The Everlasting Gospel of God
God has good news for humanity. In the face of war, famine, disease, rape, addiction, abortion, family strife, natural disaster, the Lord God Almighty has a plan.
The root cause of all man’s woes is sin. Sin was originally Adam and Eve’s defiant rebellion against their Creator and Lord (Gen 3). It was clearer when God gave His law to Moses and the Israelites (Ex 20; Dt 5). Sin was bad news, and the law of sin and death was evident, even before Moses.
Adam’s failure was not void of hope, as God began revealing His plan of redemption (Gen 3:15). The Old Testament, written by Israelite prophets, over a period of 1500 years, is filled with the anticipation of God’s Messiah. There was to come, One who would save God’s people, Israel (Is 49:6).
Types and shadows fill the first thirty-nine books of the Bible. The Old Testament is a collection of writings, giving hope to those whom God has chosen for salvation. These people are called, “believers.” They have had Good News preached to them, and unlike others, they trust the voice of God their Deliverer, who has made His promises to rescue them, by way of an oath and covenant.
The God of the Bible, who has revealed Himself as One in essence, yet three Persons, moved men of old to speak and write His inspired, infallible, true Word (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:20–21). As sailing ships are moved along by an invisible wind, so these men of God were moved by the Holy Spirit to give man, especially God’s elect people, history, law, wisdom, and prophecy.
The faithful ones, called out to be a remnant of holy people, who called upon the name of the Lord, served God with circumcised hearts (Rom 11:5). This means, as God’s Spirit worked grace into their lives, they loved and served Yahweh with their whole hearts. They were recognized by others as a peculiar people, who told of the hope within them (Acts 1:8; 1 Pet 3:15).
The Gospel of God concerns His Son, who He sent into the world to save God’s people from their sins (Mt 1:21; Jn 3:16). Sin separated man from God, but God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself (2 Cor 5:19). Christ died for His church (Jn 10:11, 15; Rom 5:8; Eph 5:25), as He bore their sins in His body on the tree (1 Pet 2:24).
God’s plan, in electing a people for His own possession and sending His eternal Son to take on flesh, was to bring many sons to glory (Jn 1:14; Eph 1:4-5; 1 Pet 2:9), setting apart a people, a holy nation — from every nation, tribe, and tongue, which would display the riches of His glorious grace. Our God is merciful and gracious (Rom 9:15–16; Eph 2:8–9); and clearly, He is Mighty to save (Titus 3:5).
Heralds of the Gospel of Jesus Christ are preaching a Gospel of peace with God. They are teaching a Gospel of the kingdom, where Christ is King, and His subjects are made to be citizens of heavenly Zion. This is the Gospel of salvation, where God is Savior, and each one of His elect people is saved. It is an everlasting Gospel, Good News before there was bad news, and Good News forever and ever. Amen.
Christian, it is your purposeful work to bear witness, in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, to the ignorant world (Jn 14:17; Acts 1:8; Rom 8:9, 11). You occupy your generation, as those saved by God’s grace. The Light of the world, God Himself, has shone in your heart (2 Cor 4:6). He has illumined you with the true Gospel.
The true Gospel is the Trinitarian Gospel. This is Good News of our Father’s election of us before Creation. It is Good News of Jesus Christ, redeeming us by His precious blood. It is Good News of the Holy Spirit, appropriating salvation to us, by causing us to be born again of God (Jn 3:1–8; 1 Pet 1:3).
Having received the Spirit, we are recipients of God’s grace to believe the Gospel, which is Good News yesterday, today, and forever.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
November 9, 2021
