How The Gospel Works
If you have been to any motivational seminar in your life, you would have probably heard the speaker say that, “If you follow these ten steps, then you will come to a place of financial increase.” They would have probably told you also that if you don’t succeed, it is because of your inability to follow the steps correctly or diligently.
Thank God that the Gospel (good news) does not work like that! The minute you hear the Gospel, and you believe and receive it, His Word comes forth to save you, making you whole in every way. The good news acts quickly and does what it is intended to do instantly.
What is the good news? The good news is that God loves you so much that He gave you His Son to take your beating so that you can have His blessings without having to work for them yourself. This is what I call “the sweet exchange”! The good news is that God is for you and not against you. You need not try to impress God by your actions for some kind of blessing. You are blessed because you are a Child of God.
How the Gospel works can be explained much better with this example. The Bible recalls in the book of Acts chapter 14 verses 8-10 that as Paul was preaching the Gospel in Lystra, a man who was crippled from birth was listening attentively. Paul, seeing that he had faith to be healed simply said to him “Stand up straight on your feet”, and the man leaped and walked. He heard the good news, believed it and was healed that very moment.
That is how the Gospel works. You don’t need to try to beat yourself down or do any work to be saved and made whole. All you need is to believe and receive. As simple as this is, many people cannot receive the good things of the Christian faith because they always want to work to earn it. Many are used to the term “there is no free lunch anywhere”. This does not apply to the Christian faith.
There was a time in my life when I was sickly. The doctors told me I had some sickle cells in my blood. I accepted it and was falling sick constantly. But when I heard the Gospel, something rekindled in my heart that made me reject the doctor’s findings and today I can boldly declare that the hospital is no longer my second home. I am not enjoying this unlimited health because of some kind of work I have done but because of the Grace of God. God’s love has made available all that which Jesus came to die for and I am just walking in it.
My beloved, you now know how the Gospel works. These miracles happen not because we follow some kind of formula faithfully, but because we hear the good news preached and simply believe it!
