Christians as Ambassadors for Christ - Part Two

 

Christians as Ambassadors for Christ -  Part Two

Understanding the Gospel of Jesus Christ

 

In my most recent posts, I addressed some of the mis-information about Christianity that has recently been publicized internationally. It is important that Christians not only address that issue of mis-information, but also provide Bible-based accurate information to others.  I’d like to raise the subject of the “Gospel of Jesus Christ”, also called the “Gospel of Grace” as a starting point because it is critical to Christian understanding of why God gave us the Holy Bible.

Our reference Strong’s Concordance Greek Dictionary provides the following definition for the word “Gospel” (# 2097, -98): “In the NT (New Testament) it denotes the “good tidings” of the kingdom of God and of salvation through Christ, to be received by faith, on the basis of His expiatory death, His burial, resurrection and ascension, e.g. Acts 15: 7; 20: 24; 1 Peter 4: 17.” (Emphasis added).   For Christians, in addition to those Scripture references, I strongly recommend including the Scriptures of 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4; and Romans 10: 9-13.

Of significance is the fact that both the reference to the “kingdom of God” and of “salvation” refer to our Lord Jesus Christ.  However, the references to the “Gospel of the Kingdom of God” were addressed only to the Nation of Israel during the Lord Jesus’ Earthly Ministry.  They did not consider His death, burial, resurrection and ascension because those events were still in the future. Further, you will recall from previous studies that during that time the Lord had specifically commanded His disciples that they should “Go not into the way of the Gentiles…” because that message of the “Kingdom Gospel” was only for Israel. (Matthew 10: 1-7) 

This discussion will relate to the gospel only as it explains “salvation through Christ”.   To fully understand the concept of “salvation” it is important to understand not only the meaning of the term, but also why it became necessary for mankind to receive it.  First the meaning.

Our reference Strong’s Concordance Greek Dictionary provides the following definition for the word “salvation” (# 4991):  “deliverance;  of the spiritual and eternal deliverance granted immediately by God to those who accept His conditions of repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus, in whom alone it is to be obtained, Acts 4: 12, and upon confession of Him as Lord, Romans 10: 10; for this purpose the gospel is the saving instrument, Romans 1: 16, Ephesians 1: 13.”  (Underline added) The definition of “salvation” then continues with the following description which will lead us back to the discussion of the “Gospel” as noted above: “of the present experience of God’s power to deliver from the bondage of sin…” (Underline added)

Some Christians, and many others outside of our faith, do not realize that all mankind were born under the “bondage of sin” because of the sin of the first man Adam. The manifestation of that “bondage’ is the pending penalty of death for each of us. (Hebrews 9: 27-28)

Remember our studies of the Creation in Genesis Chapter One.  When God created man, He made man in His own image. (Genesis 1: 26-27)  That image means that man was created as a spirit, being invisible and eternal. (John 4: 24; Colossians 1: 15; 1 Timothy 1: 17)  Then in Genesis Chapter Two, the Scripture reveals how the LORD God had formed a physical body for the man from the “dust of the ground” and then “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2: 7}  As a result of this creation, man was made a two-part being.  That is significant because of the respective roles of each part, and the effect of death on each part as the result of the first man Adam’s sin of disobedience by eating of the forbidden tree. (Genesis 2: 15-17, 3: 1-6)  Some further clarification follows.

With regard to their roles, the eternal spirit of man was the means / vehicle through which man could communicate with his Creator God.  On the other hand, the physical body was the means through which man could use his physical “senses” to exercise the dominion he had been given over the Earth and its creatures.

As to the consequences of Adam’s disobedience, remember he had been forewarned by the LORD God that “in the day that thou eatest  thereof (the forbidden tree of knowledge of good and evil) thou shalt surely die”. (Genesis 2: 16-17)   Again, relying on our reference Strong’s Concordance Greek Dictionary, consider the following narrative.  I think it is a much better statement than anything I could write.  It was abstracted from Strong’s # 2288:

“Thanatos, death, has the basic meaning of separation of (1) the soul (the spiritual part of man) from the body (the material part), the latter ceasing to function and turning to dust…; (2a) Adam died on the day he disobeyed God (Gen 2: 7); and hence (2b) all mankind are born in the same spiritual condition (Romans 5: 12, 14, 17, 21), (2c) from which, however, those who believe in Christ are delivered (John 5: 24; 1 John 3: 14).  (3) Death is the opposite of life; it never denotes  nonexistence.  (4)  As spiritual life is conscious existence in communion with God, so spiritual death is conscious existence in separation from God.  (5) Death, in whichever of the above-mentioned senses it is used, is (5a) always, in Scripture, viewed as the penal consequence of sin, and (5b) sinners alone are subject to death (Romans 5: 12), (5c) it was as the Bearer of sin that the Lord Jesus submitted thereto on the Cross (1 Peter 2: 24).  (5d) And while the physical death of the Lord Jesus was the essence of His sacrifice, it was not the whole. (5e) The darkness symbolized, and His cry expressed, the fact that He was left alone in the universe, He was forsaken. (Matthew 27: 45-46) (Highlights added)

The “Gospel” / “God Tidings” for mankind came with our Lord Jesus Christ.  We thank Him not only because He created man. (John 1: 3, 1 Corinthians 8: 6), Colossians 1: 12-22).  We thank Him because although He knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5: 20-21); He did no sin (1 Peter 2: 22-25); and in Him there was no sin (1 John 3: 5); He agreed to do the will of the Father God by taking on Himself the tremendous suffering and punishment of death for the sins of all mankind. (Luke 22: 42-44; John 3: 16)

Although it might be obvious to most people, I want to emphasize the point raised above regarding man having been created a “two-part being”. The reality of the concept of “death” applies separately to each part of man.   We understand that when death occurs to the physical / material human body, the body begins the accelerated process to “decompose” or “break-down”, to return to the “dust” from which it was formed. (Genesis 3: 19; Ecclesiastes 3: 16-20)   That is known Biblically as the “First Death’, although it is not specifically called by that terminology. (Romans 5: 12)  

[Note I used the term “accelerated” to define the process of the body’s breakdown (even at a slow pace, because in reality that process began even after man was born.  We call it “aging”, before the soul / spirit depart the body. Remember that Adam lived to be 930 years old before he died (Genesis 5: 1-5); but the LORD has since limited man’s lifespan to 120 years. (Genesis 6: 1-3)]

There is a period of time that passes between the time of the “First Death “ and the potential “Second Death”.  The most wise of all men in the Bible, King Solomon, wrote what the Bible Scholar Matthew Henry called “a figurative description of old age and its infirmities”. King Solomon’s conclusion was that after the First Death, the soul / spirit of man returns to the God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12: 1-7)  I will provide a separate discussion of what the Bible says  happens between the first and potentially the second death. As our Lord Jesus was resurrected from the dead, so will all mankind be resurrected. (1 Corinthians 15: 20-26)

As we address the “Second Death” (separation of man’s soul / spirit from God), it is important to remember the initial source of that death.  It was Adam’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden, and subsequently passed death onto all future generations. That means every person born was born in spiritual death. (Romans 5: 12)  Remember, that is why our Lord Jesus told the Pharisee Ruler Nicodemus that “Except a man be born again, he cannot see or enter into the kingdom of God.”  (John 3: 1-7)   

Note that Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden had their spiritual connections with the LORD God through His direct intervention. He clothed them in figurative “garments of righteousness” when He sacrificed innocent animals to obtain their skins. (Genesis 3: 21; Isaiah 61: 10)  The innocent blood that God shed to obtain those skins  was  an indicator of the means by which man would receive atonement for our sins.  Specifically that would be through the precious, innocent blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.  (Hebrews Chapter Nine)   

That brings us back to the title of this post and the “Second Death”. Having given man ample opportunity to become believers in our Lord Jesus and the Gospel, the Bible says that “unbelievers” will suffer that Second Death.  Their soul / spirit will remain separated from God. Revelation 2:11, 20: 6 and 14, 21: 8)   On the other hand, that “Second Death” is the fate from which those who believe the “Gospel of Jesus Christ” have been saved. As the Lord confirmed with Nicodemus, as noted above, those who become “believers” will have received Christ and the Holy Spirit, who will have  awakened their respective souls / spirits in “rebirth”. (1 Corinthians 15: 20-26). That is the Gospel noted in the early paragraphs of this post. That is the message Christians should be willing to share.

Dr. W. A. (Bill) Robinson

https://christianityandbiblestudy.blogspot.com