Category: The Gospel

The Gospel Shows How the Old Testament Points to Jesus

Gospel in a Minute

Paul went on to show how the Bible predicted Christ’s resurrection.

And now we are here to bring you this Good News. The promise was made to our ancestors, 33  and God has now fulfilled it for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus. This is what the second psalm says about Jesus: ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.’ 34  For God had promised to raise him from the dead, not leaving him to rot in the grave. He said, ‘I will give you the sacred blessings I promised to David.’ 35  Another psalm explains it more fully: ‘You will not allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.’ 36  This is not a reference to David, for after David had done the will of God in his own generation, he died and was buried with his ancestors, and his body decayed. 37  No, it was a reference to someone else—someone whom God raised and whose body did not decay. Acts 13:32-37 (NLT)

Principle: The Gospel Shows How the Old Testament Points to Jesus

The Old Testament not only points to Jesus, it can only be properly understood in reference to him. Jesus the Messiah is the point of it all, the culmination of God’s interactions and promises made to the Adam and Eve in the garden and to Abraham and his descendants, even to the Gentiles.

Jesus’ resurrection caused verses that seemed mysterious or unclear to come into sudden bold relief, such as the ones quoted by Paul above. Once Paul’s eyes were open to Jesus’ true identity, the entire Bible came to life for him. When we share the gospel, we should point out how Jesus is the focus of the entire Bible.

So a time was set, and on that day a large number of people came to Paul’s lodging. He explained and testified about the Kingdom of God and tried to persuade them about Jesus from the Scriptures. Using the law of Moses and the books of the prophets, he spoke to them from morning until evening. Acts 28:23 (NLT)
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The Gospel Is a Spoken Message that Demands a Response

Gospel in a Minute

Paul summarized the message of salvation in a paragraph.

“Brothers—you sons of Abraham, and also you God-fearing Gentiles—this message of salvation has been sent to us! 27  The people in Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize Jesus as the one the prophets had spoken about. Instead, they condemned him, and in doing this they fulfilled the prophets’ words that are read every Sabbath. 28  They found no legal reason to execute him, but they asked Pilate to have him killed anyway. 29  “When they had done all that the prophecies said about him, they took him down from the cross and placed him in a tomb. 30  But God raised him from the dead! 31  And over a period of many days he appeared to those who had gone with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to the people of Israel. Acts 13:26-31 (NLT)

Principle: The Gospel Is a Spoken Message that Demands a Response

Having framed his gospel presentation within the history of Israel, Paul summed up the salvation message by telling his listeners and us that Jesus is the one promised by God in the Old Testament, who was rejected by the Jewish leaders, put to death, buried, rose again from the dead, and appeared to many.

The gospel is a message that must be spoken. Acts of mercy and love are not sufficient to properly communicate it. Such acts can open people’s hearts, but unless the gospel is spoken, people will not understand what God has done for them and who Jesus is. They will not be able to properly respond.

Following such a gospel summary, all that remains is to explain the meaning – our forgiveness and justification and Jesus’ lordship over all creation. And what would Paul’s listeners do with this amazing news? What is the proper response?

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Gospel in a Minute: Frame the Gospel within the History of Israel

Gospel in a Minute

On his first missionary journey, Paul the Apostle preached the gospel to Jews in Antioch of Pisidia. He assumed they were familiar with the promises God made to King David, that one of his descendants would sit upon the throne of Israel forever. (2 Samuel 7:12-13)

“And it is one of King David’s descendants, Jesus, who is God’s promised Savior of Israel! 24  Before he came, John the Baptist preached that all the people of Israel needed to repent of their sins and turn to God and be baptized. 25  As John was finishing his ministry he asked, ‘Do you think I am the Messiah? No, I am not! But he is coming soon—and I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the sandals on his feet.’ Acts 13:23-25 (NLT)

Principle: Frame the Gospel within the History of Israel

When we share the gospel with those who are not as familiar with the Bible, we must make the effort to explain how Jesus came in fulfillment of promises made to God’s people long ago. The gospel is not a philosophy that has meaning outside of real history. I have heard a serious lie regarding God’s Word phrased something like this: “It’s not true, but it’s the truth.” The meaning is that the gospel is not historically true, but it “contains” eternal truth. This reduces the gospel to “whatever works for you.” Nothing could be farther from reality. The gospel is historically grounded in fact. One day in the not so distant future, the actual risen Messiah King Jesus, the glorious Son of Man prophesied by Daniel, will return in the clouds with great power to judge all mankind. At that point in time, all the earth will come to realize that the gospel is grounded in historical fact. For now, we must help to convince people that…

the gospel is a narrative of God’s historical promises to Israel and their fulfillment  in real time.

As such, a proper gospel presentation will frame Jesus’ coming, ministry, death on the cross, resurrection, ascension, and future Second Coming in light of those promises and prophecies. It is important for gospel communicators to familiarize themselves with the the Old Testament and how it points to Jesus and the glorious gospel. That is how the early church presented Christ, and so should we!

If you are inclined to learn better how to do this, I suggest Scot McKnight's masterpiece, The King Jesus Gospel. I wrote a summary, which you can access by clicking here.
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Gospel in a Minute: Water Baptism and the Baptism in the Spirit Are Distinct

Gospel in a Minute

Peter made the obvious conclusion: God accepted the Gentile Cornelius in exactly the same way he had the Jewish apostles!

The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. 46  For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter asked, 47  “Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” 48  So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ... Acts 10:45-48 (NLT)

Principle: Water Baptism and the Baptism in the Spirit Are Distinct

The Bible promises that Jesus will baptize his followers in the Spirit. (Luke 3:16) The evidence of this outpouring or baptism is speaking in tongues, as first experienced by the Jewish believers on Pentecost. In Acts 10 it happened again with Gentiles, which astounded the ethnocentric Jews, who imagined that they alone were eligible.

The giving of the Spirit is proof of our acceptance into God’s heavenly family.

Only born again children of God are eligible for this amazing gift of love. (Luke 11:13) Our spiritual identity carries God’s own being, a kind of spiritual DNA, if you will.

When we share the gospel, we should inform our hearers that the Holy Spirit will be given to those who put their faith in Christ, both as the indwelling source of life and identity and as an outpoured source of power and boldness.

The two experiences of God’s Spirit come as distinct processes – the first from being born again, the second from being baptized in the Spirit. Believers are to submit to water baptism as a public testimony of allegiance to their Savior and Lord. The two baptisms are distinct as well.

Promise of the Father

To learn more about the baptism in the Spirit, click here. I have also written a book on this important subject, which is available on Amazon.

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Gospel in a Minute: Get Started Right Away

Gospel in a Minute

The account of Saul’s conversion is an amazing example of Jesus’ sovereign ability to communicate directly with people. Once he became a believer, Saul’s allegiance to his new Lord was unswerving. He launched into the ministry of sharing the gospel immediately.

Afterward he [Saul, later Paul] ate some food and regained his strength. Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days. 20  And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!” Acts 9:19-20 (NLT)

Principle: Get Started Right Away

Peter Block wrote an amazing book entitled The Answer to How is Yes. In it he argues that generally people believe there is a “right” way to do things, and until we discover what that is, we should delay taking action.

In other words, we use the excuse of ignorance to avoid doing the brave thing that needs to be done.

The reason we do things is because they ought to be done, not because we have it all figured out. If we make the choice to move forward in the doing, God will help us along the way. This is certainly true with ministry. Yes, studying the Bible is crucial. No, ignorance is not a virtue. Nevertheless, doing nothing is disobedience. Delayed obedience is often pure and simple rebellion.

The night I became a believer in Christ, I began to share the good news with my friends that Jesus is real and can be known. I did not have a very good knowledge of the Bible. I was confused and misguided on some important points, but I did know Jesus and wanted to make him known. God worked with me in my ignorance and zeal. God never suggested that I should delay telling people about Jesus until I knew more theology. In fact those who know the most theology are sometimes the least engaged in evangelism. When Jesus set the demoniac free, he told him to go tell everyone what great things God had done for him. (Mark 5:19-20) He did not have to first take a class.

We should get started right away with sharing the good news. If you have been sitting idle, it is time to get going.

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Gospel in a Minute: The Spirit Will Lead Us to People Who Are Ready and Open to Believe the Gospel

Gospel in a Minute

After sharing the gospel with the Samaritans, Philip was led by God’s Spirit in an amazing way.

But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, "Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a desert road.) 27  So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28  and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29  Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot." 30  Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" 31  And he said, "Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Acts 8:26-30 (NASB)

Principle: The Spirit Will Lead Us to People Who Are Ready and Open to Believe the Gospel.

The eunuch was hungering to know more about God and the scriptures. Only the Spirit knew this, and he individually guided the evangelist to him. Philip led this man to receive Christ and baptized him in water on the spot. Luke put this account in Acts to let us know that God’s Spirit is available to guide us in a similar way. The Great Commission is a partnership between us and God. We need the baptism and gifts of the Spirit in order to be as effective as God desires. Our Lord wants us to be able to detect the “still, small voice” of the Spirit as he leads us through the day.

There are people all around us in whom God is working, preparing them to receive and believe the gospel. Are we open to God’s directing and using us as he did Philip?

Prayer

Holy Spirit, use me as your ambassador of reconciliation. I am ready for you to direct me to those you have prepared to hear the gospel. Help me to be alert to your guidance each day. Grant me boldness, compassion, and courage to be Christ’s witness. Help me to properly articulate the Good News. Amen.

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Gospel in a Minute: Pray for boldness to preach the gospel.

Gospel in a Minute

After being threatened and commanded to keep quiet about Jesus, the disciples met for prayer.

And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. 30  Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31  After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness. Acts 4:29-31 (NLT)

Principle: Pray for boldness to preach the gospel.

When we face threats and intimidation, it is time to pray for even more courage and boldness.

Someone once said that there are no “closed” countries, only intimidated disciples. What if those first believers had been shut down? What if they had gone “underground”? We don’t know how the Spirit would have handled that, but thankfully they refused to buckle to pressure. Their boldness eventually cost almost all of them their lives. Jesus knew this would happen, but he called them to be his witnesses nevertheless. He is calling you and me as well. Will we be faithful to this challenge? We can start by praying for boldness to preach the gospel, ask for and receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and then be about it. The world is waiting.

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Gospel in a Minute: Preaching the gospel requires great courage.

Gospel in a Minute

The Jewish leaders applied pressure on the apostles to shut down their bold preaching.

“What should we do with these men?” they asked each other. “We can’t deny that they have performed a miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it. 17  But to keep them from spreading their propaganda any further, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus’ name again.” 18  So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. 19  But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 20  We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:16-20 (NLT)

Principle: Preaching the gospel requires great courage.

Satan and his allies do everything in their power to keep us from believing the gospel, but once we see and believe that Jesus is the risen Messiah and Lord of Lords, their next attempt is to keep us from telling others the good news. Evil spiritual forces use cooperative people to accomplish their agenda, but our battle is never really with human beings. (Ephesians 6:12)

The gospel is God’s powerful means to liberate the captives held by the kingdom of darkness. (Isaiah 61:1 and Romans 1:16)

Satan cannot nullify the gospel’s power, but he does try to keep it from ever being spoken. He mocks, threatens, and persecutes those who proclaim the glorious good news. (2 Timothy 3:12) It is our responsibility to refuse to cower to this intimidation.

God wants us to be like Peter and John who feared God more than what might be done to them. Like Moses of old, they valued the reward for serving God more than the temporary tranquility that comes from making peace with the devil. (Hebrews 11:24-27) The Spirit of God filled them with boldness and courage.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NLT)
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Gospel in a Minute: Jesus is God’s plan to bless the entire earth!

Gospel in a Minute

Peter connected the gospel message to God’s promise to Abraham found in Genesis 12:3 and Genesis 22:18.

Starting with Samuel, every prophet spoke about what is happening today. 25  You are the children of those prophets, and you are included in the covenant God promised to your ancestors. For God said to Abraham, ‘Through your descendants all the families on earth will be blessed.’ Acts 3:24-25 (NLT)

Principle: Jesus is God’s plan to bless the entire earth!

The entire Bible points to one person, Jesus the Messiah. He is its grand theme. He is God’s wonderful purpose. As Paul put it:

God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. 10  And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Ephesians 1:9-10 (NLT)

When we communicate the gospel message, we have the opportunity to let people know about God’s amazing Son, the eternal Word of God who became a human being in order to pay the penalty for our sins, reconcile us to God, and rescue the entire creation from the chaos of sin and death!

Jesus is God’s plan to bless all the families of the earth. He is the One through whom all blessings flow. For those who receive him as Lord and Savior, he is the fountain of life itself.

But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” John 4:14 (NLT)
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Gospel vs. Culture: How the Gospel Confronts the Culture’s Idols and Lies

 

 

 

 

The Gospel

The gospel is a proclamation of truth about God, mankind, Jesus the Messiah and Lord, and the coming judgment. It offers a way of escape from the judgment that has been pronounced upon the world through the cross. It offers an opportunity to join God in ruling over a new creation at the end of time.

By nature, the gospel confronts the sinful status quo – the embedded lies and rebellion against God found in the human soul and the prevailing culture.

The gospel is powerful and is God’s designated means to overthrow Satan’s rule in individual lives and ultimately in nations and cultures.

For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. Romans 1:16 (NLT)

 

Culture, Idolatry, and Lies

One definition of culture is that it is…

…a shared vision of the nature of reality. This vision must include some understanding of both the immanent and the transcendent orders. It will incorporate unseen actualities and accepted moral verities that are believed to affect the arrangement of both the natural and social world. In short, a culture incarnates and expresses a religion. (From Sharper Iron Blog)

From the gospel’s perspective, cultures and the people who live in them thrive to the degree they embrace the truth about God and put into practice the values that define godly living. We see this historically. Those cultures that have embraced Christianity have thrived; whereas, those who reject the Bible’s testimony about God languish. Those cultures which attack the Jews and Christians descend into darkness, inhumane practices, and depravity.

Cultures degrade in proportion to how much they suppress truth and reject biblical norms. (Romans 1)

Human beings are idolators by default as a result of the Fall. We were designed by God to be dependent creatures, who are programmed to worship and serve him. When we turn away from God, the drive to worship and serve will be transferred to an inferior replacement for him, what the Bible calls an “idol.” Idols are products of the sinful human desire to have a “god” who protects and serves us, while condoning our sinful and rebellious behavior toward the true God.

In other words, idols are gods created in our own image which never confront our sin.

The Bible teaches us that we become like whatever we worship. (2 Corinthians 3:18) If we worship God, we become like him. If we worship something inferior, we degrade from God’s created purpose for us. This is by God’s design. God’s purpose is for humanity to reflect God’s glory as we worship him, but when we bow down to and serve an idol, we are transformed into that corrupt image. Idols are not always images made of metal, wood, or stone. Idols can be as subtle as devotion to the pursuit of wealth, if that pursuit displaces our worship of and reliance upon God who is our Provider. Jesus called this serving “Mammon.” In America, the pursuit and deification of “liberty” has led us to believe that freedom in and of itself is worth putting on a pedestal. Freedom apart from God, however, inevitably leads to slavery to our own sinful desires. True freedom is found in obeying God and always results in worshiping and serving him.

Our modern secular culture has major embedded idols and lies. Here are a few that I will cover in this article.

  • There is no God, and we got here by ourselves. The denial of God’s existence is the chief lie. It is intended to eliminate our accountability to our Creator and elevate us to godhood status, the pursuit of which was the original sin. We want to run our own lives without reference to God. A necessary corollary to atheism is self-creation or spontaneous evolution. This bold lie elevates man to the highest rung on the developmental ladder in a godless and amoral universe, giving him a virtual godlike status. Self-worship is the ugliest form of idolatry. Because of the deification of self, Satan receives our worship, too. Our culture has become grossly narcissistic.
  • Truth, sin, and morality are fluid human constructs. Having thrown out God and elevated man to be the measure of all things, our culture maintains that truth, morals, and laws are human constructs which can be changed or discarded at will. The first domino to fall was the belief that truth is absolute. If there is no God, then truth does not come from him. Once truth falls, everything else is up for grabs. Our concept of sin can no longer derive from what God says it is. Instead, sin is viewed as a violation of a societal norm, something changeable. Morality is the next domino to fall, as man attempts to redefine what it means to be good or right. Once again, self-worship is behind it all, propelling the culture to slide into behaviors and beliefs that ultimately destroy it from within.
  • We are accountable only to ourselves. If there is no God, we not only get to make our own rules, but we are accountable to no one but ourselves. The idol that this lie engenders is pure power. Cultures that reject accountability to God slide into totalitarianism.

How the Gospel Confronts the Culture

The gospel directly confronts each of these lies. The proper delivery of the gospel should challenge and refute whatever idol is being worshiped by the hearers. Remember, the gospel presents Jesus as the Lord of Lords, not simply as Savior.

The devil and the anti-god world system seek to encapsulate the gospel and render it impotent in a way that is similar to how a human body walls itself off from infection. The powers that be tell us that all religions are created equal, and therefore, none can issue a moral imperative. None have the “right” to tell people what to do or believe, since no religion is “right.” We are told that what we believe is a private matter and has no inherent authority in the secular public square.

The culture and ruling powers are not usually too upset with the gospel’s claim that Jesus forgives sins. What it hates and fights against is Jesus’ claim to be God, the sole arbiter of truth, the judge of all mankind, and the ruling eternal king.

There Is a God

The Bible declares up front that there is a God who is the Creator. Paul wrote that the entire creation unequivocally declares the existence and power of God for all to see. The only way people can arrive at the position that denies God’s existence is by deliberately suppressing the truth. (Romans 1:18-20) Deep down everyone knows there is a God. The gospel calls its listeners to acknowledge that he exists but that it is to him we owe our existence.

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2  He existed in the beginning with God. 3  God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. John 1:1-3 (NLT)

Unless we come to grips with God’s existence and preeminence, we can go no further. The gospel confronts the lie of atheism first of all and calls people back to our obligation to worship, serve, and glorify God the Creator. Our greatest joy in life is experienced in returning love to the God who loves us past comprehension.

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 3:19 (NLT)
We Are Dependent on our Creator

Not only is there a God, but everything we see and experience came from him and is sustained by him.

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, 16  for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. 17  He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Colossians 1:15-17 (NLT)

This gospel truth strikes a fatal blow at man’s desire to be his own god. As dependent creatures, we are humbled to admit that we need God every moment. Coming back into alignment with the truth about our relationship with God allows us to once again draw life, direction, and wisdom from our Creator – Sustainer – Redeemer. This gives us the greatest joy, freedom, and fulfillment.

Truth Originates in God and Is Absolute

Jesus the Messiah called himself “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” (John 14:6) Truth exists because God is truth. Truth is defined by and comes from God. God is unalterably true in his words and deeds. He means what he says and says what he means. He never lies. The gospel confronts us with the truth about God, ourselves, our sin, judgment, life, and the our eternal destiny. Unless we repent of our lying ways and accept God’s truth, we cannot be saved. This includes accepting the gospel as God’s true testimony about himself, his Son, and his offer of salvation.

He [the devil] will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11  So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 12  Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 (NLT)
Sin Is Real and Produces Death

The Bible clearly teaches that every person born from Adam is a sinner. (Romans 3:23) All sin derives from our inborn rebellion against God, which is demonstrated by our choice to live on our own terms instead of in humble cooperation with and dependence upon God. Separation from God results from sin and always produces death. (Romans 6:23)

When we knowingly align ourselves with that which brings death, it produces a terrible tension and guilt within us. God gave us consciences to help us be aware of our terrible situation. When confronted with the truth, if we refuse to repent, our consciences can become unfeeling and useless. People become hardened in their rebellion against God, which darkens their ability to think clearly and correctly. (Romans 1:21) Many such people develop philosophies and theologies that agree with their sinful position in an attempt to soothe their guilty consciences. None of this works because we do not get to define sin for ourselves. All it does is keep people alienated from God and reserved for the coming judgment. (Acts 13:46)

The gospel identifies and confronts our sin. It calls us to turn away from our sins and reach out to God in faith to receive the complete forgiveness that Jesus died to give us.

Morality Is Part of God’s Order

Morality, the culture’s accepted standards of good conduct and justice, is woven into God’s creation order. We do not get to determine our own versions of what is good and virtuous. One reason God gave Moses the Law was so that we would have a written standard that reflects God’s righteousness. Society and individuals generally adopt a morality that agrees with their sinfulness. The further from God a culture drifts, the more its morals become skewed. The gospel calls the culture back to God’s moral order and gives people the transformative grace to live according to God’s ways.

We Are Accountable to God Who Will Judge All People

The last major lie confronted by the gospel that I will cover in this article is that people have no ultimate accountability to anyone but themselves. This untruth is a logical derivation from the lie that there is no God. Even people who acknowledge God’s existence often live as functional atheists, which means that by looking at how they live you would never know they believe in God.

The gospel directly confronts this lie by announcing that Jesus is coming back to judge the living and the dead.

“God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31  For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:30-31 (NLT)

The gospel calls all people to repent and receive forgiveness and then live in a way that brings honor and glory to God.

Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins, turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ to show that you have received forgiveness for your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39  This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles—all who have been called by the Lord our God.” 40  Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” Acts 2:38-40 (NLT)

The Second Coming of Christ

The Second Coming of Christ is an integral part of the gospel. When we proclaim that Jesus is coming back again, it enables us to establish several important truths.

  • Jesus, eternal Word of God who created all things, became a man who died for our sins as God’s Lamb and rose again as Lord of Lords.
  • His Second Coming will finally and completely establish is God’s rule over the earth.
  • He is the glorious Son of Man prophesied by Daniel who will judge the living and the dead.

Once he appears in the sky, every aspect of the gospel will be proved true. Then it will be too late to get right with him. Today is the day of salvation. Now is the time to repent and believe the good news that in Christ God is offering to reconcile us to himself!

The gospel is not merely a presentation of what Jesus did on our behalf to save us from our sins. The gospel reestablishes who God is so that we can come into proper alignment with him through repentance and faith. The gospel affirms the honor and glory of the risen Lord. The gospel is a declaration of war upon the lies and idolatry of mankind. The gospel is a clarion call to become part of God’s eternal kingdom, which will eventually destroy all opposing kingdoms.

As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. 14  He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed. Daniel 7:13-14 (NLT)
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