Читать книгу The Impossible Gospel - Joel Collison - Страница 4

Before we tackle the subject of errors that have crept into the gospel, we will discuss what the gospel is. It is very simply and clearly written in the Bible. The gospel tells us what is required to go to Heaven. Because God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (II Peter 3:9, more on that in the second chapter), He wrote down very clearly what is required for us to go to Heaven.

The gospel, which means good news, actually starts with bad news, and the news gets worse before it gets better. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Now most people do not have trouble admitting that they have done something wrong. In fact, I can only think of two people I have talked to who have thought they were perfect. But just in case you are like those two people, I will prove to you that you are not perfect.

The book of I John was written to people who were already saved. In I John chapter 1, it deals specifically with the fact that saved people still sin. It also talks about confessing our sin, which I will explain more thoroughly in the third chapter. I John 1:8-10 says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

Here, John is telling born-again people that if they say they do not sin, they are deceiving themselves. People cannot somehow achieve perfection because we have a sin nature that is in us from the day we are conceived to the day we die.

To prove we are sinners, God gave us His law. He has many, many laws, but we will just look at what we know as the Ten Commandments. Now, I don’t know how many people have told me that they are going to Heaven because they obey the Ten Commandments. Honestly, most of them could not name the Ten Commandments. Here is the list for you so you can see if you have honestly obeyed all Ten Commandments. (Exodus 20)

1. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.

2. Thou shalt not make nor bow down and worship graven images.

3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

5. Honor thy father and thy mother.

6. Thou shalt not kill.

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

8. Thou shalt not steal.

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness.

10. Thou shalt not covet.

Jesus said that if you have ever lusted after a woman, you have committed adultery in your heart. (Matthew 5:28) If you have ever hated, you have committed murder in your heart. Can you honestly say that you have never lied? I could just ask your parents or teachers and find a different answer. I know that you cannot say you have never coveted. Now, the clincher is in the book of James. James 2:10 says, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” Later, James 4:17 says, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

Enough on that point, I hope you realize you are not perfect. If you don’t, you have no hope. Jesus came to save sinners, not perfect people. Now the news that we are sinners is bad, but not as bad as Romans 6:23a. “For the wages of sin is death,…” Death means separation. Physical death is the separation of the body and soul. Spiritual death is separation from God. When you were born, you were already spiritually dead because of your sin. If you die in that condition, you will be separated from God for all eternity. Sadly, that means you will spend eternity in Hell.

That is the condition we are in. We are born in sin, and because of our sin, we have earned death - eternity in the lake of fire. Because God is a just God, He must punish sin. He cannot let sin go unpunished. If He allowed people to go to Heaven with their sin, sin would enter Heaven, and Heaven would no longer be perfect. Revelation 21:27 says, “And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” I told you the news got worse, but it is not hopeless.

In Ephesians 2:8-9 it says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Because of the condition we are in, we cannot do anything to earn our Salvation. This is a key doctrine to interpreting Scripture. We cannot be good enough to impress God. All the works we do cannot make a holy and just God allow us into Heaven. Why? Because works are not a payment for sin, only death is.

Now, the good news is God, Who is holy and just, is also love. He loves us so much that despite all the evils we have done, He still wants us to go to Heaven. Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

You see, because the wages of sin is death, the only way we could go to Heaven is if our sin was paid for by DEATH. That was the whole reason why Christ came to earth. He became a man so He could die. II Corinthians 5:21 says, “For he (God) hath made him (Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

When Christ was on the cross, He became our sin, causing His own spiritual death. He was separated from His Father. That’s why He said, “Father, why hast thou forsaken me?” Then he died physically. Remember, our sins are on Him. When He died and shed His blood, our sin debt was paid. Three days later, He rose again, proving He was God and defeating death! Because our sins are paid for, there is nothing that separates us from Him in Heaven.

The only thing required for us to go to Heaven is to accept this payment on the cross. If we reject it, then we will still pay for our sins ourselves. If we accept it by believing Christ did that for us, He will give us everlasting life. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Because we are given everlasting life (something that never ends), at the moment of Salvation, we can know for sure we are going to Heaven when we die. I John 5:13 says, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

Once you are saved, you will go to Heaven no matter what choices you make after you accept Christ. This is very controversial, so I will spend some time defending it. It all goes back to, “Are you saved because of what you do, or because of what Christ did?” It can’t be both. Here’s why. Romans 11:6 says, "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."

If you were saved by grace, something you do not deserve, then you can’t add works to it. Working for something is earning it. YOU CAN’T EARN SOMETHING YOU DO NOT DESERVE! So the two cannot be combined. Also, Ephesians 2:8-9 says that it is “Not of works,” so that means you can only be saved by ALL GRACE. Just like you can’t be saved by your works, you cannot stay saved because of your works. In fact your works are as “filthy rags.” (Isaiah 64:6) The best you have to offer is dirty before God. How are your dirty works supposed to keep you saved?

Alright, now we are getting into the exciting verses about eternal security. The gospel does not make sense if you don’t believe you are secure in Christ. In John, Christ talks about security in God quite often. For instance, in chapter 6, Christ says in verses 37-39, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.” Then in verse 47, Christ said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”

Everlasting life cannot end. If you already own (hath) everlasting life, you cannot lose it, or else it was not really everlasting life. If you don’t always have it, it is temporary life. If you can lose it because of bad behavior, it is probationary life. God says that He will not cast out anyone, and promises that everyone who comes to Him in faith, will not be lost, but be raised up in the last day. This is a promise from God with no strings attached. Titus 1:2 says, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.”

Furthermore, Christ says in John 10:28-29, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”

When talking to Nicodemus, Christ often referred to becoming born again. When you are born the first time, that is permanent. You are your parents’ child. When you are born again, you are God’s child. You cannot be unborn, and you cannot be unborn again!

These are just a few of the verses in John that talk about being secure in your Salvation. Here are other references from the New Testament I encourage you to look up.

I Peter 1:4-5

Ephesians 1:13-14 (more on that in the seventh chapter)

Romans 4:5

I Corinthians 3:13-15 (more on that in the fifth chapter)

Hebrews 10:17-18

I Peter 1:23

God has made this very clear in His Word because it is important that we understand Christ paid for every sin, past, present, and future. If Christ paid for all of our sins 2,000 years ago, then all of our sins at that time were future. Why would He only pay for some of our sins, and make us pay for the rest? If that was so, the payment we would pay would still be death. WORKS ARE NOT A PAYMENT FOR SIN.

Where is Salvation in this message? "Christ paid for most of your sins when He died, leaving only a few for you to pay. That payment is still death, eternal separation from God in the lake of fire, but hey, it could’ve been worse if Christ didn’t pay for any of your sins.” That is not Salvation! Christ had to pay for all sin, or else there would be no point in Him dying at all. We cannot expect our service to God to help contribute to our Salvation. This is why we can know Christ did it all.

I John 5:20, “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”