What is the “True Gospel” of Jesus Christ?
In the Bible, the four “Gospels” are the books of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. In these are the saving Words of God. The meaning of the word gospel: “the message of good news”. The Gospel of Christ begins with: 1. Accepting Jesus as the only Son of God. (1 John 5:1) 2. First repenting (turning from sin), accepting the free gift of the forgiveness of sins, salvation, redemption as it can only come through Christ by grace alone, not works. 3. Being born again means becoming a “new creation” in Christ and living Christ-like! We must continue in repentance when we fall short. 4. Loving God in our hearts and by doing His will, (HE loved us before we knew Him), we must humbly become obedient to Jesus Christ, forever turning from sin and fighting the desires of the flesh. 5. Sharing this free gift freely without perverting the TRUTH. We must never pervert the gospels to serve ourselves, our failures, ungodly desires of this life and the worldly things.
It’s that simple, right? Well, it’s satan’s plan to convince you of an easier way. Problem is... it won’t work! (Matt. 7:13)
With an overwhelming majority of false teachers, prophets and preachers, it’s our responsibility to follow the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Let us explore together in this study, how to distinguish those who are preaching a “different Jesus” or preaching a “different gospel”. In a nutshell, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the instruction to repent (change your way of thinking), obey and live up to the teachings of Christ, without “watering them down” to fit our flesh. See Heb.5-6 for the “Milk” of the gospel.
How do we know without a doubt, we are not currently being misled? How can we prevent this from happening to us?
We must understand that we alone are no match for Satan and his minions’ crafty schemes. How do we know that we truly have the Lord Jesus in us and on our side? When we hear and see others preaching, what they claim to be the “gospel”, how do we know for sure it’s truth or the whole truth? Remember a half truth is as bad as having half of a boat! How can it float without the whole structure? We need the whole saving truth alive, active and working in us to be true disciples of Christ. We need to obtain the “armor of God” (read Eph 6). This monstrous problem of false teachers will flee away from us when we stay in the Word and call upon the Lord for help. We all need to learn to listen to the Holy Spirit, not our flesh. He promises us the truth when we search it out diligently in the Word and put it to action being doers of the word (not just readers!).
Now, if you have a preacher or teacher that is telling you that you must have someone in “authority” over you to interpret God’s word or teach it to you, IT”S A LIE! Your King is Christ Jesus alone, not man. God does however, place servants to do His will in the body of Christ in leadership and teaching roles. However, we are responsible to test what we’re taught by the One True Shepherd. “You will know them by their fruits”! It is their deeds that will expose them! If we all regard each other as servants, we maintain a humble heart in us. “Iron sharpens Iron”. (Proverbs 27:17)
God promises each one of us that He, through His Son and the Holy Spirit, to be our teacher. “False teachers; read’em and weep”!---Ezekiel 34: 1-24, Isaiah 54:11-17, JOHN 10: 7-21 (there are so many more scriptures on this!)
Back to the Gospel
2 Corinthians 4:4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
2 Corinthians 11:4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.
2 Corinthians 11:7 Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God's gospel to you free of charge?
Galatians 1:6-9 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.8
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
Galatians 1:11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel.
Galatians 2:14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
What is the “Gospel” Jesus taught us in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John?
1. To offer redemption to all people who repent (turn) and seek Him through the instruction and testimony of Christ Jesus by the atonement of His blood, innocent suffering, death and resurrection.
2. It teaches us to renounce worldly passions and ungodliness of every kind in the strength that God gives us through faith in Him that comes by reading of the Word and living it. (i.e. “eating the bread of life”)
3. Jesus instructs us in gospels to return “good for evil” and treating ALL people with genuine love, forgiveness, gentleness and patience and all that the Gospel of God instructs.
4. Patiently enduring every kind of evil, trial and suffering for Jesus name's sake, knowing our reward in heaven is great. We are instructed to faithfully follow the example of Jesus knowing that God never lies and His promises will be fulfilled for us, as He also raised Jesus he will raise us.
5. God’s whole purpose is to reunite, in heaven, a purified people unto Himself and His Son, those who are zealous for good works by faith and keeping the commandments of God holding to the testimony of Christ Jesus.
How can we attempt to explain this better than God’s Holy Word? We can’t! So, read the “Good News” and ask the Lord to open your eyes to the beautiful message within. Thanks be to God our Father and to His Son Jesus Christ