Robert Pate
Member
I have been studying the Gospel for over 50 years. I didn't learn the Gospel on my own, I learned it from some of the most prominent Christian scholars of our time. The Gospel of Jesus Christ calls all religious thought into question. It also calls all religious denominations into question. The Gospel is one hundred percent compatible with Paul's epistles and his New Covenant theology. You can know the truth and the truth can set you free.
All of the apostles were Jewish and had been influence by Judaism which is a law-based religion. This is very evident in the book of James. The book of James is more Jewish than it is Christian, perhaps this is why the book of James was directed to law keeping Jews, James 1:1. Paul was the only apostle that really understood the Gospel and justification by faith, mainly because Paul had received his Gospel directly from Jesus, Galatians 1:11-12.
Before one can understand the Gospel they will have to understand that God never did want his people to live by laws, rules and religion. The law serves several different purposes. The reason that Jesus taught the law is because it convicts of sin. "Love your enemies. Do good to those that persecute you. Turn the other cheek. Pluck out your eye if you lust. Go the extra mile. Give to him that asks of you, Bless them that curse you. No surprise that 8,000 Jews became Christians on the day of Pentecost. They had been following Jesus around listening to him preach the law. The only ones that should teach the law are those that can keep it, all the rest are hypocrites.
God requires two things for the salvation of fallen man.
1. A life of perfect obedience according to his Holy Law.
2. A perfect atonement for man's sins and the sins of the whole world.
That's it, nothing else is required. The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus in our name and on our behalf, has perfectly met both of these requirements. Jesus is God's new Adam and the representative of the human race.
"Therefore, as by the offence of one (Adam) judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one (Christ) the FREE GIFT came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience (Adam) many were MADE sinners, so by the obedience of one (Christ) shall many be MADE righteous" Romans 5:18-19.
Please note that I capitalized the word "MADE". We did not become sinners, we were MADE sinners. Adam was the first representative of the human race. When Adam sinned all of humanity sinned with him. When Adam fell, we fell with him, Romans 6:6. There is nothing, absolutely nothing that one can do to reverse this. We are all sinners without works. The solution to man's problem is not to be found in religion or being predestinated. We are called to live our lives before God as sinners, saved sinners, Romans 3:10.
The solution to man's fallen condition is in the doing and the dying of Jesus Christ. When Jesus lived, we lived in him. When we first accepted Jesus as our savior, we were baptized into Christ, Romans 6:3. God now sees his people as perfect and complete "In Christ" Colossians 2:10. We cannot be any better than what we are "In Christ". Christ is our righteousness. In the judgment the only righteousness that God is going to accept is the righteousness of Christ. If God does not see us as perfect and complete "In Christ" we will perish.
Paul wrote to the Colossians, "For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God" Colossians 3:3. Don't get to hung up on your Christian life. The life that we live now is the life that has been crucified with Christ. Our real lives are hid with Christ in God. Many are offended by this scripture, because they think that they can perfect their flesh. Not going to happen. When God accepted Jesus back into heaven we were accepted in him. If God saw us as we are now, he would have to judge us. I am happy to be dead "In Christ".
All of the apostles were Jewish and had been influence by Judaism which is a law-based religion. This is very evident in the book of James. The book of James is more Jewish than it is Christian, perhaps this is why the book of James was directed to law keeping Jews, James 1:1. Paul was the only apostle that really understood the Gospel and justification by faith, mainly because Paul had received his Gospel directly from Jesus, Galatians 1:11-12.
Before one can understand the Gospel they will have to understand that God never did want his people to live by laws, rules and religion. The law serves several different purposes. The reason that Jesus taught the law is because it convicts of sin. "Love your enemies. Do good to those that persecute you. Turn the other cheek. Pluck out your eye if you lust. Go the extra mile. Give to him that asks of you, Bless them that curse you. No surprise that 8,000 Jews became Christians on the day of Pentecost. They had been following Jesus around listening to him preach the law. The only ones that should teach the law are those that can keep it, all the rest are hypocrites.
God requires two things for the salvation of fallen man.
1. A life of perfect obedience according to his Holy Law.
2. A perfect atonement for man's sins and the sins of the whole world.
That's it, nothing else is required. The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus in our name and on our behalf, has perfectly met both of these requirements. Jesus is God's new Adam and the representative of the human race.
"Therefore, as by the offence of one (Adam) judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one (Christ) the FREE GIFT came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience (Adam) many were MADE sinners, so by the obedience of one (Christ) shall many be MADE righteous" Romans 5:18-19.
Please note that I capitalized the word "MADE". We did not become sinners, we were MADE sinners. Adam was the first representative of the human race. When Adam sinned all of humanity sinned with him. When Adam fell, we fell with him, Romans 6:6. There is nothing, absolutely nothing that one can do to reverse this. We are all sinners without works. The solution to man's problem is not to be found in religion or being predestinated. We are called to live our lives before God as sinners, saved sinners, Romans 3:10.
The solution to man's fallen condition is in the doing and the dying of Jesus Christ. When Jesus lived, we lived in him. When we first accepted Jesus as our savior, we were baptized into Christ, Romans 6:3. God now sees his people as perfect and complete "In Christ" Colossians 2:10. We cannot be any better than what we are "In Christ". Christ is our righteousness. In the judgment the only righteousness that God is going to accept is the righteousness of Christ. If God does not see us as perfect and complete "In Christ" we will perish.
Paul wrote to the Colossians, "For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God" Colossians 3:3. Don't get to hung up on your Christian life. The life that we live now is the life that has been crucified with Christ. Our real lives are hid with Christ in God. Many are offended by this scripture, because they think that they can perfect their flesh. Not going to happen. When God accepted Jesus back into heaven we were accepted in him. If God saw us as we are now, he would have to judge us. I am happy to be dead "In Christ".