Category: What Is the Gospel?

The Son of Man’s Authority to Judge

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Jesus’ fourth ministry or role is the glorious Son of Man who will return to the earth to raise the dead and judge every person who ever lived.

This event was prophesied by our Lord himself and is found in the prophecies of Daniel. Christ’s first three roles – Lamb of God, Son of God, and Baptizer in the Holy Spirit – have already been fulfilled in history and are available to every person to experience, but our Lord’s last role still waits for its fulfillment in the future.

We can know him now as the Resurrection and the Life (John 14:6) and our justifier (Romans 5:1), both of which will be more fully revealed at the Second Coming.

Here are John the Baptist’s words.

“As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:11–12 (NASB95)

Even though John did not specifically call Jesus the “Son of Man,” the above passage fully describes his role as the Judge of all the earth.

Jesus’ death as God’s Lamb is fundamental to our salvation, and acknowledging his lordship is the gate Paul says we must pass through to obtain the benefits of that death and resurrection. (Romans 10:9-10)

When we confess that Jesus is Lord, we acknowledge and voluntarily choose to come under his rule, which is the fundamental act of repentance.

For the last two thousand years or so, we have been in the Great Commission phase of God’s plan, which the Bible calls the “last days.” During this time Jesus is functioning as Lord of the harvest and Baptizer in the Spirit. Eventually this time of mercy will end, followed by our Lord’s glorious appearance in the clouds of heaven as the Judge. 

When Jesus stood before the Sanhedrin the evening before his crucifixion, their purpose was the culmination of that nation’s rejection of their Messiah. They condemned him to death after he freely admitted that not only is he the Messiah but he will also come again in glory as the divine Son of Man prophesied by Daniel. 

But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” 64  Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Matthew 26:63-64 (NLT)

Daniel’s prophecy described a glorious heavenly being who will judge everyone who ever lived.

I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. 14 “And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed. Daniel 7:13–14 (NASB95)

When the Sanhedrin heard our Lord apply these verses to himself, they accused him of blasphemy and condemned him to death.

At this point in time, Israel’s rejection of God’s rule was complete, fulfilling Christ’s own words. They would be given other chances to repent before their catastrophic destruction in 70 AD, when Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed by Titus.

Jesus warned the Jewish leaders that their rejection of him was a rejection of God’s rule that would result in their utter destruction.

But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us'... 27 “But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.” Luke 19:14, 27 (NASB95)

Jesus taught that in his role as the Son of Man he has been given authority to judge. One day he will return to judge those who condemned him, unless, of course, at some point they repented and asked forgiveness for their treachery.

For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; 27 and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. 28 “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29 and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. John 5:26–29 (NASB95)

Jesus was given authority to judge us since he also lived as a human, but without sin (Hebrews 4:15). For those who reject

Christ’s lordship, the last judgment will be terrifying, but for us who voluntarily bow the knee to him before his glorious return, it will be a triumphantly glorious conclusion to history.

Our Lord, the judge, will also act as our defense lawyer.

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Romans 8:32–34 (NASB95)

The one who will judge us has promised that we will never be condemned, if we put our trust in him.

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. John 5:24 (NASB95)

According to the terrifying vision in Daniel 7:10, we will be judged according to record books God keeps.

A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, And the books were opened. Daniel 7:10 (NASB95)

He keeps track of every word, thought, and deed. Nothing is hidden from him.

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Hebrews 4:12–13 (NASB95)

If our performance in life were the only basis for judgment, every single person who ever lived would be consigned to the lake of fire.

as it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; Romans 3:10 (NASB95)

Without Christ, no one is righteous in God’s sight. We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious righteous standard.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23 (NASB95)

We have earned the wage of death.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NASB95) 

However, there is another book called the Lamb’s Book of Life. If we are written in that book, our eternal destiny is secure.

And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:12–15 (NASB95)

Every person will be judged according to our deeds because what we do reflects what we believe more than our words do. (James 2:18)

However, for those of us who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, judgment will determine our eternal reward, not our eternal destiny.

Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 1 Corinthians 3:8–15 (NASB95)

For those of us who have received and know the love God has for us, judgment holds no terror.

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 4:17–18 (NASB95)

We do fear God in a proper way, however. We do not take lightly his discipline, but as his children we do not fear being ultimately cast away into outer darkness.

And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. John 8:35 (NKJV)

At the future point in history when our Lord returns, there will no longer be any doubt at all for anyone as to Jesus’ true identity.

When God dissolves the firmament (2 Peter 3:10), revealing God’s glorious presence in heaven above us, naysayers will no longer be able to claim that our Lord was merely a prophet or a fine teacher. No longer will anyone be able to say that he was a mythical person. No one will claim that his resurrection was a fable concocted by his devious followers. At that point in history, everyone will see him in his undeniable glory.

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:7-8 (ESV)

Before his return, God is giving us the opportunity to hear the gospel’s call to bow the knee to Jesus, the Lord of Lords. What we do in response to this call will determine our eternal destiny.

On that glorious day when Jesus returns as the Son of Man, it will be too late. On that day, every knee will be forced to bow and every tongue confess who he is. No longer will there be an option.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11 (NLT)

Although God the Father continues to mercifully delay the end, and Jesus continues to show mercy to those who ask him for forgiveness, we should not think for a moment that our Lord is too weak or kindly to enforce God’s justice and wrath when the proper time finally arrives. Though he is patient, God the Father does not wink at sin or coddle rebellion against his Son’s rule.

Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. 11 Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling. 12 Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him! Psalm 2:10–12 (NASB95)

Warning people to prepare for the coming judgment is an important part of the gospel message.

Those who do not drink from the river of God’s mercy by declaring allegiance to the risen Lord, the Lamb who was slain, will rue their grave mistake at the Second Coming when God’s judgment comes down like a hammer.

The Book of Revelation teaches us that we who believe will rejoice in God’s judgment of the wicked.

After this, I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in heaven shouting, “Praise the LORD! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God. 2  His judgments are true and just. He has punished the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the murder of his servants.” 3  And again their voices rang out: “Praise the LORD! The smoke from that city ascends forever and ever!” 4  Then the twenty-four elders and the four living beings fell down and worshiped God, who was sitting on the throne. They cried out, “Amen! Praise the LORD!” 5  And from the throne came a voice that said, “Praise our God, all his servants, all who fear him, from the least to the greatest.” Revelation 19:1-5 (NLT)

Until Christ returns, we preach a gospel of hope to those who are willing to repent and declare allegiance to the risen Lord Jesus, but that gospel contains the warning of impending judgment.

God’s mercy can only be properly understood against the backdrop of looming wrath.

Just as artists use darkness to contrast with light, the gospel uses the beauty of God’s mercy to contrast with the horrors of divine judgment. If God is simply a heavenly smiley face who never judges anyone, our gospel message is farcical. Why on earth would Jesus have to die, in that case? He would be a misguided tragic figure at best. But, in fact, our Lord absorbed the wrath of God on the cross on our behalf so that we will be able to escape God’s wrath at the Last Judgment.

For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Thessalonians 5:9 (NASB95)

The gospel holds out to us the promise that all who call upon the Lord will be saved. This is the gospel that Peter preached.

And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” Acts 2:40 (NASB95)

Peter knew that judgment was coming to Jerusalem as our Lord prophesied. He warned his hearers to turn to Christ to escape that judgment and the final one at Christ’s return.

It is the gospel Paul preached.

“Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” Acts 17:30–31 (NASB95)

It is the gospel John the Baptist preached.

“His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:12 (NASB95)

It is what Jesus preached.

All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; Matthew 25:32 (NASB95) 

It is the gospel we should preach, too. How people respond to this good news will make all the difference for eternity.

Prayer

Jesus, I recognize that you are my Savior and Lord. I declare allegiance and submit my life to you. Help me to tell others about who you are and what you did for us so that they, too, may escape your wrath on the day of judgment. Thank you for your continued mercy. Amen.

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Baptizer in the Holy Spirit and Lord of the Harvest

trumpet gospel

This teaching focuses on Jesus’ third ministry or role that was prophesied by John the Baptist – the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit and Lord of the Harvest.

Everyone who is a Christ follower believes that Jesus is the Savior who died for our sins. Fewer, perhaps, realize that embracing his lordship over our lives is the gateway to salvation, according to Romans 10:9-10, the subject of my last teaching. Still fewer, it seems, understand the importance of his being the baptizer in the Holy Spirit and lord of the harvest. Perhaps even a smaller percentage receive this important gift from our Lord. This should not be!

John the Baptist said the following about Jesus and the baptism in the Spirit.

“I did not recognize Him [the Messiah], but He who sent me [God] to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ John 1:33 (NASB)

As the baptizer in the Holy Spirit, Jesus reigns as the Lord of the Harvest. The baptism in the Spirit is a gift he gives to his people to equip and empower us to be his witnesses. 

Jesus instructed his followers to wait in Jerusalem until this gift was poured out on the first New Covenant Pentecost, saying:

...“Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before.5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”...8 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 1:4-8 (NLT)

The baptism in the Spirit is so important that the first believers were commanded to refrain from announcing the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection and lordship until they first received it. In Acts Chapter 2 we have the account of when this happened, with the result that 3000 people surrendered their lives to Christ after hearing Peter’s inspired and empowered gospel message!

The power and presence of the Holy Spirit that was released in the disciples when they were baptized in the Spirit launched the church into fulfilling the Great Commission. God intended for this to be the model for all believers going forward.

Three Baptisms

The New Testament speaks of three distinct baptisms: into the body of Christ, into water, and into the Holy Spirit. Each of these baptisms has a different baptizer, a different medium, a different evidence, and a different result or purpose.

  • The baptism into the body of Christ takes place when we are born again. The Holy Spirit plunges us into Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13), and we become one with him (1 Corinthians 6:17). The evidence is a changed life. It can also be thought of as a sprinkling of Christ’s blood.
  • Baptism into water by immersion is what another believer does to us, giving us an opportunity to publicly proclaim and acknowledge what God has already done in the Spirit. It is our public declaration of allegiance to Jesus. We tell the world that our old way of life is dead. From now on we belong to Jesus and will live for him. The evidence of this baptism is simply that we get wet.
  • Jesus is the One who baptizes us into the Spirit to empower us to be bold witnesses. This baptism or outpouring may be likened to standing under a waterfall. We are effectively immersed, but its purpose is not identification or a declaration of allegiance. Instead, the Spirit is poured out upon us to empower us for ministry. The evidence of the baptism in the Spirit is speaking in tongues and prophecy. The Holy Spirit baptism is also God’s confirmation to the world that we are his children.

3baptisms

These three baptisms are separate, but occasionally the new birth and baptism in the Spirit happen concurrently, as with Cornelius (Acts 10:44). At other times, as in Ephesus (Acts 19:5-6) and Samaria (Acts 8:14-15), the baptism in the Spirit happens after the new birth. Water baptism should be performed very soon after conversion. (Acts 8:36-38)

The three baptisms also relate to the three major feasts of Israel.

Passover corresponds to the baptism into the body of Christ and the new birth, when we come to know Christ as Lamb of God and Savior and his blood is sprinkled upon us. The Feast of Pentecost corresponds to the outpouring and baptism of the Holy Spirit, which launched the church into the Great Commission. The last great feast is the Feast of Booths and Tabernacles, which takes place in the Fall of the year at harvest time. Many believe that this corresponds to Christ’s Second Coming as the glorious Son of Man, about which I will cover in the next lesson. 

The point I wish to make is that the Israelites were expected to attend all three feasts.

We, as New Covenant believers, are meant to experience Christ in all the ways I am covering in this series – as Lamb of God or Savior, Son of God or Lord, as Baptizer in the Holy Spirit or Lord of the harvest, and as the coming Son of Man who will raise us from the dead and has authority to judge the living and the dead.

When Jesus ascended into heaven, on the fiftieth day after his resurrection, he poured out the Spirit on the feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem. This outpouring proved his lordship and confirmed his role as Lord in charge of the harvest or Great Commission.

To be under Christ’s authority regarding the Great Commission, we must do as he said and receive the baptism in the Spirit.

God wants his children to receive the baptism in the Spirit by asking for and receiving it by faith. 

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” Luke 11:13 (NASB95)

This gift is available to all who put their faith and allegiance in Christ.

“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 2:39 (NASB95)

The evidence of receiving this gift is speaking in tongues or prophesying. We speak in tongues by faith. We open our mouths and God gives us the words. (Psalm 81:10)

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. Acts 2:4 (NASB95)

The human intellect cannot comprehend the things of the Spirit. We cannot understand what the words mean when we speak in tongues, but the language is real. The Bible says we worship and pray according to God’s will.

For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries. 1 Corinthians 14:2 (NASB95)

For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 1 Corinthians 14:14 (NASB95)

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26–27 (NASB95)

God told the first disciples to receive this baptism in the Spirit to empower them for fruitful ministry.

Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Acts 1:4–5 (NASB95)

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NASB95)

As is the case with the lordship of Christ, this aspect of Jesus’ ministry opposes modern-day consumerism. Unless we surrender to Christ’s lordship, embrace the call to obey the Great Commission, and receive the empowering of the Spirit, believing in the Lamb of God may become a self-centered pursuit of blessings.

Rather than allowing us to comfortably settle for being churchgoers, the Lord of the Harvest and Baptizer in the Spirit calls us to love and serve him through evangelism and making disciples.

It takes great courage to testify to the Lordship of the risen Jesus and to call people to repentance from a self-directed life. That is why we need to be empowered by the Spirit.

God intends for us to share the gospel in word and power.

and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:4–5 (NASB95)

God wishes to confirm the truth of his word by healing people, doing miracles, and delivering people from evil spirits. The nine gifts of the Spirit are available to us.

The baptism in the Spirit is the gateway into the armory of the Spirit. 

Speaking in tongues is not only the most common evidence of being baptized in the Spirit. It is also a tremendously important gift in its own right. When we pray in the Spirit (tongues) we pray in a real language known to God, but not us. Romans 8:26 tells us that when we pray in tongues we pray according to God’s will. I usually pray in tongues first when I pray over someone. Not only am I praying according to God’s will a perfect prayer, but I am also “tuning in” to God’s spiritual “frequency.” I find that as I pray in tongues, he often gives me scriptures, insight, revelation, visions, prophetic words, and faith for the person. Tongues is a type of gateway gift in that it requires us to stop relying on our human intellect (since it is “unfruitful” – 1 Corinthians 14:14) and trust in the Spirit’s leading. Learning to do this enables us more easily to operate in the other spiritual gifts.

But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. 1 Corinthians 12:7–11 (NASB95)

Prophecy, words of knowledge, and words of wisdom all are ways God communicates to us in the Spirit. When God gives us a “word” for someone, we need his wisdom to know what to do with it. Often God uses visionary means to communicate important truths or insights to us. Being able to interpret the vision is more important, because the interpretation is usually the part that is helpful. A message in tongues for the entire assembly also requires interpretation or it only benefits the speaker. If no one has the faith or ability to interpret, Paul tells us to pray in tongues silently to God. (1 Corinthians 14:27-28) We can pray any time we like in the Spirit because we are commanded to pray always in the Spirit. (Ephesians 6:18) It is the only gift under our direction, except in the case when it requires an interpretation. Then it is like the others which require a specific leading from the Holy Spirit. 

Faith, miracles, and healing are what some call the power gifts. The Lord can reveal to us whom he wants to heal via visions, words of knowledge, etc. We have to learn how the Spirit communicates to us. It takes practice, trial and error, and courage to operate in the gifts and become proficient at it.

The last gift in the above passage helps us to discern spirits, which is tremendously important. We want to know when we are encountering the Holy Spirit, angels of God, angels of darkness, and demons. Those who engage in evangelism will especially need this gift, as do all of us. Wisdom, faith, and an understanding of the authority we have in Christ are needed to properly handle any demons we may encounter. 

Wherever God’s kingdom is proclaimed, we should see evidence of God’s power.

And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Matthew 10:7–8 (NASB95)

When we share the gospel, we should challenge our hearers to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit as part of the complete package. We do not want anyone to settle for less than God intends. The early Church expected new believers to receive the baptism in the Spirit.

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. Acts 2:38 (NASB)

They were committed to knowing Christ as Baptizer in the Spirit and to fulfilling the Great Commission. We should do no less.

Steps to Receive the Baptism in the Spirit

All that remains is for us to ask God for this gift that Jesus died to give us.

This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Galatians 3:2 (NASB95)

If we are submitted to the Lord of the Harvest who is seated at God’s right hand, from where he sent his Holy Spirit, we will ask for and receive this gift.

  1. Believe that God will do what he says.

If we grasp that God has provided all believers with the privilege of receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the next step is for us to believe that God is always faithful to his promises.

God’s complete trustworthiness is the foundation of all faith.

This is a simple concept; yet many people get hung up at this point. They may think, maybe it is not for me? God will bless everyone else, but not me. Such thinking is sinful unbelief from which we must repent. Cast that lie away and start believing God.

God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Numbers 23:19 (NASB)
  1. Ask and receive with simple faith as a child.
"For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. 11  "Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12  "Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? 13  "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" Luke 11:10-13 (NASB)

As a child, believe, ask, and receive.

If something in our minds whispers that this is not going to happen for me, repent of that unbelief.

...You do not have because you do not ask. James 4:2 (NASB)

If I extend my hand to offer someone a hundred-dollar bill, what will that person need to do? Would it be enough to say thank you without making any effort to come forward to receive it? If we want the money, we will act. Similarly, we receive the baptism in the Spirit by asking the Lord to baptize us and then by actively receiving.

Faith receives before it sees any outward visible evidence. Faith depends on the promises and character of God alone. It knows that God will keep his word and that his promises are true.

Faith does not doubt. It does not struggle with wondering if God will keep his end of the deal. It receives and moves on, just as when the Roman Centurion believed Jesus healed his servant and returned home. (Luke 7:10)

  1. Give thanks.

After receiving a gift, grateful people say, “Thank you.” After we ask for and receive the baptism in the Spirit by faith, we should begin to thank and praise God.

Thanksgiving demonstrates faith.

The opposite is either silent passivity or doubtful complaining. Some people refuse to believe before seeing because they are afraid of getting their hopes up, only to be let down. Should we only praise God after he “comes through” for us or when we grasp that he is always faithful to his promises and will surely do what he said? Real faith acts before it ever sees the confirmation or fulfillment of what it believes because it is convinced that God is true.

The kind of praise and worship that gives God the most honor is what comes from people who exalt God’s faithfulness before they ever see the fulfillment of what was promised.

Faith knows and overflows. Only faith filled (faithful) people give thanks. Let’s show our faith by our praise.

  1. Speak in tongues.

Speaking in tongues is a supernatural overflow of the Spirit. Our mouths speak out of the abundance of the Spirit’s filling of our hearts. The sure evidence of the baptism in the Spirit is speaking in tongues. At this point the one wishing to experience this confirming gift should take a step of faith and begin speaking, trusting that the Holy Spirit will give the words.

Who Baptizes Us?

The Bible teaches us that baptizing people in the Holy Spirit is the personal ministry of Jesus. John the Baptist announced this ministry to the world.

As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  Matthew 3:11 (NASB95)

Our Lord often uses the agency of people laying hands on us to accomplish this baptism because Jesus desires for us to share in his ministry. The apostles often laid hands on individuals prior to their receiving this baptism.

Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.  Acts 8:14–17 (NASB95)

At other times, the Spirit fell upon people without human agency, such as at Pentecost and when Peter preached to Cornelius.

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. 45 All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered,  Acts 10:44–46 (NASB95)
Prayer to Receive the Baptism in the Spirit

Jesus, I believe you died and rose again to save me and baptize me in the Spirit. You said that if we ask, you will certainly give us this wonderful promise. I ask you right now to baptize me in the Spirit and fill me to overflowing. I receive this promise by faith and give you thanks for your faithfulness to keep your promises. Holy Spirit, fill me up. Help me now to pray in tongues. I will open my mouth to speak with the expectation that you will give me the words. Amen.

 

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(If you wish to learn more about this amazing gift, you may wish to purchase my book, Promise of the Father, which is available on Amazon, and read my other articles on the subject.)

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The Son of God Is Lord over All

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Not only did John the Baptist announce that Jesus is God’s Lamb, the Savior, who has authority to forgive sins, he also proclaimed to the world that he is God’s Son, which is another way of saying that he is the Messianic King of Israel, the Christ, who, it turns out, as a consequence of his resurrection, is the Lord of Lords.

Jesus is the one chosen by God to restore the divine authority of God’s kingdom in the earth.

The Lord’s prayer captures this purpose.

Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10 (NASB95)

John uttered the following words about Jesus’ being the Son of God:

“This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ 31 “I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.” 32 John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 “I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ 34 “I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.” John 1:30-34 (NASB)

Here John acknowledged that his cousin pre-existed. In natural physical life, John was older than Jesus.

John recognized that Jesus was and is the Great I Am!

Jesus later verified that this is true.

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” John 8:58 (NASB95)

Therefore, Jesus possessed authority as the eternal Logos, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, even before he rose again.

Jesus’ resurrection as a man, the “last Adam,” reclaimed the authority that the first Adam gave away to Satan. Because Jesus shares that authority with those who put their faith and allegiance in him, his resurrection elevated man back to the original position God intended, plus so much more.

Now those of us who put our faith and allegiance in Christ are seated with him at God’s right hand.

and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2:6 (NASB95) 

This is a position of blessing and authority beyond anything Adam ever experienced!

Most Jewish people at that time probably understood the term “son of God” to mean the promised messianic king of Israel. They would have been familiar with scriptures such as Psalm 110:1, which Jesus quoted to confound those who persecuted him.

Then He [Jesus] said to them, “How is it that they say the Christ is David’s son? 42 “For David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, 43 UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET.” ’ 44 “Therefore David calls Him ‘Lord,’ and how is He his son?” Luke 20:41–44 (NASB95)

Jesus invited the Jewish leaders and us to consider this profound mystery: David’s biological descendant is his lord. We know now that this is because Jesus, the eternal logos become flesh, was born of the Spirit, by a virgin, having Abba for his Father. He is the perfect God-Man, as explained by the apostle Paul. 

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 1:3–4 (NASB95)

Before his resurrection, Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, the Messiah. Some believed, such as Peter, because God opened their eyes to see this marvelous truth by faith.

He [Jesus] said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 16:15–17 (NASB95)

Peter, James, and John glimpsed Jesus’ glory as the Lord at the mount of transfiguration, but it was not until after our Lord rose from the dead that his disciples more fully understood. However, they still did not grasp that he was lord of lords yet. They still thought his authority was limited to being king of Israel, the alleged crime for which he was crucified. But God always had bigger things in mind for his Son, as was revealed to the prophet Isaiah.

And now says the LORD, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to Him (For I am honored in the sight of the LORD, And My God is My strength), 6 He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Isaiah 49:5–6 (NASB95)

Jesus was descended from David because God chose Israel to be the vehicle through which he would bring his Son into the world, but his divine lordship transcends the nation of Israel to include all the nations and peoples of the earth.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NASB95)

The old covenant people were identified as Israel, whom God chose to provide the physical lineage of the Messiah and to be the receivers and preservers of God’s promises in the scriptures. The New Covenant people of God are those who are born again through faith in the One who rose from the dead – the church, the Israel of God. 

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:26–29 (NASB95)

The resurrection validated Christ’s perfect sacrifice for our sins as God’s Lamb and validated his claim to be the Son of God, who is Lord over all.

Just before ascending to the Father to be installed as the reigning Lord of the Harvest who baptizes his disciples in the Holy Spirit, Jesus told his disciples that all authority in heaven and earth belongs to him. He is far greater than the first Adam, who had authority only on earth. 

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18–20 (NASB95)

This declaration makes Jesus the Lord of lords. No one outranks him.

Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:8–11 (NASB95)

God reestablished his Lordship in every area where it was damaged by Adam’s betrayal, on the earth and in the heavens, by the resurrection of Jesus. 

Adam threw it all away by betraying his Creator and submitting to the prince of darkness. Jesus recovered it all and then some. This is why the most important part of our confession of faith is the acknowledgement of Jesus’ lordship. 

The confession that Jesus is Lord is what saves us because it reverses what Adam did and puts us back into right order with God as his obedient servants. 

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. Romans 10:9–10 (NLT)

What Jesus did as Savior removed the judgment of death that our sin of rebellion earned. Being forgiven and declared righteous made it possible for us to resubmit ourselves to God’s rule, which we do by confessing that Jesus is Lord. The early Christians were not persecuted for claiming that Jesus was their Savior. They were put to death for fearlessly declaring that Jesus is Lord above all, including Caesar.

The gospel, therefore, it more about proclaiming Jesus’ lordship than anything else.

Delegated Authority

Jesus is Lord over everyone and everything that claim supremacy in our lives. Anything or anyone which tries to usurp Christ’s position as the Supreme King is a rebel, antichrist, and a betrayer. The prince of this world has been defeated and cast down by the Lord of lords.

And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19 “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Luke 10:18–19 (NASB95)

As Christ’s ambassadors, we have been given authority to represent him in the world. In the last teaching, I mentioned how the Lamb of God provided us with several key elements of salvation: forgiveness, justification, reconciliation, and sonship. The authority of Christ as Lord is mostly related to his role as the Redeemer. 

The redeem is to buy back from slavery and set free. Jesus purchased our freedom so that we can be delivered from all that previously enslaved us so that we can serve God with a whole heart.

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 13:38–39 (NASB95)

Just as Christ has given us authority to preach the good news that we can be forgiven and reconciled to God, we have also been made representatives of the Redeemer. We are authorized to proclaim liberty to the captives, just as Jesus did when he walked this earth.

“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)

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Matthew 10:8 (NASB95)

Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Luke 10:19 (NASB95)

The authority of Christ extends through us via the words we speak in his name, which are backed up by the power of the Holy Spirit.

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. Matthew 18:18–19 (NASB95) 

In addition to having authority to proclaim the gospel and forgiveness of sins, we have delegated authority in the following areas.

  1. Authority to heal the sick.
  2. Authority to cast out demons.
  3. Authority to set the prisoners free from anything that would seek to enslave them, such as addictions, legalism, family problems passed down generationally, etc. 

Christ’s delegated authority gives us the right to proclaim freedom and God’s favor to those whose hearts are open to the gospel. When this proclamation is received by faith, it releases God’s power to set people free. 

It is very important for us to realize that we have been given the authority of Christ to proclaim liberty to the captives. The power rests with God in the person of the Holy Spirit.

He is God’s Enforcer of the words we speak. It is not up to us to make our words come true. That is God’s domain.

Since we have authority, we should use it. We do not ask demons to leave: we command them to go. When we do so, Christ’s authority is released through us. We depend on the Holy Spirit to enforce that authority.

But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Matthew 12:28 (NASB95)

But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed. 22 “But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied and distributes his plunder. Luke 11:20–22 (NASB95)

Casting out a demon using Christ’s authority and the Holy Spirit’s power is as easy as thumping a fly with our finger. It is never a power issue for us. It is always an authority matter. If we know we have the authority, the power will be there. 

Similarly, we have authority to command healing. 

Now Jesus started on His way with them; and when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof; 7 for this reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 “For I also am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” 9 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, “I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.” Luke 7:6–9 (NASB95)

Those who are under Christ’s authority know they have authority as his representatives. We use that authority when we command healing in his name. There is no need to plead or beg. We have authority.

Likewise, we can declare that through our Lord Jesus people are set free from generational judgments coming down through families, addictions, etc. By faith we proclaim Christ’s victory, using his authority, and the Holy Spirit makes it happen.

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” Luke 4:18–19 (NKJV)

So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36 (NASB95)
Water Baptism

Jesus died as God’s Lamb, doing for us what we could never do for ourselves. He paid the debt incurred by our sins, but he rose from the dead as the Lord of Lords, who deserves and expects our worship and obedience.

This means it is not enough simply to be forgiven. The gospel requires us to acknowledge Christ’s lordship.

Faith contains both the idea of belief of the truth and allegiance to the person of Christ. Water baptism is our public declaration of allegiance to our Lord Jesus. 

We believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, but we must also confess our allegiance to him with our mouths. We must never reduce the gospel to merely receiving the benefits provided by the Lamb of God.

We receive God’s gift and give him ourselves in return.

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1–2 (NASB95)

Only the Holy Spirit is able to transform us on the inside. It is a work of grace from start to finish, but it begins with our surrender to Jesus the Lord and a turning away from our deeply ingrained determination to live independently from God.

Repentance, combined with the declaration that Jesus is Lord and a reliance upon God’s Spirit, is the antidote to the poison of self-centered living.

Prayer

Jesus, I understand now that you require me to abandon my quest to live independently from your lordship. I repent from my sinful determination to do as I please without regard for your will. I ask you to forgive me and set me free to live as your joyful servant. I acknowledge and confess that you are the risen Lord of Lords. Holy Spirit, help me to boldly tell others about Jesus. Use me to exercise the authority you have given me to set people free in your name. Amen.

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The Lamb of God’s Authority to Forgive Sins

trumpet gospel

The first announcement John the Baptist made concerning his cousin, Jesus, was that he is the Lamb of God who takes away or forgives the sin of the world. 

The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 (NASB95)

Jesus came from the Jews, but his mission was to save the world. 

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (NKJV) 

The New Covenant is superior to and grander than anything contained in the old. Not only did God enlarge the group who will be saved to include the nations, he also enlarged the promised land. God gave Abraham the area that came to be known as Israel, but Jesus promised that his disciples will inherit the earth.

Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 (NKJV)

The New Covenant is better than the old in every way (Hebrews 8:6) because it is a covenant in his blood (Luke 22:20) between the Father and the Son (Isaiah 42:6) in which we participate by faith.

But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. Hebrews 8:6 (NASB95)

And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood. Luke 22:20 (NASB95)

I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, Isaiah 42:6 (NASB95)

The Law is the measure of holiness by which all people will be judged. Through Christ’s perfect life and his sacrifice on the cross, he fulfilled the Law on our behalf in addition to paying the penalty for our transgressions of that same Law. His perfect standing with God is the incomprehensible gift provided to his children.

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 1 John 3:1 (NASB95)

Continual access to God’s presence is our amazing privilege.

for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. Ephesians 2:18 (NASB95)

The promise of ruling with Christ is our glorious future.

And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:29 (NASB95)

even when we were dead in our transgressions,[God] made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2:5–6 (NASB95)

Although John did not do any known miracles and only a few of his words are recorded in Scripture, Jesus declared that he was the greatest of the prophets (Matthew 11:11). John’s greatness is measured by the enormity of his calling, which was to identify and introduce Jesus to Israel and the world.

We too will be honored if we faithfully proclaim Jesus to the world

Our Lord promised:

And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man [who has authority to judge] will confess him also before the angels of God; Luke 12:8 (NASB95)

John announced four important aspects of Jesus’ person and work, all of which are integral to the gospel.

  1. Jesus is the Lamb of God – He is the Savior who has authority to forgive sins.
  2. Jesus is the Son of God – He is the risen Lord, the “last Adam, in whom God has placed all authority in heaven and on earth.
  3. Jesus is the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit – He is Lord of the Harvest, and
  4. Jesus is the Son of Man – He has been given authority to judge the living and the dead.

Each of these titles or roles has tremendous significance and name an important aspect of our Lord’s person and work. God wants us to recognize each of these aspects of Christ’s ministry and authority and to personally experience him in each way, too – as Savior, Lord, Baptizer in the Spirit, and coming Judge.

When we proclaim the gospel, it includes the invitation for our hearers to know him in these same four ways.

The Lamb of God – Knowing Jesus as Savior
The next day he [John the Baptist] *saw Jesus coming to him and *said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 (NASB)

I imagine that John shocked his followers by telling them that Jesus was a sacrificial lamb. Our impression of a lamb is probably a cute, gentle, and cuddly animal. But for the Israelites, this designation brought to mind the bloody sacrifice of these innocent animals as an offering for sin. Those familiar with the prophet Isaiah may have recalled these words from the 53rd chapter.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. Isaiah 53:7 (NKJV)

Did any of those who heard John realize that Jesus would be a human sacrifice for sin?

Not since the day when God told Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice had such a thing been heard. Would God the Father actually go through with the sacrifice of his Son? Looking back from our present day, the answer, of course, is yes, but try to imagine yourself as one of those who heard John in that time before the crucifixion and resurrection. Would they have been able or even willing to grasp the import of John’s words? It is not likely.

Whereas God the Father relented and told Abraham to spare Isaac, Abba would require his own Son to die an excruciating death to expiate the sins of those who at that time were his enemies. 

For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Romans 5:10–11 (NKJV)

Amazing grace! Jesus did not die for humble, penitent people who were pleading for mercy. He died for his enemies, and such were we all.

Only by the shedding of his only Son Jesus’ blood on the cross could God the Father forgive our sins.

The just penalty for our transgressions against God’s justice had to be paid for God to retain his justice while at the same time becoming the justifier of his New Covenant people.

whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:25–26 (NASB95)

Only by dying as God’s perfect Lamb would Jesus gain the authority to forgive sins. The perfect Lamb made the perfect sacrifice that inaugurated the perfect covenant.

Even though John prophesied these words about Jesus’ being the Lamb of God, he may not have fully understood them either. The disciples certainly did not before the resurrection. Jesus, however, completely grasped what being God’s Lamb would cost him. At the Last Supper, he made this announcement to his bewildered disciples. Taking the cup of wine, he told them:

“...This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. Luke 22:20 (ESV)

Even before his crucifixion, Jesus told his followers that God had given him authority to forgive sins.

Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins have been forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 “But, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,”—He said to the paralytic—“I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.” 25 Immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. Luke 5:23–25 (NASB95)

Where did Jesus get this authority? Did God always have this ability to forgive our sins? If so, why would Jesus have to die for our sins? To properly answer this question, it is important for us to understand that God is not limited by time as we are. He created time but exists outside of it. He sees all time at once. He knows the end from the beginning. He can declare as done those things that have yet to happen in time. For him all things are in the present. 

The benefits of Christ’s death as God’s Lamb were able to be applied backward and forward through time.

Every time Jesus forgave someone before his death on the cross he made, so to speak, a draw against a future “paycheck,” his death as God’s Lamb.

By forgiving people before the crucifixion, God guaranteed that his only begotten Son would have to die as the only possible sacrifice for our sins.

When Jesus asked the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane if there were not some other way, he knew the answer was a “no.”

There was only one way for Jesus to have authority to forgive sins. He had to die in our place as God’s lamb and rise again. And that sacrifice reverberates through eternity providing forgiveness once and for all time.

Revelation 13:8 speaks of “the Lamb slain before the foundation of the word.” God saw it done and considered it to be already accomplished before it ever happened in time.

For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. Hebrews 10:14 (NASB95)

Ephesians tells us that God chose us to participate in the blessings won by Christ before he ever created the world.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love Ephesians 1:3–4 (NASB95)

God the Father could not have done this had not the benefits of his Son’s death on the cross already been reckoned as completed! How amazing is God’s grace!

Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’; Isaiah 46:10 (NASB95)
Knowing Jesus as the Lamb of God

Probably most people who call themselves Christians know Jesus primarily as the Lamb of God, the One who died for our sins. Another way of describing this role is to call him Savior.

Those of us who become followers of Christ must first know Jesus as Savior before we can go forward on our discipleship journey.

We must first of all be forgiven, which is called propitiation, the expiation of our sins and the satisfying of God’s just wrath.

and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. 1 John 2:2 (NASB95)

Once we are forgiven, it opens the door for God to declare us to be “not guilty,” which is justification.

For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. Romans 3:28 (NASB95)

This means that we are provided with our Lord Jesus’ perfect right standing with God, just as if we had never sinned and had been perfectly obedient to God all our lives. In addition, what Jesus accomplished as God’s Lamb opened the door to our being reconciled to God or given an intimate relationship with Abba Father.

Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 2 Corinthians 5:18 (NASB95)

Reconciliation includes becoming a child of God and heir through Christ. Instead of being imprisoned in the kingdom of darkness, when we place our faith and allegiance in God’s Lamb, our Savior, opens the door wide for us to become one of God’s born-again children, part of his eternal family.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12–13 (NASB95)

All of this is so magnificently wonderful that, unfortunately, many of those who experience Jesus as Savior may go little further in their understanding of who Jesus is.

The Spirit of God wants us to know Jesus in each way John identified him – Lamb, Lord, Baptizer in the Spirit, and the coming glorious Son of Man who will judge the living and the dead.

In our consumer culture, it is only natural that Jesus would be presented and received in terms of what he can do for us, but the full gospel is not consumer oriented.

Whenever the complete gospel is presented, the benefit of experiencing forgiveness through the sacrifice of the Lamb of God is always in the context of radical surrender to his Lordship.

Presenting forgiveness without the call to surrender all we are and have to God is a distortion that can influence people away from following the Lord in joyful obedience as a way of life. Jesus said that his disciples must enter through a narrow gate and walk a narrow path in order to follow him.

Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:13–14 (NASB95)

Coming to God through the Lamb of God’s perfect sacrifice is the narrow gate. The narrow path is discipleship – knowing Jesus as Lord.

Preaching only forgiveness without Lordship, is much too wide a path and can hinder our development as  disciples. The Lordship of Christ will be the subject of the next message.

Our Authority to Proclaim the Forgiveness of Sins

It is absolutely proper and necessary for us to proclaim the forgiveness of sins through in Christ.

Jesus gave us the authority to announce that God forgives the sins of those who believe in the Lamb of God who rose from the dead.

Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. Luke 24:45-47 (NASB)

What a tremendous privilege and responsibility we have been given! We are ambassadors of Christ proclaiming that men and women can be reconciled to God!

Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:18–21 (NASB95)

Prayer

Jesus, thank you for dying for my sins as the perfect Lamb of God. I receive from you, my Savior, the forgiveness that I could never earn. Thank you, Father God, that you have declared me to be “not guilty” in your sight because of what your Son did on the cross by taking my sins upon himself. Thank you for raising him from the dead to be my Lord, too. Thank you for making me part of your forever family. Come, Holy Spirit, fill me to overflowing. Reveal more and more about what the Bible says about Jesus to me. Help me to live for Jesus from now on and tell others about him. Amen.

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The Gospel and the Authority of Christ – Introduction

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The gospel message is the story of the promised coming of Jesus the Messiah, his itinerant ministry, his crucifixion, death, and resurrection, the announcement that God’s kingdom authority has been restored on the earth in his person as Lord of lords, his ascension into heaven after which he poured out the Holy Spirit, and his promised return as the glorious Son of Man, who will judge the living and the dead.

Where we begin a gospel presentation can vary depending on the understanding of our listeners and the leading of the Holy Spirit. We can go all the way back to the Garden of Eden. Or we can start before creation, as John’s gospel does.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:1–5 (NASB95)

We probably should include some reference to how mankind got into the sin predicament we find ourselves by Adam’s disobeying God’s clear command and trying to live independently from him.

The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” Genesis 2:16–17 (NASB95)

We might mention how ever since sin has been passed down from generation to generation, leaving us in a hopeless predicament of being alienated from God and sentenced to death.

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— Romans 5:12 (NASB95)

remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. Ephesians 2:12 (NASB95)

We should tell people how God promised to send a Savior all the way back in the garden.

And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” Genesis 3:15 (NASB95)

We can include his promise to Abraham that one of his descendants would be a blessing to the entire earth.

“In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” Genesis 22:18 (NASB95)

We might mention his promise to King David that one of his offspring would rule over God’s kingdom forever.

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 (NASB95)

We could relate how Isaiah promised that a virgin would have a child upon whose shoulders the kingdom of God would rest.

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:6–7 (NASB95)

We might wish to include a reference to Isaiah 53 which describes what the Lamb of God would suffer for our sake.

But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. Isaiah 53:5–6 (NASB95)

Then we come to that point in history when God fulfilled all those promises as recorded in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. We can share how Jesus went about doing good and liberating all those held captive by the devil, fulfilling the messianic promise found in Isaiah 61 and quoted by our Lord in Luke 4:18.

“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.” 20 And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:18–21 (NASB95) 

“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 (NASB95)

All this led up to his crucifixion, when he offered himself to God as the Lamb to take away our sins.

but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, 13 waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. 14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. Hebrews 10:12–14 (NASB95)

Then came the resurrection whereby he was confirmed as the Lord of all.

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 (NASB95) 

After that he ascended to heaven and poured out the Holy Spirit, thus fulfilling the feast of Pentecost and launching the church into the Great Commission.

“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 (NASB95)

We still wait for his Second Coming as the glorious son of man prophesied by Daniel.

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. Philippians 3:20–21 (NASB95)

In Jesus the Lord, the kingdom of God has taken root on the earth and is growing through the preaching of the gospel.

In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. Daniel 2:44 (NASB95)

Wherever God’s kingdom is established, people come under the authority and rule of the king, our Lord Jesus.

Eventually God’s kingdom will fill the entire earth with the glory of God.

but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the LORD. Numbers 14:21 (NASB95) 

When we voluntarily acknowledge the authority of our Lord Jesus, we share in that authority, which he vests in his church, his representatives on the earth.

“You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” Revelation 5:10 (NASB95)

This series of teachings will show how the gospel message proclaims and calls people to surrender to our Lord’s authority in relationship to four of his titles or roles as prophesied by John the Baptist.

But first let us see why God’s authority had to be restored in the first place.

How We Lost the Authority God Gave to Us

When Adam sinned against God in the garden, at the most fundamental level it was a rejection of the authority and supremacy of God.

Satan convinced the first Adam and his wife Eve that God did not have their best interests in mind by forbidding them from partaking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He tricked them into doubting the Creator’s love and appealed to their apparently innate desire to be like God. The first Adam decided to disobey God’s clear command in an attempt to liberate himself and Eve from the supposed confines of dependency upon a less than trustworthy God.

By trying to be independent from God, Adam opened the door to satanic rule over all creation.

God vested the first Adam with tremendous authority over the earth and its creatures. 

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:26–28 (NASB95)

In Adam, God gave man authority over the earth but not the heavens. But almost from the beginning man has tried to leave our appointed habitation in an effort to be like God by penetrating and conquering the heavens. (e.g. the tower of Babel)

When Adam obeyed the serpent (Satan), he became a slave to the evil one and to sin, thus bringing everything over which Adam had been given authority under Satan’s dominion.

Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. Romans 6:16–18 (NASB95)

I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me; John 14:30 (NASB95)

By obeying Satan, Adam and his descendants became slaves to the prince of darkness, but thanks be to God, he sent his Son, the “last Adam,” to rescue us!

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13–14 (NASB95)

Jesus informed the independent from God, self-righteous Pharisees that they were not only slaves to sin but were spiritually related to the evil one in a most significant way.

You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44 (NASB95)

Salvation through Christ, at its most basic level, it is mainly concerned with who is our father. 

Are we enslaved to the prince of darkness or have we been born again into God’s kingdom in which we are now his beloved sons (and daughters)?

Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. Galatians 4:6–7 (NASB95)

There is a profound difference between the covenant of law and the new covenant of grace. Law evaluates and condemns us based on our performance. Under the new covenant we are justified based on the performance of the Righteous One, our Lord Jesus. We are credited with our Lord’s right standing before God.

In Christ, we are born again into God’s family in which we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us [election] in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless [justification] before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons [sonship, reconciliation] through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgivenes [propitiation] s of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight Ephesians 1:3–8 (NASB95)

The biggest question every person will be asked is, “Who is your father?” For the believer, it is Abba, thanks to what Jesus accomplished on our behalf!

This is why Jesus said that we must be born again. There is no other way to enter the kingdom of God except through the new birth.

“Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ John 3:7 (NASB95)

After he rose from the dead, he informed his disciples that his Abba Father had become their (and our) Abba Father! 

Jesus said to her [Mary], “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’ ” John 20:17 (NASB95)

The greatest blessings Jesus bestowed upon us come through being reconciled to Abba Father, being born into his family, and receiving the indwelling Holy Spirit, who now lives Christ’s life in and through us.

The gospel, then, is mostly concerned with announcing who Jesus is and what he accomplished on our and God’s behalf. The gospel invites our hearers to be reconciled to God, receive the Holy Spirit, and partake of all spiritual blessings in Christ, which includes reigning with him for eternity.

The gospel commands (invites?) our hearers to repent from our self-directed way of life and submit ourselves to God’s authority by acknowledging that Jesus is Lord, which opens the door for us to receive all God’s blessings in Christ.

We are told that if we confess Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved. (Romans 10:9-10)

Faith contains two main components: belief and allegiance. We believe the gospel message and we declare allegiance to our Lord Jesus.

These two things are two sides of what it means to be a disciple. Both are necessary. Belief without allegiance is mere lip service. Allegiance without belief is some kind of dutiful legalism. When the two work together it creates a dynamic faith that leads to our being obedient to God’s Spirit, thus bringing glory to God.

The gospel, therefore, commands us to come under Jesus’ authority prior to being given authority.

Satan tried to destroy mankind, but God’s heart is to redeem us and elevate us to rule and reign with him. Everything Satan tried to take illegitimately, God gives to his bride, the church. 

First, we receive authority to become children of God.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right [exousia - authority] to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12–13 (NASB95)

As children of God and representatives of Christ, we are also given authority to preach the gospel and proclaim his name to the world. 

What an amazing thing that we are allowed to speak on God’s behalf!

In the following teachings, I will show how the gospel includes proclaiming Jesus’ authority in four main areas, which were mentioned by John the Baptist when he introduced Jesus to the Jews as their Messiah.

  1. Jesus has authority to forgive sins as the Lamb of God.
  2. Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and earth as the risen Son of God and Lord.
  3. Jesus is the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit and has been made Lord of the Great Commission harvest. 
  4. Jesus has authority to judge all people as the divine Son of Man.

All four of these aspects of Jesus’ authority are integral to the gospel.

God wants us to be “gospel fluent” and become familiar with each aspect of Christ’s authority and incorporate them into our gospel presentations. We do not have to mention all of them in every presentation, but we should be able to do so. The Holy Spirit custom tailors what we share with people based on what they need. Having the entirety of the gospel story at hand is very helpful and properly equips us to represent Christ well.

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The Second Coming Is Fundamental to the Gospel

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Christ’s Second Coming is an important tenet of faith for Christians and is fundamental to the gospel.

1971. That was the year that the Holy Spirit opened my spiritual eyes and allowed me to see that Jesus is who the Bible says he is. The result was that my life was fundamentally altered. Everything changed inside. My purpose for living became entwined with Christ’s plan for my life, which resulted in pastoring a small church for thirty-four years and teaching the Bible for many more. I have written a few books, too. When God reveals Christ to us, the impact is dramatic. Just ask Paul the apostle.

You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. 14 I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors. 15 But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him 16 to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. 17 Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus. 18 Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie. 21 After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And still the churches in Christ that are in Judea didn’t know me personally. 23 All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!” 24 And they praised God because of me. Galatians 1:13–24 (NLT)

During the sixties and seventies, God orchestrated a gigantic in-gathering of people into his kingdom. Some called it the “Jesus Revolution,” during which thousands of so called “hippies” and others from that generation of “Baby Boomers,” as well as people from other age groups, became followers of Christ. Concurrent with that “awakening” was another “movement” called the Charismatic Renewal, in which thousands, if not millions, of people across a wide range of denominations and “non-denominations” received what many call the baptism and fullness of the Holy Spirit, complete with speaking in tongues, prophecy, and other manifestations of God’s Spirit. Many of those who came to Christ during that time became leaders in the church. What God did during that decade still impacts the church more than fifty years later.

One of the hallmarks of that ingathering was a profound interest in Christ’s Second Coming. People were fascinated with trying to piece together a proper sequence of future end-time events. Those who professed to know all about it worked out all kinds of charts showing their predicted scenarios. Many of us expected that Jesus would come very soon, just as did the early church.

The Gospel is the good news about a person named Jesus, who is the promised Messiah King of Israel. His grand mission is to reclaim and transform all creation under God’s rule. Jesus began his public ministry by proclaiming that “the kingdom of God is at hand.” The reason he could say that was because the King himself was then present on earth. Wherever king went, the kingdom was at hand. He introduced his kingdom rule into the lives of those who followed and believed in him by releasing them from the power of the devil and sin and calling them to follow him without reservation or hesitation.

His new way of living asks us to renounce all competing allegiances and surrender to his lordship in every area of life. This is what it means to follow Christ.

While he was here on earth physically, he was the epicenter of the kingdom of God and the focus of the messianic expectations of those around him. These expectations reached a crescendo when he entered Jerusalem on a donkey to the shouts of the crowd: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” Those present proclaimed that he was the long promised successor to David’s throne – the Messiah!

Believing that Jesus was a spiritual and political threat, the religious and civil authorities put him to death, apparently dashing the hopes of his followers. But this was all part of God’s eternal plan to redeem us from our sins. The Messiah King first had to suffer and die in order to pay the penalty for our sins. Three days later our hope was restored when Jesus emerged from the tomb! For forty days he instructed his band of faithful followers in the things related to his kingdom. Then Jesus ascended to heaven to sit at his heavenly Father’s right hand upon the throne of God, waiting for his enemies to be made his footstool and for the appointed time for his return, this time as the victorious and glorious King of Kings, the Son of Man prophesied by Daniel, who will judge the living and the dead and put an end to every other rival kingdom. He will permanently install God’s long awaited rule over all creation!

The Second Coming will be the culmination of God’s grand plan to redeem and restore all things to himself through his Son.

On Pentecost the Holy Spirit was unleashed to baptize and empower Christ’s followers. The apostle Peter, filled with the Spirit, preached the first sermon in this new age of the Spirit-filled church. His conclusion is quoted below.

“So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” Acts 2:36 (NLT)

Peter’s listeners responded, “What should we do?” Why would they feel the need to do anything? It was because they realized that they were answerable to God for rejecting and murdering his Son, who, amazingly, was still alive and sitting on God’s throne!

Jesus’ resurrection made him the de facto ruler over all things to whom everyone must answer.

Behind Peter’s words is the understanding that Jesus will come again as the glorious Son of Man to judge every human being and punish those who choose to reject his benevolent rule.

The gospel is an invitation to all who have previously rejected the Messianic King to finally get right with God by confessing that Jesus is indeed the LORD, who has risen from the dead and who will come again one day to judge those who reject his kingly authority.

In Acts Chapter Three, Peter again preached.

Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. 20 Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah. 21 For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets.  Acts 3:19-21 (NLT)

The Gospel preaching of the early church was completely focused on the person named Jesus Christ, his lordship, and the Second Coming, which included the resurrection of the just and the evil, the last judgment, and the restoration of all things under God’s rule. It is no wonder that when this Gospel is preached, whether then or today, that those who hear and believe will become intensely interested in Jesus’ Second Coming!

The faith that saves is based on the Gospel revelation that Jesus is the Messiah King who is coming again to firmly establish God’s rule on earth.

Sadly, if all we do is present this glorious coming Lord as a “personal Savior” who rescues us from the consequence of our sin, it is no wonder that some people are not greatly moved and changed when they believe in him. A “personal savior” requires little or nothing from his adherents, but the glorious Lord of lords expects complete surrender from those who follow him!

Have we yet seen him for who he really is? Have we surrendered to him? Until we do that, we have not really known him.

Ask the Holy Spirit to open our eyes and heart, just as he did for those who heard Peter’s sermon so long ago.

Prayer

Holy Spirit, I ask you to reveal Jesus to me so that I may properly surrender my life to him. My desire is to know Jesus to the greatest degree possible and serve him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Amen.

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Was the Virgin Birth Truly Necessary?

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The virgin birth is one of the key doctrines of Christianity. In this article, I will show why it is so essential and necessary.

The true story of Jesus begins with his mother Mary receiving an incredible announcement from the angel Gabriel.

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” 34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” 35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. Luke 1:26-35 (NLT)

Why would God use something that is seemingly impossible, even ridiculous to some, as the means of bringing His Son into the world? Isn’t the resurrection a big enough hurdle for the modern rational mind without injecting a virgin birth into the Gospel story before we even get started? Why did God ask Mary to endure what was an apparent very large blemish on her character? I feel sure that most doubted her story. She must have endured the critical gaze of those who thought she was a loose woman with an illegitimate son. And how about the pain and confusion this abnormal birth caused Joseph? Couldn’t God have done this some other way? Apparently not.

The Bible reveals that Jesus is the God-Man, fully human and fully God. The human part is easy to grasp. The God element is more difficult and is something we must see by faith and revelation.

After his resurrection, Jesus confronted Thomas the doubter, who previously announced that he would not believe that Jesus rose until he put his fingers in the nail holes and his hand into his side. When Jesus suddenly appeared to him in answer to his request, Thomas blurted out: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28) It was rather easy for him to arrive at that conclusion while standing in the presence of the risen Lord. The Holy Spirit must open our spiritual eyes for us to believe.

John the Baptist announced to the world that Jesus is the Lamb of God. What a shocker that message must have been to his listeners! Jesus was to be a human sacrifice! Most who heard those words probably concluded that John was just using poetic language. Even Jesus’ disciples, who heard the Lord tell them repeatedly that he would die on a cross, lived in denial regarding his coming crucifixion. No one grasped up front that Jesus would be God’s blemish-free substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of mankind.

Jesus had to be a man without sin who also was fully God in order to become the perfect sacrifice who could pay the just penalty for our sins.

Jesus also had to become a true man because the first man, Adam, sinned against God and earned the death penalty for the entire human race. Since then every human being has become a co-conspirator by personally sinning. Jesus had to be truly God because only God is perfect enough to make a perfect offering.

In order for Jesus to be a human and at the same time avoid being born with a wicked and debilitating sin nature, which the rest of us inherit from Adam and our own natural fathers, he had to be supernaturally begotten by God with a human mother.

For Christianity to work, this had to be. It is the divine logic. Jesus became the “second Adam,” the spiritual progenitor of a new race of people. His mother was a “standard issue” human being, but his Father was God. He was conceived by the operation of the Holy Spirit, which made him the most unique and important person ever to walk this earth. He had to be in order to accomplish his mission.

Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. 1 Corinthians 15:47 (NLT)
The Miracle of the New Birth

But Jesus is not the only person who has experienced a miraculous birth. His virgin birth prepared the way for a multitude of equally amazing births in which God is also the Father.

Through the miracle of the New Covenant, which was inaugurated by Jesus’ death and resurrection, every person who puts his or her faith in Christ is born miraculously. It’s called the new birth.

Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ John 3:5-7 (NLT)

The only way for a sinful human being to become a child of God is for Christ to be born or formed inside him. The Bible uses different metaphors or images to communicate what happens through the new birth process. Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born again. Obviously, Jesus did not mean that Nicodemus had to go back into his mother’s womb.

The new birth takes place when God’s life is planted inside a person causing him or her to come alive in the spirit.

Paul called it the new creation.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

Peter wrote that the new birth is a result of God’s seed being planted inside a person, an obvious analogy to the biological conception process.

since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 1 Peter 1:23 (ESV)

The truth God wants us to apprehend is that, through the new birth, we who believe become authentic children of God.

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12-13 (ESV)

The new birth, like the virgin birth, is not religious jargon. It is real. It is a brand new beginning in God. It is the gateway to eternal life. It is the greatest gift of all!

The Divine Logos, who existed for all eternity as the Only Begotten Son of the Father, chose to become flesh so that we hopelessly estranged and lost humans could become part of the divine family and reconnected to God’s eternal purpose.

The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, comes to live inside all born again people, giving us the same relationship with the Father  as sons that Jesus has, minus the divinity.

That is why we too can cry out, “Abba, Father,” and have it mean something.

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, Romans 8:15-16 (ESV)

If you think it’s hard to believe that God would humble himself to become a man, just consider how amazing it is for God to allow humans to become part of his divine family! And it all started with the virgin birth!

Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives. Galatians 4:19 (NLT)

In the verse above, Paul takes things a step further. He not only wanted his readers to believe the gospel and be born again; he also was vitally concerned that his disciples be conformed to Christ’s image or likeness in how they thought, spoke, and acted. He understood that our focus should not be on mere outward conformity. Instead, transformation must begin on the inside, in the spirit, where the seed of God is planted and where the Holy Spirit dwells.

It is in the spirit that we are united with God’s Spirit, and it is from there that the life of God permeates our entire being as leaven spreads throughout a lump of dough.

When the life within completes its course, we will look, act, speak, and think like our Lord. He will have been fully formed inside us, conforming us to his image. Then we will have come full circle, so to speak. The Logos (the eternal Word of God, Jesus) became flesh through what is called the incarnation so that humans could become like the divine Logos through the new birth (a repeat of the incarnation) and the ongoing inner transformation by the Spirit.

So, is the virgin birth something essential? Yes, it is, and so is Christ’s resurrection and the new birth. All are miracles from God that have elevated believing humanity out of oppression and hopelessness into the glorious privilege of being children of God!

Why did God use things that are so “abnormal” and, to the world, incredible? It was because there was no other way.

God uses what the world has a hard time believing to deliver those who have faith. Faith itself is a gift from God, something the Holy Spirit imparts. Without God’s gracious help, no one could ever really understand the Gospel message, but when our eyes and hearts are opened, we are born again!

If you have never believed in your heart that Jesus is who the Bible says he is, but something deep inside of you is drawn to this wonderful message of hope, you can ask God’s Spirit to help you. One of his names is the Helper. He will lead you into all truth. He will help you to know Christ through revelation. He will help you to become a true believer. You too can experience the miracle of the new birth, too. Perhaps now is the time for you to offer a prayer from your heart. God will hear you. If you open the door, he will come in.

A Sample Prayer

Dear Lord, I want to be part of your family. I need your help. Holy Spirit please open my spiritual eyes, unstop my deaf ears, and soften my hard heart so that I can believe. Jesus, I ask you to come into my life and change me on the inside. I ask for the forgiveness and life that you died to give me. I surrender my life to you. Now I depend on you to do the rest. Amen.

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Have We Been Inoculated Against the Gospel?

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If we are inoculated against a disease, we are given a weak form of it to stimulate the development of antibodies so that later we will be able to defend ourselves against the actual disease. Is it possible to be inoculated against the gospel?

Some who call themselves Christian quite often act no differently from those who do not confess the name of Jesus. Why is that? Our opinions have little consequence, but our convictions are what really matter. A conviction is the result of our believing in something or someone so strongly that we feel compelled to act upon it. Conviction leads to commitment. Belief without commitment to act is not the faith of the Bible.

If  our profession of faith in Jesus the Lord does not change how we live, it likely was not accompanied by faith in our hearts.

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 (NLT)

The confession part is relatively easy. We can intellectually agree that we want to escape hell and go to heaven without ever received true revelation of who Jesus is. People can say all sort of things with their mouths, but only God knows what is happening at the heart level.

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? 17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. 18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” 19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? James 2:14–20 (NLT)

From a spiritual point of view, if we are not changed, the gospel has done us no good. In fact, it may have actually harmed us because at the Last Judgment we will be held accountable for knowing the truth and rejecting it.

I call this being “inoculated” against the gospel.

This can happen if we understand just enough of the truth to be deceived into thinking we are just fine with God, without ever seeing who Christ is by revelation in our hearts or truly acknowledging him as Lord as well as Savior.

Consider the following words of Jesus:

I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16  So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. Revelation 3:15-16 (ESV)

Sadly, the condition of being lukewarm describes countless churchgoers. It means we have little or no ardor or zeal, no joyful desire to follow Jesus wherever he may lead, no wish to dedicate our lives for his glory, and no willingness to sacrifice and suffer for him as may be required.

Lukewarm people are loyal to themselves, not to Jesus.

Do Christians live much differently than those who do not confess Christ? I quote from The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience: Why don’t Christians live what they preach? by Ronald J. Sider.

To say there is a crisis of disobedience in the evangelical world today is to dangerously understate the problem. Born-again Christians divorce at about the same rate as everyone else. Self-centered materialism is seducing evangelicals and rapidly destroying our earlier, slightly more generous giving. Only 6 percent of born-again Christians tithe. Born-again Christians justify and engage in sexual promiscuity (both premarital sex and adultery) at astonishing rates. Racism and perhaps physical abuse of wives seems to be worse in evangelical circles than elsewhere. This is scandalous behavior for people who claim to be born-again by the Holy Spirit and to enjoy the very presence of the Risen Lord in their lives.

In light of the foregoing statistics, it is not surprising that born-again Christians spend seven times more hours each week in front of their televisions than they spend in Bible reading, prayer, and worship.1 Only 9 percent of born-again adults and 2 percent of born-again teenagers have a biblical worldview.2

Perhaps it is not surprising either that non-Christians have a very negative view of evangelicals. In a recent poll, Barna asked non-Christians about their attitudes toward different groups of Christians. Only 44 percent have a positive view of Christian clergy. Just 32 percent have a positive view of born-again Christians. And a mere 22 percent have a positive view of evangelicals.3

Evangelicals rightly rejected theological liberalism because it denied the miraculous. In response, we insisted that miracle was central to biblical faith at numerous points including the supernatural moral transformation of broken sinners. Now our very lifestyle as evangelicals is a ringing practical denial of the miraculous in our lives. Satan must laugh in sneerful derision. God’s people can only weep.

The Core Issue: Do We Know Who Jesus Is?

At one point during Jesus’ three-year itinerant ministry, he asked his disciples a very important question.

  • Who do you say I am?

People in Jesus’ day, and through the years, have held various opinions about Jesus’ identity. His contemporaries regarded him as a prophet and a teacher. Some even thought that he was the long awaited Messiah, the coming king in the line of David. Others saw him as a trouble maker, a dangerous imposter, a blasphemer, or a threat to political stability and Israel’s favored status with Rome.

The question of Jesus’ identity is the most important one in our lives. How we answer that question will determine how we live.

If our answer regarding Jesus’ identity does not make a practical difference in our lives, we can know for sure that we do not yet know him as the Bible presents him – the Risen Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

The proper and expected response made by those who wake up to who Jesus truly is will be to lay down all previous plans and dreams in order follow him wherever he may lead.

Becoming a follower of Christ is like signing a blank check and handing it to the Lord with the understanding that he can and will fill in the amount when and how he decides.

This no doubt sounds extreme to those who have grown accustomed to a mere “churchianity” that requires no more of us than some level of church attendance, giving, and, perhaps, serving in some capacity at scheduled services.

When Jesus asked his disciple band, “Who do you say that I am?,” Peter responded in a way that has reverberated through the ages.

Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17  And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 16:16-17 (ESV)

The word “Christ” is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word “messiah,” which means anointed one. The implication was that he was and is the promised king in David’s line. The Jews eagerly waited for this Messiah King who, they thought, would liberate them from Roman tyranny and restore Israel’s political, social, and spiritual fortunes. The phrase “son of God” most likely was another way of saying he was the Messiah. Jesus acknowledged that Peter received this revelation from his heavenly Father.

This was how Jesus gauged the activity of the Spirit in his disciples. Had they yet seen and understood who he really was and is? The same is true today. Have we yet seen as we should?

Peter was ready to follow his messianic king all the way to victory, even if he died along the way. Peter’s view of Jesus propelled him forward as a faithful follower. However, Peter’s understanding of Christ’s identity was still incomplete and insufficient to give him the strength to keep going during the difficult tests that lay ahead. When the populace welcomed Jesus to Jerusalem just prior to his crucifixion, they viewed him hopefully in the same light as Peter. The Bible records that they shouted:

…“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10  And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11  And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” Matthew 21:9-11 (ESV)

They believed Jesus was a prophet, the coming messianic king, but, like Peter, their understanding was not complete or sufficient, and, unfortunately, many who claim the name of Christian today also have an incomplete understanding of who Jesus is.

When Jesus did not deliver the expected “goods” 2000 years ago, the people quickly turned on him and assisted the Jewish rulers in putting him to death. People are eager to follow someone who will give them success, wealth, health, and power, but Jesus did the very opposite. He offered his disciples the opportunity to suffer for his name as they took the gospel message to the ends of the earth.

Today many so called Christians face similar crises of faith when Jesus does not turn out to be who we expected.

What Peter did not understand is that Jesus is not only the prophet and the expected messianic king, but he is also the Lamb of God and the prophesied Son of Man, the victorious Lord of Lords mentioned in the Book of Daniel. Peter did not realize that Jesus had to suffer as God’s Lamb in order to restore us back to a right relationship with his heavenly Father. This was confusing and offensive to Peter. Jesus’ arrest in the garden, shook Peter’s faith to the core. He was ready to fight for his messiah king, but not at all prepared to watch him die as God’s Lamb. Unknown to Peter, suffering had to precede glory. The cross had to come before the resurrection. The Lamb ministry prepared the way for Christ’s glorious role as the risen Son of Man.

The role of suffering is not understood by many of us. We are willing to give allegiance to someone who will bless us, but not to a Lord who might requires us to suffer. (2 Timothy 2:12)

Who Is Jesus to Us?

Conversely, many us who call ourselves Christians only see Jesus as the crucified Lamb of God who provides forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life. We do not truly believe or act as if he is the undisputed Lord of all. We may attend church services on a regular basis and give to the ministry, but otherwise we are content to live as if Jesus has no actual claim upon the rest of our lives.

We act as if we believe that Jesus simply wants to get us to heaven, but has no great interest in how we live here and now.

Jesus’ resurrection changed everything. According to Paul, he arose in power in order to bring the nations to “the obedience of faith.” (Romans 1:4-5)

Faith has two components. One is agreeing with and receiving God’s truth about Jesus. The other is declaring allegiance to the King.

If our belief in Christ does not result in our declaring unqualified allegiance to him, we have not really believed.

Confessing that Jesus is Lord is the door through which every child of God must pass in order to partake of the new birth and salvation. (Romans 10:9) It is instructive that Paul did not tell us to confess that Jesus is God’s Lamb and our Savior. He told us to confess his lordship. The early Christians were not put to death for proclaiming that Jesus was their personal Savior. No, they refused to back off from declaring that he was and is Lord, even over Caesar.

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 47  Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48  he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49  But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6:46-49 (ESV)

In Jesus’ day, plenty of people were ready to call him Lord, but far fewer were prepared to live as if they meant it. If Jesus is our Lord, he asks us to bring every area of our lives under his dominion. This is the nature of true repentance.

Those who simply want a free pass into heaven without surrendering their lives to Jesus’ lordship cannot truthfully call themselves disciples. Maybe they can claim the title of “believer,” but even that is suspect, if we translate faith as allegiance.

Conclusion

The New Testament makes it abundantly clear that salvation is by faith-allegiance to Christ in light of his finished work on the cross and his resurrection. Paul summarized:

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10  For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. Romans 10:9-10 (NLT)

I firmly believe in the doctrine of justification by faith. By placing our faith in Christ and his finished work, we partake of all the benefits of what he did and who he is. The Holy Spirit comes to live inside every disciple to begin a lifelong transformation process of conforming us to think, speak, feel, and act as Jesus. Jesus made it very clear, however, that wolves disguise themselves in sheep’s clothing.

Only God knows the heart. We must judge by what we observe. As Jesus said, we can know people by their “fruit,” in other words, by what they do.

True faith bears good fruit (the fruit of the Spirit, the results of our ongoing character transformation); whereas, a bad tree produces bad fruit. (Jesus’ own words) It’s important for us who claim the name of Christ to be fruit inspectors, beginning with our own tree. Do our lives match our profession? Do we live as if we truly believe that Jesus is Lord of Lords, or have we settled for something far less? What would happen if the entire church would start living as if we believed that Jesus is the coming glorious Son of Man instead of a mere personal savior? Why don’t we find out?

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Water Baptism: Our Pledge of Allegiance to the King

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Water baptism is a public pledge of allegiance to Jesus the King.

One of the core parts of the Gospel is that Jesus fulfilled God’s promise to King David that one of his descendants would occupy Israel’s throne forever.

“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)

When Jesus rose from the dead, he was confirmed as the promised Davidic King, the Jewish Messiah, the glorious Lord of Lords, who now sits at God’s right hand, possessing all authority in heaven and earth and ruling over his kingdom until his enemies are completely subdued. One day he will come again as the glorious Son of Man in Daniel 7:13-14 to judge the living and the dead and share his glory and authority with those who declare their allegiance to him.

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19  “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20  teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 (NASB)

The only proper response to make to such a Person is to give him our allegiance, trust, love, and loyal service.

An Old Testament Example of Pledging Allegiance

When David, the called and anointed but yet to be crowned king of Israel, was hiding in the wilderness to escape King Saul’s jealous and murderous pursuit, men began to recognize David’s leadership and calling and realized that he was the future king of Israel. They heard about Samuel’s prophecy over him and how that prophet had poured oil over his head to anoint him as Israel’s future king. They knew that David had killed the giant and led Israel’s armies to victory over her enemies. The Holy Spirit inspired many to join his rag tag band of believers in the wilderness.

One such man was a leader named Amasai, who approached David at his hideout. When David questioned his intentions, whether he came as friend or foe, the Bible says that Amasai was “clothed” with the Holy Spirit, which means that Amasai become a spokesman for God at that moment. What came out of his mouth was a huge encouragement to David on two accounts. Here is what he said, which has been recorded for our benefit.

Then the Spirit clothed Amasai, chief of the thirty, and he said, “We are yours, O David, and with you, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers! For your God helps you.” Then David received them and made them officers of his troops. 1 Chronicles 12:18 (ESV)

On the one hand, Amasai spoke words of affirmation and encouragement to David. He prophesied that God would give David and his supporters success (shalom) in every way – peace, prosperity, health, wholeness, and victory. When he said, “your God helps you,” he described perfectly one of the most important ministries of God’s Spirit, whom Jesus called the “Helper” in John 14:16. He is the one who is called alongside and now lives inside true believers to enable us to enjoy God’s presence and fulfill God’s purposes for our lives. David was in a very stressful and discouraging situation, and these words must have refreshed his soul.

In addition, Amasai’s words were a  declaration of allegiance to King David and a model for us with respect to King Jesus, David’s promised descendant. It was a threefold declaration of faith: an acknowledgement of David’s identity as king, a profession of loyalty, and a dedication to service. This is what it means to “believe” in our Lord.

Being a Christian is much more than agreeing with a doctrinal statement of faith: it is trust in and loyalty to the risen King.

The Gospel Call to Allegiance

A good Gospel presentation should include the declaration that after his resurrection Jesus ascended into heaven and now sits at God’s right hand as the reigning Lord of all, who will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. Peter preached these words to Cornelius in the first Gospel presentation to Gentiles with the promise that “everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” (Acts 10:43) It should be clear that the belief to which Peter refers is that Jesus is Lord of all. Paul confirms this in his famous rendering of the essence of what it means to become a follower of Christ.

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Romans 10:9-10 (ESV)

We confess what we believe; so, if we confess that Jesus is Lord, it is because that is what we believe. Confession of Christ’s lordship presupposes that we properly respond as his subjects, which is to give allegiance, honor, trust, love, and obedient service to him. Those who do this are forgiven of their sins of disobedience and disloyalty to God and his Messiah King. It’s really very simple, but often misunderstood. We are not asked merely to confess that Jesus is our merciful Savior who died for our sins as God’s Lamb, but who does not require anything from us. Rather, we are told to confess that he is Lord, which presupposes our love, loyalty, and obedience.

Any Gospel presentation that does not major on Christ’s identity as the risen Lord is deficient. Our response to this amazing news must include a declaration of allegiance to the Lord, or we are little more than Christian consumers who are looking for a “get out of jail free” card.

When we confess that Jesus is Lord, we acknowledge his true identity, declare our allegiance, and devote ourselves to a lifetime of service, just as Amasai did toward King David so long ago.

Water baptism is our public formal declaration of allegiance to King Jesus.

It is one thing to privately ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior, but something else altogether to seal it by being baptized in water. Have you stood up for Jesus in public yet?

Prayer

You may wish to pray the following as a prelude to taking the step of publicly declaring allegiance to King Jesus.

Jesus, I recognize you are indeed Lord of all, just as the Bible says. When you rose from the dead and ascended to God’s right hand, you became my Lord. I bow my knee to you and pledge my loyalty to you. I give my life to you to use me as you see fit. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life! Help me to tell others about this great Good News and help them to be disciples, too. Holy Spirit, fill me and empower me to live the Christ life and to be a fisher of men. Amen.

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The “Lite” Gospel Could Send Us to Hell

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In an effort to make the gospel more appealing to the masses, some people preach what I call a “lite” version, which can send us to hell instead of saving us. “Lite” beer and diet colas are designed to taste as much like the real thing as possible, but with fewer calories. We are always looking for ways to cheat the natural consequences of our behavior. Sadly, the substitute ingredients are often harmful to our health, and usually the “lite” version does not taste as well as the original. Surprisingly, such lite versions can work to add weight instead of what they claim. Almost always the more costly and “real” way of producing something will yield superior results, but people who have grown accustomed to the inferior product may actually prefer it over the original.

When it comes to the gospel, the same sort of thing is true.

Over the years, well meaning people have crafted the “gospel” in such a way as to make it quicker, easier, more “palatable,” and less costly to become a Christian in order to mass produce conversions.

Below I will compare and contrast the true gospel with what I perceive to be an inferior “lite” version.

  The True Gospel Gospel Lite
Message Jesus is the Lamb of God who died for our sins. He rose again as Lord of Lords and commissioned his church to go and make disciples. Afterward he ascended to heaven, from where, as the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit and Lord of the Harvest, he poured out the Holy Spirit on the church, empowering her to fulfill the Great Commission. He will come in again in glory as the divine Son of Man to judge all peoples and rule over God’s kingdom forever. Jesus died to provide forgiveness for our sins.
Desired Response Repent from our self-directed lifestyle, confess that Jesus is our Lord, receive the forgiveness he provides whereby we are made part of God’s eternal family, declare our allegiance to him through water baptism, receive the baptism in the Spirit, and join his Great Commission army. Repent and receive forgiveness for your sins, whereby our membership in God’s eternal family is assured.
Big Difference The true gospel emphasizes surrender to Christ’s lordship and participation in the Great Commission. Gospel lite may lead to receiving the blessings of the gospel without a true surrender to Christ’s lordship.
Methods The Holy Spirit must work in the heart of the hearer to bring him or her to a place of revelation of Christ’s lordship and surrender to it. This cannot be rushed. The preacher looks for some evidence of a true conversion. Receiving the Lord is made straight forward and “easy.” If you want what the gospel has to offer, simply repeat the sinner’s prayer, as is often led by the person sharing the gospel. Afterward, you are told that you are saved, no matter what interaction the person has made with the Lord at the heart level.
Results A life of surrendered discipleship. A belief that one is saved and going to heaven.
Danger A person may realize the high cost of following Christ as a disciple and choose not to become one. A person may never truly “see” who Jesus is (Lord of Lords and King of Kings), but may merely go for the sales pitch – Pray this prayer and you can go to heaven.
Distinguishing Marks A person coming to Christ under the true gospel will call Jesus Lord. A person who is a product of Gospel Lite may only recognize Jesus his or her “personal Savior.”

The Gospel Lite salvation process may be more like an assembly line than the fine work of a craftsman.

If we want to maximize the number of people who get “saved” at a church service or evangelistic meeting, we should streamline the process, making it quick and simple. It might go something like this. After explaining that all men are sinners and need a savior because otherwise we are destined to hell, the preacher might invite all present who want to receive Jesus as their Savior, to raise a hand or come forward and pray the “sinner’s prayer” as led by the preacher. Such a process provides people with a simple one-step process to become a child of God and provides ministers with an easy way to count conversions. Afterward, the one who prayed is assured that he or she is now saved and going to heaven. But is this indeed the case?

Jesus said that it is necessary to “behold” him, to see who he really is, in order to believe in him and be saved. (John 6:40) This can only happen when the Holy Spirit opens our eyes. Faith is two-fold: it includes both trust and allegiance. When we behold the Lord, we surrender our lives to him and receive from him all he died to give us.

Jesus liked to ask people who they thought he is. He wanted to see what the Spirit of God had revealed to them.

Like our Lord, we should be observing what the Spirit is revealing to people about the Lord.

When Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?,” he did not ask them to repeat his leading words: “You are the Messiah King who will die for my sins and rise again as Lord of Lords.” Instead he simply allowed them to speak. When Peter confessed his faith in Jesus’ being the Messiah, our Lord knew that God had revealed this to him.

We likewise should encourage people to seek the Lord until they find him, ever watching to see what God is doing in their lives.

When they are ready, we can assist in the birthing of a new person into God’s kingdom, as a kind of spiritual midwife. Salvation is always a miracle of recreation and transformation orchestrated by the Master Craftsman, the Holy Spirit.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10  For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT)

If we package the Gospel in a “lite” version, leaving out the time needed for the Spirit to do his work, we may unwittingly abort the conversion process.

Sadly, if we prompt someone to believe they are saved before they know that Christ is Lord by faith in their hearts, we may actually “inoculate” them against the possibility of a true conversion, leaving them convinced they are already “saved” without their ever having been born again.

During the first Great Awakening in the colonies in the late 18th century, preachers encouraged their hearers to seek God and, if necessary, to “wrestle” with him, until they found him, knowing that those who truly belong to Jesus will eventually “hear his voice.” (John 10:27)

Just as there is no way to instantly produce a human being, there is no shortcut to birthing someone into the kingdom of God.

Why, then, do we leave out the seeking the Lord part of the process, preferring to shorten things down to simply repeating a prayer? Do we skip the step of requiring people to seek God for themselves because we do not believe Jesus is able to communicate adequately with the seeker? Have we failed to grasp that unless the Spirit of God draws a person, they cannot come to Christ? (John 6:44) Do we not realize that no one can know the Father unless Jesus wills it and reveals the Father to them? (Matthew 11:27) Are we unwilling to simply leave people in the hands of God, knowing that he loves them far more than we do? Do we believe that the new birth depends more on us than on God?

Conclusion

Having made my point, that we must allow for the Spirit to do an inner work in a person before leading them to believe they are saved, let me emphasize that sometimes, many times, people are genuinely and deeply saved by responding to the preacher’s call to “pray after me.” That is because the Spirit has already been at work in their lives and prepared them for that moment. But in the case of those who are merely responding to a man, we must not lead them into the deception of thinking they already are saved, because they may cease the process of seeking the Lord.

Compounding the problem, our consumer culture draws people toward a message that encourages them to receive all the benefits of the gospel at the lowest possible cost to themselves.

They do not realize that when we receive all that Jesus died to give us, he asks us to give all of ourselves to him and his mission.

Confessing him as Lord is much different that asking him to be Savior.

According to Paul, the confession of Christ’s lordship is what actually saves us. (Romans 10:9)

The gospel does include receiving forgiveness of sins and eternal life, but those glorious benefits are not the whole gospel or even the heart of the gospel. They are benefits of our believing the gospel.

The gospel is not only about my personal forgiveness and regeneration, which are indeed important, but it is about the restoration of all things under the Lord Jesus.

As Peter put it in another place:

Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.  Acts 3:19-21 (ESV)

The early Christians were hounded, persecuted, and put to death because they proclaimed that Jesus is Lord over all things, even Caesar. Christians were taught to be loyal subjects of the empire (pay taxes, obey magistrates, give respect), but they could not obey the government if they were commanded to acknowledge that the supposedly divine Caesar was Lord over all.

It is unlikely that Rome would have persecuted a group who merely claimed that Jesus is a personal Savior.

Jesus is much more. He deserves our complete allegiance and will ultimately rule over every nation and kingdom. Every knee one day shall bow to him. Proclaiming such a gospel will likely get us into trouble with those who hate Christ’s rule because it means that we can and will only give a qualified form of allegiance to every other person and institution. The evil and worldly powers that want to dominate and rule us do not like this.

So what do we do with all of this?

I believe that it is crucial that we adjust how we present the gospel to conform to the message preached by Peter and the other early apostles.

We must not limit ourselves to the plan of salvation and merely ask for decisions for Christ. Instead, we must ask for and expect repentance, baptism in water, the infilling of the Spirit, and a commitment to the Great Commission. We must expect believers to immediately become disciples – followers of Christ and fishers of men, who apply Christ’s radical rules for living to their lives. We have short changed ourselves and God for far too long!

Prayer

Lord Jesus, forgive me for seeing you and presenting you in a partial, self-serving way. Forgive me for stripping the gospel of its power and minimizing it to a mere plan of salvation. Help me to fully devote myself to you and your kingdom. Help me to faithfully share your gospel every chance I get. Make me your follower and a fisher of men. Give us disciples who will go and make disciples. Amen.

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