The Gospel: Just What is It?
Author: Stanley Warrick
The Gospel - just what is it? The Gospel, the “Good News,” has many descriptions in Scripture. We will mainly refer to it as the Gospel of Jesus Christ since through Him it was brought to Earth. Mark introduces his book at Mark 1:1 by stating he is giving an account of the “Gospel of Jesus Christ.” It has also been referred to as: In Romans 1:1 the apostle Paul calls this Good News the “Gospel of God.” In Acts 20:24 Paul referred to the Gospel as the “Grace of God.” In Ephesians 1:13 Paul calls the Gospel the “Gospel of salvation.” In Romans 10:15 Paul refers to the Gospel as the “Gospel of peace.” In Revelation 14:6 the apostle John calls it the “everlasting Gospel.” In Colossians 1:5, Paul refers to the Gospel as the “Word of the Truth.” In Matthew 4:23 it states that Jesus preached the “Gospel of the Kingdom.” Simply put To put the description of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in simple terms: it is the way of living the heavenly realm of the Kingdom of God while here on Earth. Our faith in the Gospel gives us an avenue into the supernatural of the Kingdom of God not previously available. Yet to make a simple description of the Gospel does not do it justice. When people hear about a new car model on the market, they cannot really grasp the value in the name until they are explained the features and benefits of the new model. Likewise, when people hear the “Good News” for the first time they have no concept of its value until all of its features and benefits are explained. To try to get a somewhat complete picture of the Gospel and what it includes, we will be looking at the above verses, and others as well. Gospel of God In Romans 1:1&2 Paul calls the Gospel the “Gospel of God” and gives the reason why he calls it as such. God originated the plan of salvation, and established it in the Scriptures, as it only could have come from Him and be established by Him. Man had no way of coming up with a plan to save himself and no way to establish one for eternity either. But this Gospel also reveals different aspects of God to us.
Grace of God
Perhaps one of the most descriptive terms of the Gospel is that it is the Grace of God – that being the love of God for us expressed in the unmerited favor of God upon our lives. In John 1:14,16 & 17, John states that grace and truth was what was beheld in Jesus. But an even more important point is made in verse 17, “For the law was given through Moses (which law condemned us to death because we could not keep it), but grace (an escape from the condemnation of death because of our sins) and Truth came through Jesus Christ.” 2 John goes further into this grace as he describes it as the result of God’s love for us. I John 4:9 & 10 reads, “In this the love of God was manifested toward us (grace), that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” What could be a better show of grace than this, to give the most loved and perfect Person to be sacrificed for sinful man? Paul makes the point that it was not anything we could do to merit our salvation because it is all a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8 & 9 reads, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” A gift to man, of the most valuable possession God the Father had, His only Son. Oh, what grace that is!
Gospel of Jesus Christ
The whole Bible is His story, the story of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Everything concerning Earth, and man, is centered around Him. Jesus, as the Word, created all things and by Him all things exist (Revelation 4:11, Colossians 1:17). Jesus is the fulfillment of the Gospel, as He fulfilled all the Scriptures that were required to complete His assignment of man’s salvation (Luke 24:25-27, 44) and the bringing of man and the Earth back into harmony with God. Jesus Christ is man’s hero of God’s plan.
Gospel of salvation
The first point of the Gospel is the Good News that Jesus came to save man from the judgment connected to his sins. When the angel came to Joseph to explain to him God’s plan for Mary, his wife to be, Joseph was told “you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). So salvation of mankind is the primary message of the Gospel. It is the foundation for the purpose for which Jesus was sent (John 17:1-4). However, as important as salvation is, it is not the only message of the Gospel.
Gospel of peace
In Isaiah 9:6, the coming Son (referring to Jesus Christ) has as one of His descriptions “Prince of Peace.” In Luke 2:14, after the message was given by the angels to the shepherds there was a proclamation that came from Heaven by a multitude of heavenly host saying “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Jesus Christ is our peacemaker, the mediator of a new covenant between God and man (I Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 8:6). Through Jesus Christ we now have the Holy Spirit to help make intercession for us here on Earth (Romans 8:26 & 27), and we have Jesus Christ making intercession with the Father for us in Heaven (Romans 7:25, 34). Not only is the Gospel good news as far as peace with God is concerned, but we also can have peace about our existence as we travel through this earthly life on the way to our divine destiny.
In John 14:27 we find the words of Jesus, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Jesus was at perfect peace while He was on Earth, knowing that the Father had sent Him on a mission and that, no matter what, He would succeed because God had planned it that way. So there is no need to worry about your life, for as you seek His will, you too will be able to be at peace because the Father has written in your book the successful plan of you fulfilling your mission on Earth (Jeremiah 29:11).
Everlasting Gospel
In Revelation 14:6 John describes the Gospel as an “everlasting” one, meaning that is has been established forever, both now and for eternity. Since Jesus Christ lives forever, and this Gospel is a covenant, signed by Him with His blood, then this means that He lives forever to enforce it by His intercession for us (Ephesians 7:24 & 25, 10:12-14). It can’t get any better for man than to have an eternal guarantee of our salvation (John 10:27 & 28).
Gospel of restoration
As we have stated already, Jesus’ main work was to reconcile man, and the Earth also, back to God (Colossians 1:20). It is all about the restoration of a relationship with God, about being one with the Father (John 17:20 & 21). We see this truth in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). In II Corinthians 5:18 & 19, Paul lets us know that we have been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, and that this is the ministry which has been given to us. In verse 20 he states, as ambassadors for Christ, that our message to the world should be one of reconciliation, as through Jesus Christ all mankind now has the opportunity for a restored relationship of harmony with God. Then in verse 21 Paul emphasizes that Jesus Christ made the way for this, “For He (God) made Him (Jesus Christ, the Son of God) Who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” In this restored relationship with the Father, the Gospel story also has as a major point the restoring of man back to his position of dominion over the Earth (Genesis 1:26-28; Psalm 8:6). In Christ, we are no longer under the authority of the devil, but have restored back to our original place of authority over him, the Earth, and the angelic realm as well. The writer of Hebrews points this out when he states, regarding angels, “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14). Now believers are placed in the position of ruling this world along with Jesus Christ, with Him as the head (Revelation 5:10, II Timothy 2:12).
Gospel of the second chance
Lost in our sin, we had no future ahead of us except eternal separation from God in the Lake of Fire. There was no way to remake our lives, to start from scratch so to speak. We only get one body and one chance to run this race concerning the time we are here on Earth. But the Gospel tells us of a loving God who knows our weaknesses and has made a way to give us a second opportunity at this life. Through Jesus Christ we can have a new birth of the spiritual part of us, spiritually becoming a new creation in Christ (John 1:12 & 13, 3:5-8; I Corinthians 5:17). With the Holy Spirit now within us, we have a helper Who will enable us to live a holy life, pleasing to God (I Peter 1:13-16). And if we do happen to stumble and sin, all we have to do is confess our sin, repent of it, and let the blood of Jesus cleanse us (I John 1:7,9). As long as we abide in Christ, we will live the successful abundant life God has planned for us, that being a new life that is free from the old nature that kept us in bondage to sin and death. The Gospel is also a message of promises that will be fulfilled, II Corinthians 1:20, “For all the promises of God in Him (Jesus) are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God though us.” All the promises of God are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. A listing of some of these can be found in the manual Becoming an Overcomer, in the section titled “Who we are, what we have, what we can do”, pages 73-79. The Gospel is the Word of truth Truth brings freedom. In John 8:32 Jesus stated, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” This is followed by verse 36 which reads, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” In II Corinthians 3:17 Paul lets the church at Corinth know that “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” In Galatians 5:1&13, Paul reminds the church at Galata about the liberty they have in Christ. The Gospel liberates man from the control, the slavery, of the devil and all the adverse circumstances he brings against us, so that we can freely serve the Lord, and, like little children, become free to enjoy life with no cares at all. This parallel is seen with Israel being freed from Egyptian slavery to freely serve the LORD and enjoy the blessings of the Promised Land. Being the Word of Truth, it is also the only pathway to Heaven. Many religions say that they have the way to Heaven, or to a utopia, or a better life after death, but the Gospel is the only true way. The words of lying men do not lead down a truthful path to the Father in Heaven. Jesus said, in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” There is only one road map to the Father, and it is written in the Gospel.
Gospel of the Kingdom
Just as a king represents the values of his kingdom, Jesus revealed to the world the Heavenly Father and His Kingdom by the words which He spoke and the works which He did (John 14:7- 11). Jesus did this by showing the omniscience of God, by such as: fulfilling Scriptures written hundreds of years before His arrival on Earth; by the wisdom He displayed in dealing with those who sought to trap and accuse Him; by the teachings which He received from the Father and gave to us so that we might live the abundant life. Jesus revealed the Kingdom of God authority over the spiritual realm, for as a sinless man He took command over the evil spirits through deliverances and healings. Jesus revealed the order that is in the Kingdom of God as He took authority over the elements of this earth, such as the wind and the waves that were stirred up by the devil and subsequently brought out of harmony with the Kingdom of God. Jesus demonstrated how the Kingdom of God faith works when He turned water into wine and walked on the water. Jesus demonstrated the omnipotence of Kingdom of God through the power of the Holy Spirit, as He healed the sick, raised the dead, drove out demons, and as He Himself rose from the dead. Jesus revealed the love of God in having compassion on the sick, showing mercy to an adulteress, forgiving the sins of a healed paralytic, and in loving mankind through the cross which He endured. He also revealed the Father’s love by warning the sinning world of the judgment to come and the reality of hell, while also providing a way to escape this eternal punishment through His sacrifice. Jesus revealed the abundant provision of the Kingdom of God when He multiplied the fishes and the loaves, had Peter retrieve the coin from the fish, and instructed the disciples where to throw out their net to bring in an abundant haul. Jesus gave us a glimpse of the total superiority of the Kingdom of God in every area of man’s life.
Gospel of supernatural power
Look at a description of the Gospel as demonstrated in the book of Acts, where we see that the full Gospel message does not just center around words, but Words backed up by a demonstration of the power of God. The Gospel not only changes lives, but it displays the supernatural power of God available through the working of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 1:4-8, Jesus talks about the Promise of the Father, which was being baptized with the Holy Spirit, and this baptism would give them power, the same power that He Himself operated with. This promise was to the Church, both then and in the future, so that they could continue in the work that Jesus started (Acts 2:38&39). If Jesus needed this baptism of power (Matthew 3:16&17) to complete His ministry, then so does the Church need it to be able to do the same. In I Corinthians 2:4 & 5, Paul told the church at Corinth that when he came to them with the Gospel message that it was not just “with persuasive words of human wisdom.” His words were backed up by a demonstration of the Spirit and the power, so that their faith would not be based on his words but on the demonstration of the power of God. The display of the power of the Gospel was described in Isaiah 61:1. Here the first stage of the Gospel message is described as words of encouragement to the poor. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount satisfies this part of the Scripture. The second display of the Gospel is demonstrated in the healing, both of the heart and the body (also in Isaiah 54:4&4). This can be seen in the ministry of Jesus, as healing of the total being was demonstrated. The third display of the Gospel spoken of here is the demonstration of spiritual military and judicial power – the setting at liberty those who were captives and the setting free of those bound in prison. This can be seen in the deliverance of people from demonic possession and death, to the ultimate victory over death when Jesus rose from the dead. But this declaration of words and demonstration of power did not stop with Jesus. He passed His authority and power over to His body, the Church, so that they could continue on with the completion of His mission (John 14:12). We see this in the Great Commission as well as the baptism with the Holy Spirit, both which have not been done away with just because the early Church fathers died. Just as the Gospel is eternal, so is the Holy Spirit, Who is the Source of this power. One of the main deceptions of the devil is that the display of the power of the Holy Spirit is not available today. The situation that the Church finds itself in today is the same situation that the children of Israel found themselves in when they were delivered from Egyptian bondage and brought right up to the boundary of the Promised Land. Twelve spies were sent out to scout the land and verify what God had said about the Promised Land was true. They verified it, but the devil deceived 10 of the spies into doubting that they could possess what they saw. Even though God had promised, by covenant, that they would inherit the land, and that He would to go before them and drive out the in habitants of the land, the children of Israel bought into the lie that He would somehow not do it. So, in their believing the lie of the devil over the
Words of the LORD, judgement was pronounced that those 20 years and older would not possess their inheritance, their place of rest (Hebrews 3:19). Only two spies had faith that God would empower them in to possess the land. That was a very small ratio of believers to doubters, but it was these two trusting ones whom God allowed to enter the land with the younger generation. They didn’t buy into the lie of the devil, and their faith took them into the blessings of God.
Throughout the ages we see this same thought pattern circulating within the Church - that God’s power would not be available for the Church to have dominion over her enemies and be able to enter into that place of rest promised to us, through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:1-11). It seems that the majority of the Church today have also bought into the same lie, as only a small part of the Body of Christ allows the Holy Spirit to operate through them and demonstrate the power of God through the gifts of the Spirit (I Corinthians 12:4-11). Their unbelief keeps them out of the promises of God in Christ Jesus, and they end up dying in the wilderness of this life, without ever experiencing the full blessings of God. The demon of doubt has really blocked the Church from walking in faith with the Lord. This demon of doubt also hindered those in need when Jesus was ministering healing. Even in His own home town He could do few of the miracles He was doing everywhere else because of their unbelief. The people of Nazareth missed out on God’s blessing of healing because they too listened to the devil and took up believing doubt over faith (Matthew 13:58). Everywhere Jesus went the people’s faith allowed them to enjoy the healing and deliverance that He brought. This was also true of His disciples, as He gave them authority and power over the devil (Luke 10:17-20). When Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, he stated that his desire was they come to fully understand the hope of God’s calling for them, and the power that He gave them to fulfill their calling (Ephesians 1:17-23). But just as there was a generation of the children of Israel who did not believe, there was also a generation which followed who did believe, and they entered into the fullness of the blessings of the Promised Land.
Likewise, there is a generation today in the Church who do not believe in the full Gospel message, and are therefore only are able to enjoy their salvation, their deliverance from the bondage of the devil. But there is also a younger generation of believers who have not had their minds poisoned by the spirit of doubt, and are going beyond just the salvation message and are entering into the fullness of the power of the Gospel message. They are not content just to hear the Word of God and how the Church of the past walked in the demonstration of God’s power. They are not satisfied with a life that is just limited to being free from the devil’s control, but they are, even now, stretching their faith to believe that they can be free to operate in, and benefit from, the demonstration of the power of God. This new generation has the faith that they no longer need to be part of the audience, but are wanting to take the stage, to be participants, so that the Holy Spirit can enable them to do the works that Jesus said they would do (John 14:12).
Superiority of the Gospel
In essence, all that Jesus said and did revealed the superiority of the Kingdom of God over anything on this Earth. The Gospel is a display of the supernatural power of the Kingdom of God, from the virgin birth, to the ascension, to the signs and wonders done in Jesus’ Name. It is the same parallel between the slavery that the Children of Israel experienced and the new life they would experience in the Promised Land. The Gospel also changes lives, as Jesus Christ makes a new creation of men, and by faith they can walk in the light (John 8:12), producing a life different than the darkness that they walked before, now in the abundant life He promised (John 10:10).
With Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, believers are really able to live out the Gospel message of the Kingdom of God here on Earth.
Worth dying for
Paul wrote that this Gospel is something we can put our faith in (Philippians 1:27) and our hope in (Colossians 1:23). Paul could say this because he had done so. Jesus Christ changed him from a persecutor of the Gospel to the biggest promoter of it. He saw Jesus, face to face. He saw and experienced Heaven. His life was full of the Holy Spirit working through him. Paul lived the Gospel life like no other as he imitated Christ. He fought the fight, he finished the race, and he kept the faith. He was a witness of how the Gospel could change someone forever. Yet the Gospel of Jesus Christ is more than living a life. It so magnificent that Jesus said that it was even worth losing your life over (Mark 8:35) because of the eternal benefits of embracing it. If Jesus Himself saw the value of dying to establish this Good News, then it should be no problem for us to die for it as well. If we look at the ultimate purpose of Jesus Christ being sent to Earth, it was to bring mankind and all that Earth consists of back in harmony with God (I Corinthians 15:28-28). So to be in harmony with God is worth all of life, that being eternal life with God, since being out of harmony with God has as its end the eternal separation from God and punishment in the Lake of Fire.
[Editor's Comment: Stanley Warrick was my associate pastor when I was the senior pastor of the First Pentecostal Holiness Church in Richmond, VA. He is a student of the Word of God, a gifted Bible teacher, an intercessor, preacher, writer and author. I met with him weekly to have lunch, to pray and seek God for our lives and the church. He has a wonderful family. God gave to him and his wife, Jeannie, five beautiful children who are all Christians and serving the Lord. Two of his sons are in full-time ministry, one a pastor of a growing church in Tennessee, and the other son, a youth pastor of a church in Georgia. Stan, like me is now a widower. His wife passed away about a year or so ago. I have invited Stan to be a contributing writer for Hugh's News. He has a website you may wish to check out. It is: https://www.becominganovercomer.com/
Author: Stanley Warrick
The Gospel - just what is it? The Gospel, the “Good News,” has many descriptions in Scripture. We will mainly refer to it as the Gospel of Jesus Christ since through Him it was brought to Earth. Mark introduces his book at Mark 1:1 by stating he is giving an account of the “Gospel of Jesus Christ.” It has also been referred to as: In Romans 1:1 the apostle Paul calls this Good News the “Gospel of God.” In Acts 20:24 Paul referred to the Gospel as the “Grace of God.” In Ephesians 1:13 Paul calls the Gospel the “Gospel of salvation.” In Romans 10:15 Paul refers to the Gospel as the “Gospel of peace.” In Revelation 14:6 the apostle John calls it the “everlasting Gospel.” In Colossians 1:5, Paul refers to the Gospel as the “Word of the Truth.” In Matthew 4:23 it states that Jesus preached the “Gospel of the Kingdom.” Simply put To put the description of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in simple terms: it is the way of living the heavenly realm of the Kingdom of God while here on Earth. Our faith in the Gospel gives us an avenue into the supernatural of the Kingdom of God not previously available. Yet to make a simple description of the Gospel does not do it justice. When people hear about a new car model on the market, they cannot really grasp the value in the name until they are explained the features and benefits of the new model. Likewise, when people hear the “Good News” for the first time they have no concept of its value until all of its features and benefits are explained. To try to get a somewhat complete picture of the Gospel and what it includes, we will be looking at the above verses, and others as well. Gospel of God In Romans 1:1&2 Paul calls the Gospel the “Gospel of God” and gives the reason why he calls it as such. God originated the plan of salvation, and established it in the Scriptures, as it only could have come from Him and be established by Him. Man had no way of coming up with a plan to save himself and no way to establish one for eternity either. But this Gospel also reveals different aspects of God to us.
Grace of God
Perhaps one of the most descriptive terms of the Gospel is that it is the Grace of God – that being the love of God for us expressed in the unmerited favor of God upon our lives. In John 1:14,16 & 17, John states that grace and truth was what was beheld in Jesus. But an even more important point is made in verse 17, “For the law was given through Moses (which law condemned us to death because we could not keep it), but grace (an escape from the condemnation of death because of our sins) and Truth came through Jesus Christ.” 2 John goes further into this grace as he describes it as the result of God’s love for us. I John 4:9 & 10 reads, “In this the love of God was manifested toward us (grace), that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” What could be a better show of grace than this, to give the most loved and perfect Person to be sacrificed for sinful man? Paul makes the point that it was not anything we could do to merit our salvation because it is all a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8 & 9 reads, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” A gift to man, of the most valuable possession God the Father had, His only Son. Oh, what grace that is!
Gospel of Jesus Christ
The whole Bible is His story, the story of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Everything concerning Earth, and man, is centered around Him. Jesus, as the Word, created all things and by Him all things exist (Revelation 4:11, Colossians 1:17). Jesus is the fulfillment of the Gospel, as He fulfilled all the Scriptures that were required to complete His assignment of man’s salvation (Luke 24:25-27, 44) and the bringing of man and the Earth back into harmony with God. Jesus Christ is man’s hero of God’s plan.
Gospel of salvation
The first point of the Gospel is the Good News that Jesus came to save man from the judgment connected to his sins. When the angel came to Joseph to explain to him God’s plan for Mary, his wife to be, Joseph was told “you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). So salvation of mankind is the primary message of the Gospel. It is the foundation for the purpose for which Jesus was sent (John 17:1-4). However, as important as salvation is, it is not the only message of the Gospel.
Gospel of peace
In Isaiah 9:6, the coming Son (referring to Jesus Christ) has as one of His descriptions “Prince of Peace.” In Luke 2:14, after the message was given by the angels to the shepherds there was a proclamation that came from Heaven by a multitude of heavenly host saying “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Jesus Christ is our peacemaker, the mediator of a new covenant between God and man (I Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 8:6). Through Jesus Christ we now have the Holy Spirit to help make intercession for us here on Earth (Romans 8:26 & 27), and we have Jesus Christ making intercession with the Father for us in Heaven (Romans 7:25, 34). Not only is the Gospel good news as far as peace with God is concerned, but we also can have peace about our existence as we travel through this earthly life on the way to our divine destiny.
In John 14:27 we find the words of Jesus, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Jesus was at perfect peace while He was on Earth, knowing that the Father had sent Him on a mission and that, no matter what, He would succeed because God had planned it that way. So there is no need to worry about your life, for as you seek His will, you too will be able to be at peace because the Father has written in your book the successful plan of you fulfilling your mission on Earth (Jeremiah 29:11).
Everlasting Gospel
In Revelation 14:6 John describes the Gospel as an “everlasting” one, meaning that is has been established forever, both now and for eternity. Since Jesus Christ lives forever, and this Gospel is a covenant, signed by Him with His blood, then this means that He lives forever to enforce it by His intercession for us (Ephesians 7:24 & 25, 10:12-14). It can’t get any better for man than to have an eternal guarantee of our salvation (John 10:27 & 28).
Gospel of restoration
As we have stated already, Jesus’ main work was to reconcile man, and the Earth also, back to God (Colossians 1:20). It is all about the restoration of a relationship with God, about being one with the Father (John 17:20 & 21). We see this truth in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). In II Corinthians 5:18 & 19, Paul lets us know that we have been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, and that this is the ministry which has been given to us. In verse 20 he states, as ambassadors for Christ, that our message to the world should be one of reconciliation, as through Jesus Christ all mankind now has the opportunity for a restored relationship of harmony with God. Then in verse 21 Paul emphasizes that Jesus Christ made the way for this, “For He (God) made Him (Jesus Christ, the Son of God) Who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” In this restored relationship with the Father, the Gospel story also has as a major point the restoring of man back to his position of dominion over the Earth (Genesis 1:26-28; Psalm 8:6). In Christ, we are no longer under the authority of the devil, but have restored back to our original place of authority over him, the Earth, and the angelic realm as well. The writer of Hebrews points this out when he states, regarding angels, “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14). Now believers are placed in the position of ruling this world along with Jesus Christ, with Him as the head (Revelation 5:10, II Timothy 2:12).
Gospel of the second chance
Lost in our sin, we had no future ahead of us except eternal separation from God in the Lake of Fire. There was no way to remake our lives, to start from scratch so to speak. We only get one body and one chance to run this race concerning the time we are here on Earth. But the Gospel tells us of a loving God who knows our weaknesses and has made a way to give us a second opportunity at this life. Through Jesus Christ we can have a new birth of the spiritual part of us, spiritually becoming a new creation in Christ (John 1:12 & 13, 3:5-8; I Corinthians 5:17). With the Holy Spirit now within us, we have a helper Who will enable us to live a holy life, pleasing to God (I Peter 1:13-16). And if we do happen to stumble and sin, all we have to do is confess our sin, repent of it, and let the blood of Jesus cleanse us (I John 1:7,9). As long as we abide in Christ, we will live the successful abundant life God has planned for us, that being a new life that is free from the old nature that kept us in bondage to sin and death. The Gospel is also a message of promises that will be fulfilled, II Corinthians 1:20, “For all the promises of God in Him (Jesus) are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God though us.” All the promises of God are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. A listing of some of these can be found in the manual Becoming an Overcomer, in the section titled “Who we are, what we have, what we can do”, pages 73-79. The Gospel is the Word of truth Truth brings freedom. In John 8:32 Jesus stated, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” This is followed by verse 36 which reads, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” In II Corinthians 3:17 Paul lets the church at Corinth know that “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” In Galatians 5:1&13, Paul reminds the church at Galata about the liberty they have in Christ. The Gospel liberates man from the control, the slavery, of the devil and all the adverse circumstances he brings against us, so that we can freely serve the Lord, and, like little children, become free to enjoy life with no cares at all. This parallel is seen with Israel being freed from Egyptian slavery to freely serve the LORD and enjoy the blessings of the Promised Land. Being the Word of Truth, it is also the only pathway to Heaven. Many religions say that they have the way to Heaven, or to a utopia, or a better life after death, but the Gospel is the only true way. The words of lying men do not lead down a truthful path to the Father in Heaven. Jesus said, in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” There is only one road map to the Father, and it is written in the Gospel.
Gospel of the Kingdom
Just as a king represents the values of his kingdom, Jesus revealed to the world the Heavenly Father and His Kingdom by the words which He spoke and the works which He did (John 14:7- 11). Jesus did this by showing the omniscience of God, by such as: fulfilling Scriptures written hundreds of years before His arrival on Earth; by the wisdom He displayed in dealing with those who sought to trap and accuse Him; by the teachings which He received from the Father and gave to us so that we might live the abundant life. Jesus revealed the Kingdom of God authority over the spiritual realm, for as a sinless man He took command over the evil spirits through deliverances and healings. Jesus revealed the order that is in the Kingdom of God as He took authority over the elements of this earth, such as the wind and the waves that were stirred up by the devil and subsequently brought out of harmony with the Kingdom of God. Jesus demonstrated how the Kingdom of God faith works when He turned water into wine and walked on the water. Jesus demonstrated the omnipotence of Kingdom of God through the power of the Holy Spirit, as He healed the sick, raised the dead, drove out demons, and as He Himself rose from the dead. Jesus revealed the love of God in having compassion on the sick, showing mercy to an adulteress, forgiving the sins of a healed paralytic, and in loving mankind through the cross which He endured. He also revealed the Father’s love by warning the sinning world of the judgment to come and the reality of hell, while also providing a way to escape this eternal punishment through His sacrifice. Jesus revealed the abundant provision of the Kingdom of God when He multiplied the fishes and the loaves, had Peter retrieve the coin from the fish, and instructed the disciples where to throw out their net to bring in an abundant haul. Jesus gave us a glimpse of the total superiority of the Kingdom of God in every area of man’s life.
Gospel of supernatural power
Look at a description of the Gospel as demonstrated in the book of Acts, where we see that the full Gospel message does not just center around words, but Words backed up by a demonstration of the power of God. The Gospel not only changes lives, but it displays the supernatural power of God available through the working of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 1:4-8, Jesus talks about the Promise of the Father, which was being baptized with the Holy Spirit, and this baptism would give them power, the same power that He Himself operated with. This promise was to the Church, both then and in the future, so that they could continue in the work that Jesus started (Acts 2:38&39). If Jesus needed this baptism of power (Matthew 3:16&17) to complete His ministry, then so does the Church need it to be able to do the same. In I Corinthians 2:4 & 5, Paul told the church at Corinth that when he came to them with the Gospel message that it was not just “with persuasive words of human wisdom.” His words were backed up by a demonstration of the Spirit and the power, so that their faith would not be based on his words but on the demonstration of the power of God. The display of the power of the Gospel was described in Isaiah 61:1. Here the first stage of the Gospel message is described as words of encouragement to the poor. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount satisfies this part of the Scripture. The second display of the Gospel is demonstrated in the healing, both of the heart and the body (also in Isaiah 54:4&4). This can be seen in the ministry of Jesus, as healing of the total being was demonstrated. The third display of the Gospel spoken of here is the demonstration of spiritual military and judicial power – the setting at liberty those who were captives and the setting free of those bound in prison. This can be seen in the deliverance of people from demonic possession and death, to the ultimate victory over death when Jesus rose from the dead. But this declaration of words and demonstration of power did not stop with Jesus. He passed His authority and power over to His body, the Church, so that they could continue on with the completion of His mission (John 14:12). We see this in the Great Commission as well as the baptism with the Holy Spirit, both which have not been done away with just because the early Church fathers died. Just as the Gospel is eternal, so is the Holy Spirit, Who is the Source of this power. One of the main deceptions of the devil is that the display of the power of the Holy Spirit is not available today. The situation that the Church finds itself in today is the same situation that the children of Israel found themselves in when they were delivered from Egyptian bondage and brought right up to the boundary of the Promised Land. Twelve spies were sent out to scout the land and verify what God had said about the Promised Land was true. They verified it, but the devil deceived 10 of the spies into doubting that they could possess what they saw. Even though God had promised, by covenant, that they would inherit the land, and that He would to go before them and drive out the in habitants of the land, the children of Israel bought into the lie that He would somehow not do it. So, in their believing the lie of the devil over the
Words of the LORD, judgement was pronounced that those 20 years and older would not possess their inheritance, their place of rest (Hebrews 3:19). Only two spies had faith that God would empower them in to possess the land. That was a very small ratio of believers to doubters, but it was these two trusting ones whom God allowed to enter the land with the younger generation. They didn’t buy into the lie of the devil, and their faith took them into the blessings of God.
Throughout the ages we see this same thought pattern circulating within the Church - that God’s power would not be available for the Church to have dominion over her enemies and be able to enter into that place of rest promised to us, through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:1-11). It seems that the majority of the Church today have also bought into the same lie, as only a small part of the Body of Christ allows the Holy Spirit to operate through them and demonstrate the power of God through the gifts of the Spirit (I Corinthians 12:4-11). Their unbelief keeps them out of the promises of God in Christ Jesus, and they end up dying in the wilderness of this life, without ever experiencing the full blessings of God. The demon of doubt has really blocked the Church from walking in faith with the Lord. This demon of doubt also hindered those in need when Jesus was ministering healing. Even in His own home town He could do few of the miracles He was doing everywhere else because of their unbelief. The people of Nazareth missed out on God’s blessing of healing because they too listened to the devil and took up believing doubt over faith (Matthew 13:58). Everywhere Jesus went the people’s faith allowed them to enjoy the healing and deliverance that He brought. This was also true of His disciples, as He gave them authority and power over the devil (Luke 10:17-20). When Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, he stated that his desire was they come to fully understand the hope of God’s calling for them, and the power that He gave them to fulfill their calling (Ephesians 1:17-23). But just as there was a generation of the children of Israel who did not believe, there was also a generation which followed who did believe, and they entered into the fullness of the blessings of the Promised Land.
Likewise, there is a generation today in the Church who do not believe in the full Gospel message, and are therefore only are able to enjoy their salvation, their deliverance from the bondage of the devil. But there is also a younger generation of believers who have not had their minds poisoned by the spirit of doubt, and are going beyond just the salvation message and are entering into the fullness of the power of the Gospel message. They are not content just to hear the Word of God and how the Church of the past walked in the demonstration of God’s power. They are not satisfied with a life that is just limited to being free from the devil’s control, but they are, even now, stretching their faith to believe that they can be free to operate in, and benefit from, the demonstration of the power of God. This new generation has the faith that they no longer need to be part of the audience, but are wanting to take the stage, to be participants, so that the Holy Spirit can enable them to do the works that Jesus said they would do (John 14:12).
Superiority of the Gospel
In essence, all that Jesus said and did revealed the superiority of the Kingdom of God over anything on this Earth. The Gospel is a display of the supernatural power of the Kingdom of God, from the virgin birth, to the ascension, to the signs and wonders done in Jesus’ Name. It is the same parallel between the slavery that the Children of Israel experienced and the new life they would experience in the Promised Land. The Gospel also changes lives, as Jesus Christ makes a new creation of men, and by faith they can walk in the light (John 8:12), producing a life different than the darkness that they walked before, now in the abundant life He promised (John 10:10).
With Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, believers are really able to live out the Gospel message of the Kingdom of God here on Earth.
Worth dying for
Paul wrote that this Gospel is something we can put our faith in (Philippians 1:27) and our hope in (Colossians 1:23). Paul could say this because he had done so. Jesus Christ changed him from a persecutor of the Gospel to the biggest promoter of it. He saw Jesus, face to face. He saw and experienced Heaven. His life was full of the Holy Spirit working through him. Paul lived the Gospel life like no other as he imitated Christ. He fought the fight, he finished the race, and he kept the faith. He was a witness of how the Gospel could change someone forever. Yet the Gospel of Jesus Christ is more than living a life. It so magnificent that Jesus said that it was even worth losing your life over (Mark 8:35) because of the eternal benefits of embracing it. If Jesus Himself saw the value of dying to establish this Good News, then it should be no problem for us to die for it as well. If we look at the ultimate purpose of Jesus Christ being sent to Earth, it was to bring mankind and all that Earth consists of back in harmony with God (I Corinthians 15:28-28). So to be in harmony with God is worth all of life, that being eternal life with God, since being out of harmony with God has as its end the eternal separation from God and punishment in the Lake of Fire.
[Editor's Comment: Stanley Warrick was my associate pastor when I was the senior pastor of the First Pentecostal Holiness Church in Richmond, VA. He is a student of the Word of God, a gifted Bible teacher, an intercessor, preacher, writer and author. I met with him weekly to have lunch, to pray and seek God for our lives and the church. He has a wonderful family. God gave to him and his wife, Jeannie, five beautiful children who are all Christians and serving the Lord. Two of his sons are in full-time ministry, one a pastor of a growing church in Tennessee, and the other son, a youth pastor of a church in Georgia. Stan, like me is now a widower. His wife passed away about a year or so ago. I have invited Stan to be a contributing writer for Hugh's News. He has a website you may wish to check out. It is: https://www.becominganovercomer.com/