Here he lays the foundations of what the Gospel is and what Christ’s redemptive work accomplished for the reader. After this lengthy foundation he goes on to talk about practical things, current dealings and events as well as general matters of the church or the people he was writing to. This latter part of His letters could be summarized as “church communication” of his time and from his perspective — much like we still have it today between church leaders and followers.
The key phrase being “of Paul’s time and perspective”. There is a huge difference between the Gospel of Jesus Christ (first part of his letters) and this so-called church communication (latter part of his letters). The Gospel is all about a universal and timeless event and Paul’s “church communication” was subjective to the times and circumstances he lived in.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is eternal.
The times and circumstances we live in are temporal.
Yet most denominations are founded and churches are started because of differences of interpretation of the latter part of his letters. Because the leaders don’t consider that this “church communication” was unique to the circumstances of the time that Paul lived in and cannot be universally applied to our times.
By taking the “church communication” of the first century and trying to incorporate it as a rule book, law or even just a guideline into our current time is to elevate what Paul thought was right under a certain circumstance in the first century and make it the law for us in the twenty first century. Thereby elevating the outward over the inward, elevating the outward over the Gospel.
The Gospel is an inward solution (God in us) to an inward problem (God not in us). When you know and are aware that Christ lives in you, it will automatically have the right effect on your outward life and actions.
Managing the outward via rules, regulations, laws, guidelines (flesh management) can never produce an inward change.
Most people would be surprised to find out that in one of his letters — while communicating the foundation of the Gospel — Paul actually told us plainly what the Word of God is. He didn’t claim to be writing the Word of God himself but he actually said that his mission was to make the Word of God fully known among man. Let’s see what he says:
Paul refers to the Word of God as a mystery that was hidden for generations and ages. It was hidden to the people of the Old Covenant (before Christ) so the Word of God couldn’t have been the Scriptures since those were plainly revealed.
He goes on to say that God was pleased to make the Word of God known. He was pleased to reveal the mystery and Paul plainly states what the mystery is:
This is the Word of God, this is the will of God for you and for me today!
Paul goes on to say in verse 28 “Him (Christ) we preach and proclaim”. Paul did not say that we should preach and proclaim his writings but he said it is Christ whom we preach.
The problem that Christianity has is that it rather preaches the letters of Paul, the writings of Peter, James, John, etc. than to preach Christ. Preaching Christ means to preach the Word of God. To preach Christ as crucified, resurrected and now living in each and every Christian is preaching the Word of God. He is the Word of God!
Unless we preach Christ, we don’t preach the Word of God!
Reading along, in the second part of verse 28 Paul says “warning everyone that we may present every person mature (full-grown, fully initiated, complete, and perfect) in Christ”.
Wow, can you believe this is in the Bible?
You are mature, complete, full-grown and perfect in Christ!
Hard to believe, right? If only Christianity and the church would start preaching this truth — The Truth. If they did, the Christian landscape would look drastically different today. Everything that they are trying to accomplish by preaching the Bible (by preaching a law of conduct) would automatically come true. Realizing that we already are complete, we don’t strive to get there, we don’t try to become but we are perfect in Him. Having come to fullness of life. This is what it means to be a Christian!
This is what the Gospel is all about, this is what Christ accomplished through His death and resurrection. This is exactly who Christ made us to be. We are perfectly rebuilt in the spiritual realm.
Our spiritual self is one with Christ.
This is the good news, the Gospel!
It is now!
Paul is so convinced of this fact and is so adamant that he warns everyone to view each person in the same manner. That is pretty strong language and it shows the deep revelation that he had about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This was Paul’s purpose, that which he was living for and which he worked for unto weariness!
Our challenge to you:
Next time you are faced with adversity, sickness or any other circumstance that is questioning your spiritual union with Christ, sit down and meditate on the fact that you are in Christ, you are one with Him, you are complete and perfect in Him.
If you do this and start building an awareness of this fact, nothing in this world can overcome you. Nothing can separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus!
