THE PURITY OF THE GOSPEL. PART 1

THE PURITY OF THE GOSPEL  part 1

The gospel is centred on what Jesus has done and who we are because of what  He has done.  It is the GOODNEWS of the sacrifice of Jesus.
1 Corinthians 15
1  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. note note
3  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
The gospel is centred on the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. In teaching the gospel, we must separate it from every other thing that God does and God can do. Here lies the purity of the gospel. In this series, we will be looking at what the gospel is not, what the gospel really is ( the details of the gospel ) and how to separate the gospel from every other teaching.

WHAT THE GOSPEL IS NOT
For proper understanding of the purity of the Gospel, we must understand what the gospel is not.  We live in a world where any body can just pick any verse of the Bible and say what he likes as the gospel.  The Bible doesn’t allow us to say anything we like in the name of preaching or teaching the gospel. Let's look at some things that the gospel is  not.

1.THE GOSPEL  IS NOT MOTIVATIONAL TALK AND SWEET WORDS. The gospel is sweet and it is good news because it is based on what Christ has done.  The gospel has motivation but the gospel is not motivational talk. Motivational talk is good, but the problem is that it lays demand on the bankrupt nature of human abilities. That is not the gospel. It must be based on what Christ has done for it to be the gospel.
   Romans 16
  17  Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
18  For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
Notice the admonition of Apostle Paul against good words. These words many times are used to deceive the heart of the unlearned. The word fair speeches used above has to do with praise. Good words deals with reasonable words. Words that appeals to the senses that is motivational talks. That it makes sense doesn't mean it is the gospel. If it is not based on what Christ has done and who you are in Christ, it is not the gospel. Many people have been deceived by words that sound sweet and reasonable. For example, it is reasonable to tell a Christian  especially in this African setting, that there is a curse making things not to work for him and that if he just drop that “dangerous seed” the curse will be broken. It sounds sweet because the person wants to make it by all means. This is what deceivers who are preaching for their belly do. This is not the gospel, in fact it is an insult on what Christ has done. This gospel is not in how to “make it” it is not in principles of success. All these are good speeches, but that is not the gospel. If all you preach is how to make it, and how to succeed, leave the alter and never preach again. You can become  a professional motivational speaker. You don’t need to be a pastor to be a motivational speaker. All you need is to read wide and develop your communication skills . But if you must preach the gospel,  let it be the gospel. You must learn the facts of the gospel and maintain the purity thereof.
2.THE GOSPEL IS NOT TRADITIONS OF MEN. There are different traditions in different places. Some of these traditions help in their own way. According to Webster’s dictionary, tradition is  a way of thinking, behaving, or doing something that has been used by the people in a particular group, family, society, etc., for a long time. The Bible is not against tradition and culture. But, we must never replace the gospel of Christ with traditions.
Mark 7:  5  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
6  He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
7  Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
8  For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
9  And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. note
10  For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
11  But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
12  And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
13  Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye
Jesus in responding to the Pharisees told them that they make the word of God of none effect by their traditions. One of those traditions in Jewish culture was hand washing. Many people are so deep in traditions that they find Bible verses to support these traditions and call it the gospel.  This tradition may be of a church, a tribe or a country . A Good example of such tradition is women not wearing trousers. They use Deuteronomy 22:11 to support this tradition and teach it as the gospel.  Let’s look at this. Deuteronomy 22: 5  The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.
This is part of the law of Moses. It has nothing to do with trousers. The same Chapter has many other laws so that if you choose to keep one then you must keep all.  verse  11.Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together. This is one of the laws. It means that if you are wearing Jean, all your material including your underwear must be Jean. Christ is the end of the law. Appreciate that as the gospel not traditions. The Bible is for decent dressing. Some people have even gone to the extent of saying they saw ladies in hell because of wearing trousers. That vision is born out of ignorance or unbelief in the gospel. Anything that takes a man to hell must be in relation to what a man does with the gospel. If trousers can take a Christian to hell it means that trousers is more powerful that what Jesus has done. All these are TRADITIONS, not the gospel. Let’s look at the book of Colossians 2: 
16  Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: note note
17  Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
18  Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, note note
19  And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
20  Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, note
21  (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
22  Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
23  Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.
Here we see that  in Christ, we are dead to the rudiments of this world. We do not control our lives with traditions. The gospel supersedes traditions.
3.THE GOSPEL IS NOT A MESSAGE OF SORROW AND CONDEMNATION . Many people thinks that until a message makes you cry, it is not the gospel. First understand that it is a good news. The only tears good news can produce is tears of joy. We see in Acts 8, Philip went to preach in Samaria and there was great joy in the city. Acts 8:8.
Many times what make people to sorrow is condemnation. The sense of unworthiness produces sorrow. This is not the gospel. The gospel tells us that in Christ there is no condemnation. Romans 8:1.  We are justified, declared not guilty in Christ not because of what we do but because of ONLY WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE.  Any message that makes you feel unworthy of God in Christ is not and can never be the gospel. Some ignorant folks believe that  a message is powerful when it makes you cry and makes you feel as if you are not born again. Such messages are embalmed in unbelief.

If all of these is not the gospel? What then is the gospel? WATCH OUT FOR PART 2 which will talk about the facts of the gospel.

BY OBIAZIKWOR EMEKE MODESTY
www.emekemoodesty.com