The Gospel Re-Defined

So while we see that the kingdom of God on earth Gospel of Jesus was expected of followers of Jesus, the Christ — the church, especially after the Reformation, stressed the salvation Gospel of Christ to the point where the kingdom of God Gospel of Jesus became more a cultural aspect of the church than having the same Gospel status and effect as the salvation element.

In the 17th century, America, founded by English pilgrims fleeing religious persecution, developed a freedom of protestant, religious expression that molded the faith toward this same separation of the elements of the Gospel.

The modern era of religion in America, which began after World War II, continued the emphasis on the Gospel of Christ while the de-emphasis of the Gospel of Jesus accelerated until it is difficult to find the kingdom of God on earth Gospel of Jesus active, particularly in evangelical protestant churches in America.

The result is what rose to the forefront of belief in evangelical protestant churches in America is the simple understanding that eternal salvation comes through believing that the atoning death and bodily resurrection of Christ is all that’s needed to be a Christian.

Coupled with this belief is the corollary that nothing else, particularly “good works,” is needed — and that it may even be detrimental to accepting the salvation Gospel of Christ.

Jesus Lived. Christ Rose.

Christians agree that Jesus was born of a woman and grew from infancy to adulthood as a human. We also believe that Jesus was the Son of God in human form. Jesus was killed as a human, was dead and buried as a human. And with His death ended His human existence.

Then, on the third day, about 40 hours after His death, Jesus rose and became Christ. Still the Son of God, Christ exchanged a human body for a holy one. As Jesus, His death became the sacrificial redemption for the sins of all; and as Christ, His resurrection sealed the new and final covenant of eternity with God for all who believe and accept His gift of salvation.

It seems clear that Jesus and Christ are different, yet they are joined through the mystery and love of God.

It is interesting to note that the letter by James addressed the tension between faith and works because Paul’s statement was being misconstrued. Paul did not mean that Jesus’s instructions were to be ignored in favor of faith alone. He was referring to the Jewish law, specifically circumcision, as being null. Some Jewish followers of Jesus had reported to James that Paul said they were not bound by Jesus’s new law.

James is considered by many to be the brother of Jesus. Even he did not believe Jesus was the Son of God until James saw Jesus after the resurrection. After that James organized and led the early church in Jerusalem until he was killed in 62-63 CE. [1]

If the Son of God looked you in the eye and told you how He wanted you to live your life — and you ignored Him — well, you better hope there’s a plan B. [2]

[1] An Introduction to the New Testament, Raymond E. Brown, © 1997, page 732-734. [2] From Jesus to Christianity, Michael White, © 2004, page 277.

(407) 230-2125 mobile/text | Charlie@TheForgottenGospel.org www.ReclaimingtheForgottenGospelofJesus.org

Charlie Stuart

Charlie is founder of Making Faith Matter, a movement to help the local church return to the Complete Gospel of Jesus, the Christ. This is expressed best by Jesus when He taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” Charlie's new book “Reclaiming the Forgotten Gospel of Jesus” explores what could happen when churches adopt establishing the “Kingdom of God on earth” as their primary purpose. Learn more...

Reclaiming the Forgotten Gospel of Jesus

For decades, evangelical protestant churches in America have preached a salvation-centric Gospel of Christ. Today, a majority of protestants believe this is the complete gospel, and their churches have aligned their teachings to “seek and save the lost” only. In doing so, they relegated the life, words, and works of Jesus to secondary, non-gospel status.

But, what if the story of Jesus, passed down to us in the New Testament (especially Mark, Matthew, and Luke), describing His life, actions, death, and resurrection, is true? What if it accurately portrays the whole story of Jesus, the Son of God, as He lived among us? What if He still lives with us, showing us how to live out the kingdom of God on earth?

What if Jesus’s life was a living gospel, as He said it was, yet it has been forgotten by the evangelical protestant churches in America? And if this forgotten gospel has been ignored, what should the church do about it?

The purpose of this book is to explore how the life, words, and works of Jesus can bring churches, pastors, denominations, and members back to the Complete Gospel of Jesus, the Christ.

Click here to learn more about "Reclaiming the Forgotten Gospel of Jesus."