Forgiven. Saved. Going to heaven. Gonna live forever with Jesus. Is that the Gospel Jesus preached? Our readings in this series are from the book, The Gospel of the Kingdom. Here is a brief excerpt from pages 21 and 22:
“The gospel that says, ‘Jesus died to forgive your sins and to bring you to heaven when you die’…Is that the Gospel? Rather, is that the whole Gospel? The Gospel of the Kingdom?
“While that statement is certainly true, it doesn’t sound as rich, full, comprehensive, and all-engaging as what we outlined above as the Gospel of the Kingdom.
“And it is widely apparent that those who have embraced this message are not evidencing the kind of whole-life transformation Jesus demonstrated and promised, or that those first Christians experienced.
“But isn’t it true that the Gospel says that Jesus died for our sins so that we could go to heaven? Yes it does. But that is not the same as saying that Jesus’ death to grant forgiveness and eternal life to all who believe is the whole Gospel. And if that’s not the whole Gospel, but it is the heart and soul of what we preach, then can we say that it’s the Gospel at all?”
Questions for Reflection or Discussion
1. We wouldn’t say that Jesus forgives our sins is the sum and substance of the Gospel, the whole Gospel. But why not? Isn’t forgiveness something many, many people are seeking today?
2. Would you say that the Gospel is simply, “Believe in Jesus and you will go to heaven when you die”? Why or why not?
In some cases, it may be true that “half a loaf is better than none.” But not with the Gospel. We need to know what God intended for us when He sent His Son to die. Believing the Gospel for the wrong reasons is nearly as bad as not believing it at all. Order your copy of The Gospel of the Kingdom by going to the website of The Fellowship of Ailbe. www.ailbe.org.
T. M. Moore
