CTG 0076

 OF FIRST IMPORTANCE 

Paul and those who worked with him brought the gospel, the good news about Jesus Christ, to various places throughout the Roman Empire. Planting churches, i.e. gatherings of believers in Christ, and raising up workers who would care for them. 

After moving on to new areas he would stay in touch with the new churches in various ways. Revisiting, sending colleagues and sending correspondence. 

One such group of believers was the church that was established in Corinth, one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire. 

Corinth was a multi-ethnic metropolis. It had two seaports and was well connected by road. Sailors and travellers often passed through. And the city was well known for its immorality, possessing a notorious reputation. 

Paul had reached out with the gospel there, to his own ethnic people at first. Then to the other people groups. “… many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptised. One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you ...’ So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God (ACTS 18: 8-11 NIV)."

The grace of God positively impacted many in the city. 

Later, in one of his letters that he sent there, Paul stated: "To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (1 CORINTHIANS 1: 2- 3 ESV)." 

Paul covers a lot of important matters in this letter that need attention. But the most important was this: “... I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures ... (1 CORINTHIANS 15.1-4 NIV). 

Of first importance! 

Christ's death for our sins! 

His resurrection! 

Bible based truth! 

The gospel, good news! 

Having received it, believing it! 

Which saves us! 

On which we have taken our stand! 

This is how our lives are transformed! 

It is the foundation on which everything else fits together! 

And it is the basis on which the empowerment of the Holy Spirit is available to us. So that we are enabled to share the good news with others, with our own ethnic group and other ethnic groups too. 

FOR FURTHER READING 

Acts 18:1-21 

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 

1 Corinthians 3:11 

1 Corinthians 15:1-58 

2 Corinthians 13:5 

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 

Luke 22:1 - 24:53 

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DIVINE 

The writers of the gospel accounts, provided for us in the Bible, do not give us the date of the day when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Though they do place everything in their historical context. More importantly, they tell us who Jesus is. 

Luke (2:8-12 ESV) gives us this detail: 

[8] And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. [9] And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. [10] And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. [11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. [12] And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 

Saviour! The Christ! The Lord! 

In fact, it wasn’t that day or night that was divine. It was the baby that was placed in that manger who is divine, literally. The Lord! God in flesh! The Father sending his unique eternal Son into the world. 

Before they were married, when Joseph had been pondering what to do when he was told that Mary was pregnant, before they had intercourse with each other, an angel of the Lord told him that the child in her womb was conceived miraculously through the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:18-25. 

Mary had already been told by the angel Gabriel before she conceived: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35).” Luke 1:26-56. 

Centuries before, the Word of the Lord was declared through the prophet Isaiah that a virgin would become pregnant and give birth to a son who would be called Emmanuel, which means God with us. Matthew 1:22-23. Isaiah 7:14. 

John (1:1-4, 14 ESV) gives us this detail: 

[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was in the beginning with God. [3] All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. [4] In him was life, and the life was the light of men … [14] And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 

To Philip, in the hearing of his colleagues, Jesus said: 

“Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father … (John 14:9 ESV).” 

Normally, there had been nothing in his visual appearance that had indicated this (Philippians 2:5-11; Isaiah 53:1-3; John 17:1-5 & 24-26). Peter, James and John were given a brief glimpse of his majesty (Mark 9:2-9; 2 Peter 2:16-19), but even this took time to sink in. 

It had taken a while for them to fully understand. But they got there. 

Later, in one of his letters, John wrote, still full of wonder (1 John 1:1-3 NIV): 

[1] That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched — this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. [2] The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. [3] We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 

The one who God, the Father, sent into the world to save us from our sins, is the eternal Son of God. God miraculously provided him with a human body in Mary‘s womb through his Holy Spirit, the eternal Spirit of God. The Lord Jesus Christ is both God and human. Galatians 4:4-7. 

The importance of believing this cannot be overestimated. 

Consider the following words of Jesus: 

John 8:58 ESV 

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 

See Exodus 3:14. 

John 8:24 NIV

“ … if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.” 

John 10:30 CSB

“I and the Father are one." 

Believing who Jesus is, is as important as believing what he accomplished by dying on the cross and rising again. 

God bless you with faith. 

FOR FURTHER READING 

John 20:24-31 

1 John 4:1-4 

2 John 1:7 

Isaiah 9:6 

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 

Hebrews 10:5-18 

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Continued from previous blog post: CTG 0073 

Present and future manifestation of God’s Kingdom

Jesus did not come into the world to set up a political party. 

And he said: “My kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36).” 

Nor is it based on the Old Mosaic Covenant. Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant. 

His kingdom is manifested by his presence, demonstrated through his preaching and teaching, through the miracles, healings and ministry of deliverance that he performed, and through his outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon those who believe and follow him. 

The gospel is referred to as being the gospel of the kingdom. Its continual transforming power is observable in the lives of those who believe the good news. 

Everyone who has been born again by the Holy Spirit through the gospel enter into everything that the atoning work of Christ secured for us. And its complete fullness will be revealed when Jesus returns. 

Even our present frail bodies will be swallowed up by life. 

No more tears, no more pain, no more suffering, no more death, no more trials and temptations, no more sin. 

Utter Joy. 

Forever with our Lord.

For all believers from every nation and ethnic group, who have put their trust in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

Please see these three earlier blog posts: CTG 0022, CTG 0024 & CTG 0052

FOR FURTHER READING 

Isaiah 61:1-2 

Daniel 7:13-14 

Matthew 4:13-25; 5:1 to 7:29; 11:1-6; 12:28; 25:1-46 

Luke 1:26-38; 4:16-21; 17:20-21 

John 3:1-21 

Acts 8:4-8; 8:12; 19:8-20; 20:17-32; 28:23-31 

Romans 7:12-14; 8:1-4; 15:15-21 

1 Corinthians 15:50-58 

2 Corinthians 3:1 to 6:2 

Colossians 1:13-14 

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 

1 Timothy 2:1-6 

Hebrews 8:6-13; 9:15; 12:18-24 

1 John 3:1-3 

2 Peter 1:11 

Revelation 21:1 to 22:21 

CTG 0073

Continued from the previous blogpost (CTG 0072) 

GOD'S OBJECTIVE 

Those of us who have repented of our sin, and have put our trust in Jesus Christ our Saviour, experience God's abundant mercy. 

Although guilty of sin, God counts us as righteous in his sight because we believe in his Son. 

And he forgives us. Not because of anything we have done to earn it. But because Jesus bore our guilt and suffered for it, dying in our place. 

God throws our sins as it were into the depths of the sea. And forgets them. Washing us clean with the blood of Jesus that he sacrificed on the cross. 

We were spiritually dead in our transgressions against God. But he has given us life. Eternal life. In Christ, who rose from the dead, never to die again.

God loves us so much. He always has and always will. This is his amazing grace. 

He has dealt with our past. And he is transforming us at the present time. 

Nothing will separate us from the love of Christ. 

God is eternally and totally committed to transform us, so that we become more and more like his Son Jesus, day by day. 

Even in the middle of our present struggles the Holy Spirit is interceding for us so that his objective keeps on progressing. God is working towards this end, for our good, because he loves us and we love him. 

This is the reason why God sent his Son into the world. To save us. Eternally save us. 

This gracious and powerful purpose that God is totally committed to will be completed when Jesus returns. 

When Jesus returns we will be lifted up to meet him in the sky. And when we see him, we will be like him. The transformation will be completed and glorious. 

There is no hope for those who are not in Christ. That is why it is so important to spread the good news, the gospel, so that those who don’t yet believe have the opportunity to repent and respond in faith to this message of salvation. 

If you are reading this and you realise that you have never turned to God by believing Jesus is his Son and that he gave his life to bear the punishment for all our guilt … I would like to encourage you to turn to God and ask him to help you to repent and to believe the good news with all your heart. God bless you. 

FOR FURTHER READING 

Micah 7:18-20 

Jeremiah 31:31-34 

Isaiah 1:18; 43:25 

Matthew 1:18-25; 24:14; 28:18-20 

Mark 1:14-15 

Luke 24:45-47 

John 1:29-34; 3:1-21 

Romans 3:9 to 5:11 

Romans 8:1-39; 12:1-2 

1 Corinthians 15:1-58 

2 Corinthians 3:1-18 

Galatians 2:15-21; 5:16-26 

Ephesians 2:1 to 3:21 

Ephesians 4:17 to 5:21 

Philippians 3:20 to 4:1 

1 Thessalonians 4:1 to 5:11 

Hebrews 8:6-13 

1 Peter 1:13 to 2:12 

1 John 1:1 to 3:3 

Revelation 3:5; 7:9-17; 20:15; 21:27 

Revelation 20:11 to 22:21 

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The Second Coming of Jesus Christ 

God sent his Son, our Saviour, into the world. 

When Jesus rose from the dead he gave his disciples convincing proof of his resurrection, over a period of forty days. 

Then he returned to his Father in heaven. He was lifted up as they watched him go, until they couldn't see him anymore. 

Two angels, in human form, stood beside them and told them: "This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven (Acts 1:11)." 

Jesus is coming back! 

He will descend from heaven. 

This same Jesus! 

Not a substitute. 

Jesus said: "... if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' do not believe him ... (Matthew 24: 23)." 

We don't know when he will return. 

But when he does, it will be such a sudden, clear and phenomenal event that no one will be in doubt. 

After Jesus suffered and died for our sins in our place on the cross, on the very evening of the day when he rose from the dead, he said to his disciples: "Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent me, I also send you (John 20:21)." 

After his ascension he sent the Holy Spirit from his Father, to empower them for the task of spreading the gospel. 

He had already told them: " … this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole inhabited earth as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24: 14)." 

The power of the Holy Spirit is still available to all followers of Christ today, enabling us to continue the task until Jesus returns. 

The apostle Peter wrote: " … do not let this one thing escape your notice, that a single day is like a thousand years with the Lord and a thousand years are like a single day. The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come … (2 Peter 3:8-10)." 

Bible quotes are from the NET translation. 

FOR FURTHER READING 

1 John 4 

Matthew 24 

Mark 13 

Luke 21:5-36 

John 13-17 

Acts 1-2 

1 Thessalonians 

2 Thessalonians 

2 Peter 3 

Revelation 1:7 

Revelation 22:12-17 

Isaiah 9:6-7 

Daniel 7:13-14 

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KEEP ON GOING 

The Bible describes the church and its Christ-given mission, locally and across the globe, in various ways. Providing statements and pictures that instruct believers so that we can understand how God works in us and through us. 

Empowering us by his Holy Spirit to (a) encourage and build up the Christian community collectively and (b) reach out with love and compassion to those who have not yet experienced the powerful work of salvation provided in Christ alone. 

All those who belong to him are involved. We don’t all have the same God-given abilities. But together we all have a unifying and expanding part to play in the overall strategy. 

For example, the apostle Paul made the following statement when writing to the church in Corinth: 

1 Corinthians 3:6-7 

[6] I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. [7] So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 

This reflects what Jesus said to his disciples: 

John 4:37-38 

[37] For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ [38] I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour. 

The purpose of this particular blogpost is to encourage those who, after all that they have done, feel that it is so small and insignificant in their own eyes. 

For example, you have sowed the gospel but feel that there has been so little fruit compared with what you had hoped for. 

Trust God. Others may reap what you have sowed. And God has been at work through it all. 

Keep on doing what God has given you to do.