Do you ever find yourself enjoying spending time with friends, family, and neighbors? If so, you are experiencing part of the gospel. The delight we experience as we live out the gospel among our friends, family, and neighbors is actually part of the gospel.
The gospel, when properly understood and practiced, becomes a great source of present joy and delight.
This is because the gospel is not just about the “by and by,” but also about the “here and now.”
The gospel message is intended to create delight in life, not just alleviate concerns about what happens after death. The gospel is not just about going to heaven when we die, but is also about experiencing heaven while we live.
The gospel is not just a message of hope for the dying, but is a message of delight for those who want to live. It does not call us to “Keep looking up” for the blessed return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but to keep looking out for ways that we can incarnate the return of Jesus in our very lives to those we interact with every day.
The gospel is not about waiting until we die or Jesus returns, but is about doing all we can to live our lives in such a way that Jesus returns in us.
I think it was Robert Farrar Capon who once said that while many Christians cannot wait to die so they can be glorified, God cannot wait for us to start living so He can be glorified. This is exactly the truth of the gospel.
The gospel is about how to live here and now so we look like Jesus and practice the principles of the Kingdom of God. When this happens, light, love, peace, and hope shine through our lives into the hopeless despair and darkness in which so many people live.
So when we live within the gospel of delight, we live our lives here and now with as much joy, love, contentment, service, and grace toward others as we possibly can. When we live in such ways, our lives become a vision of what heaven will be like.
Our lives point people to the reality of what God intends for the world.
We become a picture of what God desires for all people, a waking dream of what we might become. In this way, the gospel unveils a way of life for the here and now so that all who believe and follow the gospel can live, love, and look like Jesus to a dark and dying world.
Want to learn more about the gospel? Take my new course, "The Gospel According to Scripture."
The entire course is free for those who join my online Discipleship group here on RedeemingGod.com. I can't wait to see you inside the course!
Love the post. Jesus didn’t come to promise heaven in the future but heaven on earth in the present.
This is so true Jeremy and you put it so well. Easy to understand, and it defines what our role truly is within Gods Kingdom while there is breath within us. This is a great statement you make “keep looking out for ways that we can incarnate the return of Jesus in our very lives to those we interact with every day”. We are made in Gods image and thus we need to reflect this image and His character outwards into the lives of people …at their edge of life and personal hell reflecting Gods grace, mercy, justice, compassion and forgiveness. Pushing back the kingdom of darkness. What a wonderful message you provide what a shame many institutional churches have missed its truth. A smile, a listening ear, some help, some support… often not a great deal is needed to shine the light of Christ into a persons daily life.
I want to walk that road.
Jeremy. These words are so simple yet so inspired!! I have copied them out in my notebook and I intend to read them weekly.
Thank you very much for all you do!
This is a gospel of love not fear. I’m glad I joined this discipleship group.
It’s interesting that as I read this I couldn’t help comparing your truth to the lies of the prosperity, word faith movement.
The connection between loving relationships and community to Christian happiness/joy, is not something they teach in church. It’s there in the Bible, but I didn’t get it until I started reading your blogs.
Thanks Jeremy.