The Gospel

Creation

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea

and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. But the serpent said , "You will not surely die". Either the serpent or God was lying! God said "IN THE DAY you eat you will die", and the serpent said "You will not die". Titus 1:2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies. Adam DIED the DAY he ate of the tree yet scripture says Adam lived 930 years, and then he died. So what's up? Adam died spiritually ON THAT DAY. Now, since God ordered that all things produce after their kind, Adam could not reproduce an immortal or spiritually alive offspring. So, 1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die. All the decedents of Adam are born spiritually dead and no man is born believing the Gospel. The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." To the woman God said, "I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you." And to Adam he said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return." The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. And Adam and Eve had sons, Cain and Able. Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground.

Promise

In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. The LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it." Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Cain did not "do well" because he offered the works of his own hands but Able offered what ONLY God can create, a living being. Just as God supplied the ANIMAL skins to Adam and Eve. This was the first sacrifice for man and it was made by God. This sacrifice "covered" man. God called a man by the name a Abraham, a gentile, and said "I WILL make my covenant with you. God promised that the blood line would bring forth the SEED, the redeemer and it would come through his son Isaac. God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you." And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here am I, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together. Notice the FAITH of Abraham even knowing that he was about to kill his son, he told the men to wait and he AND his son would return, even telling Isaac that God would provide a sacrifice. Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. God AGAIN furnished the sacrifice. And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, "By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. All the nations will be blessed through the SEED of Abraham. The promised SEED.

God's Law

Because of the transgressions of God's people, He gave them LAWS to obey. Through these LAWS they would come to know the Just and Holy God.

You shall have no other gods before me
Do not make a sculpted image or any likeness of what is in the heavens above
You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy
Honor your father and your mother
You shall not murder
You shall not commit adultery
You shall not steal
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor
You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Seems simple! Yet NO MAN can obey these LAWS. God knowing that man was unable to obey made a way to protect His people from His wrath. Wrath?? Yes WRATH. Remember God is a Just, Loving, and HOLY. God's way of protecting His people was through the means of a sacrifice. Innocent blood shed for the many stayed God's wrath upon them. Why? To protect them from Himself to bring forth the promised SEED. Examine yourself. The spiritually dead man can not love his fellow man. He can only attempt to survive and life is simply survival of the fittest. We steal, murder, and lie to survive. Our thoughts are selfish. Our motives are selfish. Have YOU ever lied? Then you are a liar, Stolen? Then you are a thief. Hated someone? Then you are a murderer according to God. Looked upon another with lust? Then you are an adulterer. Used God's name in an irreverent way? Then you are a blasphemer of God. So your a liar, a thief, a murder, an adulterer, and a God Blasphemer to say the least. You too have broken God's LAWS. Just as a person who speeds through a clearly marked school zone and strikes and kills a child must stand before a judge, so WILL you one day. Most judges have pronounced sentences on people that caused the judge to grieve. God does not take pleasure in the death of the lost. He too must pronounce sentence on YOU.

Prophecy of the Promised SEED

Prophecy	How Fulfilled	Fulfillment

1. Genesis 3:15	1. Would be the Seed of a Woman	1. Gal 4:4, Lk 2:7
2. Genesis 18:18	2. Promised Offspring of Abraham	2. Acts 3:25, Gal 3:16
3. Psalm 132:11, Jere.23:5	3. The Seed of David	3. Acts 13:23
4. Gen 49:10	4. Descend from the tribe of Judah	4. Matt. 1:2-3,Luke 3:33
5. Isaiah 9:7,11:1	5. The Heir to the throne of David	5. Matthew 1:1, 1:6
6. Micah 5:2	6. Place of Birth	6. Matt.2:1, Luke 2:4-7
7. Daniel 9:25	7. Time of Birth	7. Luke 2:1-2,2:3-7
8. Isaiah 7:14	8. Born of a virgin	8. Mt.1:18,Lk1:26-38
9. Psalm 72:10-11	9. Adored by great persons	9. Matt 2:1-11
10. Hosea 11:1	10. Escape from Egypt	10. Matt. 2:14 & 15
11. Is 40:3,Mal 3:1	11. Proceeded by a forerunner	11. Mat 3:1-3,Lk 1:17
12. Isaiah 9:1-2	12. Ministry in Galilee	12. Matt. 4:12-16
13. Deut. 18:15	13. A Prophet	13. John 6:14
14. Psalm 110:4	14. A priest like Melchizedek	14. Hebrews 5:5-6,6:20
15. Isaiah 53:3	15. Rejected by the Jews	15. John 1:11,5:43
16. Isaiah 11:2	16. Characteristics	16. Luke 2:52, 4:18
17. Zech 9:9	17. Triumphal Entry	17. Jn12:13-14,Mt 21:1
18. Psalm 41:9	18. Betrayed by a friend	18. Mark 14:10
19. Zech. 11:12	19. Sold for 30 pieces of Silver	19. Matt 26:15
20. Zech 11:13	20. Money thrown to Potter field	20. Matt. 27:6-7
21. Psalm 27:1	21. False witnesses accuse Him	21. Matt. 26:60-61
22. Isaiah 53:7	22. Silent when accused	22. Matt.26:62-63
23. Isaiah 50:6	23. Struck & spit on	23. Mark 14:65

24. Psalm 69:4	24. Hated without cause	24. John 15:23-25
25. Isaiah 53:4-5	25. Suffered vicariously	25. Matt.8:16-17
26. Isaiah 53:12	26. Crucified with sinners	26. Matt. 27:38
27. Psalm 22:16	27. Hands & feet pierced	27. John 20:27
28. Psalm 22:6-8	28. Mocked & insulted	28. Matt. 27:39-40
29. Psalm 69:21	29. Given gall & vinegar	29. John 19:29
30. Psalm 22:8	30. Hears prophetic words in mockery	30. Matt. 27:43
31. Psalm 109:4	31. Prays for enemies	31. Luke 23:34
32. Zec. 12:10	32. His side to be pierced	32. John 19:34
33. Psalm 22:18	33. Soldiers cast lots for His garments	33. Mark 15:24
34. Psalm 34:20	34. Not a bone to be broken	34. John 19:33
35. Isaiah 53:9	35. To be buried with the rich	35. Matt. 27: 57-60
36. Psalm 16:10	36. His resurrection	36. Matt 28:9
37. Psalm 68:18	37. His ascension	37. Luke 24:50-51

Birth of the Promised SEED

Just as the prophets declared and God decreed, the promised redeemer would be born of a virgin. The redeemer was GOD in the flesh. John 1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehended it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him." YES, God enlightens all men but the darkness did not comprehend it nor did the world know Him. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians that ONLY those who are spiritual can know God. It also says that those who do not believe are blinded to the truth. WHAT? This make it IMPOSSIBLE for man to do anything to come to God. You are probably saying, "Wait a minute, if man is spiritually dead and only the spiritual can know God and all who do not believe are blinded to the truth, then it is impossible. How then can I be JUST before God." GREAT QUESTION!! John 1:12-13 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. God's will. Jesus said that a man must be born again to SEE the kingdom. Born again is not repeating a prayer or making a profession of faith or going to church. ONLY God can cause us to be born again spiritually. GOD must make us spiritually alive so we CAN believe....BELIEVE WHAT?

Final Sacrifice

Just as God gave the first sacrifice, and furnished ALL the other sacrifice down through man's history, God also gave the FINAL SACRIFICE. Himself!!!!! The JUDGE paid the penalty for sin. The prophet Isaiah said that WE, you and I, have NO righteousness of our own. We have NO obedience. Man is a lost sinner with no hope of saving himself. Dead in in our sin. And just as the sin of Adam was imputed to US, so then God imputes the righteousness of Christ to those who believe. Imputed? Think of it like this; When a man is arrested for breaking a law, he is taken before the Judge to plead his case. During this trial he is IMPUTED innocence. In other words, he stands as innocent before ALL men until proven guilty. EVEN if he IS guilty of the crime, he stands in innocence. Once the verdict is given, he is then imputed either guilt or innocence. Even if the man committed the crime, if the verdict is NOT GUILTY he is imputed innocence. Imputed means "charged to the account of". If the man was in fact innocent but yet found guilty, he is imputed GUILT regardless of his actual innocence. WE stand before God CONDEMNED because we have been imputed the guilt of Adam. You might say, "Wait a minute, I didn't eat of that tree" OK, back up a bit and remember you DID break God's LAWS. You admitted being a liar, a thief, a murder, an adulterer, and a blasphemer of God. So you ARE guilty and stand with imputed GUILT. Jesus was born without sin, lived a sinless life, was crucified for the SIN of those that believe, and rose from the dead according to scripture. So what!! Here is what..... Because of this final and perfect sacrifice, we no longer stand in the imputed guilt of Adam but the imputed RIGHTEOUSNESS of Christ, IF you believe and repent. It was by Christ OBEDIENCE that we are made righteous. NOT by OUR obedience to the LAW. The LAW was there to SHOW that we are incapable of being righteous because we can not keep it. Christ KEPT it all. HE fulfilled it ALL.

Forgiveness

God is the ONLY one that can open the eyes of a dead man. In the Bible there is the story of Lazarus. A man that God raised from the dead. Lazarus was DEAD. He was not able to ask God for life. Jesus COMMANDED him to come alive. Lazarus did nothing on his own. Just as you and I can do nothing on our own. God is the one that make the first step, in fact, He makes ALL the steps. God makes alive whom HE chooses. What? Yes, WHOM He chooses! You might say, "Well that's not fair.". So where were you when HE created the worlds and placed the stars in the heavens. Who are you to question what the creator determines. God, in His grace has determined to save mankind by saving many. Just as God saved ALL of mankind by saving Noah and his family in the flood. He did not choose to save every single man in the flood but only those He chose. God is a sovereign God. (Sovereign; freedom from external control.) He is controlled by nothing He has created and He created ALL things. John said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." Those that God draws WILL come. When the spiritual blindness is removed we see and believe and by this faith, we are justified to God. Justified because God imputes the righteousness of Christ to us, HIS obedience. We will then see our selves for who we are, the liar, murderer, thief, adulterer, and God blasphemer, and we WILL desire to repent, in fact we will repent. Repent means to turn from our sin but it also means to turn toward something. We will turn to God and depend on His ability to keep us. In this we find FORGIVENESS, and a peace that passes all understanding. Peace? Yes, peace, peace in knowing that God is in control of all things. That all the things we face in life is controlled by God. THIS is absolute rest. The rest we are promised in Scripture. Resting from our labor. No longer simply living to survive, but to have a purpose for living. No longer bound to sin. Many have heard the Gospel like this, "God LOVES you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Just repeat this prayer and you will be saved and ALL your troubles will go away." (GARBAGE) Paul said in Romans that we are ENEMIES of God. NOT friends. God is not the fuzzy soft effeminate being. But a God to be feared! A. W. Pink said, "How different is the God of the Bible from the God of modern Christendom! The conception of Deity which prevails most widely today, even among those who profess to give heed to the Scriptures, is a miserable caricature, a blasphemous travesty of the Truth. The God of the (today) is a helpless, effeminate being who commands the respect of no really thoughtful man."

Hope

1 Chronicles 22:12 Only the LORD give thee wisdom and understanding .. Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing (understanding), and hearing by the word of God...Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith ..Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him... JUSTIFIED BY FAITH!! What an amazing thing. We are free from the bondage of the law. The bondage of trying to be JUST before God by obeying a law we can not obey perfectly. This is the good news, the GOSPEL, that man is justified by FAITH.

I can not believe for you nor convince you of this truth. My words are simply the words of a man. I can not cause you to comprehend truth. I can only tell you the facts in a halting and miserable way. We are so limited in our abilities. You would think that of all the words in all the languages of man, a person would be able to place them in a sentence that would describe the things of God. Of all the colors of nature that man can see, one would think that we could envision the beauty of God. And of all the sounds of musical instruments and voices in song, one could imagine the sound of the heavenly host. Yet man is so limited that we can only describe those things with stammering lips, or see those things through a limited spectrum, or hear those things with finite tones. Paul said, "Eyes have not seen, nor have the ears heard, neither has it entered into the hearts of men, the things that God has prepared for those that love Him. Yet He has revealed them unto us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches the deep things of God. The lost man can only know the things within him and can not receive nor can he know the things of God." Only those who have been made alive in the spirit can receive and know them.

AND being raised from the dead spiritually, there is no going back. God not only makes alive, He KEEPS alive. NEVER again to be separated from His presence. This is the hope within us.

Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

The Way

Remember in the first part of this I spoke of the SEED that was promised? Paul said that the promise was to the SEED, singular and not SEED(S), plural. And that SEED is Jesus. Jesus said, I AM the way the truth and the life. NO man can come but by ME. Jesus IS the only way. You can not get there through your own abilities, or Buddha, or Islam, or any other means. Noah was not saved FROM the flood, Lot was not saved FROM Sodom and Gomorrah, the children of Israel were not saved FROM the death angel in Egypt and the redeemed were not saved FROM hell. Noah, Lot, the children of Israel and the redeemed, were not saved TO be in heaven with God. Neither were any of these saved BY the ark, nor BY the angels, nor BY the blood on the door posts, nor BY your decision. None were saved FOR there own sake…….ALL that are saved are saved FROM GOD, TO GOD, BY GOD, FOR GOD. Saved FROM His WRATH, TO His PRESENCE, BY His WILL, FOR His GLORY. It is ALL of God and NONE of us. Scripture teaches that God has ordained ALL that comes to pass, and that man is 100% responsible for his actions. I can not explain how this is possible but it is truth. The problem with many so called "christians" is that they elevate one of these truths to the detriment of the other. In other words some "christians" say that man is responsible and has a free will, this is to the detriment of God's sovereignty. Other "christians" will say that God is sovereign and man is simply a puppet, this makes God responsible for your sin. My concern is NOT whether you have money in the bank, or designer clothes. I could care less if you drive a BMW or walk where ever you go. My concern is that you will do what Jesus COMMANDED, God commands all men to BELIEVE AND REPENT!!!

Oh! That God would cause us to feel, see, and hear the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; and that by this Gospel He would give seriousness, a reverence, wisdom and an understanding that would distinguish us as disciples of His Son.

To the Glory of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!!!!!!!!!!

Well, your probably thinking that I am going to give you a prayer to repeat. I am not! IF God has drawn you HE will give you the ability to call out to Him. It is not my job, nor my ability to convince you. That is God's responsibility. However, you may email me with comments and questions.

tim@seeking4truth.com Deception is only possible when we are not SEEKING 4 TRUTH!!!!