Read 1 Corinthians 4:20, Luke 4:18, Mark 1:15, Matthew 24:14, Matthew 12:28
the Kingdom of God is at the heart of the gospel. A lot is spoken about the gospel of salvation, but that is only part of God's will for mankind.
Sadly, "salvation" has come to be Christian code for going to heaven when we die. This is the most shallow understanding of salvation. What God really intends for us is found in Luke 4:18. The real gospel includes liberty for captives, sight to the blind, release for the oppressed and the year of God's favour (Jubilee).
"Liberty for captives" is a reference to the enslavement of the Israelites by Babylon. New believers bring all kinds of baggage with them into the new life. These things are called "weights and hindrances" (Hebrews 12:10). We are entangled by sin and we need to be set free. Some are taken captive by Satan (2 Timothy 2:26) and they need deliverance.
Physical blindness is terrible but spiritual blindness even worse. The church in Laodicea was blind but did not realise it. God wants us to see the fullness of the great salvation that Lord Jesus died to win for us.
What is oppression? It's to be helpless victims of a greater power. Very often, we are oppressed by our greatest enemy, ourselves. Many believers struggle with themselves. God wants us to bring us to the place where we no longer are overcome by the flesh and we enjoy the freedom that is ours in Christ. (Romans 8:21)
The year of Jubilee was the year of restoration for Israel. Slaves were freed, debts were extinguished, and lands were returned to the original owners. Even the land was rested. Nothing was to be cultivated, pruned or harvested.
God seeks to restore us to the condition that we had before Adam's disobedience. It's ultimate fulfillment will be when we receive our new bodies. But we can experience freedom from slavery to sin and self, release from the debt of sin that we owe God, and restoration of God's blessings lost because of past sins.
For example, we may have lost our health, a job, relationships, mental stability and God's blessing that is not available to unbelievers. God can use such troubles to bring us to Him. We can experience the joy of restoration of all that we lost.
It's not all plain sailing. There are challenges as well as blessings. Some cultures persecute believers without mercy. But there we find God's grace is sufficient. And we have eternal life, even if we lose our physical life. And suffering as a believer has a point. It's not in vain. It is God's means to train us and to deliver us from imagining that we are better than we are in reality.
Seek first the Kingdom of God. That's the real objective of the gospel. We are saved for a purpose, for God's will, not our own self will.
the Kingdom of God is at the heart of the gospel. A lot is spoken about the gospel of salvation, but that is only part of God's will for mankind.
Sadly, "salvation" has come to be Christian code for going to heaven when we die. This is the most shallow understanding of salvation. What God really intends for us is found in Luke 4:18. The real gospel includes liberty for captives, sight to the blind, release for the oppressed and the year of God's favour (Jubilee).
"Liberty for captives" is a reference to the enslavement of the Israelites by Babylon. New believers bring all kinds of baggage with them into the new life. These things are called "weights and hindrances" (Hebrews 12:10). We are entangled by sin and we need to be set free. Some are taken captive by Satan (2 Timothy 2:26) and they need deliverance.
Physical blindness is terrible but spiritual blindness even worse. The church in Laodicea was blind but did not realise it. God wants us to see the fullness of the great salvation that Lord Jesus died to win for us.
What is oppression? It's to be helpless victims of a greater power. Very often, we are oppressed by our greatest enemy, ourselves. Many believers struggle with themselves. God wants us to bring us to the place where we no longer are overcome by the flesh and we enjoy the freedom that is ours in Christ. (Romans 8:21)
The year of Jubilee was the year of restoration for Israel. Slaves were freed, debts were extinguished, and lands were returned to the original owners. Even the land was rested. Nothing was to be cultivated, pruned or harvested.
God seeks to restore us to the condition that we had before Adam's disobedience. It's ultimate fulfillment will be when we receive our new bodies. But we can experience freedom from slavery to sin and self, release from the debt of sin that we owe God, and restoration of God's blessings lost because of past sins.
For example, we may have lost our health, a job, relationships, mental stability and God's blessing that is not available to unbelievers. God can use such troubles to bring us to Him. We can experience the joy of restoration of all that we lost.
It's not all plain sailing. There are challenges as well as blessings. Some cultures persecute believers without mercy. But there we find God's grace is sufficient. And we have eternal life, even if we lose our physical life. And suffering as a believer has a point. It's not in vain. It is God's means to train us and to deliver us from imagining that we are better than we are in reality.
Seek first the Kingdom of God. That's the real objective of the gospel. We are saved for a purpose, for God's will, not our own self will.
