Gospel Salvation

This is an overview of The Gospel. It is a short explanation of what I see to be the Message God in His love for us is or has conveyed to each one of us. This short overview by no means captures the complete context or scope of His communication to us.

In and of itself can bring no-one to salvation, but instead is intended to be starting point, pointing to a place to start - The Word – which can and DOES bring salvation. It has the power unto salvation (Romans 1:16).

The  Power in The Word is the same Power that led the Israelites out of Egypt, parted the Red Sea, established nations, performed many miracles as He led His children into the promisedland. It is the same Power that raised Christ while conquering sin and death, the Power that rent the temple veil from top to bottom, performs miracles in my and your lives. The Power that brings you, I, and all who accept it SALVATION!

This is intended to be a starting point for your own study(s).  The study of one word or subject can well lead to the study of another (Isa. 28:10).

There are many, many levels, of revelation to The Word. When we have one level of understanding with a particular verse then and only then can the Holy Spirit take you to a new level. When we are faithful to study and seek His Truth and Wisdom – He will!

Matthew 5:18    For truly I tell You, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

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     The Mosaic law is a set of rules God gave to the Israelites so they could live by them and thus have the best God could give them. However, don’t get caught up in the Old Testament being abolished by Christ thing. Jesus tells us that He (Jesus) did not come to abolish the Law, but fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). The only thing that has been abolished by Jesus’ coming is eternal damnation (if you accept Christ) as well as sin and death – NOT THE LAW!

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           Jesus always kept the Mosaic Law – God established out of reason and prescribed the precepts of living for His chosen people.

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        The Law and The Word are God’s communication and instruction with authority to us. They are the same, the big difference being what He has said and what He is saying to us.

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           Jesus is speaking here of the infallibility and the eternal nature as well as the ultimate authority of the Word.

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           He is telling us, that it’s if it’s in the Word, it’s true, it will be done and that’s final.  There’s nothing anyone can do about it.  Since God said it-it will be done.

John 1:1    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

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          The essential Word (logos) of God, Jesus Christ, the personal wisdom and power in union with God, his minister in creation and government of the universe, the cause of all the world's life both physical and ethical, which for the procurement of man's salvation put on human nature in the person of Jesus the Messiah, the second person in the Godhead, and shone forth conspicuously from His words and deeds. His intent and further communication with mankind. In this sense Jesus is the final account or word.

• ·        In my own personal study what God has said vs. what He is saying have the same Authority.

• ·        It's hard to imagine eternity in the past tense. When we think of eternity, we tend to think future tense. God makes it clear to us, however, that His eternal existence was before the creation of man. Before you and I existed.

• ·        God makes it very clear that before you and I existed He was.

• ·        The Word being God, existed before us, created man, created the animals, created the plants, the Moon and stars and everything that exists.

·        Since God is perfect and the Word is God, The Word is perfect also.

John 1:14   The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

•     John 1:1 in context with John 1:14 clearly references Jesus.

•    Since The Word is God and perfect and reveals His Glory, we can’t speak of the Word without talking about His Glory. 

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   Hebrews 1:3      Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:

These verses and many others tell us beyond doubt, God’s Glory is revealed in Jesus, who is The Word and God Himself.

This brings up of two very interesting Greek words; logos (Strong’s G3056) and rhema (Strong’s G4487).

 Very simply, logos refer to a collection, a disposition, used for Christ in John 1:1. Rhema is the specific word being said.

The significance of rhema (as distinct from logos) is exemplified in the injunction to take "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God," (Eph 6:17) here the reference is not to the whole Bible as such, but to the individual scripture which the Spirit brings to our remembrance for use in time of need, a prerequisite being the regular storing of the mind with Scripture.

One of my friends, who’s teaching I gladly absorb, one time asked the question with a follow-up statement – “if The Gospel is as simple as ‘love your neighbor’ why can’t that be printed on a business card sized piece of stock and handed out like tracks? Everyone would then have The Gospel!” (Rhetorical but still a great question, all rhetorical questions have answers you know)

I can give a way over simplified, extremely partial answer to this question having to do with logos and rhema. Keep in mind there are many more facets to the answer and this question touches more subject matter than this.

My reasoning goes something like this: every play in football is designed to score.  Every verse in the Bible is designed to win the salvation of that reader.  The situation determines the effectiveness of that play in football or the verse in the Bible.  With every situation the play or verse will be more or less effective. That doesn’t mean the play or verse is or isn’t effective or relevant, it just means that in that situation another verse or play might be better. The effectiveness is determined by the situation. 

So it is with logos and rhema. Logos is what has already been decided by God and the communication of it. Rhema is individual instruction applied to the situation within the specifics of logos.

As you see here, the Authorship and the Authority are the same. The difference between these two words or thoughts is the body of knowledge vs. individualized application.  

You see, in His love for us, He tells us over and over again, to not only listen to Him, but do what He says.  He tells what to do or choose, then He leaves it up to us. 

Deuteronomy 30: 19 tells us:  This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.

So you see if that in God’s love for us, he not only tells us what’s good for us, but also lets us choose because he loves us so much.  We are truly responsible for our own deeds or misdeeds. 

 I can't emphasize enough how important this is.He communicated His Wisdom to us Personally, (through Moses). He sent Jesus (His Word). The written Word (The Bible you and I now have).

Just think, the God who formed the universe by the work of his fingers (Psalm 8), who created man by the Word of His Power (Hebrews 1:3) cares for your and my well being.

In Hebrews 1:3, we see the Word as being unlimited, the word the writer uses is the Greek word rhema, which when coupled with the Greek word dynamis conveys the idea of unlimited power in action.  After all the Word was God and the Word is God.  God describes himself as the Great I Am.   Our God is all powerful, all knowing, indescribable-without description, without superlative-unlimited. 

We must realize, that God’s Word (unlimited Power) and His chosen way to communicate to us are two different things (the same only different).  The Bible, if you’re a nonbeliever, is just another book.  It's just, in that case, a meaningless set of words.

Don't get me wrong, truth is truth whether you or I believe it or not.  The Communication still contains Eternal Truths and is all powerful.  But the individual, that person who the communication is meant for-who God desperately loves, may choose to reject it.   

Remember, he loves us so much, he gives us that choice.

But on the other hand, if we approach the Word of God seeking truth, seeking wisdom, it is literally alive and most importantly our way to know Him.

It is my belief and prayer that with the study of His Word your knowledge and relationship will be started / deepened. I know that Hebrews 11 :6 is without doubt true and it says:

 Hebrews 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

The presence of God is His reward in and of Itself to us. There is no reward greater. We find that out by studying His Word!