I have taught Sunday School for about 46 years. I teach because in teaching, I learn the most. I especially like teaching the Bible, for that very reason. I can readily memorize Scripture... but only when I am teaching it. So, I beg for the opportunity to teach. This brings us back to my 3-lesson series on evangelism.
The second lesson discusses the VITAL topic of WHAT is the Gospel. The writer of the book we are using spends most of Chapter 2 describing what is NOT evangelism. Obviously he thought that information was vital, but maybe partly he took this approach because describing the meat of the gospel only takes a couple of paragraphs. So, here is my version of the gospel.
G^d spoke the cosmos into existence. How He did that, whether through Darwinian or other means is irrelevant to the Gospel. The cosmos were perfect, as created. Part of the creation, was us, and we were perfect. In fact we are Imago Dei, the very IMAGE of G^d. As image-bearers, G^d CHOSE to give us great freedom in our choices; otherwise we are merely robots.
With our personal freedom we chose to disobey G^d, which is captured in the word, "sin". Adam and Eve were the first of a perpetual line of sinners (Cain, Genesis Chapter 5- total depravity leading to Noah, Tower of Babel builders, Israel, me... hopefully, you get the picture). This sin separates us from a Holy Righteous G^d, which means we are isolated from Him, by our sinful nature, with NOTHING we can do about it. We are in slavery, just as Israel was in the first 11 chapters of Exodus.
BUT G^D... in His righteousness comes to earth as Emmanuel, Jesus, G^d with us, who lives sinlessly, then dies as a substitute for our deserved death. The death of Jesus pays for our sin, satisfying the justice requirement, and the Blood of Christ cleanses us, not because of our righteousness, but by HIS righteousness given freely to us. The sacrifice of Jesus puts us in good standing with G^d, and is our ONLY admission to heaven. His blood saves us, and not we ourselves, nor anything we do, except express gratitude through OBEDIENCE to Him.
That took about 250 words in 3 paragraphs. Yep, what do you think? It's not enough for a book chapter! Amazing!
The second lesson discusses the VITAL topic of WHAT is the Gospel. The writer of the book we are using spends most of Chapter 2 describing what is NOT evangelism. Obviously he thought that information was vital, but maybe partly he took this approach because describing the meat of the gospel only takes a couple of paragraphs. So, here is my version of the gospel.
G^d spoke the cosmos into existence. How He did that, whether through Darwinian or other means is irrelevant to the Gospel. The cosmos were perfect, as created. Part of the creation, was us, and we were perfect. In fact we are Imago Dei, the very IMAGE of G^d. As image-bearers, G^d CHOSE to give us great freedom in our choices; otherwise we are merely robots.
With our personal freedom we chose to disobey G^d, which is captured in the word, "sin". Adam and Eve were the first of a perpetual line of sinners (Cain, Genesis Chapter 5- total depravity leading to Noah, Tower of Babel builders, Israel, me... hopefully, you get the picture). This sin separates us from a Holy Righteous G^d, which means we are isolated from Him, by our sinful nature, with NOTHING we can do about it. We are in slavery, just as Israel was in the first 11 chapters of Exodus.
BUT G^D... in His righteousness comes to earth as Emmanuel, Jesus, G^d with us, who lives sinlessly, then dies as a substitute for our deserved death. The death of Jesus pays for our sin, satisfying the justice requirement, and the Blood of Christ cleanses us, not because of our righteousness, but by HIS righteousness given freely to us. The sacrifice of Jesus puts us in good standing with G^d, and is our ONLY admission to heaven. His blood saves us, and not we ourselves, nor anything we do, except express gratitude through OBEDIENCE to Him.
That took about 250 words in 3 paragraphs. Yep, what do you think? It's not enough for a book chapter! Amazing!
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