Our readings in this series are from the book, The Gospel of the Kingdom. We will enjoy and benefit from the Gospel to the extent we understand and believe it truly and wholly. Anything less than a full understanding and commitment to the Gospel of the Kingdom is, well, less than the Gospel. Maybe even another gospel. Today’s reading is from pages 24 and 25.:
“The Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians, ‘I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting Him Who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel…’ (Gal. 1.6). Did you catch that verb – deserting? It wasn’t that the Galatians denied that Jesus was Savior. Not at all. Or even that He was Lord. They simply chose to minimize the power of His saving grace by adding to the Gospel in certain ways and detracting from it in others. So, their professions of faith notwithstanding, Paul said that they were deserting the true Gospel, the Gospel of the Kingdom. They may have been Christians, but they were not living the Gospel of the Kingdom.
“Anything other than the Gospel of the Kingdom may be like Christianity, or near Christianity, but it is not the Good News of Jesus and Paul. Near Christianity is not the Christianity of Scripture and, therefore, is not Good News at all.”
Questions for Reflection or Discussion
1. If the Kingdom of God is “detracted” from the Gospel, is it the Gospel?
2. How can believers encourage one another in the work of sowing good Kingdom seed?
Forward today’s podcast to a friend and invite them to read or listen, or to discuss it with you, as you the meaning and implications of the Kingdom of God for our lives as followers of Christ. Order your copy of The Gospel of the Kingdom by going to The Ailbe Bookstore today.
