No other Gospel

What is the Gospel?

I use to think that I knew the Gospel, but the truth is that we can spend our entire lives studying it and still not come close to understand it in it's entirety. As soon as you think you are an expert in the Gospel, that's when you have lost it. You can call it the "mystery of Christ," aka we are not God so we can store all of our questions in our Deuteronomy 29:29 folder which says "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law."

I've recently been studying Galations (Instead of reading my blog you should read Galations).
Paul is very passionate in Galations about people returning to the law, rejecting the gospel, or adding to the gospel, and I am beginning to share that passion. Hence this blog post.

No Other Gospel
"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ."


I had an Ah-Ha moment last week... I've understood grace in my head, but not in my heart. Thankfully, God sent me an angel to love me unconditionally, and to show me what love really is. A free gift. Love with conditions is not love, because it will abandon you when you aren't earning it. That is not love. What is love??? I've been wondering the same thing. God is love. Jesus is love. The Gospel is love. 1 Corinthians 13 and 1 John talk a lot about love. Our example of what love is... is Jesus. Sacrifice. Service. Dying for someone who doesn't deserve it. Free gift of grace.

So I wanted to share my revelation. I realized that I am totally needy. I can do nothing. I am nothing. I will never ever be perfect, I will never even be close to the standard that Jesus gives us. I am totally undeserving. I am not good enough. Not worthy. Not acceptable. And no matter how hard I try... I cannot fix myself or this fatal condition. I deserve death. Death on a cross. Something for us to remember- we are all in the same boat. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Even my best efforts and greatest accomplishments... even my prettiest days and happiest moments... those are filthy rags.

I need forgiveness. I need to forgive myself for not being able to earn love. Which is hard for me to accept because I have been trying to earn love my entire life... earn love, deserve love, be good enough for love... I'm completely driven by love, and the longing to love and be loved. A week ago I realized it is completely impossible for me to do what I have been trying to do my entire life... Come to find out I will NEVER be able to accomplish my life goal or deepest longing.

GOOD NEWS! Beccause God loved me, He sent His one and only son, Jesus, to die my death so that I could be in relationship with Him. And now, IT IS FINISHED! I don't have to do anything... it's done. Jesus did it. The finished work of Jesus on the cross is enough! His blood is sufficient!!! I did nothing to earn it, deserve it, nor will I ever be able to pay it back. It's completely one-sided. FREE GIFT! And it keeps on giving!

I think one of the most important things in the entire world is to know who you are in Christ. We are just sinners saved by grace... but we are also new creations. Co-heirs with Christ. We have the righteousness of God. We are seen an pure and blameless and perfect, because of Jesus, not ourselves. It's a beautiful exchange... Jesus gets our penalty and we get his righteousness. Humbling. Our approval and affirmation should come from the one true Source- Jesus. Our new life should be characterized by this: Chosen and adopted children of God. And God wants us to live like a son/daughter. Beloved child.

I will no longer live by gospel+ or grace+works... because that is rejecting the gift God gave. The gift he sent His son to die for. The most important thing is to accept and receive and believe this love, God's son Jesus, the Gospel. So I will no longer seek to earn love, because love CANNOT be earned. I'm surrendering my efforts to prove myself acceptable and relying solely on the finished work of Jesus on the cross. It's enough. It's finished. Done.

Christ love compels us. Which has become my new motive for works and obedience. When I wake up, I die to myself and put on Christ... and live everyday trying to become more like Christ and remember who I am in Christ, and fulfill my calling to go and make disciples by sharing this good news. That Jesus is our total help for our total need.

I'm glad I am starting to understand how needy I am- totally needy! And Jesus is my rescue. My savior. My healer. So I crown Him as King, Lord, Shepherd. And I will follow Him as closely as possible, not by doing anything, but simply by recieving His gift.

I pray you would come to understand the Gospel in a deeper way, like I did last Tuesday. Because it was for freedom that Christ set us free.

#hisnameisJesus