"In the eleventh place, the Word of God is not righly divided when the Gospel is turned into a preaching of repentance." C. F. W. Walther, Thesis 15
I cannot recall if I have stated this before in this series on these theses about God's Law and God's Gospel, but the literal meaning of the word "evangel" is Good News. This is the word that gets translated as Gospel quite frequently. In other words, the Gospel message is a message of Good News. When we engage in evangelism, we share the evangel, the good news, with people.
Now, to make it painfully clear, that means that we speak a message which is Good News to people. We tell them that they do not need to fear God's wrath, since God poured out His wrath on Jesus. We tell people that God has chosen to spare them and rescue them, doing so through Jesus and what all Jesus' life, death, and resurrection accomplished for us.
Notice in that previous paragraph that there is something that is missing that so often forces its way into our evangelism, our sharing of the Good News. There is nothing in there about a person changing their ways. There is nothing in there about conforming to or obeying God's Law. Yes, that was quite intentionally done. The message of Good News is not a message about obeying God's Law. It is a message that someone else has done that fully for them.
So often we get this mixed up. We may not come right out and say it, but the expectation is often there that people will get their act together to be part of God's forgiven people. In other words, they have to repent in order to receive God's forgiveness and be part of God's people. To be quite blunt, that is far from the truth. All they need to be God's forgiven people is to believe that God has forgiven them in Jesus. That's the Good News, for us, and for them!
Yes, there is a proper place and role for repentance. But it is not included in the receiving of the Good News. Truthfully, it is a journey that comes after we believe in what God has done for us in Jesus, and quite literally consumes the rest of our life. We never get it right, no matter how much effort we may make.
So, next time you find yourself wanting to tell someone to get their act together to be part of God's people, or to receive His Good News, keep in mind that the Good News is completely that: Good News for them. Changing their behavior or attitude comes after they receive that Good News, not as part of the way that they receive the Good News.
I cannot recall if I have stated this before in this series on these theses about God's Law and God's Gospel, but the literal meaning of the word "evangel" is Good News. This is the word that gets translated as Gospel quite frequently. In other words, the Gospel message is a message of Good News. When we engage in evangelism, we share the evangel, the good news, with people.
Now, to make it painfully clear, that means that we speak a message which is Good News to people. We tell them that they do not need to fear God's wrath, since God poured out His wrath on Jesus. We tell people that God has chosen to spare them and rescue them, doing so through Jesus and what all Jesus' life, death, and resurrection accomplished for us.
Notice in that previous paragraph that there is something that is missing that so often forces its way into our evangelism, our sharing of the Good News. There is nothing in there about a person changing their ways. There is nothing in there about conforming to or obeying God's Law. Yes, that was quite intentionally done. The message of Good News is not a message about obeying God's Law. It is a message that someone else has done that fully for them.
So often we get this mixed up. We may not come right out and say it, but the expectation is often there that people will get their act together to be part of God's forgiven people. In other words, they have to repent in order to receive God's forgiveness and be part of God's people. To be quite blunt, that is far from the truth. All they need to be God's forgiven people is to believe that God has forgiven them in Jesus. That's the Good News, for us, and for them!
Yes, there is a proper place and role for repentance. But it is not included in the receiving of the Good News. Truthfully, it is a journey that comes after we believe in what God has done for us in Jesus, and quite literally consumes the rest of our life. We never get it right, no matter how much effort we may make.
So, next time you find yourself wanting to tell someone to get their act together to be part of God's people, or to receive His Good News, keep in mind that the Good News is completely that: Good News for them. Changing their behavior or attitude comes after they receive that Good News, not as part of the way that they receive the Good News.
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