REPENTANCE IS A
COMMANDMENT,
NOT AN INVITATION
The gospel of the kingdom is a Christ-centered gospel. Somehow this is lost in all the appeals we hear to Jesus as My healer, My savior, and Jesus appeals to My interests. So the gospel has become today Me centered and for My benefit. If you want to read about the gospel of the kingdom of God, go back and read the verses that are not underlined in many Bibles. Take a long look at the 'hard sayings' and tough discipleship teachings of Jesus.
Lee Camp in his book Mere Discipleship speaks about the 'good news' of the gospel. God has come to reconcile all things to himself and as we enter into that heavenly kingdom on earth, we too become reconcilers, peace-makers, obedient servants who even love our enemies. And a central word throughout the whole Bible is the word repent. "Repentance means change, and without change, without deep, thorough going change, one could not enter and participate in the kingdom . . . The Gospel invites us to follow the way of Jesus, who embodies for us the way of the kingdom" (pp.72 & 74).
How do you define the gospel?
COMMANDMENT,
NOT AN INVITATION
The gospel of the kingdom is a Christ-centered gospel. Somehow this is lost in all the appeals we hear to Jesus as My healer, My savior, and Jesus appeals to My interests. So the gospel has become today Me centered and for My benefit. If you want to read about the gospel of the kingdom of God, go back and read the verses that are not underlined in many Bibles. Take a long look at the 'hard sayings' and tough discipleship teachings of Jesus.
Lee Camp in his book Mere Discipleship speaks about the 'good news' of the gospel. God has come to reconcile all things to himself and as we enter into that heavenly kingdom on earth, we too become reconcilers, peace-makers, obedient servants who even love our enemies. And a central word throughout the whole Bible is the word repent. "Repentance means change, and without change, without deep, thorough going change, one could not enter and participate in the kingdom . . . The Gospel invites us to follow the way of Jesus, who embodies for us the way of the kingdom" (pp.72 & 74).
How do you define the gospel?
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