. 23  'And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.' 24  "And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. 25  "It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.' 26  "For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways." Acts 3:19-26 (NASB)

The important thing is to help our listeners tie Jesus to Old Covenant because all scripture ultimately talks about Jesus.

Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." 45  Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, Luke 24:44-45 (NASB)

The Bible is a grand story that provides the only true explanation of creation, life, and redemption. The Gospel is the only story that gives people real hope and purpose. We dare not truncate it into a brief explanation of how Jesus bridged the gulf between us and God created by our sins. We should not present Jesus as a free ticket to heaven with no strings attached. This is not how the New Testament does it, and I will show you how the early apostles drove this home in the next article.

If we fail to adequately present the Gospel, we run the risk of inadvertently inoculating our hearers against it.

If they hear a weak version, they may reject it without ever properly considering Jesus’ messianic claims. Let’s not give people that excuse. Let’s present the full gospel every time.

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Anatomy of a Gospel Presentation: Old Testament Context

The good news about Jesus only makes sense in the context of Old Testament promises.

When we present the gospel, it is a good idea to give our hearer with some understanding of creation, the fall, and various Messianic promises. Then we can show that Jesus came as the fulfillment of those promises to rescue us from the catastrophe of sin.

Paul introduced his letter to the church in Rome with such an overview.

This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. 2  God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. 3  The Good News is about his Son, Jesus. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, 4  and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. 5  Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. Romans 1:1-5 (NLT)

One of the best ways to study the key components of a good Gospel presentation is to examine how the first apostles preached.

Due to attempts to streamline and mass market evangelism, we sometimes reduce the Gospel to a simple presentation of what some call the “plan of salvation,” or The Four Spiritual Laws, or perhaps the Roman Road. None of these are “bad,” and many people have come to faith using these. However, such short versions cannot possibly contain the full story.

The Gospel is a magnificent presentation of Jesus, the eternal Son of God, the Logos, the Son of Man, the Messiah King, Lamb of God and Baptizer in the Holy Spirit. When we reduce the Gospel to a mere explanation of how our sins can be forgiven, we short change our hearer.

When Paul preached to the synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia in Acts Chapter 13, he laid out a classic presentation of the Gospel. Let’s take it apart to view its critical parts.

After being asked to share a word of encouragement with the congregation, Paul began his speech by reviewing the history of God’s dealings with Israel. Paul began with the Exodus from Egypt and then mentioned how God gave them the Promised Land, raised up judges, and then gave them kings, specifically Saul and David. Paul’s goal was to get to David, because to this godly man God promised to raise up the Messiah.

And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ 23 Of this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. Acts 13:22-23 (ESV)

Since he spoke to Jews, he presumed they fully understood this claim and needed no Scripture reference. When we share the Gospel, however, most of our listeners will need to hear the relevant verse or passage. The following will do nicely.

“When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 2 Samuel 7:12-13 (NASB)

This passage is acknowledged to be a Messianic promise. David’s son, Solomon, despite being a great and glorious king, eventually died. Neither he nor his kingdom endured forever. Therefore, in order for this promise to be fulfilled, another king had to arise, one whose kingdom will never end. Only one person fills the bill – Jesus, the glorious Son of Man, whose kingdom will destroy every other and endure forever! (Daniel 7:13-14)

Paul used the Old Testament historical context to show how Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel.

Other verses can be used, too, such as God’s promise to Abraham that in his seed all the earth will be blessed (Genesis 22:18) or his promise to Moses that God will raise up a prophet like him to whom the nation will be accountable (Acts 3:22).

Each Gospel writer starts at a different place. Matthew begins with Abraham. Mark starts with a prophecy of Isaiah. Luke launches with an account of the births of John the Baptist and Jesus before giving us Jesus’ genealogy all the way back to Adam. John hits a home run by taking us all the way back to creation by the eternal Logos, who became a human being named Jesus!

Each Gospel narrative uses historical context to inform the reader who Jesus is.

These writings are called Gospels because that is just what they are. We should learn from how they present Jesus. Any disciple of Jesus, who wants to be able to share a strong biblical version of the Gospel, should familiarize himself or herself with the Old Covenant scriptural context of the good news about Jesus in order to properly show how our Lord came as the fulfillment of God’s specific promises to provide us with a Savior and Messiah King. Gospel “lite” is not Gospel right.

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The Gospel: A Race for a Prize

The gospel is an invitation to begin a lifelong journey of obedience to the Lord. It can also be thought of as a race for a prize.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4  and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5  And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. 1 Peter 1:3-5 (NLT)

The first apostles preached a gospel of hope. The biblical definition of hope is a confident expectation that God’s promises will come to pass, no matter how long it may take.

What is the hope of the gospel? When we preach the gospel today, do we instill the same hope into people as the church had in the beginning?

It is clear from the above passage that Peter expected believers to be given an eternal inheritance in heaven. Paul taught the same thing.

We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4  For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, 5  which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News. Colossians 1:3-5 (NLT)

This teaching came straight from our Lord Jesus. Here are his words.

Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20  Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21  Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT)

It is clear from later teachings that Jesus himself is the treasure, which Paul confirms in his writings. Our reward is anchored in Christ, who is our hope of glory and guarantee of reward.

For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory. Colossians 1:27 (NLT)

Our obedience to Christ the Lord springs from faith and love and is based on our confident expectation that one day we will obtain our promised heavenly reward if we remain faithful to him.

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17  For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NLT)

The gospel reveals that Christ lives in us by faith now and keeps us focused on our promised heavenly reward.

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 (NLT)

Times of testing are upon us. We need the strength that comes from keeping our eyes on the prize.

I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians 3:14 (NLT)

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