This Messianic prophecy of Isaiah’s pointed to the coming of Jesus Christ. It correlates with the verse in Psalm 118:22 which says, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone.” Jesus is the only firm foundation on which anyone can build their life. He is the chief cornerstone of our faith and trust…for only through Him do we have the forgiveness of sins and hope of eternal life.
Tag: the Gospel message
Colossians 1:6 ” All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.”
The Good News of Jesus is for everyone. It needs to be scattered lavishly and with abandon across the face of the earth. It needs to flow freely and without hindrance from the four walls of every Church… out to the hurting and lost world. So why doesn’t it? Why are we hoarding this treasure, just allowing it to circle around and around the confines of our Church rather than setting it free? Jesus Christ did not tell us to keep the Gospel Message to ourselves…storing it away deep inside, letting no one else hear it. No, quite the opposite, for in Mark 16:15 Jesus says, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” The Good News of Jesus is too wonderful…too powerful…too prolific to just squander away.
I Corinthians 9:22 “…I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.”
Here the Apostle Paul was showing that he sought to find common ground with whoever he met…whether Jew, Christian, slave, master, weak, or strong in the faith…in order to preach the Gospel to all. Unfortunately as a people, we generally look for petty differences and disagreements than seek out things that we share. But if we would take the time to think about it, we have much more in common with each other than we can disagree about. Finding common ground with one another can also be easier if we ask ourselves this question first…In the eternal scheme of things, does this matter? Sure, there’s some non-negotiables…but really, the vast majority of stuff we fight about makes no difference at all.
Colossians 4:3 ” And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.”
Paul was chained up in a dark, dank prison in Rome with deplorable conditions…yet his concern was focused on proclaiming the Gospel. So what’s my excuse? What’s my justification for not telling others about Jesus? How can I explain away the times I’ve had the opportunity…but didn’t speak? God will open doors daily for us to tell others about the spiritual truths of the Gospel…we just need to be brave enough to walk through them. I pray in the days ahead that all Believers be endowed with a supernatural boldness to reach the lost for Jesus…times are getting short.
Colossians 3:10 ” …and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”
Once you say “Yes” to Jesus, you begin the life long journey of putting on the new person. It starts with the redemptive and restorative activity of God within. But what is it exactly that we need to be “putting on”? As we gain wisdom and a new self-perception that’s rooted in the Gospel of who we are in Christ, we’ll put on love…we’ll put on peace…and we’ll put on a deepening faith of who we’re becoming.
Hebrews 12:14 ” Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
Holiness or sanctification is the process of making something holy. After all, holiness is necessary for salvation. We hear the Gospel, and through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit and our belief in the truth of God’s Word, we are saved and reconciled to the Lord. The very personal journey to holiness is an ever upward spiral of becoming more like Jesus and less like you.
II Corinthians 4:6 ” For God, Who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”
As I John 1:5 states, “God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.” When we walk from darkness into the light of Christ, we are transformed…and we become enlightened. Gone is our old self, for now we can understand the light and truth of the Gospel. No longer to be trapped in the darkness, this new knowledge of God now resides in our heart…and the glory of God shines forth as there becomes less of us and more of Jesus in our life.
Acts 4:29 ” Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak Your Word with great boldness.”
Telling others about Jesus should come easy for the Believer. Declaring the Gospel to those we come in contact with should be as natural as asking, “How you doing today?” So why do we freeze up when it comes to talking about our faith? What exactly are we afraid of? For there is no fear in the Gospel…only freedom. So we should make the same request that the Apostle Paul made in Ephesians 6:19, “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel…” Paul was confidently relying on the Holy Spirit to give him the words to speak…he just had to open his mouth in obedience.
I Timothy 4:1 “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.”
Whether you agree we’re in the end times or not, this verse points out the subtle and indirect way we can be lead astray. We don’t have to rebel outright…turning our backs on the Gospel, to be caught up in deception. In fact, in casual listening, what we hear may not sound wrong at all. For twisted and corrupted “religious beliefs” are all around us…with new and even more Holy Spirit grieving ones popping up everyday. As a Believer, you need to carefully discern what you hear…does it line up with the Bible, not just a little, but totally?
Philippians 1:27-28 ” I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the Gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.”
Declaring the Gospel to those around us can be scary. We’re afraid of rejection…afraid of adversity…afraid of failure, so hence, we say nothing. My favorite excuse is, “Someone else will share the Good News with that person…someone like the Pastor, or someone else more experienced than me.” But there may not be a “someone else” in that person’s life. For you may be the only one that will ever share the Gospel, or ever say the words, “Jesus loves you” to that person. I Corinthians 16:13 says, …” we are to stand firm; be men (and women) of courage; and be strong when contending for the faith.” So how do we overcome the fear of sharing our faith with others? First realize, you can never fail, even if you don’t see immediate results. What you’re doing is planting seed that needs to be watered…maybe by someone else… and maybe an entirely different person will be there to see the harvest. Secondly, it’s not about you and your abilities or lack there of. For your dependence should be on the Lord Jesus Christ and the leading of the Holy Spirit to show you the way. So with them in your corner, don’t be afraid, you can do it!
Safetypinlove 