Tenets of Our Gospel

The gospel is glad tidings or good news; that makes a man’s heart leap for joy. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the totality of the message concerning what God has done for mankind in, through, and by Jesus Christ. It is the tool that God uses to bring men to salvation.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek: For therein Is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the Just shall live by faith.” Rm1:16-17KJV

Tenets are teachings or principles that are believed to be true and that constitute an important part of a belief or idea.

These are certain key elements, which are central to the gospel; they are not in any way promises but statements of hard truth declaring what God has already accomplished for us in Christ. They are truths that can be believed with confidence, principles that can be acted upon.

1. IT SPEAKS OF A KINGDOM THAT IS NOT OF THIS WORLD “They are not of the world, even, as I am not of this world” Jn17: 16 KJV Jesus said of His disciples, not just the twelve, but all who believe in Him [Jn17:20]. He also said to Pilate, “my kingdom is not of this world” [Jn.18:36] Why? There is a system set up on earth and Satan is the god of this world’s system [Lk.4:5-6; 2Cor.4:3-4] and this system is destined to fail [1Cor2:6] because it is headed up by a failure.

As believers, we are “in the world” but we are not “of this world” Though we live on planet earth, which is the Lord (Ps 24: 1) we do not walk according to the course of this world; we are not subject to the dictates of this world’s system (Eph.2:2). We have been translated out of the domain and dominion of the god of this world [Col.1:13]. We are subjects of the kingdom of God, ambassadors for Christ, representatives of a kingdom that is not of this world [2 Cor.5:20].

God has called us to reign in this life as kings [Rm5:17]. He expects us to superimpose kingdom conditions on the prevailing conditions in this world. I can live above sin, sickness, poverty, depravity, bad habits, etc because I belong to a kingdom that is not of this world. We are citizens of a kingdom that is not of this world [Eph2:19].

2. IT SPEAKS OF ETERNAL LIFE [DIVINE NATURE] Christianity is not a religion, it is not a way of life, it is the life of God in a human vessel. It gives what religion cannot give – eternal life. Greek word – “Zoe”, is the very life of God. In the same way, we talk about human life, animal life, or plant life, this life is what makes God, the life that puts him in the God class. It is a life that is indestructible, imperishable, and unconquerable; the very essence of divinity, and this life starts up in you the day you are born again. Human life is the product of human nature; in the same way, eternal life is the product of divine nature. To have eternal life is more than living forever, it is to be a partaker of the very nature of God [2Pet1:4]. This life was reproduced in your spirit via the new birth (Jn1:12-13) because nature is reproduced by birth. God is our Father in every sense of the word; we have His life and nature. We are God’s offspring; what a gospel! “I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ liveth in me: and the life which l now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Gal 2:20KJV “And you hath He quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins” Ephesians 2:1KJV
   The benefit of eternal life is much more than deliverance from eternal death. It is living in God’s class; so that you reason like Him, it means that you have been brought into the realms of God. It is not a promise but a statement of fact. You may not look like you have eternal life resident in your body, after all, Jesus did not look any different from His disciples [if He did He would not have needed to be betrayed with a kiss] yet he had eternal life. This life showed up in His Words and actions.
   You are no longer living in eternal death; eternal life is at work in you. It puts to stop the manifestations of death – poverty, sickness and disease, physical death, etc in your life. You have eternal life at work in your members now.
   
   
3. IT SPEAKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS Righteousness is the nature of God which when imparted into the human spirit enables him to stand before God without any sense of guilt or feeling of inferiority. “For he hath made him be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” 2 Cor.5:21 KJV God performed a nature transplant. He took all of man’s filth and unrighteousness and poured it into Jesus and filled man up with all His righteousness. Rm 5:17 says this righteousness is not earned it is a gift from God. We have been declared righteous. Now we can stand before God Almighty [Heb.10:19]. What an honor! This was something only the High priest could do and that once in a year on pain of death if he had committed any sin. “For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in this life by one Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:17 KJV We did not do anything to get it, it was a free gift; all we had to do was accept it [Eph3:8]. This implies that we cannot lose by anything we could ever do. It is not of works lest any man should boast [Eph.2:9]. You are the righteousness of God; you may not look like it to anybody else but it’s still true anyway. Besides, it’s not in the looks; we are as righteous as Jesus Christ is righteous. This may sound too big for some people’s theology but if God’s Word says it, we believe and that settles it.
   
   
4. IT SPEAKS OF THE REMISSION OF SINS AND OF FREEDOM FROM SIN It speaks of the remission of sins and not the forgiveness of sins. Remission is not the same thing as forgiveness, without remission there can be no forgiveness. The old covenant speaks of atonement – the covering of sin by the blood of bulls and goats [Lev16:16; Heb10:4], for the period of one year [Heb9:7-9]. But under the new covenant, we speak of remission – the total and complete washing away of sin by the blood of Jesus Christ. And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin” Heb10:17-18.KJV God is no longer angry with us. Jesus paid the price for our sins [1Pet2:24]. All we had to do was believe that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross was for us. To him give all the prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. Acts 10:43 KJV. He was the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world [Jn.1: 29] How is remission different from forgiveness? Remission is for the unconverted but once converted, his sins are blotted out forever. He is like a newborn baby without a past [1Pet2:2; 2Cor5:17]. In this state, if he should sin, what he needs is not remission but forgiveness [1Jn.1:9] He is like a child who got himself dirty because he rolled in the mud. This act does not make him a pig; he is only a child that has gotten himself dirty. What does the mother need to do? Simple, clean him up.
   
   
5. IT SPEAKS OF DELIVERANCE “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear son:” Colossians 1:12,13 KJV We have been delivered already, for we have been translated. The word“hath” is in the past tense; that is to mean He has done it already. We do not need to be delivered again for He has done it once and for all. He brought us out to take us in – He delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of His dear son, Jesus Christ. We are people of light; we live in that kingdom now. “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom Jesus redeemed from the hand of the enemy;” Psalm 107:2 KJV Jesus redeemed us; he bought us over with a price, which represents what you are worth to God. What great salvation to know that our value is the precious blood of Jesus.
   
   
6. IT SPEAKS OF DIVINE HEALING AND HEALTH “Beloved, I wish (desire) above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” 3Jn2KJV “..by whose stripes ye were healed” 1Pet2:24KJV God wants us well. He wants us to be in the right state of mind and body all the time. The life of God is in us. John15:1-6 makes us know that the very life that flows through Him flows through us. Health flows through our veins, every hour of every day. The Bible makes us know that healing is the children’s bread, hence we can have something more than healing and that is health. Health is ours in the new birth.
   
   
7. IT SPEAKS OF PEACE “WITHIN” AND PEACE “WITHOUT” The gospel according to Romans 10:15 is a gospel of peace. Having been justified by faith in Jesus Christ, we now have peace with God [Rm5:1]. Isaiah 53:5 says the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; in His death, He reconciled us back to God [Eph2:11-19]. For without communion with God, there can never be real peace. When one is not at peace with God, there is no peace ‘within’ [Is57:20-21]. The Bible’s meaning of the word peace in both Hebrew and Greek is: to be well, happy, healthy, prosperous, restful, safe, whole, secure, quiet, and set at one with God. This is the glorious and harmonious state of being that God created man to live in. Jesus Christ has become our peace [Col1:19-22] Because we have peace “within” we have peace “without”; we have peace with and consequently the peace of God [Jn14:27]. This peace, the Bible says in Philippians 4:7 surpasses human understanding. In the midst of a turbulent world, it mounts a garrison around your heart. You do not need to have sleepless nights, why should both of you stay awake at night? [Ps121:4; Ps4:8]. Why should you be afraid? The Lord is your shepherd [Ps.23: 1-4]. We dwell in the secret place of the highest God [Ps. 91:1-16] therefore we are confident; we entertain no fears. We have peace like a river in our souls.

8. IT SPEAKS OF PROSPERITY “Behold, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy Soul prospereth” 3Jn2 KJV Jesus came that you might have life more abundantly; He came to make us rich [Is119 TLB]. Poverty is not of God; the Bible says that Jesus Christ became poor so that through His poverty, we might be made rich [2 Cor 8:9]. This is God’s desire for a man. David said: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,” Ps23:1KJV Ecclesiastes 5:19 says, “riches and wealth are the gifts of God”. God’s people need to be rich; God’s Word is free but not cheap. It costs money to propagate the gospel [Deut. 8:18]. God