Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Making it clear and simple!

Last week as I was preparing for my sermon I wanted to develop a short, pithy definition of the Gospel. I didn’t want to reinvent the wheel so I went on line and searched for some definitions that others had put together. I thought surely there would be others who were in my position who had come up with something that just hit the mark.

I read and read and read. I read a lot of good stuff from a lot of people way smarter than I am. Unfortunately most of their definitions were a half a page or more. That is anything, but simple. On top of that, most of their definitions were filled with very technical language that was absolutely theologically precise, but hard for the average person to understand, especially if they are not familiar with the Bible.

I read and read and read. Finally, I gave up finding that perfect statement and came to terms with the fact that I would need to develop my own. No doubt with some of the inspiration of all the brilliant people I read I came up with the following simple definition of the Gospel. Here it is:

God’s Son Jesus died in our place to pay the price for our sin and those who trust Him and surrender to Him are forgiven, graciously offered new life and adopted into the loving fellowship of God’s eternal family.

My goal is for clarity and simplicity. I want it to be clear, with words and terms nearly everyone can understand, and I want it to be simple so that no one will get lost along the way.

It’s still a work in progress. I have already edited it briefly a number of times and am open to any suggestions you have.

Feel free to pick it apart and put it back together again with your input.

In the meantime, allow the power and wonder of the Gospel truth sink deep in your heart and mind and work its transforming work on you every day.

1 comment:

  1. This is probably too long...

    God is simultaneously loving, perfect, and just. God created us to be in a loving relationship with Him for all eternity. We chose sin and thus separated ourselves from our perfect God. Being a just God, our sin required punishment (death). God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

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