TEST YOUR GOSPEL! TEST YOUR GOSPEL! #I must admit that majority of Christians are unacquainted with the Gospel of Grace. - And this has been evidenced by the large numbers of believers who are still trying to earn what God has freely given them. #If you were to ask these people about grace they would declare, “Yes, I am saved by grace! I thank God for His grace!” - But by their works they testify that God’s grace is not enough. - Grace may have got them started, but now it’s up to them to finish. - Having begun with the Spirit they are now trying to attain their goal by human effort (Gal 3:3). - Instead of working out what it means to BE SAVED, they are working hard to STAY SAVED. #How does this happen? - Usually someone tells them that God won’t accept them or bless them or be pleased with them unless they perform for Jesus. - Dead religious works are sold with respectable labels like “responsibility,” “good works,” “mission,” “sowing,” and “investing.” I am not against these things! ***What I am opposed to is the diabolical lie that says God’s favor depends on me doing them. #Do you know that you are saved by grace AND kept by grace? “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him.” (Col 2:6) - How did you receive Him? By faith. - How should you continue to live in Him? By faith! It’s faith in God’s grace from start to finish. - Are you living by the faith of the Son of God? - Or have you taken out a little works insurance? ***As Watchman Nee put it, the choice is between trying and trusting. - You can try or you can trust but you can’t do both. - Are you a tryer or a truster? #I have proclaimed the True Gospel (Goodnews) and I have also sometimes posted some of the common ways the gospel is perverted. ***What I want to give you here is a simple test to help you determine whether the gospel message you’re trusting in is the same gospel that Jesus revealed, Paul and other apostles preached. - It’s a simple test. - Just ask yourself the following 4 questions. - If your answers are all YES, then rejoice, for you are living on pure, undiluted grace! 1- DOES THIS GOSPEL CAUSE ME TO FIX MY EYES EXCLUSIVELY ON JESUS? *Does this message focus on me or does it cause me to fix my eyes on the Author and Finisher of my faith? *Does it emphasize what I’m doing (or not doing), or does it emphasize His finished work on the cross? *Does it make me introspective and anxious or Christ-conscious and grateful? #A true gospel preacher will always seek to reveal more and more of Jesus. - It took me years to realize this. - When I began preaching many years ago, I used to preach just anything!!! not understanding the two covenants!!!. *****Now I just preach of this Great King who loves me and gave Himself for me. *****Now I just preach Jesus. - Preachers, do you need a message on healing? Then preach Jesus! - Do you need a series on overcoming, giving, wisdom, holiness, faith, warfare, marriage, family life, outreach, helping the poor, deliverance, etc? Then preach Jesus! ***Watchman Nee put it this way “God will answer all our questions in one and one way only, namely, by showing us more of his son.” #Whatever your need, your answer is found in Jesus and His finished work. - That’s why Paul resolved to know nothing but “Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor 2:2). - Any message that doesn’t reveal Jesus will likely be powerless substitute, a flesh-trip, and a wasted opportunity. - Jesus is the supreme manifestation of the character and purpose of God. - Any message that diminishes Jesus, insults the Spirit of grace. - Jesus is peerless and nothing compares to Him. ***He has become for us wisdom from God and I will boast (preach) of nothing else (1 Cor 1:30-31). 2-DOES THIS GOSPEL INCREASE MY DEPENDENCE ON JESUS? *Jesus said, “apart from me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5). - Sadly, much is being done apart from Jesus and most of it will amount to nothing! - Instead of healing the sick, raising the dead and driving out demons – the very things Jesus said His followers would do – we’re doing OTHER STUFF. - And because we’re so busy doing OTHER STUFF we’re worn out and missing opportunities to do the works and greater works of Jesus. #Let me put your mind at rest right now; - I guarantee that in your own strength you cannot heal the sick and raise the dead. Don’t even try. - But Christ in you can do these and greater things! Do you trust Him? - Working out your salvation with ‘fear and trembling’ describes the adventure of learning to do impossible things with Jesus. *Here’s the test; - The true gospel will always inspire you to take risks in His Name, but a false gospel promotes activity in your own name. 3- DOES THIS GOSPEL EMPOWER ME TO OVERCOME SIN? #There are two ways to deal with sin; 1- Preach law or 2- Reveal grace. #A law-based message.. - Will stir up the flesh in a human-powered quest for a change in behavior. - This approach is inherently flawed for the purpose of the law is to inflame sin (Rom 7:5). - Thus, any “success” with this approach will only lead to the graver sins of pride, self-righteousness, and the truly fatal sin of unbelief in the grace of a good God. - Ultimately the law is powerless to deal with sin because it leaves the heart untouched (Col 2:23). - Worse, it releases condemnation (which some mistake for conviction) and ministers death, just as it was designed to do (2 Co 3:7,9). #Grace message.. - Declares that Jesus conquered all sin on the cross (Heb 9:26). - You are not holy because of your behavior but His (1 Cor 1:30). - A preacher of grace will deal very practically with sin by seeking to reveal your true identity in Christ. - You are a new creation with a new nature. - Your old sin software has been nailed to the cross and you are no longer sin’s slave (Rom 6:6,20). - Appetites are dealt with by recognizing who you are in Christ and reckoning your old self as dead. ***Again, the focus is on Jesus, not you. - Jesus was tempted in every way yet was without sin. - As you rest in Him, you will find grace to help you in your time of need (Heb 4:15-16). *The law does not provide useful guidelines for Christian living. *We turn rules into idols when we put our faith in them instead of Christ. - The Bible is very clear; the law empowers sin (1 Cor 15:56) - And only a revelation of God’s grace can teach us to say no to ungodliness (Tit 2:12). #Here’s the test; - A false gospel will keep you sin-conscious, - But the true gospel will make you Christ-conscious. *Which describes you? *Are you sin-conscious or Christ-conscious? 4- DOES THIS GOSPEL RELEASE PEACE AND JOY? #The kingdom of heaven is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:17). - If the gospel you’re listening to doesn’t reveal Jesus and the gift of His righteousness, then you will never experience the peace and joy that comes with it. - It really is all about Jesus. He took our sin and gave us His righteousness (2 Cor 5:21). - This is what the gospel reveals – a righteousness from God that is received by faith from first to last (Rom 1:17). - When you know that God has made you as righteous as Jesus, you will be empowered to reign in life (Rom 5:17). #This test is actually about righteousness; - Are you resting in His or are you trying to impress Him with yours? #A false gospel will seek to manufacture righteousness through works and holy living... - By prescribing a course of action for you to take, - It will instantly fail the above three tests. - It will burden you with loads you cannot carry and expectations you cannot live up to. - Before you know it, you will be as stressed and joyless as Martha (Luke 10:38-42). #Here’s the test. - If you stopped doing the things you are doing for Jesus, would you feel guilty? - What if you sinned, stopped giving, or skipped church? ***I’m not encouraging you to do any of these things – sin is stupid. - But someone who knows they are clothed with His righteousness will never battle guilt and condemnation. - Even when they sin they will sense the Holy Spirit convicting them of their continued righteousness in Christ (Jn 16:10). #Conversely, - One who’s bought into a false gospel will never know lasting peace. - Even when they’ve performed there will always be a sense of “but have I done enough?” #Paul began every one of his letters with the phrase, “Grace and peace to you from God the Father.” - It is only a revelation of God’s favor that brings true peace. - Know grace, know peace. - Worldly peace is temporary, but the peace of God – that sense that everything is coming together for good because you belong to Jesus and His favor rests on you – passes understanding (Php 4:7). - It fortifies your heart and mind so that in all circumstances you find yourself overflowing with thankfulness (Col 2:7). - No matter how severe your trial, you will be able to find rest – indeed, even joy – in His mighty, loving arms (Php 4:4). *****So how did your gospel do? - If you honestly answered no to any of these four questions, then I have Good News for you. Coming up shortly! #INTEGRITYPOWER
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 11:38:20 +0000
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