A Unique Gospel, Doctrine, and the Scriptures
The same Sound Doctrine and Unique Gospel has been taught for nearly 2000 years. This Doctrine teaches that God predestines all things with foreknowledge, and thus by knowing all of the actions that the enemy Satan and his Fallen Angels would take against Man, as well as the actions that Man would perform for all of eternity, he determined, defined, and set boundaries and limits to all that would occur.
God created human beings as unique and special and in His image as free moral agents with reason and conscience which sets them distinctly apart from all other creatures. He knew from the beginning that man with these capabilities in which He created him, could and would rebel.
There is however great hope, for God did not just leave it at that though He might have if He so willed, but rather out of love for all mankind He set in motion the most impressive rescue mission ever. This rescue effort was not for Him to toss some teaching our way and hope we would live better lives, but rather God's rescue effort is that He came down Himself to communicate in the most clear form possible His intentions and desires, and to make a sacrificial provision for pardon for man’s crimes against God.
So the incarnation of God becoming a man through Jesus is unique, and what Jesus did was take the penalty of the crimes of man upon Himself so that human beings could be freed. He took on the payment for the crimes against God, so that those that trust in Him could then receive the pardon and forgiveness that the Father offered.
This is another unique element, not only does God come down and reach out to man, but he gives him a free pardon for his crimes. The solution to the problem is not in making man better so as to make up for past deeds, for that doesn’t work. The solution is grace, it is an act of undeserved kindness and mercy on God’s part. It is not by any moral behavior that we qualify for salvation, it is actually our crimes against God that qualify us for His pardon and rescue. It is a pardon that God is willing to do graciously as we respond to that gift through faith.
Romans 1:16-22
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.” 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
As we can see in Romans 1 God reveals Himself to man not only through the Scriptures and the Gospel, but He also reveals Himself to man through His creation and makes it clear that “because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them”.
Yes, God makes it evident to all men so that they are without excuse. He loves his creation and called it very good, and He loved man so much that He died for everyone in the hopes that they would come to Him. We see in the following verses clear conditions that are set forth and Jesus closes the truth that when He is “lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself” this is an inclusive statement that by Jesus’ death on the cross ALL MEN will be drawn to Him.
John 12:23-32
23 And Jesus *answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. 26 If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. 27 “Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29 So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, “An angel has spoken to Him.” 30 Jesus answered and said, “This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes. 31 Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”
We see the Gospel perfectly in John 3 with the Son of Man lifted up, so that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life.
John 3:14-18
14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
We also see Judgment as you continue in verses 19-21 for men loved darkness for their deeds were evil.
John 3:19-21
19 This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”