1 Cor 15 verses 3 and 4 make it pretty clear what the Gospel is. 3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importancea : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures. He was buried. He was raised again on the third day, according to the Scriptures.
Actually, read the whole chapter on the scope of the Resurrection. What power in those words!
Getting back to the Gospel. This is what Jesus commanded us to proclaim. The Gospel, in its simplicity and beauty. And power. Really think about what is said here. He died for our sins. Every one of us have sinned. We are born into a flawed and sinful world, our natural urge is to sin. We want what WE want, not what HE wants. Right from the time we are babies our urges are for our own self.
But by the act of dying, of dying for our sins, we are forgiven. We are redeemed. We are saved. He not only forgives our sins, but He removes them. He has taken them AWAY. They are forgotten!
He is then buried. Yes He even kept the sabbath I hear you say. How does a dead person keep anything?
But we do not worship a dead Saviour, or at least those of us who are born again Christians, regardless of which day we worship corporately, do not. On the first day of the week, on the third day, according to the Scriptures He was raised! He defeated death! He was raised with a new incorruptible body, and we will have one too, because of what He has done.
But but but…I hear you say….we have to obey! Not for salvation we don’t. Only believe. Acts 16:31. But but but…even the devils believe! They do indeed! And they shudder! We don’t have to shudder, if we believe His promises!
This is where Christian conversion comes in. You believe. You repent, which means you turn from your previous life, whatever it entailed, and you turn to Him. He makes you a new creation, and gives you a new heart, on which is written His law. His law is love. He is love. It was love that saved us, and He has commanded us to love.
Now instead of living your life according to what YOU want, you live for Him, and doing HIS will. You WANT to love the Father with your whole heart mind soul and strength and your neighbour as yourself. You WANT to proclaim His Gospel, because you want everyone to know the liberation you have found.
But but but I hear again…We must obey! Sounds rather like daleks to me, but yes, we DO obey. But what do we obey? The 10 commandments, words, categories that made up the words of the old covenant, symbolised by the child of the slave woman? Or do we obey His words of love? SDAs often tell us (ad nauseum actually) John 14: 15“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. Notice here: MY commandments. Not the 10. MY. The only time the ten commandments are mentioned in the New Testament is when they are referred to as the ministry of death. Jesus gave over a thousand commandments in the New Testament. Could these possibly be what He meant? Do you think?
The ones referring to loving? The NEW commandment He gave that referred to loving as He loved us? I mean that’s pretty deep, does He mean we should die for people? Because that’s what He did.
He also gave us a new covenant. He ratified it with His blood, and it is symbolised by the offspring of the free woman, Sarah. And the seal is the Holy Spirit. As followers of Jesus, we are the freeborn children of the new covenant, not slaves of the old covenant.
So people…do we obey the words of Jesus? And taste freedom in the marvellous Light? Or do we obey the words of an obsolete covenant?
Do we heed the Voice of God, calling us to Him, or the voice of satan calling us to destruction?
Seems like a no brainer to me!
Light of Christ 