Be Changed by the Gospel

Be Changed 

Our CLCB Vision slogan is BE CHANGED, BE NICE, BE USED.

Let's think about the be changed part of it, which refers to the way we get changed by the Gospel of Jesus. 

1 Corinthians 15:1-11 helps us understand why and how the Gospel changes our lives.

1. It's the Pardon of God

In 1 Corinthians 15, we are told that , 'Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures." (v3). When we turn to the OT Scriptures, we see that "he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). In other words, we get forgiven and go at last to heaven because of the saving event of the Cross. Hebrews 9:12 says that Jesus "by means of his own blood, (secured) an eternal redemption."

2. It's the Proof of God

To prove that the cross is the once for all event of our salvation, Jesus was raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:4. His appearing to the apostles is what convinced them of the truth (1 Corinthians 15:5-9).

3. Its the Power of God

The Cross also releases "the grace of God" to chance our lives. In 1 Corinthians 15:8-10, Paul shares his experience of how the grace of God changed his life.He writes, "Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. [9] For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. [10] But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me."

When Paul saw the risen Christ on the Damascus Road, he was 'born' again (1 Corinthians 15:8), and he was converted and changed from being Jesus worst enemy to being His greatest apostle by 'the grace of God' that flows from the Cross (v9-10).

What began with a new birth and conversion on the Damascus Road, when Paul met the Risen Christ, became an ongoing process of change (1 Corinthians 15:10). This process aspect of being progressively changed by the Cross is seen also in 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 when it refers to "the gospel .....by which you are being saved "

4. It's the Provision of God

God's forgiveness and life changing grace in the Gospel of Christ crucified and risen needs to be received and held fast by faith. 1 Corinthians 15:1-2, says, "Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, [2] and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you-unless you believed in vain."

We can't earn salvation by our good works, we simple receive our salvation, achieved on the Cross, by faith. In Ephesians 2:8-10, Paul, writes about faith and works:

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9] not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." 

Faith receives the free gift of salvation. Works express our salvation. We are saved for works, not by works.

In Galatians 3:8, Paul gives us a definition of the Gospel:

'And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you shall all the nations be blessed."'

From this we see that to "justify....by faith" is "the gospel". In other words, the gospel is Justification by faith.

Think about it like this. Imagine that you stood before God and He said to you, 'Why should I let you into My heaven?' What would you say? You might answer by mentioning something you had done, which would indicate that you saw entry into heaven as based on your works. Or you could answer that you were trusting in Jesus Christ as your Saviour, which would indicate that you accepted that entry into heaven is by faith in Christ alone.

5. It's the Priority of God 

In 1 Corinthians 15:3, Paul refers to the priority of the Gospel, saying: "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures."

It's 'of first importance' and therefore must be central to our lives and church. Everything we preach and believe and do as a local church must agree with and clarify the Gospel. People sometimes ask why we do or don't do certain things in our church. The answer should always be that everything we do or don't do is determined by whether it will clarify or cloud or contradict the Gospel.

Paul's Gospel clarifying motive is seen in his missionary strategy expressed in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, where he explains how he does or doesn't do things and he sums up his Gospel approach  in verse 23, saying, "I do it all for the sake of the gospel".

We want to avoid compromising, clouding, or cluttering the Gospel with error, tradition or culture (see Galatians 2:14; Matthew 15:1-20; 1 Corinthians 9:19-23).

Everything we say or don't say, do or don't do should be determined by whether it will clarify the Gospel.