Today the Gospel has been reduced to the individual plan of salvation when it was originally about the kingdom of God.
Galatians 1:6 (NIV)
[6] 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—
The word gospel means "good news". Then the question that should be asked is, what good news?
According to the first recorded message of Jesus it was the good news of the kingdom of God. Mark 1:15 (NIV) [15] “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Matthew 4:23 (NIV) [23] Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
When Jesus sent out the twelve during His earthly ministry he told them to tell whoever would listen the message of the gospel of the kingdom of God. Matthew 10:7 (NIV) [7] As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.'
Then there are the parables of Jesus. Most of the were about the kingdom of God. After his resurrection but before his ascension when he appeared to the apostles he spoke to them about the Kingdom of God. Acts 1:3 (NIV) [3] After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
Then as we travel through the book of Acts we see the gospel of the Kingdom of God being preached. (Acts 8:12, 14:22, 19:8, 20:25, 28:23, 28:31) We see this same message being repeated throughout the epistles. However, what is the gospel message we hear today is modern day Christianity in the USA today?
Today the gospel that we here on evangelical TV, radio and pulpits is nothing more then the individual plan of salvation. Its the gospel of an individual plan of salvation. The gospel is more then that. It is true people need to be saved however an individuals salvation is not the end of God's plan of redemption. The individual today, throughout evangelical Christianity, has become the main focus of the gospel when it should be the kingdom of God. This was Jesus focus. This was the apostles focus. This should be the churches focus. We are saved into something and that something is the kingdom of God which leads to a restored relationship with God.
The result of this new gospel, that has as its main thrust the individual as opposed to the Kingdom of God, we see people using Jesus as a get out of jail free card and then continue to live self centered lives or a life that still pledges allegiance to the kingdom of man that they live in thereby compromising the teaching of Jesus the King.
What I see is an amalgamation of the individualization of American values and Christian values. We want to love our neighbors like Jesus tells us as long as they don't cut me off in traffic. We want to do to others as we want to be done to as long as they don't tread on me. We have yoked the kingdom of God together with the kingdom of man.
From the very beginning God establish his means of relationship with humanity through covenant within the framework of a kingdom. Where God is our king and we are citizens within His kingdom. This was how it was meant to be from the beginning. A kingdom of complete and total love, happiness and peace. Where there was no suffering or death. As citizens of this kingdom God said he would be a certain way and do certain things and we as his citizens were to be a certain way and do certain things. This is a covenant. All this would also be done in a loving family context. This has not changed. This kingdom was lost because we broken the original covenant, The New Covenant is still framed the same way however, Jesus entered into this covenant on behalf of humanity so that the covenant cannot be broken as all the other were that came before this last one.
As people agree to this new covenant we become citizens of God kingdom. This is good news. We are saved from our guilty standing before God because of what Jesus did on our behave. If we accept Gods provision to be restored to citizenship into God's kingdom, we therefore raise our hands and promise to live as citizens of this Kingdom with Jesus as our King. We are to live our lives the way Jesus wants us to live our lives until his second coming. Then the original plan for humanity will be restored. Citizens of any nation would be expected to live according to the values and laws of that nation. Jesus told us to say, "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
If we call on Jesus as Lord and savior, if we claim to be Christians then we are strangers in a strange land, aliens to the kingdoms of man. 1 Peter 2:11 (NIV)
[11] Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world,....
Hebrews 11:13 (NIV)
[13] All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.
Instead we are - Ephesians 2:19 (ESV)
[19] ....no longer strangers and aliens (too God), but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
However, in American churches across the land we are taught the USA is a christian nation. This nation is under the New Covenant that Jesus established with God on our behave. When this is nowhere found in scripture. The only christian nation mention in scripture is the people of God under the New Covenant. 1 Peter 2:9 (NIV) [9] But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
If we then declare that the USA is a Christian nation are we then diminishing the gospel message of the kingdom of God? Yes.
Remember what Jesus said, "John 18:36 (NIV) “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
Mans kingdom says kill to save your life.
Jesus says live to give your life.
Mans kingdom says kill your neighbor if they want to kill you.
Jesus says love your neighbor even unto death.
The gospel is more then the individual plan of salvation. That's just the beginning. The gospel is also about living our lives as citizens of God's kingdom here and now. There are citizens of God's kingdom in every nation on earth. And living for Jesus exclusively to the exclusion of your earthly citizenship if necessary.
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