Courtesty of Dare to Share and Propoganda, Gospel as some of us know it, and if you don't I'd like to teach you that GOSPEL stands for GOD OUR SINS PAYING EVERYONE LIFE.
A few thousand years ago, a man hung on a few large pieces of wood shaped in the form of a crucifix (cross). It has been stated that this man was hit, slapped, beaten, spit on, lenched, punished, and finally crucified by bleeding to death on that cross. The scriptures state that "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son to die, so that whoever believed in Him would have everlasting life." Let me ask you this. What kind of love would it take to do that? That is the ultimate, most prolific love that anyone has ever displayed throughout history.
So let me walk you through what they have panned out the GOSPEL to be...
1. G God created us to be with Him.
2. O Our sins seperate us from God.
3. S Sin cannot be removed by good deeds.
4. P Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again.
5. E Everyone who trusts in Him, will have eternal life.
6. L Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever.
Jesus lived the perfect life. He came to earth as a human as the Son of God as a son of man. He was born into this sinful world, faced temptation, went through it all, and remained unblemished, spotless, and sinless. No one has done that before Him, and no one since. Obviously it just cannot be done outside the full will of God. And He already sent His son! When you think about the character that Jesus had as a man, it is hard to fathom. A man with so much passion, love, kindness, gentleness, who just wanted to serve His Father in heaven to give us life.
Life. That is what we all long for right. And you think you have it because of the fact that your heart beats, your lungs take in breaths and your body fights off illnesses. Well, that life that Jesus died to give us, included breath, lungs, and fighting illnesses, but the only way to receive that life is through having faith in Jesus Christ and accepting Him in full to be your way, your truth, your life.
Everyone. That is who God loves. Each and every individual because we are His marvelous creation. He knows your tendencies, your character, how many hairs are on your head. And the cool thing is, he can change your tendencies, he places adversity in your life to reveal your character. Oh, and by the way, he can put things in your life that make you lose the hair on your heard haha.
Paying. Our sins have been atoned for. Three nails pierced his arms and feet. Blood dripping from his brow, blood flowing from his entire body, and love gushing from his whole heart. I have a shirt that states, "it was not the nails that held him to the cross, but his love for us." I think you have to be real about it and know that nails really did hold Jesus up on that tree when he bled and died. He really did die. But I think at the same time, love was a huge factor if not the greatest factor. Think about the love for humanity that it takes to die for every single person that will ever live. Not to mention dieing for every sin ever done.
That's the gospel in itself if you ask me though. Jesus died to take your sins, and my sins, and the next persons' sins away so that we could have a life spent with him in heaven. A life with Jesus isn't about change, it's not about rules, it's not about religion, and it's not even about going to church. IT IS ABOUT JESUS BEING EVERYTHING TO YOU. And I mean EVERYTHING. The main reason why people struggle and cannot stay away from trouble, or pain is because of sin. Sin is a disease, it's a problem, and we cannot just walk away from it. We cannot rid of it in under our own power or will. But here's where it gets good. Jesus removes it. At the very moment that Jesus' blood was shed on the cross, his holy spirit came into every soul that will walk the earth. That is our GPS system, it's where our heart is, and our guide is.
When you let the holy spirit come into your life, by faith, all of those things that I talked about above such as: change, rules, religion, church, and all things christianity will come because Jesus is the change. He will come into your heart and take things away from you that can only make you better. They will open your eyes to things that you never thought possible. And you will start to do things that you never thought you'd see yourself do. And the amazing thing is, it's not you watching yourself do it like in a movie, your all there and concsious to do it yourself, because you made the decision to trust in Jesus.
But to get to that point, Jesus has to be the first person you come to. Jesus isn't some genie, or counselor you can just pull out of a box. Christianity in a shoe box just doesn't work. And what I mean by that, is placing limitations on God, by placing him in that box. By taking him out of your life whenever you want, yet then coming to him when YOU NEED HIM. That's not how it works. The bible says in Romans 12:2 "Do not comform to the customs/ways of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what Gods will is-his good, perfect, and fitting will." There is nothing in this world that can ultimately satisfy any of us. That's not saying that marriage isn't very awesome, that having children will be very rewarding, or even food isn't like the coolest thing ever haha. But in the end, we're all just longing for something more.
I am studying psychology and am hoping to go on to be a mental health practitioner so I know a lot about the brain and how people function. I wish I knew more though lol. But from what I've learned and from what I've observed in my own life and the people around me, I'm convinced that all of us are bothered and slightly depressed or stressed about something all the time. Once again, that doesn't mean that we cannot be happy or that I think we are not happy. It just means that we as humans are the best at masking or hiding it.
We are also the best at hiding something else that is in everyday life. SIN. Sin is the number one killer of all time. It darkens hearts, destroys minds, and deceives each and every one of us. Sin is something that God absolutely hates, and he has done nothing but put that on my heart lately. The problem with all of us is the fact that we don't hate it at all. It satisfies us. So to be honest I'm going to say there is one thing on this world that satisfies us, but it's going to be the same thing that destroys us.
The scriptures talk about a place called hell that will be the final resting grounds for those who will be destroyed. I can promise you that hell will not be a place that you want to call "paradise." I also hear a lot of people say, hell is going to be one giant party. I hate to tell you but whoever thinks that has it all wrong. First of all, youre going to be completely lifeless. You will be completely aware of the tramendous torture, pain, agony, and fire that ultimately will torch your soul and guess who will be at the head of the pack......yep you guessed it. Satan himself. God has already won the victory over all evil including the devil and hell. Death has nothing on Christ. It couldn't even touch him. He rose to the occasion and gave us life.
That's the worst part of the entire gospel. All who deny Christ in their life with not only what they say but with how they follow up in their behavior, thought process, and actions will be sent to the burning fire. I have to be completely honest with you and tell you right now that a man who died on the cross for you wants you to join him. If your soul ends up in hell, don't you think he will be on his knees begging for his father to forgive your sins? Well he took them away, and all you have to do is have faith in Jesus Christ. That's the gospel.
GOD OUR SINS PAYING EVERYONE LIFE.
My favorite part about it all is, LIFE WITH JESUS STARTS RIGHT NOW AND LASTS FOREVER!
Because I couldn't think of anything better, than spending an eternity with the God who gave me life, and created everything that I love.
