The Gospel Simplified, Part 1

Ever wonder why it's so difficult to find the truth among so many lies? I have come to the conclusion the answer is very simple: most people are very comfortable letting other people do their thinking for them! Ever wonder why there are so many religions, but only one God? It has nothing to do with God and everything to do with sitting at the feet of the "learned" and the "educated."

You see, nowhere in God's word, the Bible, does it tell you to seek knowledge from your church leaders! "And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me." (John 7: 15,16) Herein by His words do we learn the key to Christian education. "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Tim. 2: 15) Study what? The church Fathers? Their creed? Were you to commit to memory the combined writings of every post-apostolic professed Christian up until today, you would know NOTHING about Christ, but everything about man's attempts to possess God's blessings without having to obey His Law. These want the appearance thereof, but not the sacrifice which is inseparable from the Christian experience.God's Word gives many examples of what we should be studying: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Tim. 3:16,17) Again: "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.

With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word." (Ps. 119:11-16) In prayer to the Father, Jesus spoke of His Disciples: "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." (John 17:17)

There are many more examples, of which these have been but a few. In speaking to His disciples of the things which were to occur in the last days, Jesus said: "But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake." (Luke 21:12) You may rely on this fact: The only word they will believe will be the word of God! You may quote the writings of any other person you might think of, but without a firm "Thus saith the Lord!" all of your efforts shall be as nothing!

As we contemplate the beauty of His word, let us also remember the words of David, in praise of our Saviour: "The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies." (2 Sam. 22: 2-4) David also said: "Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word." (Ps. 119: 114) If David's hope was in the Word of God, then we would do well to emulate his example.

Would you know Christ's test of a Christian? "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:35) Spoken by the lips of our Saviour Himself, these words spell the test of any and every Christian who ever sought to call themselves by His name. You see, Christ taught us through these words that those to whom we preach Christianity will never believe a word of it unless they see us living the gospel we preach!

Jesus set another parameter for Christianity: "If ye love Me, keep My Commandments." (John 14:15) To which commandments did He refer? "Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matt. 22: 35-40)

You see, in those days, for a Jew to exalt one of the Ten Commandments above any or all of the others was an offense punishable by stoning. Of course the young lawyer knew this, and was trying to tempt Jesus in order to destroy Him. But Jesus knew the truth. He knew that not one jot or tittle would ever pass from the demands of the law until it be fulfilled (Matt. 5:18), and yet He also knew that love was the foundation of "all the law and the prophets." To the dedicated student of our Lord at that time, "the law and the prophets" signified the entire known Bible, or what we would call the entire "Old Testament."

The Apostle Paul, writing to the Philippians through the influence of the Holy Spirit, said you should "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." (Phil: 2:12) Does this mean we don't need God for this endeavor? Certainly not! The point is that we are to work out our salvation directly between God and ourselves, for there is no one else we can go to for our salvation, save Jesus Christ!

Things are now beginning to come into focus. Christ, Who is our Creator and the Author of the "Law and the prophets," is also the Author of faith and the Source of all love. He asks us simply: "If ye love Me, keep My commandments." Can you keep His commandments outside of love? "And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!" (Mark 10:17-23)

What was it which kept this person from salvation? He let his riches come between him and God. By allowing his wealth to become a barrier between himself and Christ, the man who had great possessions went away as much an empty shell as he had been before he met our Saviour. These things need not be so. Abraham, one of the richest men of his time, was also known as "the friend of God" because of his love and faith. To Abraham, riches were just a way of helping others in need, and not a goal to be gained or lost. By spending his God-given wealth helping others, he learned to share more of God's love.

"But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." (1 John 2:27, emphasis mine) John knew that only through your foreknowledge of God's word would you be able to repel, as Christ in the wilderness had, the temptations of Satan and his disciples. Remember, it is God's Word you are committing to memory, not those of any man, therefore "ye need not that any man teach you." The One you do need, however, is the Holy Spirit: "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (John 14:26) Again: "But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost." (Mark 13:11) Now, how is the Holy Spirit going to "bring all things to your remembrance" if you haven't studied?

Listen to King David: "With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." (Ps. 119:10,11) David did not say he had hid the words of the scribes, or the Pharisees, or the Sanhedrin, or those of the learned councils in his heart. In his psalm of prayer unto God, David said to the Lord, "Thy word have I hid in my heart." And it is God's word which the Spirit will bring to our remembrance when the time comes. Also remember David's words, "with my whole heart have I sought Thee." This is the kind of study we need to undertake every day, not just once a week at church!

How do we reach this level of study? Love is the key! That which causes us to love God with all our heart, soul and mind, and our neighbors as ourselves, is the same love which drives us to seek God with our "whole heart." It is the key to faith, hope and salvation, for if Jesus is the source of all salvation, and if God is love, then Love is His gift for all mankind and the vehicle through which He will triumph over evil!

Love is what makes it possible for us to live without sin as He commanded: "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matt. 5:48) I can hear you now: "But the church says we cannot cease sinning, and besides, that's what forgiveness is for." If you truly believe that, then you have rejected the primary reason behind Christ's sacrifice for this sinful world: "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." (Matt.1:21) Note the Angel of God said "from their sins," not "in their sins." Jesus Himself said to the one who had been healed of his paralysis, "Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." (John 5:14)

Then there are those lost souls who believe, because of another of Satan's lies delivered to the churches by foolish men, that everything you do and experience is pre-ordained. Of course, this lie is easily seen in its true light as you consider the following: If Christ expects us to cease sinning, and if everything we do is pre-ordained and inescapable, then God is guilty of hypocrisy! How can He demand we stop sinning and then predestine that we sin?!!! Impossible! But then, that's how Satan works. Many have been deceived on this point, despite plain biblical truth to the contrary, and they will be left with no excuse when they face Almighty God at His Second Coming!