AN UNCOMFORTABLE GOSPEL

AN UNCOMFORTABLE GOSPEL

The Gospel is “Good News”, but there are times when the Good News isn’t pleasant. The Good News came by way of the Cross—and as grateful as I am for the Cross at Calvary, it was dark, ugly, horrific, demeaning, degrading, dastardly, wicked, cruel and more, but it is still the Gospel—and for me, it is good news.

Jesus came preaching and teaching during His brief ministry—a rather uncomfortable Gospel. He knew that He was the long awaited Messiah, but many who waited for Him, didn’t recognize Him, because they sought a Messiah who offered a relief from earthly oppression and woes—rather than spiritual deliverance. They looked for an earthly warrior—after the flesh, to come riding into the holy city to deliver them from Rome and from the oppressors within Judaism. They weren’t very different from 21^st century Christians. Today, most of us, want a Savior Who will rescue us from the doldrums of bills, debt, illness, pain, problems that are a natural part of living in world marred by sin, too. We (think we) could be satisfied with more money, great health and the “things” that we want—right here, and now. That’s the kind of God we want—and would settle for. Paul said, in 1 Corinthians 15:19, “if that’s all there is, then we are the most miserable people on the face of the earth!” (my paraphrase).

The God of the Gospel is not and will not be relegated to the natural or our natural desires and shelved until a want or need arises. He won’t be limited to our finiteness. He is drawing a people who will choose Him for something beyond the fishes and the loaves—even, a people who will follow if there are no fishes and loaves. Would we still serve Him without the cattle in the stall, or if the olive fails and the fig tree refuses to blossom and the fields yield no food (Habakkuk 3:17)? Will we still recognize that He is my Strength and proclaim Him as such, to the World—that is what gives Him great glory. He is glorified most when there is no apparent reason to live for Him, but still you declare His Name, and hold fast to His unchanging Hand—that is faith. It doesn’t take faith to get whatever you want, and trust God, just the opposite; when the bottom falls out, and your world turns upside down, and your faith fails not, He is glorified and counts you worthy.

The real Gospel isn’t for the faint of heart. It isn’t for those who simply “play” church—it takes God strength to stand in the face of opposition, pain, hurt, agony, loss, and whatever cross you must take up to follow Jesus. “Yes, there is a cross for everyone…” none of us are exempt; not true believers. We can expect to be “troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed”. It really is par for the course—we signed up for it when we chose Him; oh, but the benefits far outweigh the trouble! The Amplified Version goes on to say in verse 10 (of 2 Corinthians 4) “Always carrying about in the body the liability and exposure to the same putting to death that the Lord Jesus suffered, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be shown forth by and in our bodies.”

 What we go through in the natural—the hardships, are setting us up for the glory. But, we have to endure, as good soldiers. It is all temporary, but it is a necessary part of our growth as sons of God—to mature and grow into His righteous Image is going to take some fire, some time on the Potter’s wheel—and He knows what it will take to see His Image and Likeness reflected in us. Therefore, He allows us to be considered by the adversary of our souls, to be buffeted and tried—because what satan meant for evil, and for our total destruction, God uses to mold us into His vessel of honor, sanctified. None of our trials go to waste—God uses every one of them, for our good—and even for the good of others. We get a “Joseph” deal when satan attacks us—God turns it around and saves many as a result of our victorious stance in the prison.

The prison will not kill you. God has your back even in the prison, and your prison is your preparation. It is too late in the “day” for us to be seeking comfort—it’s time to seek the weapons of our warfare, and be prepared—it won’t be comfortable; but looking back is not an option (Jesus said that man is unworthy). The discomfort is temporary.

“For our light, momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!] Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting.” [2 Corinthians 4:17, 18; Amplified Bible]