The Gospel Is "Better" Than You Imagine

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Life Story
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The other day, Alison and I went to a small bookshop to browse and purchase some books. Alison happened to find some good children's book for the kids that she helps out with. I, on the other hand, immediately went to the Christian book aisle and the biography aisle. Little did I know, there wasn't an aisle for Christian books. I did, however, find a religious books section, which were filled with interesting books on different religions - I personally enjoy reading and understanding different faith backgrounds. 

I stumbled across a book by Rob Bell called, "Love Wins: For Teens". I was reading the description at the back cover of the book. There was this one sentence that bothered me a lot, "And what if the answer to life's meaning is much better than we ever imagined?" I immediately glanced over and picked up the original version of the book, "Love Wins", and I read another sentence that was similar to the former, "Rob Bell presents a deeply biblical vision for rediscovering a richer, grander, truer, and more spiritually satisfying way of understanding heaven, hell, God, Jesus, salvation, and repentance. The result is the discovery that the 'good news' is much, much better than we ever imagined." Just recently, I remember a person who said to me, "The good news is better than you think!"
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The Phrase
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I personally never bothered to try and find out what that phrase means. I do not even know who originally coined that phrase - it is possible for the meaning to have different nuances or semantics - but Bell is one of the first authors I know of who cited that phrase - by the way, I will be doing a critical or reflective reading of "Love Wins" for my seminary outcome. 

The phrase may be interpreted in several ways:

1. Our present perspective of the Gospel is dull and boring Therefore, we need a reminder that the Gospel is much better - not dull nor boring - than our present perspective. 
2. We have already have an understanding of the Gospel, but the teacher shows us something more that we're missing - the better aspects of the Gospel!
3. Our understanding of the Gospel is all wrong. Therefore, the teacher shows you the real Gospel, which is better than what you have!

Whatever the meaning may be, we need to be discerning when we come across this phrase. Because this phrase contains a lot of nuances, we need to understand it in light of the context of the book or the article or whatever the content may be in order to present a fair critique of the phrase. It is probably not a bad phrase if it is used properly and Biblically to clarify and correct our understanding of the Gospel or the Bible or the traditional orthodox teachings.

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Discernment
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Might I suggest passages of Scripture that may help us to discern what to make of the Gospel, whatever the content we are reading. 

1. The Gospel has to be presented "in accordance with the Scriptures." (1 Corinthians 15:3) If the "Gospel" that is presented is contrary to the entire teachings of Scripture, then we have to immediately reject that "Gospel", which is no Gospel at all. 
2. If the "Gospel" is a different gospel from what Paul taught, confirmed with the other Apostles, and is contrary to the entire teachings of Scripture, then it is a distorted gospel. (Galatians 1:4-10)
3. If the "Gospel" is a different gospel from what Paul taught, confirmed with the other Apostles, and is contrary to the entire teachings of Scripture, then it is a "Gospel" preached by false teachers that promises health and wealth. If you have believed in that "Gospel", then you have received a demonic or a false spirit and have been greatly deceived. (2 Corinthians 11:1-6)

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Conclusion
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Having discernment and wisdom is important. The noble Bereans in Acts 17:10-12 should remind us about the importance to "examine the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so." Apollos in Acts 18:24-25 should remind us about being "competent in the Scriptures" and being able to teach "accurately the things concerning Jesus". Paul's teaching to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15 should remind us to "rightly [handle] the word of truth". It is not necessarily always safe to only listen to teachers. In our walk with God, we ought to balance between listening to teachers and studying the Scriptures. The Gospel is indeed glorious and has the power to save. The Gospel ultimately has to derive from the teachings of Scripture, not from people who create counterfeit gospels. 

Adolf Hitler, Abortion, and the Gospel: Ray Comfort and "180" Movie

Some of my friends (Wanda, Chris, Kevin, and maybe others) have posted a documentary video on their Facebook page. I began to ponder what this video meant. This morning, therefore, I took the time to watch it. In the first few seconds into the movie, out comes this question, "Have you heard of Adolf Hitler?" Ray Comfort, who is interviewing the people on the street, is a Jewish and was deeply concerned with this current generation because they are forgetting the greatest tragedy that has happened on the face of human history.

He initiates the conversation by asking them about Adolf Hitler and what they thought about him and if his movement (murdering the Jews) was evil. Surprisingly, some of the people he interviewed didn't know who he was, let alone showing a photograph of him. Some gave honest opinions and answers, and some were outrageous.

He connects the event of Holocaust to the modern activist of abortion. The people saw the Jews were, indeed, human beings, but what makes it difference in murdering a child in a woman? Comfort gave them a statement and wants them to finish the sentence, "It is okay to kill the child in the womb when ________." It shockingly challenged them to think about the mentality that they have and what they believe to be moral and true. In addition, he challenges their perspective of abortion, good, evil, sin, God, heaven, hell, judgement, salvation, Jesus, the Cross and the Gospel. As shocking as it was to watch some of the conversations and worldviews expressed in them, the conclusions at the end were equally powerful in their impact.

After watching the documentary, I was confounded by the conversation. It got me thinking more critically about how I go out sharing with my friends to a bunch of strangers. The passion that I have, along with Ray Comfort, is to engage in people's worldview and asking right questions to get this current generation to think deeper and critically about life. I would lovingly say that a lot of the interviewees were hypocrites. The answers given by one situation contradicts with the other situation. Most of them do value human lives. Knowing that the murder of the Jewish lives is not right, what makes it right to abort a child in a mother's womb even if the situation (e.g. rape or financial problems or not ready) is different? I would encourage you to take the time and watch the documentary below:



I thoroughly enjoy the fact that Comfort is engaging with strangers and challenging them to think critically. Even through the conversation, he pointed them to Jesus Christ. As a Christian, I desire to be fill with the Holy Spirit and see people discover Jesus. As Apostle Paul said to the church at Rome and Corinth:

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. " (Romans 1:18-32 ESV)

"For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God."
(1 Corinthians 1:25-29 ESV)

"For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete." (2 Corinthians 10:3-6 ESV)