How Much Christ is in your Christianity Part 2

Attributes of the Gospel

 Christ is missing from your Christianity if the gospel has been twisted. Remember Satan mixes 2% or more of lies to 98% truth to corrupt the truth and make it a complete lie. This has been Satan’s tactic from the garden when he misquoted God to Eve. Your Christianity rooted in Christ must preach and adhere to the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel —  which is really no gospel at all” (Galatians 1:6-7 NIV).

Attributes of the gospel:

• The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of the cross and self-denial.
• The gospel teaches that the church is a place of repentance.
• The gospel preaches about the cross and the power of the blood.
• The gospel of Jesus can be very offensive at times as it challenges the flesh.
• The gospel of Jesus Christ balances holiness and love.

Be diligent to test the spirits and know your Word so that you can discern truth from twisting. Stand firmly in that which you have received and do not waver. Be light and salt to a dying world. Represent Christ and hold firmly to the true gospel until He returns.

• The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of the cross and self-denial.

Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom (Matthew 16:21-28 NIV).

As a true Christian, you lose your life for His sake and then your needs will be met. You die to yourself and allow Christ to live through you. You walk in relationship with Jesus allowing Him to transform you minute by minute.

It is unfortunately different in many churches today that preach just to your needs and hopes but that just doesn’t work.  (i.e. comfort, strength, etc.) If you are not willing to lay down your life your needs will not be met because your needs are met in relationship with Jesus. I urge you to live a life worthy of the gospel and say no to the carnal desires and yes to reflecting Jesus in your life. Do you die to self regularly and represent Him?

• The gospel teaches that the church is a place of repentance.

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord (Acts 3:19-20 NIV),

Repentance is the Greek word metanoia. It means a change of mind and implies a change of heart resulting in changes of behavior which the Bible calls fruit in keeping with repentance. If you lose your you align your agreements, attitudes, opinions, and behaviors with the Bible. This is dying to self.

When you lay down your life, not caring what the world thinks, you are in Christ. When you are in relationship with Him your needs are met. When you give your life to Christ you die to self.

You must die before you can live. The preaching of the gospel urges you to die so that you can live. Die to self-will, self-need, self-ambition, your attitudes, opinions, and the behaviors you have used in the past. The church is to be a church without spot or wrinkle. It is impossible to be Christlike without repentance. If it is the true church, and a biblical gospel, there will be open unashamed repentance.