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The Gospel of God

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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Jan 18, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 3.

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The Gospel of God

“The Gospel of God.”—The word “Gospel” means glad tidings, or good tidings, or good news, and especially refers to the good news of salvation to fallen man. Thus it was that the heavenly messenger announced the Gospel to the shepherds on the plains of Bethlehem: “Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10, 11. This is the blessed message of rest, healing, and joy to the weary-laden, tempest-tossed, sin-sick, and mourning souls of earth. It declares there is rest; there is healing, and cleansing, and forgiveness; there is righteousness, and peace, and joy.
“Of God.”—The Gospel is of God. So are all other good things. He is the Fount of all blessing. “To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things.” He is the Source of all, because creative power is His. It is called “the Gospel of the grace of God.” It is the good tidings of His infinite favor which man has not merited, yet which is freely given. God “gave His only-begotten Son,” that sinful man might not perish. He gave Him in the beginning when man fell. He promised Him in the seed of the woman which will bruise the serpent’s head. In every lamb and kid that God required as a sacrifice was a promise of the coming Saviour. But He was no more given when the angel announced His birth to the Judean shepherds than He was when hope was held out before our first parents.
Expression of His Love.—The giving of His Son was the expression of the love of God for the race. “God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son.” It was the most that Infinite Love could do without destroying the government of the universe. But that would destroy all within the universe, and would not be love. In giving Christ Jesus, God did all that Infinite Love could do for fallen man. The love was there before Christ came. It is the same love ever since. But when Christ came, it was manifested. Words had said it before: “I have loved thee with an everlasting love.” But when the Son of God was tempted, suffered, died, deeds said, See how much God loves.
All in Christ.—All other gifts are given us in Christ Jesus. “But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things and we by Him.” 1 Cor. 8:6. He was the active agent in creation. He was associated with the Father in all the work, but He stepped down from the great creative and law-making firm, if we may so speak, and became a substitute for man. When, therefore, God gave the One by whom all things were created, He gave in Him all things. The all-inclusive Gift is a pledge of all things else. “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Rom. 8:32. What a pledge of God’s love! What an assurance of His continued love! Surely we may take to ourselves the comforting words of the angel, “Fear not.” Not only this, but we may rejoice at the glad news.
“The Gospel of Christ.”—It is not alone the Gospel of God; it is the Gospel of Christ as well. And yet, either the Gospel of God or the Gospel of Christ expresses it all; for Christ and the Father are One. It is only theology or infidelity which separates them. “I and My Father are One,” says Jesus in John 10:30. And in many ways the Lord has taught us the same thing. How many times did Jesus say of His teaching, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me.” The Father speaks and says, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him.” The Holy Ghost, or the Holy Spirit, is the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ. It is the same Spirit which breathes from both. The love which actuated the Father in the giving of the Son, actuated the Son to give Himself. Notice the union expressed in the following: “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is He that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” God can lay to our charge that which will hold; He is the only one who can. Christ condemns us by His own blameless life and example; He is the only one who can. But, to the praise of infinite and indivisible love, the one justifies, the other pleads. God counts us miserable that He may grant us mercy. He points out the disease that He may heal. He shows us to be sinners that we may know and claim His righteousness. “Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” What wondrous love!
The Good News.—Having this love for the children of men, the Lord must tell it. The good news must be given; and so the Gospel is sent unto the world to all people. It is preached in the sun and moon, in the stars at night, in the mighty mountains, in the sparkling dewdrop, in the blush and fragrance of the rose, in the pureness of the lily, and, clearer than all else, in His Word. And the news comes to you, sinner, in this, that God loves you. He has preserved you thus far; He longs to be your eternal Saviour. He has wisdom; He knows how to save. He has power; He is able to save even to the uttermost. He has love; He is willing and anxious to save. It all rests with you. Will you not accept the news? Will you not cast yourself upon His mercy? Will you not submit to His will? Will you not let Him be your Saviour? Will you not let infinite love move your heart to repentance, reform your life, that it may mould your entire being? Then, indeed, you may say: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? . . . For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”