Good News!
By Mike Rule
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free...” (Galatians 5:1a)
The day we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior we were set free from the law
of sin and death. He came to dwell in us and is now our Life! (see Colossians 2)
We begin with Jesus Christ as our life, but it is so easy to slowly forsake Him
for a different Gospel. Somehow we think that Jesus is enough to save us from
Hell, but that He is not enough to grow us into deeper levels of faith. We
believe that if we are going to grow, it is up to us to do it. As a result, we
work hard to be a “better” Christian. However, the harder we work, the less
peace and joy we experience because we are pursuing something other than Jesus.
This lack causes us to work even harder which brings frustration and an
ever-deepening lack of peace. In the end we find ourselves slaves to working
hard FOR God while not experiencing the peace and joy and fulfillment OF God. We
unknowingly contribute to the struggle by leading people to Jesus Christ to set
them free, then “discipling” them on all that is expected of them now that
they are Christians. We have led them right back into bondage!
The word “gospel” is literally translated “good news”. Is it really
good news that the Christian life is full of impossibly hard work and impossibly
high standards? Is it really good news that you are saved by the grace of God
through Jesus Christ but have to work hard in order for your faith to grow?
Paul admonishes us in Galatians to not let ourselves be burdened by a yoke of
slavery: “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called
you by the grace of Christ and turning to a different gospel, which is really no
gospel at all. Evidently, someone is trying to throw you into confusion and
pervert the Gospel of Christ.” (Galatians 1:6&7)
The simplicity of the Good News of Christ is found in Hebrews 11. Jesus
Christ is not only the Author of our faith, but He is also the one Who perfects
our faith. His only requirement is that we be willing to listen to His voice and
respond to Him in trust. It IS that simple! Isn’t that Good News indeed?
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