How is this possible?!
Jesus Christ is the Lord God who came from heaven proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom. Obviously, He knows it best. It is His Gospel. He preached it. He lived it. He Himself is it!
No one actually claims to know the Gospel better than Jesus, of course. Yet, Christians sometimes take these three approaches to the Bible and life that make it look like they do.
Some Add to the Gospel
One approach is to add information or requirements to the message Jesus preached. But, what He actually preached is infallibly preserved in the four accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Listen and make careful comparison.
Many people like to read between the lines and add information that is not in the biblical text. They often assume certain motivations on the part of biblical characters in order to reach a particular pre-conceived conclusion about a matter.
But even more often, people read their own experiences and desires into the Bible. They find their own guidelines that they think should be in the Bible in order to generate greater holiness among God’s people. Such impositions are one form of legalism.
Some Subtract from the Gospel
The second approach is the opposite. Sometimes people overlook or conveniently leave out the uncomfortable parts of the Gospel message, because it is personally difficult or it is embarrassing to have to put forth in their society.
But even more often, people seek to reinterpret passages in order to keep certain parts of their lives untouched, even though the Holy Spirit is convicting them otherwise. One tell-tale sign is the length of time and amount of reasoning it takes to persuade other Christians of their view. Such detractions are one form of libertinism.
We can trust God with His Word. God didn’t leave anything out, nor add anything unnecessary. It is perfect exactly the way it is.
Some Distort the Gospel
This is either great arrogance or even greater stupidity. That is to think that the message and will of the Lord Jesus Christ is only contained in those four books, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. This is a more serious form or subtraction.
Some want to pit the Bible against itself and discount anything and everything Jesus isn’t recorded as saying, denoted by red letters. This is to throw away God’s Word and its clarity and authority in our lives.
Jesus Christ is the eternal God, the second person of the One Triune God. The will and intent of God is unified. And so the Holy Spirit wrote it all in concurrence with the Father and the Son. In a very real sense Jesus wrote the whole Bible.
Cherish the Word
It is disappointing to say the least, to hear Christians reason in ways that exalt themselves above God and His Word, thinking they actually know the Gospel better than Jesus. It is not that difficult to understand.
These words of Moses to the Israelites are later quoted by the Apostle Paul about the Gospel in his letter to the Christians in Rome:
Jesus Christ is the Lord God who came from heaven proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom. Obviously, He knows it best. It is His Gospel. He preached it. He lived it. He Himself is it!
No one actually claims to know the Gospel better than Jesus, of course. Yet, Christians sometimes take these three approaches to the Bible and life that make it look like they do.
Some Add to the Gospel
One approach is to add information or requirements to the message Jesus preached. But, what He actually preached is infallibly preserved in the four accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Listen and make careful comparison.
Many people like to read between the lines and add information that is not in the biblical text. They often assume certain motivations on the part of biblical characters in order to reach a particular pre-conceived conclusion about a matter.
But even more often, people read their own experiences and desires into the Bible. They find their own guidelines that they think should be in the Bible in order to generate greater holiness among God’s people. Such impositions are one form of legalism.
Some Subtract from the Gospel
The second approach is the opposite. Sometimes people overlook or conveniently leave out the uncomfortable parts of the Gospel message, because it is personally difficult or it is embarrassing to have to put forth in their society.
But even more often, people seek to reinterpret passages in order to keep certain parts of their lives untouched, even though the Holy Spirit is convicting them otherwise. One tell-tale sign is the length of time and amount of reasoning it takes to persuade other Christians of their view. Such detractions are one form of libertinism.
We can trust God with His Word. God didn’t leave anything out, nor add anything unnecessary. It is perfect exactly the way it is.
Some Distort the Gospel
This is either great arrogance or even greater stupidity. That is to think that the message and will of the Lord Jesus Christ is only contained in those four books, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. This is a more serious form or subtraction.
Some want to pit the Bible against itself and discount anything and everything Jesus isn’t recorded as saying, denoted by red letters. This is to throw away God’s Word and its clarity and authority in our lives.
Jesus Christ is the eternal God, the second person of the One Triune God. The will and intent of God is unified. And so the Holy Spirit wrote it all in concurrence with the Father and the Son. In a very real sense Jesus wrote the whole Bible.
Cherish the Word
It is disappointing to say the least, to hear Christians reason in ways that exalt themselves above God and His Word, thinking they actually know the Gospel better than Jesus. It is not that difficult to understand.
These words of Moses to the Israelites are later quoted by the Apostle Paul about the Gospel in his letter to the Christians in Rome:
Deuteronomy 30:11–14 ESV ““For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.”We cannot improve upon the Gospel, upon the Bible. Instead, we ought to cherish the Word as God’s holy Word to us, for true knowledge of Him and true instruction for our lives.
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