What the Gospel is and is not...

The gospel is NOT:

• therapy.
• God having a dream for your life.
• God having a plan for your life.
• casting a vision for your life or for church.
• having our best life now.
• having a purpose for our lives.
• becoming debt free.
• building and having healthy relationships.
• about getting rid of the 'Eeyore' mindset.
• making a decision for Christ.
• that we can be used by God.
• about being effective and successful.
• about being on mission for Jesus.
• having a better walk with Jesus.

The Gospel is:

• Christ and Him crucified for our sins.
• All the world being redeemed by Christ's shed blood on the cross.
• It is Jesus and His work for us.
• Christ and His victory over sin, death, and the devil.

The Gospel has being truly hijacked by much of the 'Church.'  I hear so many sermons about all the things we can do, need to do, ought to do, etc.  It is truly grating.  If we can do anything at all to please God on our own, then Christ's death on the cross was completely pointless, and He was nailed on it in vain.  It would be one thing if these sermons preached that we were sinners in need of God.  And His redemption of us leads us to good works.  But they do not do that.  These sermons are a form of paganism.  They teach what we can and should offer to God to earn His favor.  Sometimes subtly, sometimes overtly.

We are saved unto to good works.  Not the other way around.  We cannot appease God.  Our good works are as filthy rags.  His righteousness is perfect and is freely given to us.

May Christ give us eyes to see and ears to hear His true Word.  Christ have mercy on us. 

10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.   - Galatians 3:10-14