The mission of Christianity going back 2,000 years ago since the time of Christ has been to spread the Gospel. Going back to this time and now, many Christians have been so driven to spread this message they’ve risked and, in many cases, lost their lives.
But why is this so? Well, Christians understand that God loved them from eternity past before they had an opportunity to say, do, or think anything. Also, He demonstrated His love by sending His Son, Jesus to die on the cross in our place. Jesus’s death was so miserable, not only because He was nailed to a cross but because He endured the wrath of God that sinners deserve.
Why did sinners deserve this wrath? Going back to our first parents, Adam and Eve, while residing in Paradise that God made for them, they were under a Covenant or prohibition that if they didn’t take from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they would live forever. By deception of Satan and their own covetous desires, they took from this tree and were banished from the Garden. Then, the world became completely corrupt, and all of Adam and Eve’s posterity were conceived in total corruption.
When Jesus came into the world, He was conceived without sin but by the Holy Spirit. Throughout His life, He grew in stature, obeyed every law, and fulfilled all the Covenants that God established. As intended from eternity past, due to His perfect obedience, He, unlike anyone else was suitable to die on the cross to redeem sinners, and free man from the curse originating from Adam’s disobedience.
At this time, His Kingdom was inaugurated, and He took from Satan what was rightfully His. Not long after Jesus’s resurrection, He ascended to heaven and sits on the throne of power and authority next to His Father where He reigns.
Now, what’s this Gospel mean to us? We can believe what is said above, but how are we allowing it to affect our lives daily? Here’s some situations and thought processes that we encounter and how the Gospel Truth counters them.
Some think they’ve lost everything- The Gospel tells us we have everything
Women often fret when they gain three pounds of water weight and men often think the mirror deserves more of their attention after a good workout- The Gospel tells us that God has loved us unconditionally long before our bodies were shaped.
We often question ourselves when we’re passed up for a promotion- The Gospel tells us our assurance always rests in God.
Defeat in competition can frustrate us for days- The Gospel tells us our victory is in Christ.
We watch administrations come and go- The Gospel assures us of an everlasting kingdom ruled by our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Wars perpetually go on- The Gospel tells us that Jesus died on our behalf and reminds us that through Him our peace with the Father has been restored.
Some still look to great prizes for satisfaction- The Gospel tells us through Jesus we have an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading kept for us in Heaven.
People often fear the scorn of family and friends- The Gospel reminds us that we are now God’s children permanently adopted into His family.
Often criticism isn’t well received- The Gospel reminds us that we were nothing to begin with so, even the harshest criticism can’t express how bad we really are.
We still attempt to reconcile our wrongs through our own devices- The Gospel tells us to stop turning from Jesus and humbly accept His free gift of Grace as it is our only hope for reconciliation with the Heavenly Father.
In His Image 