- Picture by Paula Nash Giltner at Free Bible Images: www.gnpi.org
The Gospel and YOU
Where are You Going?
Most of us at some time in our lives have a wish to It may be just to visit a long lost friend in another part of our own country, or to visit friends and relatives in other countries. Usually, before we set out, we make plans for the journey - we look at maps and consider the availability of transport. We also think about the cost, the clothes and other essentials we may need to take with us including passports and visas.
Now you may be wondering what this has to do with the Gospel. It's simply this -the principle we have set out above is the sort of process we have to go through in life to achieve our goals. It applies equally to things related to God which are more important than any other plans we may have for the future - for they concern our eternal well-being. We may be good at making plans for a future journey or some other activity but when it comes to our spiritual well-being the planning seems to lack direction.
The purpose of this article is to show that the Gospel can affect you personally: now is the time to resolve to plan for the future, rather than just let life drift by without any clear direction.
The Reality of the Gospel - TODAY
It is a long time now since Jesus walked this earth and preached about the coming kingdom of God, a kingdom which figured highly in the hopes and aspirations of the 1st Century Christians. We are now in the 20th Century. living in a sophisticated world where in most developed countries the need for God has, in the main. been lost sight of.
Yet if we stop and think. whilst man has made great strides in technology and medicine, little has changed as far as human life is concerned. Mankind is still plagued by disease, unhappiness and death. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow still eludes us and even though many may feel they live a more fulfilled life. at the end of the day what lies ahead?
Sadly the flower of youth soon fades giving way to the aches and pains of old age and ultimately to death itself. a prospect which although gloomy. is the only certainty in this life of ours.
Things have not changed. We are faced with the same problems that Jesus addressed nearly 2000 years ago. This being the case then the Gospel message. the good news of better things to come, is as relevant today as it was when Jesus first spoke to a crowd in the hills of Galilee.' Now is the time to stop following the rainbow, sit at his feet and listen to what he has to say.
The Promises - soon to be Reality
In the earlier articles in this issue it has been made quite clear that the Gospel relates to a very real situation, where God is to intervene in world events and establish a Kingdom which will exceed any Utopian: dreams we may have. The key question is, when? We have already seen that the 1st Century Christians expected this 2000 years ago; has God forgotten or changed his mind?
These are relevant questions and the answers are in God's word of Truth. In this changing world we can be sure of two things. The first is the certainty of death, the second is that God does not change. The latter is a fundamental point which is supported throughout His Word.
Consider these two passages from the Old and New Testaments:
"For I am the Lord, I change not."
"Every good endowment that we possess and every complete gift that we have received must come from above, from the Father of all lights, with whom there is never the slightest variation or shadow of inconsistency."
- Utopian - an imaginary state of perfection described by Sir Thomas More in his book Utopia (1516)
It is evident that, unlike us, God does not change his mind. Therefore, if the Kingdom that was promised has not yet been established there must be some other explanation. A study of the Bible makes it quite clear that, in causing the Gospel to be preached over the centuries, God has also set out a plan of events - for He does not leave the future to chance. We can understand this plan and God has in His infinite wisdom communicated it to those who take the trouble to read and listen.
God declared through the prophet Amos:
"Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."
When we study God's word and look for an indication of the timescale for setting up the Kingdom of God, we soon realise that it is an imminent event and that the fulfilment of the Gospel message is near.
These indications are referred to as 'Signs' in the Bible and they are just like a street sign that points the way to a particular place.
The Sign of the Fig Tree
The first of our signs was given by Jesus in answer to a specific question by the disciples:
"And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying. Tell us, when shall these things be? and What shall be the sign Of thy coming. and of the end of the world."
If you read this passage from Matthew's Gospel record, you will see the context of the question that the disciples asked. It concerns the signs of the second coming of Jesus and the reply that Jesus gave to them, painted a picture of subsequent events down the ages.
He included this parable:
"Now learn a parable of the fig tree: When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh."
The use by Jesus of the fig tree in a parable, tells Bible students that he was referring to Israel. who have long carried this emblem as a "Sign" Of their nation. This can be seen from the following reference concerning the nation of Israel, where we read:
"He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white."
The inset image shows the fig tree emblem used on Israeli postage stamps. The point Jesus was making relates to the fig 'budding' and if you think about that, it is a Sign of Life.
If we look at the history of this nation from the time of Jesus. we learn that Jerusalem was destroyed and the nation scattered by the Romans in AD70. Then in 1948 a most significant event happened. The State of Israel was established and since then the nation has indeed "budded and blossomed". Today Israel is a significant power in the modern world.
The Jewish FIG TREE nation is re-established today after nearly 2000 years of dispersion.
Jesus went on to tell his disciples (concerning his return):
"So likewise ye. when ye shall see all these things, know that it is even at the doors. Verily I say unto you. generation shall not pass. till all these things be fulfilled."
Jesus is telling us here that our generation will be alÅe when he returns. This starts to concentrate the mind and can give our planning for the future something to focus on!
The second important sign for us to consider concerns the general state of the world just before Christ's return. He refers to it in the earlier part of the chapter in Matthew. This describes a rather tearful situation in the world. prior to the return of Jesus to establish the Kingdom as depicted in the following illustration:
If you compare Matthew's Gospel record and the parallel record in Luke chapter 21, you will be able to identify most of these problems described by Jesus.
Now let's ask a question - Does the list of problems Jesus spoke about sound familiar? We believe that it does. We only have to pick up the daily newspapers to find them all there. Reader. these signs are a reality of the world in which we live. What a great urgency there is to plan then for the future.
If space permitted we could refer to the message of the prophets, and in particular the book of Daniel. Where specific time periods are referred to and these also support the view that the promise of the Gospel is soon to be fulfilled. In fact some bible students pin-point 1996 as a strong possibility for the culmination of God's plan and the fulfilment of the promises.
Of course, we cannot be dogmatic, for we recall the words of Jesus to the disciples:
"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven. but my Father only."
If we were given a precise date. then we might well be tempted to delay our preparation. However, a day has been set in God's calendar for some world shaking events as we read in the book of Acts:
"Because he (God) hath appointed a day. in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained: whereof he hath given assurance unto all men. in that he hath raised him from the dead."
Surely the need for planning your future is now becoming increasingly obvious.
The Call of the Gospel - Are You Ready?
Clearly, we live in momentous times: so what are you going to do about it?
The options are few and quite simple. but they lead to vastly different consequences, as can be seen in the table below:
| | Your Action Plan | Outcome |
|---|
| 1 | Do something serious thinking | Accept the Gospel and gain eternal life |
| 2 | Do nothing | Reject the Gospel and die |
| 3 | Delay planning | Miss the opportunity and die |
Our advice to you is to take the first option. It is in reality the only sensible one with a far better outcome. We hope this will be your choice and you will then consider the words of Jesus as he instructed his disciples to preach the Gospel:
"Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."
Now the steps that Jesus set out to enable you to take advantage of the 'Good News.' contained in the Gospel message, are carefully designed to make your planning easier. The four stages are listed below for your consideration and action:
- Listen to the word of God with an open mind
- Believe in God's word and His son Jesus Christ
- Be Baptised into the saving name of Jesus
- Live your life in obedience to his commandments
It is only human to delay or leave things undone and that leads to missed opportunities. Today is the day of opportunity - your day to plan for the future. There is nothing to lose but everything to gain, so why not take that vital step forward and accept the Divine invitation?
God's plan will soon be realised and the outcome will be far beyond your wildest dreams, as the apostle Paul reminds us:
"Eye bath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."
Finally, as a practical suggestion to help you with your planning, Why not offer a simple prayer now, asking God to guide you to His Kingdom. Then resolve to do some serious study of His word so that you will be ready for the return of Jesus.
This is the reality of THE GOSPEL - it is the TRUTH as Jesus said:
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
The Christadelphians believe the Bible (Old and New Testaments) to be the wholly inspired and infallible Word of God.
Its principal theme is the salvation of mankind through the saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ and the setting up of the kingdom of God under his rulership when he returns to the earth.
Based on the "Light on The Gospel" special issue in 4 parts:
- Light on the Gospel - what is the Gospel
- Light on the Gospel in the Old Testament
- Light on the Gospel in the New Testament
- Light on the Gospel and YOU
This is the last article for Light on the Gospel
Author john Lowe
Country Bexley, Kent, UK
Source Light on a New World special edition: "The Gospel"
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