Thinking Like a Christian

A series of Scripture meditations on what the Bible teaches about the Christian life.

by Pastor Pete Beck III

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Christ Is the Gospel

 

 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, 1 Corinthians 1:23 (NASB)

 

 Sometimes it is easy to think of the gospel as some sort of plan or contractual offer. We tend to boil it down to this: if you receive Christ and surrender to Him as Lord, believing on Him in your heart, you will be saved. That's pretty much it, right? If we don't watch out, we may think more in terms of a human covenant agreement than we do of the Person Who is the Divine Covenant.

 

I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, Isaiah 42:6 (NASB)

 

The New Covenant is essentially an agreement between the Father and the Son. We are accepted by the Father on the basis of the perfect life and obedience of the Son. Our salvation is not based on an old covenant basis in which, if we do our part, God will do His. No, our salvation has already been secured by the Great Covenant Keeper, the Messiah, our Lord Jesus!

 

What a blessing that the gospel, or good news, is much more than keeping rules or striving to be good enough to be accepted by God. The true gospel is a Person, and His name is Jesus. He is the way, the truth and the life. He is the resurrection! He is the Alpha and the Omega Who holds the keys of hell and of death. Jesus accomplished our salvation through the offering of His perfect life on the cross. When God raised Him from the dead, those who put their trust in Him were also raised from the dead, in Him.

 

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4 (NASB)

 

He who has the Son has the life! Let's never forget that the gospel is not just about Jesus. Jesus is the gospel.

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