When you hear or read the word ‘gospel’, what comes to your mind first? Did you know the gospel Jesus taught was not the forgiveness of sin? Check it out in the Bible for yourself. When you read or hear anything about the ‘gospel’, it generally is associated with Jesus’ death on the cross. Yes, the cross most certainly plays a very vital role in salvation. However, that was not the ‘gospel’ Jesus had in mind when He preached the gospel of the kingdom of God. Again, check it out in the Bible for yourself.
His sacrificial death did far more than deal with our sin. That was like an entry gate to an abundant life. His grace forgives, but the larger part of grace empowers us to grow into His full stature. There is so much more to our relationship with God than His dealing with guilt and shame. He fully intends to transform us into the very nature of Jesus.
The core of Jesus’ teaching was a kingdom, a cultural condition under God’s absolute rule. When Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, they were put out of God’s perfect kingdom. The triune Godhead planned that God the Son would die so you and I could re-enter His kingdom by reversing the process that put humans out of His perfect kingdom. However, God’s forgiveness wasn’t just about providing an entry to His kingdom. Going through the door of salvation was only the start of a lifelong procedure of being transformed into the very likeness of Jesus, the Son of God. I write this only to appeal to you. Please don’t limit Jesus’ gospel to the cross because you will then MISS the fullness of God as a change-agent into His very likeness.
This means the gospel Jesus taught also involved a person’s mind, value system, and ways being transformed into the full stature of Jesus. (Ephesians 4:13). That is what we are predestined to become when we received Jesus’ forgiveness through His death on the cross. Think about it. The New Testament is far more about living a transformed life than about asking Christ to forgive your sins. The gospel could be seen as the whole process of being born and maturing into adulthood. The mark of spiritual maturity is not about years spent doing good things in the church. Doing good things CAN help you grow but certainly do not necessarily make you spiritually mature. Good ‘works are more like your shadow; they are not the real you; they only follow wherever you go.
This is my point: Far too many of us surrender our life to Christ, but over time we take it all back—only to become a spiritual fossil—something that once was alive but died on the inside as the believers at Ephesus had done (Revelation 2:1-7) When you first surrendered your life to Christ, you were “…predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Romans 8:29 (ESV) We retire from work as humans, but there is no retirement plan for our spiritual life.
If you’ve noticed the passion for intimately knowing God has faded and now you only dream of the joy that once was, please know, God is NOT done with you yet. He still wants to talk to you, lead you, empower you, transform you into His image. You have more delightful days ahead than you have ever experienced. They may look slightly different as your body changes its look. But it can be just as exciting and productive. But it will require taking initiative to seek to know and serve God no matter how old you may get. The best of your life is yet to come, that is unless you prefer to sit on your memories and spiritually fossilize.
Pastor, this is a great word – one you have not only preached but lived. Thank you for being a godly example. I admire and respect your hunger for God and how you continue to pursue Him.
What you’ve said is so true. I believe I have always known it was more about transformation. That is what Paul preached so fervently.