Roger Himes, The Gospel Coach

NEW TESTAMENT GOSPEL

LIFE CHANGE DYNAMICS

Experience total life transformation! 

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6^th Gospel Life-Change Dynamic:

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THE GOSPEL: The Life of God

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A Life of Peace, A Life of Abundance,

A Life of Power, A Life of Victory

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I often refer to the gospel as ‘the road less traveled.’ This is because so few Christians are truly separated unto the gospel (Rom 1:1). At best, they consider the gospel of grace and peace to be one Christian doctrine, way of thinking, or theology – to be mixed with others. The gospel truth is viewed as being ‘part of a package.’ They view the gospel of grace as being one card in the deck. They view a life of peace as being a matter of chance, and not the substance of gospel reality.

You will come to realize the following as spiritual reality: the gospel is the life of God. As such, it is (1) a life of abundance, and (2) a life of power, and (3) a life of victory.  

There is always some discussion as to what we have lost that the first century church had.
One thing we have lost that the first century church had was their focus on
THE GOSPEL – according to Paul.

Now why do I say this, except for the fact that I’m
‘The Gospel Coach’?

What the Early Church Read, Day-In and Day-Out

If you study church history, many things that were written during this time were not circulated until later. For instance, John didn’t write until about 90 A.D., which was about 30 years after Paul died. He was the longest-living apostle, and the only one to die from old age – and not by some form of being martyred. Therefore, his writings could not have been circulated until after 90 A.D.

Most commentaries agree: either the gospel of Matthew, or the gospel of Mark was widely circulated before the end of the first century (they disagree as to which). Except for this writing, the ONLY thing the early, first century church had available to it were the letters of Paul the Apostle.

What’s interesting about Paul as he was only ‘the new kid on the block.’ He wasn’t one of the original 12 disciples of Jesus. I believe he was chosen for US – for you and me. If God had chosen one of the others, we could say they had a special place with God. We can’t say that about Paul. He had to learn the gospel by faith, just like you and I must do.
And what was his subject?

Paul’s subject was THE GOSPEL – of the finished work of Christ.
Paul wrote about what the cross meant to us in everyday life.
His subject was the abundant life of Christ, the life of God himself:
a life of peace, a life of power, and a life of victory.

 

Why the Apostle Paul?

Why does God choose anyone over someone else? He doesn’t FAVOR anyone over others. We are told that God is not respecter of persons. But he does CHOOSE one person over another for a particular task. Why did he choose Jacob over Ishmael? – Joseph over his brothers? – David over his brothers? Why did he wait 400 years before he spoke through John the Baptizer? Why did he choose Billy Graham over Roger Himes? These are not questions we cannot answer.

Paul was chosen for the defense and confirmation of THE GOSPEL (Phil 1:7, 17).

In Galatians 1, he gives his testimony about being chosen for this task.

I Tim 1:11 says the gospel was committed into HIS trust.

Ephesians 3:1-4 says the new dispensation of the grace of God was given to HIM by revelation FOR US.

Colossians 1:23-25 says it was given to HIM to fulfill the word of God in US.

II Timothy 4:17 says the preaching of the gospel might be fully known by HIM.

I Corinthians 9:17 says the dispensation of the gospel was committed to HIM.

Galatians 1:8-9 says anyone who doesn’t preach the same gospel he did should be cursed.

Galatians 3:8-10 says if we don’t live in the gospel given to Abraham, we are under a curse.

I don’t know why God chose Paul, as I’ve said, except that he was the FIRST to have to receive the gospel by faith, just like we must do. The other reason I see is that Paul probably knew the Old Covenant law better than anyone else on the planet, and what better person could God use but him to contrast and compare the Old Covenant law with the New Covenant gospel? This is the subject of most of the New Testament. Hebrews totally focuses on this. I believe Paul wrote Hebrews. There is just too much ‘gospel truth’ in Hebrews for Paul NOT to have written it. Plus he refers to Timothy, who was his spiritual son, while many others did not like Timothy because he was too young (Heb 13:23).

 

See the Focus of the New Testament Church

The early church was all focused on Paul. They had all experienced what either Matthew or Mark wrote about. They had seen Jesus, and heard him – in the flesh. But we know from many statements that they did not UNDERSTAND what they had heard. Jesus says our JOB to understand the gospel (Mat 13:19), and that our WORK is to believe it (John 6:29). Paul says we should all say the SAME thing (I Cor 1:10). This is only possible in the gospel.

Jesus said he spoke a mystery – and then he communicated that in parables: stories.

Jesus had two ministries, and if we DON’T see this, we get totally confused: (1) he came to fulfill the law, and (2) he came to present the gospel. We see this in Romans 15:8, where Paul calls Jesus a minister of the LAW – for the TRUTH of God. Therefore, we must discern if Jesus was preaching the LAW, in any situation, or whether he was presenting the GOSPEL. To not see this creates confusion. And if we don’t fully understand the gospel, this creates greater confusion.

When Jesus talked about looking at a woman in lust, or cutting off your hand, or plucking out your eye, or not remarrying unless your spouse died, or not loving God and others as you do yourself, or not giving away everything and following him, or if you didn’t forgive others then God wouldn’t forgive you, he was preaching the LAW – which he came to fulfill in its entirety.

But he also came to give us abundant life, authority, revelation light, and God’s unconditional love. This is why I call the gospel the life of God. It is what activates a life of abundance, a life of power, and a life of victory in us. This is the sum and substance of the gospel that Jesus came to give to us, mostly in his Parables, and that later Paul explained and demonstrated in its totality.

Again, the writings of Paul about THE GOSPEL of the finished work of Jesus,
and what this means to us practically,
was almost all that the first century church heard, read, and talked about:
an abundant life of peace, power and victory.

“I Am Separated Unto the Gospel of God” (Rom 1:1)

Paul told us to follow him, and his example of living the newly revealed gospel. He expects us to have the same mindset and attitude toward the gospel. Paul says to “all say the same thing” (I Cor 1:10). This is impossible to do outside of gospel revelation and truth.

Instead, we have so many theories, theologies and opinions today that the gospel has almost become just a word without meaning to many Christians. It’s like the Second Tower of Babel today. It’s easy to get confused by all of the conflicting thoughts we hear.

Don’t miss this!
It is the gospel that makes Christianity unique to every other religion in the world.
Every religion has its system of rules, laws, principles, precepts and methods.
If you take the gospel out of Christianity, there is no Christianity.

The Gospel Is Contrary to the Way We Think and Believe

The world we live in is built on a system of cause and effect. We are taught this from our earliest years as a child: do good, get praised – do bad, get a spanking. Later in the business world we hear, “Do good, get a raise – do bad, get fired. You can trace this through every aspect of life we experience. We even hear this in church in many different ways: do good and God will love you and bless you – do bad and God will be angry at you and bad things will happen.

So, when we hear the pure gospel for the first few times, it often sounds like error! When we hear about God’s unconditional love, it’s hard for us to receive because it doesn’t mesh with our ‘cause and effect’ thinking. We think to have abundant life, prosperity and health in the gospel, we have to earn it.

Paul talks about the ‘new dispensation’ of the gospel that was given to him for us – where ALL things become new, and all old religious ways and means are left behind. In effect, when we truly begin living the gospel, we begin living in a new dimension – a new paradigm. Jesus says, “The Kingdom of God is at hand – it has come upon you.” Quite awhile ago I stopped picturing heaven (the Kingdom of God) as being ‘up there somewhere.’ I actually believe we can reach out and touch heaven. It’s just that we can’t see it and realize it because it is another dimension – a new paradigm.

 

Paul Was Given ONE Revelation

One thing we should remember is that Paul was only given ONE revelation: the gospel of the finished work of Jesus. So, when you read Paul, don’t read him piecemeal. See that what he says in Romans is intertwined with what he says in Ephesians, and what he says in Galatians meshes with Hebrews. He wasn’t writing about different things, but only ONE thing, the gospel, and how all things flow from it.

The Gospel Road vs. The Dirt Road

Jesus does not insist that we live the gospel. It’s our choice. He says (1) repent and (2) believe the gospel. The gospel is actually an elective in the Christian life. Romans 10:16 says not all are obedient to the gospel. Galatians 1:8-9 indicate we have other choices, some of which can even sound like the gospel. Galatians 3:1-5 indicates may people drift back into a religious way of life.

In my mind, I picture two roads: (1) The Gospel Road, and (2) The Dirt Road (and there can be many dirt roads). Sadly, most people walk The Dirt Road, and have little revelation of the gospel.

Actually, in the New Testament, the gospel was not meant to be an elective. The gospel is ‘the business of God’ that we are to be about. It is the Constitution of the Kingdom of God. The gospel is where we receive the life of God: his love, light and life. It is where we begin living a life of abundance, a life of power, and a life of victory.

“The gospel of the Kingdom shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you many observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8, with the gospel substituted for the law). You see, as I often mention, we have a better New Covenant in today, proclaimed in the gospel. The Old Covenant law has passed away (Heb 8:13, 9:9-10, 10:9, Col 2:14, Eph 2:15, etc.)

I also say it a lot: we will be judged for our sin in heaven. Jesus became sin for us (II Cor 5:21). He came to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself (Heb 9:26). Our Father doesn’t even remember our sin (Heb 8:12, 10:17). Jesus says he will never accuse us of wrong before the Father (John 5:45). No, we won’t be judged for sin – but for our gospel unbelief (Rom 10:16, John 12:46-48, Heb 4:2).

 

Our Father Gives Us His Kingdom (Luke 12:32)

“(God) who did not spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he now with him also freely give us ALL things?” (Rom 8:32). The gospel fulfills God’s word in us (Col 1:23-25). We have all spiritual blessings (Eph 1:3), and all of God’s promises (II Cor 1:20). All that God has is ours (Luke 15:31).

Why should we separate ourselves to the gospel, and believe and live every single facet of it? It’s because the gospel is the life of God himself. It is what gives us a life of abundance, a life of power, and a life of victory.

A lot is said about ‘the overcoming life’ of a Christian. It’s true. But it’s only an overcoming life because of WHOM we know in our everyday expression of this life (II Tim 1:12). It is in being ONE with God – in unity with him, — that we find that his glory flows over us in all of life (John 17:21-23).

The Gospel: A Life of Righteousness, Peace and Joy

The gospel produces a life of peace, as Jesus says. “These things I have spoken to you that I me you might have peace. In the world you shall have problems, but he of good cheer, for I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

It is in Romans 14:17 that Paul defines the Kingdom of God as being righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. It is as we know our right standing with God because of the finished work of the cross, that we come to live in peace and joy. This is actually a picture of total mental health and well-being. Nothing else can give us this. Thank you, Lord Jesus.

 

Roger Himes, The Gospel Coach