What is the Simplest Definition of the Gospel?

What is the best definition of the gospel that is one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity hi this is Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. You can call us right now with your question. At 833. The core that's 1-833-843-2673.

Our phone lines will be open for the next 25 minutes or so. So give us a call right now. If you have a question.

You can also post your question on her Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts. You can watch us live on YouTube and messages that way and you can email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to a question we received via voicemail with 2220. How is it it is argument for the resurrection. Great question that I really want to just get the context here a little bit.

Matthew chapter 22 beginning in verse 2300 read the passage because I think that there is a principle of Bible interpretation here that is really important for you to grasp for all of us to grasp it and it's just how we basically receive God's word and trust in what God has said so Jesus is in this dispute.

We read in Matthew 22 verse 23, the same day Sadducees came to him who say there is no resurrection. They asked him a question saying teacher, Moses said if a man dies. Having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died and having no offspring left is his wife to his brother. So to the second and third down to the seventh after them all. The woman died in the resurrection. Therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be for they all had her in that the Sadducees here think gotcha Jesus yes you knocking to be able to answer this one, and our Lord responds in verse 29.

You are wrong because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God for the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the resurrection of the dead have you not read what was said to you by God, I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob is not the God of the dead, but of the living. And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching, so as a text tells the very beginning there. The Sadducees do not believe in the resurrection that they didn't believe in the resurrection of the dead and they actually only received as authoritative. The first five books of the Old Testament so that they treated that as their quote unquote canon of holy Scripture, God's revelation and they felt like hey when you read the first five books of the Old Testament. You don't really hear anything about the resurrection of the dead. And so Jesus actually appealing to the. The book of Exodus. He goes to Exodus chapter 3 the burning bush passage sort of guy you know their own playing field. Appealing to the text that date they received it as God's word. The appeals that text.

Any any proves the resurrection of the dead from that passage, and there left astounded in the way he proves it is is God's words to Moses were the Lord God said, speaking to Moses, I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob is not the God of the dead, but of the living in Jesus's point there is those patriarchs had long since died.

And yet God speaking to Moses said, I am there.

God, in other words, that there there is still around, they still exist there. The living and because they are the living they will be raised from the dead. Our bodies are are just like this accidental part of us.

Our bodies are are who we are and because they were living they needed to be there was going to be a resurrection of the death of Jesus proves by what we call good and necessary consequence, the resurrection of the dead, and this was the point I wanted to make it's not just those those verses in Scripture that the fort or those doctrines that are clearly set out in Scripture, the sort of get a proof text type theology, will you give me a verse for that but also those things in Scripture which can be determined by good and necessary consequence. Jesus hereby good and necessary consequence tells the Sadducees you should believe in the resurrection of the dead. Because God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the God of the living as a Jew is really informing here how we read the Bible even how we understand and do theology and that's why it's so important, he proves the resurrection from the book of Exodus. Thank you for that question. Just also goes to highlight how important this doctrine is the doctrine of the resurrection. Great response. Thank you so much for that Israel.

This is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez. Our phone lines are open right now.

If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life appears the number to call its 833-843-2673 you want to spell it on your phone is 833 the poor Matthew in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Matthew what your question for Pastor Israel. Her I wanted the Oregon book. I had not been there. Now, I accept. I just wanted to so to me on the phone. My wife left me recently really hard know where we are supposed to go to be Christian, and I don't understand where I went wrong. I don't understand where you know where will you know we have two kids there now affected by what can I do as a Christian to still be a good father and I run out seem to be somewhat amicable to my use. Not doing the same to me and I don't know you can answer that question, but you can take us to have read well when I wanted to see Matthews.

I want to pray for you brother with everything you have going on right now we can't control what other people do and and you're not responsible for the actions of another person. The summit I don't know the ins and outs of your marriage of this situation i.e. I can't speak to it specifically because of that, but I can't say that you have to take responsibility for for your own actions for your family to continue to draw near to the Lord in the midst of this very very difficult time to receive the comfort that Jesus gives two broken people with our with you know, the ways in which were hurt by people outside of us in the ways in which we contribute to those things through our own sin to take all of that Matthew to Jesus and to look to him and you know there are circumstances in life that we experience that are are beyond our ability beyond our strength enough. Sometimes people say God is never any more than you can handle.

And that's just a lie. That's not true. There are times in life where we experience more than we can handle in our own strength in sound like you're in in one of those times right now and so you have to rely on the Lord and II hope that you have some some brothers, a Christian community around you that you can also go to and receive encouragement from but but I would say you know right now focusing on what you can do as a father and as a Christian. If there are ways in which you have hurt your spouse or send against her being honest and confessing those things before her and before the Lord and and just continuing to do the things you know God calls you to do because you be a part of Christian community cause you to draw near to him in prayer.

He calls you to love her and to love your children and and brother, by the grace of the Holy Spirit. He can be and will be with you when you look to him and so let me pray for you right now. Father, we lift Matthew up to right now, Lord, you know the situation you know everything that's going on here.

I pray that you would give him clarity that you would help them to know what he needs to do, how we should live, how you should continue to care for his family and and especially his children. I do pray for his children.

Lord, that in the midst of the whirlwind that that the family is experiencing right now that the light of your countenance would shine upon them that they would not be driven further away from you, but that they would draw near to you in this time experiencing Lord God in your presence the comfort of your Holy Spirit, the wisdom God that that we desperately need in situations like these, would you please give him and his family wisdom.

Lord, thank you that you promise to give wisdom to all those who ask in faith, and so we pray right now in faith for wisdom for guidance for healing, Lord God, whether needs to be healing.

And I pray for my brother Lord God that he would have the strength to draw near to you not to sink down into despair but in this situation with brokenness with sin, with whatever is going on, Lord God, that he would lift his eyes to you that he would experience gracious God in the presence and the love of your son Jesus in whose name we pray. Amen I meant Matthew we will continue to pray for you.

Obviously, this is such a difficult situation and we know that God will be with you through this whole process. This is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez saw the number to call if you have a question for us 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 let's go to Larry in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma hi Larry, what's your question for Pastor Israel. My brother Matt. Father all thanks Larry what you want. Thank you. My question is someone I respect and record watch. They came up with Old Testament eight that would not include dry and so I just got your baking for BLTs today what you have left over is still part of the Old Testament that is seated by or how should I address that you know what you shouldn't eat that baking. You should package it and send it to me. I get off your hands. We know it is a good question because people read these laws in the Old Testament associated. I think with the ceremonial rituals under the old covenant and the site. Hey, well, you know you're not supposed to, you know, eat shellfish or eat bacon that kind of thing but but that was for the people of God under the old covenant you go to a place like the book of acts in acts chapter 10.

There's this vision that Peter has accepted 10 verse nine the next day as they were on their journey in approaching the city. Peter went up on the roof on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray and he became hungry and wanted something to eat. But while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending being let down by its four corners upon the earth.

In it, were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air and there came a voice from heaven to him rise, Peter kill and eat what Peter said by no means Lord, for I have never eaten anything unclean or common, and the voice came to him again a second time what God has made clean. Do not call common. This happened three times in the thing was taken up to heaven at once. So God gives Peter this vision. He really has to emphasize it three times right it really it primarily referred to what week we call the Gentile inclusion that God was now welcoming the Gentile people into his covenant family under the new covenant, but there are also other implications there and and I did what the implications is that those those old ceremonial laws.

It really made that the people of God, distinct from the nations of the world, you know, not eating certain things. Those things are now abolished.

Now that the gates are open, that the people the nations of the world are flooding into the church. There a part of the covenant family of God.

And so we don't abide by those old dietary laws. Those old covenant laws you see in the Old Testament. Now there's there's freedom in Christ to enjoy a BLT and I hope you do enjoy a BLT later today. Oh my goodness.

And maybe a dodger dog once in a while. Yes, this is core Christianity with faster Israel Sanchez by the way, we have a wonderful new book that we would like to offer you is something that a drill actually read recently and it really does talk about God's heart for us through Jesus and want to get this this resource in your hand, it's Dane Ortman's book gentle and lowly.

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It helps you understand who Jesus is and his love for you is love for you even though you're a sinner, even though you struggle even though you suffer and we need that we we all struggle we all suffer in different ways.

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The core let's go to a voicemail that we received from one of our callers named Linda is very quick and clear definition of the gospel. I feel like I get a different answer or emphasis depending on what church or Christian.

I asked think you hi Linda, thank you for that question. You know what I want to get to the heart of what someone believes all asked them that question when a group of people believe will say what is the gospel. Tell me what the gospel is that it's important for us to be able to articulate the gospel in simple ways in ways that are clear. I really gets to the heart of the matter and the first thing I would say is the gospel is a message throughout the New Testament, you have people proclaiming the gospel preaching the gospel over and over again in the Gospels in the book of acts and the epistles that word gospel is often attached to the word preach proclaiming something that we share. It's a message. The word gospel means good news. It's an announcement that we make and it's an announcement that focuses on Jesus and his redeeming life.

His work for us and central to that work is his cross that I think about what the apostle Paul said in places like first Corinthians 1st Corinthians chapter 1 beginning in verse 17. Listen to what Paul said. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel. There you have it. It's it's a bit the message not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power for the word of the cross and the word of the cross.

There's parallel to the gospel toward the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God to heal puzzled look. I was sent by God to preach the gospel and central to the gospel is the cross of Jesus Christ. What he did there on the cross for our sins and serve sounds a lot like what Paul says elsewhere and in the book of Romans. In Romans chapter 1 verse 16. Paul said, I am not ashamed of the gospel board is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also the Greek it's the powerful message of salvation found in what Jesus Christ is done.

Central to that is the cross but it also includes that the whole life of Jesus, including his resurrection. The resurrection is key and is give you one more passage of Scripture here. It's in first Corinthians chapter 15 is the go to text for a summary of the gospel first Corinthian 15 verse one.

I would remind you, brothers of the gospel I preached to you, which you received in which you stand and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain to what is that gospel message that he preached I delivered to you as a first importance what I also received that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

The gospel is the powerful message or good news of what God is accomplished in his son Jesus Christ to save sinners to bring them into fellowship with the trying God. I think that's that's a real simple definition. There's more that can be said because it that there there also other complexities that we could get into it but really at the core. It's it's what Jesus did to forgive us to redeem us from our sin so that we might have communion with him. Good news, no drill.

We often talk about the importance of choosing a good church and unfortunately there are many churches in today's world that have moved away from the gospel and they just find the gospel in a in a very different way.

Yeah. And I mean this is at the heart of Christianity. And so if you're a part of a church that rejects the gospel, or you know you say what's the gospel and they don't point you to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, but maybe do something that you do or something else like that. I would say that's it.

That's a really big issue be in churches where the gospel is fatefully proclaimed and where it's not defined as something that you do but what God did for you in his son Jesus, so that you might have eternal life. A man by the way, we have a core question on that topic. How do I choose a church if you go to core Christianity.com/questions just look for that one. How do I choose a church. Let's go to Mary in Nashville, Tennessee Mary, what's your question for Pastor Israel will shadow and appreciate the hard questions in step three regarding like any kind of touched on it yesterday and Michelle about one like a pastor bails morally and protecting the flock, or when looking from creditors and my question today is an out term like international person. Now that preaches and teaches how to defend really, in my estimation spot on.

After he passed away.

All of these really heinous accusations and whatnot come out now and my question indeed throw the baby out with the bathwater because the morality doesn't mean maybe they were making great arguments for the resurrection and giving no wonderful proofs for the existence of God and and whatnot, and that that's still true.

I you know there was a debate in the ancient church about whether or not pastors and ministers who had lapsed had fallen away under persecution if their baptisms were were legitimate. You know, do the people were baptized by this particular person do they need to get baptized again because it seems like maybe they didn't really truly have faith they fell away they turned away in persecution what the church the ancient church that is not know that the efficacy the power is in the word of God, not in the holiness of the individual and so a person can make really good arguments and and even have very clear Bible teaching and yet fall in a terrible way, or even not really be a believer maybe they're an imposter and so that that's that's true, but I think that one of the reasons why so many times you know something like this happens we just a look let's not even go to that anymore is because there's a sense of the sort of well being poisoned and there's this great contradiction. I like how can a person believe these things and preach these things and yet have this this double life. I dedicate one of the reasons why Paul writing that the Corinthians as you and I discipline my body less after having preach to others, I myself should be disqualified.

It really hurts the church. It gives the church a black eye and it is so many people are wounded by and in terrible ways by you know what what these what these prominent leaders have done because they there was distrust that was built and the net trust was betrayed and so I think beat because of that, you know it's it's painful for people to continue to to listen to and to promote those leaders as best I think it's unhelpful.

II wouldn't I wouldn't promote that individuals teaching simply because in one sense it's this great contradiction and I think a lot of times it can bring more reproach on the church. There are other faithful teachers were making just as good of arguments who are living in line with what what it is that they preach and proclaim, and so I think those ones should be the ones who are being in a quote on quote showcased and and so yeah so but but as you say you know it.

It's not that that what they said was now all of a sudden false but they lived in such a way that they open the door for people to call the truth of God into question because it seems like they themselves maybe didn't even believe it. And that's one of the challenging things we we struggle with, and that we see around us today. So pray friends for your for your leaders pray for your pastor, for God's protection. Pray for yourself as well because as Paul says in enough first Corinthians. Again, let let him do thinks he stands take heed lest he fall Israel what about the emotional impact that that has on believers who have let's say really follow someone for a long time they have fully trusted them. They have you to purchase their books, listen other radio programs and then they have been the feeling of betrayal oftentimes that can cause a person to want to abandon the faith. I've seen it happen. Bill.

It's heartbreaking. I've seen I've seen whole groups of people just turn away from the church into the faith because of what some Christian leader did or how that maybe it wasn't neo-sexual sin or financial sometimes even just the coercive of Dom domineering behavior. I think God that we have Jesus Christ, the chief Shepherd who is perfect wholly gentle good and who died to cover our sins. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers in the menu or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833 when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time.

As we explore the truth of God's word together