The Gospel: A Closer Look.

Foreword and Introduction

Part I

Maybe you are a Christian and are wondering why anyone would need to write another book about the
gospel or salvation. But just possibly you have a hunger deep down inside for something more than what
you have already experienced in your Christian life. As a new-born baby needs food to grow and mature,
so a Christian needs to feed on God’s Word, if he wants to really know and love God.

You may agree with me that the Bible is the most fascinating, interesting, powerful and challenging book
that anyone ever wrote. If you aren’t sure about that, I want to encourage you to study at least the New
Testament, even if you don’t care to keep on reading this little booklet. In the past, thousands of true
Christians died in unbelievably cruel ways, in order to be true to one simple truth that God’s Word
teaches. But now many professing believers hardly touch the Bible; they think that if they go to church on
Sunday and listen to their preachers, they will know all that is necessary to know, in order to make it
safely to heaven. If you have this idea, please be careful! Heaven will not be what I think it will be, if I do
not love God with all my heart right now.

If God was able to create man from the dust of the earth, He is also able to re-create us into the image of
Jesus. If our hearts have become like stone, He can make them turn into tender flesh again. When God’s
Word awakens us to our real need for Him, we hunger to know such an absolutely awesome Person more.
Our carnal desire to go to a beautiful place called heaven, can be replaced by a holy desire to have God
make our house of clay His home right now and bring heaven down to us.

If you are not a believer, but had enough interest to read this far, maybe you are concerned about God and
feel that you need Him. Maybe you feel “lost” in a world where many others feel comfortable. Jesus,
God’s Son, came to look for and to save what was lost, and without Him, our souls are lost. He said that
the most treasured possession we have is our soul. If a man loses his soul, he would do anything at all to
get it back again. (The soul is the inner life of man)

Jesus is the most wonderful and loving Person that ever walked on the earth. God is love and Jesus came
to earth to show God’s love to man, and He died for us to keep on showing it. God wants you to know the
love that He has for you which is stronger than death. He has done everything that was at all possible to
do, so that you personally can know Him and His love, and find out the purpose for which you were born:
“That you might know Him and enjoy Him forever”.

Maybe you have lost the interest that you had in God because of your own failures in the past, or because
of the behavior of some Christians around you. Don’t be alarmed. Jesus Himself felt sick when a group of
Christians didn’t maintain their first love for Him. Don’t lose your soul because of others, and please
understand that as long as you live, it is not too late to change.

Jesus came all the way down from the magnificent glory of His Father’s house, to become one with us
and willingly identified Himself with all the suffering that sin and Satan had brought to human beings.
During a short period of about 3 years, He fulfilled every prophecy from the Old Testament about
Himself. He healed thousands of sick and broken-hearted people and set many captives free from sin and
Satan. (Matt.8:16,17; Isa.61:1-3; Luke 4:18) Then He delivered Himself over to die the most shameful
death possible, to identify Himself with the worst and with every sinner. In this way His body became a
legal “sin bearer” to take away our sins so our souls can be healed from sin. (IPet.2:24,25) Jesus’ blood
was shed for the forgiveness of men’s sins which God had provided before He created the world. He was
the Lamb of God, Who took away the sin of the world.

God says: “You are precious in my sight and I have loved you. I will say to the North, Give up, and to the
South, Keep not back; Bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the ends of the earth,
everyone who is called by my name. For I have created them for my glory”. A part of Isa.43:4-7.

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(We will quote only parts of scripture portions and sometimes as a paraphrase and the first time you read
through this booklet, it would be better to simply read what is written out without looking up the
scriptures.)

There are thousands of religious groups in the world today, who call themselves churches. You might ask
yourself, “With so many different churches, how can I possibly know where to go so that I can grow in
my faith?” This is a problem, but all the teaching of Jesus and the apostles that we need is written down
right in the New Testament. One apostle told the Hebrew believers who had no Bibles, to be sure and
keep gathering together to provoke each other to love and good works. If you can find a warm vibrant
group of believers close to your home, it would be wonderful, but if not maybe you can find an elderly
person who could help you to get yourself firmly grounded in the faith. If there is no one to help you, the
Holy Spirit will be your teacher, and then maybe you can also win others to Jesus, who is our only true
Teacher.

Right now we see the problem of some of the early carnal Christians multiplied a thousand times over. “I
am of Paul, of Peter, of Luther or Calvin.” When we start depending on specific men to explain details of
the gospel to us, then there can only be divisions. The gospel of Jesus was not given to cause divisions
among Christians, but to unite them, because each one believes in the same Lord and the same gospel.
We are all in Him and are raised up together with Him. The power of the gospel becomes manifest as
people are saved from sin and from themselves, and start obeying God by repenting and loving one
another. A true believer cannot care if another one does not understand exactly the same things that he
does. (Rom.12:3-5; I Cor.12:13-27; Eph.4:11-15) God wants every knee to bow to His Son and every
tongue to confess the He is Lord! (Phil.2:5-11)

Our world is rapidly going to destruction, full of sin, hatred, strife and discontent. Religious people enter
into all this strife and nonsense and are no light at all for the faith that they profess. Jesus prayed to His
Father, “That the believers might be one that the world might know that God sent a Savior”.

The good news of God’s great salvation should be like a clear lake into which we can gaze and
understand more and more precious truth about Christ. When we first hear it and believe in Christ, we are
like little children and receive entrance into a very great salvation without even beginning to understand
its greatness. As we mature, we need to feed on His Word and get to know our Savior, growing in Grace
and knowledge. But we need to try to clear the waters of the gospel of all simply human ideas, so that the
precious gems of Biblical truth can be understood. I don’t have a perfect knowledge of God and His
Word either, and I may happen to write things that aren’t true, but God cannot lie. That is my consolation.

There is an enormous confusion in the world today. What are we to be saved from in this life? Are we to
be saved from sickness, from poverty, from pain or suffering? No! Will we be saved from God’s justice
or His righteous judgments? A thousand times, No! These are delightful for anyone who wants to love
God. (Psa.19:9-11; 119:20,39,43,52,62,75.) Jesus saves us from all evil, from everything that destroys us,
and from whatever would keep us away from knowing and loving God. (Isaiah 61:1-3)

We will divide this first part into two chapters:

Chapters I A Closer Look at the Gospel of the Apostles:

The gospel is for every human being under heaven. Mark 16:15; Col.1:23.

Chapters II Faith that brings Salvation.

Salvation is for those who will repent and believe in their Savior. Acts 17:30,31; 20:21; Eph.2:8.

Chapter I: A Closer Look at the Gospel of the Apostles.

The Gospel Age Begins

Matthew starts his gospel by saying, “Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham”. Jesus would
first be a King for Israel and then also a Savior for the whole world.

The law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Jn.1:17.

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The Angel said, “Fear not for I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For to you is
born in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord…Glory to God in the highest and on earth
peace and good will to men. Luke 2:10-14.

How did the Apostles preach the Gospel through the New Testament?

Notice that they always emphasized the resurrection of Jesus as the best news of the gospel, whether
talking to believers or unbelievers. The enemies of Jesus rejoiced that He suffered and died just as Jesus
had warned the disciples, “You will weep but the world will rejoice. You will have sorrow, but your
sorrow will be turned into joy”.(Jn.16:20-22) This was probably the saddest day that God’s creation had
ever known. The prophet Amos had said, “The sun will go down at noon....I will make it as a mourning
for an only son…”. The faithful followers of Jesus were totally disillusioned. Here was their beloved
Jesus, whom they believed to be the Son of God and the King of Israel, dead! But their sorrow was
temporary and disappeared when Jesus shattered the gates of death and brought life and immortality to
light through the gospel. Now every believer has the eternal joy of having a living Savior at God’s right
hand, who triumphed over suffering, sin and death through His own love for us! “Oh death, where is your
sting; Oh grave where is your victory?” (Rom.8:35-39; Eph.2:4-7; 3:14-19;

I John 3:1,16; 4:9,16.) The gospel message is like an up-ward spiral that gets better and better!

It is Christ who died, yea rather who is risen again, Who is even at the right hand of GOD, Who also
makes intercession for us! Rom. 8:34.

Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and three days later, one faithful woman said, “Where did you take
my Lord?” What excitement, what breathless running, what joy when they saw Him again! Christ walked
with the disciples and taught them for 40 days. He told them to go into all the world and preach the gospel
to every man, preaching repentance and remission of sins in His Name.

One hundred and twenty faithful believers were waiting in the upper room. I don’t think they had any
rehearsal except for 10 days of fervent prayer. Then the God and Father of our Lord Jesus sent the Holy
Spirit in the Name of Jesus and these people went crazy. Or so it seemed.

Campaign results: Acts 2:41-47; 4:4; 6:7. The first evangelism crew started with 11 apostles, but there
had to be 12 as witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection.

Jesus Christ and Him crucified:

Of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, we
must ordain one to be a witness with us of his resurrection. Acts.1:21,22. (2:32; 3:15; 4:33)

Jesus was a man approved of God, but you used wicked hands to crucify and murder Him, but GOD
raised Him up. It was not possible for death to hold Him. Acts 2:22-24. (13:27-30; 17:30-32.)

Sinners crucified Jesus, but God raised Him up, and exalted Him as our Lord and Savior!

God raised up His Son to be our Savior and turn us away from our iniquities. God raised up Jesus from
death and exalted Him at His right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance and forgiveness of
sins. For there is salvation in no other name, but in the name of Jesus!

Acts 3:26; 5:30-32; 4:12. (Acts 2:36; 7:52; 9:20-22; 10:36,40-43; 13:23,32-39)

The spirit of Jesus who had spoken of His own suffering through the O.T. prophets, made sure that all
those scriptures would be fulfilled. (Mt.26:52-56; Mark 14:48,49; Luke 22:37).

Who in the world would dare to lay hands on God’s own Son and kill him? The Evil One had been doing
all that He could to steal, kill, and destroy God’s creation for 4000 years. He absolutely hated this Son of
God who never disobeyed His Father in one point and was hateful enough to use human beings to do His
evil work. He did not realize that He was fulfilling God’s plans as he opened the door of his dominion to
Christ. (Matt.12:28-29; Lk.11:20-22; 22:3,52,53; Jn.13:2,27; Rev.1:17,18.) He had illegally claimed a

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victim, who had never disobeyed God and without a broken law, sin was dead. Oh sin, where was your
strength? (Rom. 7:8; ICor.15:56.)

Jesus was tempted and tested more than anyone, and was victorious in resisting sin to the most bitter and
final test of obedience for death. In this way He conquered Satan, sin and death. (Gen.3:15;
Jn.12:31;16:8-11; ICor.2:7,8; Rom.6:6-11; Col.2:15; IJn. 3:7-8; II Tim.1:9,10; Heb. 2:14,15)

This was the greatest criminal act of a judgment ever enacted in the history of mankind and anyone who
knowingly partook of this terrible deed had a special kind of judgment waiting for him from Almighty
God. (Mt.26:24; Mark 14:21; Luke 22:22; John 19:11)

Jesus was delivered into the hands of sinners by the definite plan and foreknowledge of God. The
sufferings of Jesus that God had shown by the mouth of all His prophets, He fulfilled in this way as
sinners gathered together to do whatever God had determined that had to be done to His Holy Son Jesus.
Those who lived in Jerusalem, and their rulers, didn’t know who Jesus really was, nor did they understand
the prophecies about Him. When they condemned Him, they fulfilled all the Scriptures that spoke of His
suffering. Acts 2:23; 3:18; 4:27,28; 13:27,29.

In order for us to resurrect both from spiritual and physical death, we needed One to go before us as our
victorious Conqueror. In prophecy we have some pictures of this One.

Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for He is aroused from His holy habitation! "Rejoice greatly, O
daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and
having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, Zech. 2:13; 9:9

Gird your sword upon your thigh, O most mighty One, with your glory and your majesty, ride
prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness. Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the
king's enemies…Your throne, O GOD, is for ever and ever: the scepter of your kingdom is a righteous
scepter. You loved righteousness, and hated wickedness: therefore GOD, your GOD, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness above your fellows. Psa.45:3-7.

In Psalms 16 through 18, David, through the spirit of Jesus, gives a picture of our weak human sin bearer,
who assumes the iniquities of others as His own, and conquers His enemies bare-handed. But God is right
there to deliver Him from death at the right time.

We will copy just a few scriptures from the book of Psalms which David spoke about our Savior.

For you, Lord are good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy to all them that call upon you. You
are a God full of compassion, gracious, long-suffering and plenteous in mercy and truth. The Lord
forgives all our iniquities, heals all our diseases, redeems our life from destruction and crowns us with
lovingkindness and tender mercies. He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy.
He will not always chide us nor always be angry. He has not dealt with us, nor rewarded us according to
our sins. Like a Father pities His children, so the Lord pities them that fear Him. For He knows our frame.
He remembers that we are dust. The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on them that fear
Him and His righteousness to children’s children. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to
anger and of great mercy. Psa.86:5,15; 103:1-4, 8-17; 145:8,9,17-19.

The Holy Spirit of Jesus who spoke through David could not lie even though He knew that He had to
fulfill these scriptures Himself. God IS exactly everything and more than the OT says that He IS. If the
NT had never been written, if Jesus had never come to earth and spoken of His Father, we would not
know that God is also a Father and a Son. We could never have gotten to know God who is a Spirit and
who lives in unapproachable Light. (ITm.6:16) The Lord did not stop being that Light but covered His
glorious being, so that He could reveal Himself to sinners. (IICor. 4:3-6) Now it is apparent that He
dwells not only in light but also with lowly and humble believers. (Isaiah 57:15-18)

Jesus revealed even many more things about His God. God is Light, God is Life and God is Love.
(Jn.1:4,8; IJn.4:7,8) God so loved the world that He became the Light of the world to give life to man.

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He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces…And it shall
be said in that day, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord;
we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation. Isaiah 25:8-9.

The gospel to believers: Paul was “the apostle of the God of the resurrection.” Gal.1:1.

Paul, separated by God to preach the good news of God’s Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was declared
to be the Son of GOD with power…by the resurrection from the dead.

Righteousness was not imputed to Abraham only but to us also if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus
our Lord from the dead. Who died for our offences and was raised up again for our justification. For if we
were brought back to God by the death of His Son, much more shall we be saved by His life. It is Christ
who died, yea rather who is risen again, Who is even at the right hand of GOD, Who also makes
intercession for us! If you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead then you are
believing for righteousness and if You confess that He is LORD then you confess for salvation.

Taken from Rom. 1:1-4; 4:23,24; 5:10; 8:34; 10:9,10.

I declare to you the Gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand. By
which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you – unless you believed in
vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to
the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. If
Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is
empty and your faith is also empty. From I Cor.15:1-17.

Jesus humbled himself, and became obedient to the death of the cross. Therefore GOD has also highly
exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering. If by any
means I might attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not as though I had already attained or were
already perfect. Buried with Him and raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, Who
raised Him from the dead. Phil.2:8-10; 3:10-12; Col.2:12. (Eph.1:18-20; 2:4-6.)

God’s great salvation is now manifested by the appearing of Jesus, who has abolished death and brought
life and immortality to light through the gospel. Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David was
raised from the dead, according to my gospel. If we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him.
IITim.1:10: 2:8,11. (I Thess.1:9,10.)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy has
begotten us again, (given us a new birth) into a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the
dead. God raised Jesus from the dead, so that your faith and hope might be in God.

Our baptism acts as a symbol. Going down into death by repentance and rising again through faith in
Christ, shows how we are saved from sin by the resurrection of Jesus. 1 Pet.1:3,21. (3:21)

The image of God in man: (Gen.1:26; 2:7; 9:6; I Cor.11:7; James 3:9)

The Lord God created man perfectly free, in His own image and likeness, to have dominion over the earth
and over every living thing upon the earth. In the moment of disobedience, man became like God in
knowing good and evil. (Gen.3:22) But disobedience had brought a sin separation and now man has to
live out his temporary life of dust, physically separated from God to be chastised and learn how to love
and choose good and hate evil. God planned this for man before He even made the earth where human
beings would first have to wear this corruptible image. (Eph.1:3-5,10; IPet.1:20)

Many people do not think that God was righteous in creating them. They wish that they had never been
born and even commit suicide. Possibly they have disobeyed their conscience too many times and have
never known the love of the Person who planned for them to be born. But they do not know God, nor His
attitude toward man. God is righteous and gave them a chance to accept the chastisements of this life and
seek another life. The Lord had to become a man in order to show us that He is righteous! He heard the

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groaning of the prisoner. He felt pity for men, whom He had designed to live in a body of dust.
(Psa.102:19-21; 103:13,14) His love, forgiveness and pity, became apparent as He walked among men
and during three years He freed them from the evil consequences that the sin separation had caused in the
outward man. In His death and resurrection, He freed their souls from sin and healed them from the
consequences of sin in the inner man. He showed to man that He is righteous and willing to partake of all
our pains and woes, just to show us that this is not the end. It is only a time of preparation for our real and
eternal life. When we just start to know and understand God’s love in coming to us, and thank Him for
any pain and suffering that He permits, then the trials of life lose importance and become very
insignificant. (Rom.8:16-24; IICor.4:14-5:4; Eph.3:16-20; Heb.12:1-14)

For if by the offence of one man, sin and death came to all, so by the grace of one man, righteousness and
life came to all. Just as sin had dominion over all people, even so grace came for all. GOD is absolutely
just and if He allows all people to suffer and to die, because of one man’s sin, then He is also just in
reconciling all people through the grace of one man. Even as sin reigns for death in our outward life, so
grace reigns through righteousness in our inner life in Christ. From Rom. 5:12-21.

After bringing sin into the world by one act of disobedience, the first Adam gave us his fleshly life of dust
for a short time. The last Adam, after a final act of obedience, brought grace to all men and gave us His
spiritual, righteous and eternal life, to live with God forever, which we receive by faith in Him. Now we
have our forerunner in front of us, who willingly received all the chastisement that His Father saw fit to
lay upon Him. He publicly displayed that no matter how many sins a human being could bear in his body,
if He is a God fearing man, believing in the true God, God will raise him back to life. Jesus was the only
human being who knew good and evil without once disobeying His Father. He was chastised and suffered
for us and as our example in order to take us to be with His Father but not to keep us from being
chastised. (Heb.12:1-14) The resurrection was the final and glorious proof that God accepted Him and did
not impute sin to Him. (Psa.31:1-5; 32:2; 34:15-20; Isa.50:5-9; Rom.1:4)

From the day that God created man, no one heard His time-clock ticking away but “when the fullness of
the time was come”, He sent His Son to conquer death and to bring life and immortality to light through
the gospel. (ICor.15: 34,42-49; II Tim.1:9) Eventually, not only man, but all creation, must be brought
back to God. (Rom.8:16-24; Col.1:16-20)

For my name’s sake, will I defer my anger and for my praise, will I refrain from you that I cut you not
off. For my own sake, for my own sake will I do it, that my name should not be polluted. I am He. I am
the first, I also am the last. My hand also has laid the foundation of the earth and my right hand has
spanned the heavens. From Isa.48:9-13.

Chapters II: A Closer look at Faith that Brings Salvation

For by grace are you saved, through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.Eph.2:8.

No one can be saved by only believing and accepting the correct facts of the gospel, but by repenting and
believing in the Savior. Believing in can be defined as clinging to or relying on.

The godly Simeon said, “My eyes have seen your salvation” simply because he knew that he held the
baby in his arms that would one day be the Savior. When we hear the good news of the gospel, we should
say, “My soul has found its Savior”.

Faith in The Lord Jesus.

Just as Abraham, we need to believe in the GOD who gives new life out of death, not according to our
fleshly abilities, but according to His Promise in Christ. (See Rom.4:17-24).

God gave Abram the promise of a new life, an heir, who had no earthly reason to be born. Our Father of
faith believed God, and received his son of promise, and when God asked Abraham to offer back that
only son to Him, he obeyed. He believed the promise of God so firmly, that miraculously he became the
Father of faith, faith in the God of the resurrection. (Heb.11:19) In that same way, our faith must be in
God’s promise of eternal life, contained in the Life of the One who was raised up from death as the first-
fruits of those that sleep. The same power that raised Christ from the dead, is the power that must work in
our souls to raise us up from our spiritual death into His Life. (Eph.1:18-20.) We can have eternal life

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right now through faith in Christ, but at the time of our physical resurrection, we inherit and reap forever
the eternal life that we chose to live right now. We will receive exactly what we have sown in this life as
Christians. (John 5:24-29; Rom.12:1,2; II Cor.5:8-11; Rev.22:12)

On what confession of faith did Jesus build His church?

“You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!” Mt 16:15-16.

How did John, and Jesus speak of saving faith?

For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him, should
not perish but have everlasting life. He that believes on the Son, has everlasting life; He who does not
believe the Son, shall not see Life, but the wrath of God stays on him. He who believes on the Son of
God, has the witness in himself. He who believes not God, has made Him a liar; because he believed not
the record that God gave of His Son. This is the recording of God’s Word: “He has given us eternal life
and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son, has life and he who does not have the Son, does not have
life”. Jn.3:16,36; IJn.5:10-12.

#1 Believing in Christ goes right along with believing in the true God.

He who hears my word and believes in the One who sent me has eternal life. John 5:24.

(Jn. 5:43,44; 10:36-38; 12:44,45; 14:1,11.)

#2 Believing in Christ means receiving, believing and acting upon His words.

He who hears my word and believes on Him who sent me has eternal life. Jn. 5:24. (verse 38)

Where else can we go? “You, have the words of eternal life”. Jn.6:68. (5:46,47; 14:21-23)

(In these last days, God has spoken to us in His Son so that we may hear Him, obey, and be turned away
from our iniquities. {Saved from sin!} Heb.1:2; Acts 3:22-23, 26; 7:37.)

#3 Believing means coming to Jesus in faith and asking for a new life.

He who asks Jesus for living water will receive it for everlasting life. Jn. 4:10. (5:39,40)

#4 Believing in Christ is believing in Who He is.

Those who received Him, and believed on His Name, received power to become God’s sons. He who
believes in the Name of the only begotten Son of God will have eternal life. Jn.1:12; 3:16-18.

(4:42; 6:29,40,69.) If you do not believe that I AM, you shall die in your sins. When you have lifted up
the Son of man, then you shall know that I AM. Jn.8:24,28.

Jesus said to the one who had been blind, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” He answered, ”Who is He,
Lord, that I may believe in Him?” Jesus said, “You have seen Him and He is talking with you.” Then he
said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshipped Him. Jn.9:35-38

Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he were dead, yet
shall he live. “And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Jn.11:25-26.

Jesus said to Thomas, “Be not faithless but believing” Thomas answered, “My Lord and my GOD!” Jesus
said, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are they who have not seen and
yet have believed”. Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in
this book. But these are written so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of GOD, and
that believing you might have life in His name. Jn.20:27-31.

This last point of faith (#4, Who is Jesus?) is probably the most important aspect of faith but because of
modern teaching, has lost it’s importance. Many people are teaching that the most important part of faith

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is believing that Jesus suffered instead of us. This is not true and has nothing to do with biblical faith.
Faulty interpretations of prophecy actually become a stumbling block to faith. One important thing to
believe about Jesus, is that His suffering did not change Him nor His standing with God. He Himself was
the LORD, the Son of God, who was ready and pleased to deliver up the Son of man (the arm of the
Lord) to die. (Mt.16:21-23; 20:18,19; 26:45-46,53-56; Mark 8:31-35; 10:32-34; 14:32-38,41-42,48-49;
Luke 9:20-24; 22:52-53; 24:42-47; Jn.10:17,18; 18:4-8.)

Lord, who has believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Awake, awake, put on
strength, O arm of the LORD. The LORD has made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and
all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our GOD. He saw that there was no man to intercede for
others, so his arm brought salvation to him. I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that
there was none to uphold: therefore my own arm brought salvation to me; and my fury, it upheld me. Isa.
53:1; 51:9; 52:10; 59:16; 63:5. (Rom.10:16.)

In the time of the prophets, the mystery of the GOD-head had to be kept a secret. No one could have a
clue that this lowly, suffering man, described in prophecy, was really the LORD. Otherwise, the powers
of darkness would never have crucified Him. (I Cor.2:8) If we read the accounts of the crucifixion of
Jesus, we realize that Psa.22:1 was fulfilled for Jesus after His suffering was over and He was ready to die
alone. We can see by other prophecies WHO the LORD of the prophets is.

Come now and let us reason together, says the LORD, though your sins be as scarlet, or red like crimson,
(They draw blood) they shall be as wool or snow. Isa.1:18. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there
is no Savior. I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake and will not remember
them anymore. Isa. 43:25 I have blotted out as a thick cloud your sins and your transgressions. Return to
me for I have redeemed you. Isa.44:22. (Isa. 8:13,14; 40:1-10; 41:4,14; 43:3,10-15; 45:21-25)

For the Lord is our judge; the Lord is our law-giver, He is our King. He will save us. Isa. 33:22; (52:3-15)

For the Father judged no man but committed all judgment to the Son, who had power on earth to forgive
sins, even before He died. (Matt.11:27; John 5:20-22, 26,27; Matt.9:6; Mark 2:5-10)

The scriptures of the O.T. identify Jesus as the LORD, the redeemer of His people. Jesus, the wisdom and
the power of God, was upholding all things by the Word of His power, and He by Himself purged our
sins. Heb.1:1-3. (ICor.1:24) By Himself, He bore our sins in His own body. IPet.2:24.

A Gift of Righteousness:

The law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. John.1:17.

The same One who created man by His own will, and allowed sin to bring him a lot of suffering,
judgment and finally death, is the same One who partook of man’s suffering because of sin. Even while
He bore our sins in His body, He kept a holy and righteous image and died to offer Himself to God for us.
We are accepted in Him. That is what grace means to a believer.

Under the OT law, God was manifested as a God who would only forgive unintentional sins, and every
sin was to be dealt with righteously under that legal system. (Heb.2:2; 10:28; Num.15:27-36) Those who
committed sins accidentally, were the only ones who could stay alive and be forgiven. The law mentions
at least 15 different acts of deliberate sin that were to bring instant death.

Jesus took away the legal system, by fulfilling every demand of God for moral perfection, for death, and
for the shedding of blood. (Eph.2:15,16) Both those who legally deserved to die and those who could
have brought an innocent lamb to receive forgiveness by its blood, have a Savior. We have propitiation
for every sin “Through faith in His blood”. By His blood, Jesus enacted a covenant of grace so that God
can freely justify any sinner who comes to His mercy seat. A repentant sinner is one who will come if he
is conscious of having sinned and then his conscience is clean and he can have continued contact with His
God and Savior. From Rom.3:25; Heb.7:25; 9:12-16. IJn.1:7-2:2.

The righteousness of God cannot be known, received or understood by an unbeliever.

( Psa.98:1,2; Isa. 51:1,5-8; 56:1; 59:15-17; 63:1)

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For in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. By an act of His grace, God
reconciled (redeemed) sinful man back to Himself when His Lamb put away sin by the sacrifice of
Himself. He had the power to condemn sin in our flesh, crucify our old man and resurrect a new life for
us in the Holy Spirit. (Rom. 1:17; 3:24-26; Heb.9:10, 24-26)

I will not execute the fierceness of my anger; for I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst. For
there is no Savior beside me. I will ransom them from the power of the grave, I will redeem them from
death. Oh death, I will be your plague; Oh grave, I will be your destruction. (Hosea 11:9; 13:4,14.)

The law itself could not make anyone righteous, but the law and the prophets testify that through faith in
the righteous One, man can also be righteous. (Rom.3:21,22; Gal.2:21; 3:21; 5:5) God was not executing
righteousness at the cross. He was in Christ openly demonstrating His forgiveness, love, forbearance and
righteousness. Now in this time, by means of His mercy seat, He declares His righteousness by justifying
those who come to Him. (Rom.3:25,26; IICor.5:19; Heb.9:15; Acts 17:30)

God said that in Adam all will die, dust to dust. But the spirit goes to God, with or without the gift of
righteousness. (Rom.5:17) The one who knows the Son, knows the Father who sent Him. Now that God
revealed Himself completely righteous in taking away the sin separation, and reconciling man to His own
image, His righteous judgments are and will also be revealed.

(Acts 17:31, Rom. 1:18, 29-32; 2:1-11; IICor.5:9-11; Rev.22:12)

All the praise and glory for salvation, goes to our Savior!

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying to me, Fear not; I
am the first and the last: I am he that lives and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen, and
have the keys of hell and of death. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and
repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come
in to him, and will sup with him and he with me. Behold, I come quickly; My reward is with me to give
every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and
the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of life and may
enter in through the gates into the city. The Spirit and the bride say, “Come”. And let him that hears say,
“Come”. And let him that is thirsty come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Rev.1:17,18, 3:19,20, 22:12-14,17,21

Are you conscious that there is something lacking in the plan of God’s salvation? Maybe this last part is
for you. God Bless You!

What is Repentance toward God?

(Matt.4:17; 21:32; Mark 1:3-4,14,15; Acts 2:38; 17:30-31; 20:21; IICor.7:10; Heb.6:4-6; Jam. 5:19,20)

Sin never ceases to rule over a man and separate Him from a Holy God, if he does not repent and obey his
Lord. A man does not want to be saved from what he loves, no matter what he believes.

Repentance means that a person needs to turn away from every attitude and action that does not please
God. Jesus has promised to give His Holy Spirit, to all who obey Him.

By faith in Christ, a repentant person takes part in the death and resurrection of Jesus, death to the first
life and birth to a New Life. A believer is no longer separated from God because the sin of the world was
taken away by the Lamb of God. Now he is free to obey God just like the first man was before sin entered
the world. We are not under the dominion of sin and death but under the law of the spirit of Life in Christ.
We are not controlled by sin, but by the Spirit who lives in us even though we still commit sins while
dragging this body of sin and death, but sinning is not according to our new righteous nature and we hate
it! (I Jn.3:1-10)

When we receive the Holy Spirit and mature just a bit in our new life, we start to realize that the sinful
habits we had before being born again, were only a fruit of the real problem. We realize that we must
continue considering ourselves dead to sin and alive to God until we die physically. We must obediently

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drink of the same cup that Jesus drank, resisting sin even if it would be necessary to die for our faith. Our
Old man was crucified with Christ, and if we really believe this, we need to keep him in the place of
death by faith in the Person of our Savior and by the power of the Holy Spirit. A born again believer has
received the Holy Spirit of Jesus in his life, who is stronger than the evil spirit of the serpent who tempts
men to sin against God. (IJn.4:4)

If any of us commits a sin, we have a mercy seat, an intercessor with the Father. He ever lives to make
intercession for us, so that He can save our souls from the power of sin as long as we live in our body of
flesh. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us, but if we confess our
sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.( IJn.1:7-2:4)

Contemporary Gospel Explanations

Part II

There is only ONE true gospel but when men add factors to the gospel message, then it would appear that
we have more than one gospel. We saw that the apostles emphasized the suffering of Jesus as a necessary
evil that He had to overcome before the gospel message could be proclaimed. His death and resurrection
are the gospel message with a far greater emphasis on His resurrection. (Romans 8:34;

I Cor. 15:1-17) Right now, among evangelicals, we have two marked emphases in the gospel message.
The first one emphasizes the Love of God and our need fulfilled of having a gracious, forgiving Savior at
God’s right hand. The second one greatly emphasizes the suffering of Jesus before He died as the means
by which a very angry God could express His wrath against the sins we have committed.

An example of an Explanation Gospel

The wages of sin is death. (1) So the only way to pay for our sins is by dying or going to hell. And here is
the good news: Jesus, the Son of God suffered and died to pay for our sins.(2) When Jesus took our sins
on Himself, He was separated from GOD who put his wrath on Jesus in order to free us from the wrath
He would have to put on us forever. (3)When the Bible says that Jesus died for our sins, this does not
mean that He simply died physically like all of us must die. He cried out, “My God, my God, why have
you forsaken me”. (4) God was forsaking Christ as sinners are forsaken in eternal hell to suffer God’s
wrath against their sins. (5) Jesus endured this wrath during those 3 hours of darkness.

(6) Now God can be righteous in forgiving our sins and can give us eternal life as a gift by His grace.

An application to human experience

(7) Salvation is so simple that we only have to receive this gift that GOD is offering us and that Jesus
already paid for with His suffering. He has already forgiven a believer for every sin he has committed and
may commit in the future. True and eternal salvation consists of simply trusting and resting on His
finished work on the cross. (8)This is what saving faith is-- faith in the finished work of Christ.

(The emphasis of the above presentation is not that God put away our sins through Christ. But rather that
God was able to express once for all how He feels about our sins. Of course, if we know Him or His
Word at all, we know that He can never express how He feels about a guilty man’s sins by making an
innocent person suffer. This is not a part of the true gospel.)

Questionable statements made in the contemporary gospel:

(1) The only way to pay for our sins, is by dying or going to Hell.

Dying or going to hell, does not pay for our sins. Not the sins we commit nor those we have in our hearts,
can ever be paid for. But the same person against Whom we have sinned, shed the blood of remission. He
can forgive our sins and cleanse our hearts from every sin. Jesus’ blood made atonement for our sinful
souls.

(2) God put His wrath on Jesus, in order to free us from the wrath He would have to put on us forever.

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Jesus’ temporary separation from God had nothing to do with the sinner’s eternal damnation. We know
that any practicing sinner is separated from GOD already in this life. He is already under God’s wrath
which is holy and righteous and automatically emanates against a guilty person and this wrath cannot be
taken off the sinner until he repents and believes in Christ. When God arises for judgment, He will not
transfer His wrath from a guilty person to an innocent one. There never was any exchange and there never
will be. God’s wrath is righteous and Holy and will always be expressed exactly as Jesus Himself would
express it, because He is the One who is the judge of the living and the dead. All things were delivered
over to Him by the Father who judges no man. Jesus Himself upheld all things by the Word of His power
and by Himself made cleansing for sin. John 3:35; Heb.1:3. He Himself, in love, forbearance and
patience, forgave men for every past sin committed, crucified our old man, condemned sin in the flesh,
pouring His wrath on all of our enemies. (Isa.51:17-23; Jn.12:31)

I have trodden the winepress alone and of the people there was none with me…For the day of vengeance
is in my heart and the year of my redeemed has come. I looked and there was none to help…therefore my
own arm brought salvation to me and my fury it up-held me. Isa.63:1-5.

(3) Jesus didn't simply die a physical death.

Jesus could only die physically. For this purpose the Son of God took on human flesh so that He would
have a body in which to bear our sins and be crucified and blood to shed. Sins in the body cause physical
death while sins in the soul cause spiritual death. Jesus Himself was and is our “Life giving Spirit”. If
God had condemned our source of life, we would have no hope in this life nor in eternity.

Jesus died the same kind of death that any one else might die for a righteous cause.

For scarcely for a righteous man would one die. Yet maybe for a good man, one might even dare to die
but God commends His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. In this we

perceive the love of God for us, in that He laid down His life for us and we ought to lay down our lives
for the brethren. Rom.5:7,8; I Jn. 3:16. The purpose of Jesus´ death was not to see how much He could
suffer before dying, or God would have kept Him alive longer! Jesus said, ´´Unless a corn of wheat falls
into the ground and dies, it abides alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit´´. It is what comes after death
that matters. Jesus rose from the dead to bring Life and Immortality to Light. He clearly revealed that all
of us will resurrect to another life. The Creator showed us how this works in nature. We sow the seed and
it dies. Then the new life comes to light. Now suppose we would condemn the seed before it is sown. We
grind it to powder, and then plant it. Will a new life come out of that? Jesus had to be bruised and crushed
before He died, but that was just His outward shell. It had nothing to do with His Person. And the one
who did the crushing was neither His Holy God, who abandoned that cursed scene, nor was it His loving
Father Who was waiting to receive His pure and Holy Spirit. The voice that Jesus spoke with at the end
was no longer the timid bleating of a Lamb, who sweats great drops of blood as He willingly waits for the
wolf. His voice was not the voice of that human being who fell under the weight of His cross 6 hours
earlier. Jesus died in weakness but was raised in power. Gen. 49:8-10; Rev. 5:5; Psa. 22:1b; Joel 3:15,16;
Amos.1:2; 3:4,7,8.

(4) Jesus had to suffer the wrath of eternal judgment as sinners do in hell.

Jesus' sufferings have no parallel with the sufferings of the damned, but they have every parallel with the
sufferings of believers in this life, if they take up their cross to follow Jesus.

Please ask yourself the following questions:

Did the spirit that is in the “damned” decide or prophesy beforehand what they will suffer? Do they even
know ahead of time all that will come upon them?

Do they suffer willingly and deliver themselves over to suffer?

Do they long for God’s presence while they suffer?

Do they have joy set before them?

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Do they feel no guilt knowing that they don't deserve their suffering?

Do they commit themselves to the One who judges righteously?

Do they look ahead and see the reward and fruit of their suffering?

Do they have hope in their suffering knowing that it will soon end?

Christ knew exactly what He would suffer ahead of time and He chose to suffer. “Knowing all things that
would come upon Him. (Jn.18:4) “He shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied. When you
make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days and the pleasure of the
Lord will prosper in His hand. Isa.53:10,11.

(5) The darkness was Jesus' real suffering. One of our friends sent us the following explanation:

In a mysterious yet amazing action the future judgment was brought forward and experienced by Christ.
What happened to our Lord on the cross during those three hours of uncanny darkness and dereliction
was absolute hell. He endured the awful judgment of God in body, mind and spirit. The eternal
punishment and torment which is to come on all those who do not belong to Christ was experienced by
him. There on that cross we have a glimpse on earth of what the future torment will be like. But the full
horror cannot be depicted; it is veiled behind the three hours of silence and darkness.

These kind of statements remind us that men no longer feel bound to apostolic teaching. They now feel
free to make their own private interpretations of prophecy.

We read that God’s rod struck Jesus, not when it got dark at His crucifixion, but the day before when He
delivered Himself into the hands of Satan and sinners. Matthew 26: 31, Mark 14:26-28.

Please read any or all accounts of the crucifixion and understand that Jesus cried out to His God after the
3 dark hours. Not every verse in any context of prophecy can apply to Jesus. Psa.22:2-3 does not apply.
Verse 2 does not apply because His prayers were always heard, even the prayer of Psa. 22:24. And He
Himself is the Holy One of verse 3.

Maybe we are like the Roman soldiers when they went and reported that someone had stolen the body of
Jesus while they slept. How do we know what happened if it was dark and no one ever told us? The Bible
says that there was darkness all over the world not specifically around Jesus’ cross. If we read John’s
account, we can understand that Jesus was very close to dying when He started a conversation with John
and His mother. Maybe we should kneel down and remove our shoes.

There are several O.T. scriptures which show the character of GOD as a Father who does not want
unbelievers to think of Him as an angry GOD who severely disciplines His children. (Eze.20:7-11, 13, 14,
21, 22) In this case, if God had been severely disciplining His Son in the dark, then why should we
proclaim openly what He had kept secret? Let’s notice the impression that unbelievers got in witnessing
Jesus’ way of dying. “Truly, this was the Son of God”, Truly, this man was the Son of God”, “Certainly,
this was a righteous man”. You may want to read the following scriptures:

Amos. 8:9,10, Joel 2:31,32, 3:15,16

(6) Now God can be righteous. Our friend continues:

A. The death of Jesus Christ as a substitute to appease the wrath of God is another element essential to
justification. In order for God to remain true to his character, sin must be justly dealt with.

Yes, God is true to His Character. That is why He must justly deal with us as sinners. Sins can be
forgiven but sinners need to be dealt with. God had to be a man in order to wear a completely human
body but without sin. If He ever clothed Himself with sins then He would also have to die, just as any
totally innocent baby dies who is born under the reign of sin and death. Yes, sins must be justly dealt with
in a guilty person, and only death can stop a man from sinning, so we must all die.

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B. The liberals of the past rejected Christ's propitiatory sacrifice and many modern evangelicals seem to
be embarrassed by it. Without it, there would be no possibility for God to justify sinners.

A suffering Savior did not act as a mercy seat, nor did God’s propitiatory have the form of a cross on
Golgotha 2000 years ago. It never functioned at all in time until Christ seated Himself at God's right hand
to be Himself the propitiation for those who come to Him. The offering of Himself was a sweet and
acceptable savor to God Who readily made Him the mercy seat for any sinner who comes in faith to Him.
God declares His righteousness now in this time forgiving our sins through Christ, the propitiation, at His
right hand. If God would not be willing to forgive and justify a repentant sinner, He would not consider
Himself just because He has a qualified High Priest interceding for us. GOD is always righteous. He did
not have to send Jesus and condemn Him “so that He could be righteous”. Because He is righteous and
would never allow a repentant, believing person to be lost, He openly declared this in the Person and
work of Christ. He would not be righteous in breaking His Word that He never reversed in scripture. Now
we are told that not every sinner must die; it is the sinner or a substitute. This is not the original gospel
which declares that, “yes” all men are under sin and death; The sinner must die but because Jesus also
died without being condemned by God's law, He has the right to break the power of the law, the power of
sin and the power of death for us.

Sin separated us from God and had dominion over all men as it “reigned unto death”. Jesus allowed sin to
reign over Him and entered death on our behalf. Yes, God did say that all will die but He never said that
they could not be raised back to life. A Holy and Righteous God, who never changes His character, will
be exactly as righteous in judgment when the sinner dies as when Jesus died. Maybe if Jesus suffered as
much as He did simply for bearing sins in His body, what will the sinner have to suffer if sin (separation
from God) is still controlling his soul when he dies? (Heb.10:28,29)

Some people believe that in order for God to justify a guilty sinner, He had to judge a person “guilty”
who really wasn’t guilty. In other words, two wrongs are supposed to make one right.

There is one text in the New Testament that many seem to think teach this doctrine. To try and clarify the
meaning of these verses, it would be very good to study them under Vincent’s Word Study. When we
read this portion in the authorized version or any older version such as the Tyndale or Geneva Bible, they
are not hard to understand. However, some modern versions have not translated but interpreted these
verses according to modern understanding. I am putting in bold the parts that I

believe need attention and consideration.

Rom 3:24-26 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the
remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his
righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him who believes in Jesus.

A. “That is in”(v24) The apostle was not writing to the believers at the moment of the cross. The cross
had already passed and redemption had come.

B. Has set forth is not talking either about the cross. It is written in the present perfect tense and is talking
about God’s provision now because of the cross. ( Heb.9:15; IICor.5:19)

C. We have justification “through faith in His blood” (not through His suffering or His judgment). This
verse goes along with other scriptures. Acts 20:28; Eph.1:7; Col.1:14; IPet.1:19; IJn. 1:7-2:2.

D. At this time, also speaks but of this time of grace in which God can now freely justify any repentant
sinner. Why? Because God has one totally righteous man glorified in Heaven perfectly qualified to
intercede for sinners in behalf of His own blood which He had shed and with which He made a covenant
of grace for them. The holy law of God which might have condemned them is now invalid. (Heb.7:22;
8:6-13; 9:11-17,24-28)

E. “The remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God. ” This is the part that speaks
directly about what the cross accomplished and not about the times of the Old Testament law as is often
supposed. Under the law, only certain sins could be forgiven with the shedding of innocent blood.

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Heb.2:2; 10:28; Num.15:27-31 But God Himself was IN Christ making reconciliation for all sinners and
not counting (any of their sins) against them. (IICor.5:19; Col.2:12-14; Heb.9:15)

F. That He might be just If God was just in allowing all men to be born as sinners, because of one man’s
sin, then He is also just in bringing grace to all men because of one man’s righteousness. The passage
actually says that God will justify a sinner who comes to Him on the basis of Christ’s blood shed for him,
that He might be just. If He didn’t forgive the sinner, He wouldn’t be just. ( IJn.1:9)

Jesus made remission for the sinner's sin through the shedding of His holy blood. He could do this
because of who He was. No matter how much or how long He would have suffered before dying, the fact
of suffering could never have taken away sin. He, HIMSELF, the offended One, Himself had to make
remission for sins.

The wages of sin is death. We all receive these wages, while we live out the image of the first Adam. A
believer may suffer any kind of death with horrible sufferings in his body because, yes, he does bear sin
in his body and has to die. But he will never die eternally or spiritually because he is in Christ and Christ
never could die that way. The cross is an open demonstration for all times. Any human being who bears
innumerable sins in his body and comes to the door of death, cannot stay dead if He believes in the One
Who justifies the ungodly and Who raised our sin bearer from death. If Jesus was condemned for bearing
sins in His body, then we are all condemned forever. On the contrary, ¨For as in Adam all die, even so in
Christ shall all be made alive¨¨ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has made us
to be born into a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead¨.

(7) Salvation is a gift to be received. It is so simple and easy to receive.

Yes, it is a gift for absolutely everyone who has worn or will wear the image of our first father, Adam.
This gift is brought to us by the resurrection of Christ. “Who abolished death and brought life and
immortality to light through the gospel”. This gift will only be received by a repentant person who wants
to be rid of his old man with all his deceitful lusts and reaches out to Christ, in faith, to receive this gift of
righteousness. The true meaning of salvation is hidden from the wise and prudent who think it must be
understood to be received. Let's remember that believing the true gospel gives us power to become God's
sons because His gift to us is not only forgiveness of sins; It is not even a ticket to heaven. It is a new
birth and righteous life right now in the Holy Spirit of Jesus.

(8) Faith in the Finished Work of Christ.

Someone quoted John 3:14 as proof that faith in Christ is simply believing in His work on the cross for
our sins. But let’s remember that the bronze snake that Moses had lifted up on a pole was not to be
believed in or worshiped. A snake has always spoken to us of the deceiver, “that ancient serpent”. The
serpent would bite the Savior’s heel and in turn the Savior would crush his head. The bronze snake on
display was dead and could harm no one even as the evil one's work is destroyed by Christ's work. Jesus'
work is not something GOD did to Him, but is really His work and every aspect of Jesus’ work is
absolutely necessary for our eternal salvation. (Rom.8:34) Believing in Christ as our Lord and Savior
means much more than simply believing in what He did on the cross. If Jesus had suffered and then
descended from the cross when He cried, “It is Finished”, or if He had not conquered death, we would
have no gospel to preach. The death of Jesus was the end of the old law with all its legal claims on man.
“He finished the first that He might establish the second”. His resurrection and glorification were the
beginning of the gospel covenant and a new life for man. We as believers need to understand that Jesus'
work can become practical in our lives, not as we believe in it, but in Him.

CONCLUSION:

Emphasis of the true gospel: Salvation from Sins through a Risen Savior.

Jesus died and rose from the dead to save us from our sins. We must allow Him to be what He is, Our
Risen Lord and Savior. By on-going faith in the Living Savior, we are saved from sins. If He would not
be alive to save us, we would still continue in our sins and our faith would be vain. Jesus, Himself is the
gift of God to a lost world. If we believe in Him, He gives us a new birth and life through this gift.(The
Holy Spirit). After we believe in Jesus, we go through this life clinging in faith to our Savior. When we
know that we have committed a sin against Him, it is only normal that we will ask Him to forgive us, as

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His Word reveals. John indicates that a true believer is one who wants to maintain at all costs, fellowship
with his Heavenly Father.

Greatest points of power in the gospel: #1. The love of Almighty God in giving His Son as a gift to
sinners. #2. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

Responsibility of man in order to be saved: Repentance and faith in Christ.

The good news: Fellowship and a relationship with the Living God through Christ,

Forgiveness of sins, Death to sin and Life in Christ. The salvation of our souls.

The good news for later: Life after death.

Emphasis of a modern gospel presentation: Salvation from the Consequences of Sin.

Supposedly, Jesus suffered, before He died, to pacify God's wrath against the sins we commit both before
and after we believe in Him and to save us from suffering and the righteous judgments of God. (Neither
unbelievers nor believers will be saved from these for they are holy and righteous!)

The gospel is supposed to be the good news that God found one Holy person who acted as a substitute in
the judgment for the guilty ones. (Anyhow if they are vulnerable enough to believe that He did. Even
though Jesus died for all sinners, not all of us believe that God counted Him guilty for our sins, so
supposedly we are not saved!) Being God’s Son, He could endure in some mysterious way, the
accumulated wrath against sinners during 3-6 short hours in time but God could eternally forgive the sins
of those who would believe that He had done this. We are to trust in this forgiveness as God's gift to us
that can never be lost. After we believe in Jesus, we can live just as carelessly as any unbeliever, knowing
that Jesus died to be our Savior, trusting that when we die God doesn’t have to judge us for our sins. He
has already vented out His Holy feelings about all our sins on an innocent person’s head, so He would be
unrighteous if He still had wrath against all of us guilty ones. We actually have no promise of eternal life
with this un-gospel as it doesn’t save us from Satan, or death or from sin. It

would only change the way God feels about our sins which of course would be eternally unhealthy for us.
We do not need an unholy God who can change how He feels about sin. Imagine what it may be if we are
deceived into believing facts that are not really facts about the suffering and death of Jesus, and then we
are told to trust in these facts to save us. We would be eternally deceived two times over.

Right now there are many gospel presentations and explanations that unbelievers find easy to understand
and accept. The result is that we have thousands of professing Christians who are not saved from sin, but
they think they are saved from the consequences of their sins. This is very attractive to the human sinful
nature but it is nothing less than apostasy from the true faith. Some verses in the Bible written to
Christians about the gospel, are hard to understand. The apostles made sure that the young believers
would be aware of this so as not to be deceived because religious men would take these verses and
become teachers of them, and let innocent people believe and trust in their teaching and become their
followers. Paul said that after his death, grievous wolves will come in and devour the sheep. II Tim.3:13;
II Pet.2:1. We need to beware of any additives to the true gospel. (IICor.11:3,4; Gal.1:6-9, Jude 3,20,21.)

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