THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO APOSTLE PAUL - Part 2

Apostle Paul in prison

Continued from Part 1……………………

We have earlier seen that Paul preached the good news that man could be counted righteous and be saved by faith in God just like Abraham our forefather.

A prominent example is the case of Cornelius a Gentile.   Peter said of him, “…………of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.”  (Acts 10:34-35)

Cornelius had a fear for God which was considered righteous and God accepted him.  When he heard the gospel of grace, “the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word”.  (Acts 10:44)

His conversion to Christ was later commented upon by the elders in Jerusalem as:  “When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.” (Acts 11:18)

Cornelius believed in God and it was counted as repentance.  Truly, he did nothing but believe, to get saved.  Take note, repentance simply means ‘change of mind’ and not a set of do’s and don’ts.

Therefore, Paul says “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  Because with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10.) and “......whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

We will now see to the second aspect of the Gospel of Paul.

2.       IT IS A GOSPEL BASED ON THE NEW COVENANT:

This gospel is a ministration of the Holy Spirit which is “not of the letter, but of the spirit: …………” (2 Cor 3:6). 

It replaced “the ministration of death…..which glory was to be done away” (vs.7) with “the ministration of the spirit” which was even more glorious.

Paul further explains that “if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory, for even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth; for if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious” (2 Cor 3:9-11).  

This gospel offers us righteousness (the right to stand before God) based on the new covenant that God made with man through the blood of Jesus Christ.

• This new covenant gave us a heart and mind with the laws of God written on them.
• This new covenant gave us the assurance that God would remember our sins and iniquities no more.
• This new covenant freed us from further offerings for sin.  We are not required to do anything to secure forgiveness – sacrifices or self-infliction.
• This new covenant gave us boldness to enter the very presence of God through the blood of Jesus.
• This new covenant provided for us to draw near to God with full assurance that He would receive us and not reject us.
• This new covenant gave us a good conscience.
• This new covenant gave us bodies washed with pure water.

We need to hold tight to the profession (confession) of the above truths without wavering.  We need to keep confessing these facts with our mouth regularly because the enemy would want to tell us that the sacrifice of Christ is not enough and that we couldn’t possibly be forgiven.  It is the work of the evil one to demean and undermine the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 10:16-23 – “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.  Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 

And having a high priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).”

This agreement was foretold by Holy Spirit through Jeremiah 650 years before Christ in which He assured that He would not remember our sins anymore (Jeremiah 31:31-34).  

Therefore, there is much hope and expectation in the Gospel of the New Covenant.  Notice the permanence in the covenant that God made with man through Jesus Christ.  Our sins are permanently forgiven and never remembered again. 

............................to be continued