Lesson 380 - Senior

Memory Verse

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion,  Thy God reigneth!" (Isaiah 52:7).

Cross References

I The Gospel

1. Paul is divinely called and separated unto the Gospel of God, [ROM:1:1], [ROM:1:5-6]; [ROM:15:16]; [ACT:9:15]; [GAL:1:1]; [1TM:1:1].

2. The Old Testament Scriptures foretold the Gospel, [ROM:1:2]; [ACT:26:6]; [GAL:3:8]; [TIT:1:2].

3. Jesus Christ was made of the seed of David according to the flesh and declared to be the Son of God according to the spirit of holiness, [ROM:1:3-6]; [LUK:1:32]; [JHN:1:14]; [GAL:4:4].

4. Paul sends greetings to the church at Rome and commends their faith, [ROM:1:7-8].

5. He longs to see them face to face and preach the Gospel to them at Rome, [ROM:1:9-15]; [ACT:20:24]; [EPH:6:18-20].

6. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one who believes, [ROM:1:16-17]; [MAK:8:38]; [1CO:1:18]; [1TS:1:5]; [2TM:1:8].

7. The ministry of Jesus Christ was foretold by Isaiah and Saint Matthew, [ISA:52:7]; [ISA:61:1-3]; [MAT:4:23-25].

Notes

Christ's Gospel

The Gospel of the Son of God is THE GOSPEL. It is the only Gospel that has life in it, and the only Gospel that can produce life. It came from Heaven and was sent from God to destroy sin in the lives of sinful men. In Jesus was life and the "life was the light of men." Paul, in writing to the Galatians, said, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you . . . let him be accursed." There are many religions in the world but only one true Gospel.

Paul was divinely called and commissioned to carry the Gospel to the Gentiles. He had preached in Asia and in some part of Europe but up to this time had not been privileged to carry the Gospel to Rome. He expresses a desire to have some fruit among them as well as among other Gentile nations. He says, "I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also."

The Whosoever Will

Paul makes it very plain in this Epistle to the Romans that God puts no difference between the Jew and the Gentile. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God, but in Christ Jesus all can come to Jesus, repent and forsake their sins, be born again and partake of His holiness. The "whosoever will" may come from every race, creed, and colour.

It was a day of glad tidings to a lost world when God sealed the covenant between Himself and mankind by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. The whole world could go free. It was not a covenant with the Jews only, but with all nations.

The Nicene Creed

The Gospel comprises the whole doctrine as taught and practised by Jesus, as well as the history of His incarnation, birth, preaching, miracles, sufferings, death, resurrection, ascension, and the mission of the Holy Spirit.

The doctrine of the Incarnation as adopted by the Ancient Church is so concisely and impressively expressed by the Nicene Creed of A.D. 325, that we feel like repeating part of it here. "We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made, who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from Heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the virgin Mary, and was made man." Much truth is expressed in those few words.

The Divine Son of God

That Jesus was the divine Son of God was attested to by both believers and unbelievers. As Jesus hung on the cross the centurion and those watching with him said, "Truly this was the Son of God" [MAT:27:54]). When the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to take Jesus, they came back without Him but had this testimony, "Never man spake like this man" [JHN:7:46]). John, the beloved disciple, wrote these words: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" [JHN:1:1]).

Angels declared Jesus to be the Son of God. In [LUK:1:30];[LUK:1:31], the angel Gabriel said: "Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David."

When John the Baptist baptised Jesus in the river Jordan, God Himself spoke right out of Heaven and said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" [MAT:3:17]).

Paul speaks about the Gospel of God, "which he had promised afore by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures." These prophecies were folded up in the Old Testament and unfurled in the New, bringing into the world a more perfect and glorious state of things.

Repentance

The first sermons recorded in the New Testament were on repentance. John the Baptist preached repentance, and so did Jesus. That has been the theme of evangelistic preaching from that day unto this.

We speak of God's message of salvation as the "Old-Time Gospel." It has been many centuries since Jesus proclaimed it along the shore of Galilee and from the hilltops of Judea. Though old, it is ever new and as fresh as when it was first brought down from Heaven to men. Saints and sages have sung its praises, and its refrain will re-echo throughout eternity.

"'Tis the grandest theme through the ages rung;

'Tis the grandest theme for a mortal tongue;

'Tis the grandest theme that the world e'er sung,

'Our God is able to deliver thee.'"

The Resurrection

The devil has sponsored many religions, but nothing that could in any way touch the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the first, last, and only Gospel that has power in it.

His resurrection has never been duplicated. Men have denied it, scoffed at it, and tried to prove it was a farce; but it remains an established fact that Jesus arose from the grave.

Paul wanted to impress upon the Corinthian church the fact of the Gospel and the resurrection, and he wrote these words: "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; . . . For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: after that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time" [1CO:15:1], [1CO:15:3-8]).

It was preaching the resurrection that brought Paul most of his persecutions for the Gospel, but he stood fearless and firm in his conviction that he had seen the Lord. How do we know that Jesus is alive? Because He lives in our heart.

A Mutilated Gospel

Never has the Gospel been so much mutilated as it is in these days. The very heart of it is being attacked by those who should be proclaiming its truths.

The divinity of Jesus Christ, the virgin birth, His atoning death, His resurrection and ascension, and His coming back again are all being denied by "atheists" in the pulpit. To them Jesus was a mere man and not the divine Son of God. The Revised Standard Version of the Bible deviates from the fundamental translations in many vital passages. The King James Translation of God's Holy Word is still the Bible for those who love the truth.

The Gospel in Action

Matthew tells how Jesus demonstrated the power of the Gospel as He went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and disease among the people. He heard the cry of poor, blind Bartimæus. He listened to the call of the leper, and put forth His hand and touched him and made him clean. There were none too poor, too low, or too diseased but that He had compassion upon them.

The Gospel of Peace

The world is weary and sick of war. The people want peace. But their eyes are blinded to the real source of peace. They are looking for an earthly leader to appear to restore a chaotic world to normalcy. One day peace will reign. But it will be when Jesus comes back and takes the government upon His own shoulders. "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea" [ISA:11:9]).

There seemed to be two kinds of messengers among the Jews. One bore good tidings and the other evil. They were known among the people so that when they saw the messenger coming they knew what kind of tidings he was bringing. Isaiah got a glimpse of the messenger of peace, and exclaimed: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that published salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reingeth!" [ISA:52:7]). May we be messengers of peace to a sinful world.

Questions

1. How many Gospels are there?

2. Who are included in this great plan of salvation?

3. Why did Paul long to go to Rome?

4. Tell what the Gospel will do for people.

5. Describe the different kings of messengers.

6. What kind of tidings do you bear?

7. What about the Revised Standard Version of the Bible?

8. What brought Paul's heaviest persecutions?