We began focusing our attention on the concept of:
Fellowship in the Gospel (Philippians 1:5)
The first area (as well as the most important) that our fellowship must be based on is that of believing, understanding, and trusting in the biblical Gospel, both as the means of initially saving us, as well as keeping us and empowering us to live the Christian life. Paul calls it a matter of first importance (I Corinthians 15:3).
The reason this is of first importance is that the Gospel is not a religion—(one of many ways that men have created to approach God). The gospel is a revelation of God and comes from God Himself—God created it! It actually existed in eternity past before the world was created.
Ephesians 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
No one could ever have come up with the Gospel for it is contrary to everything religion teaches. Therefore, being instructed continually in the Gospel is essential for both individual Christian growth as well as our fruitfulness as a church. This is how Paul communicated its importance to Philippians.
Philippians 1:27 Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,
These were a people already born again through the power of the gospel and recognized as the church at Philippi. But here they are told to strive together with one mind and stand fast in one spirit for the faith of the gospel.
Many religious people today treat the Gospel as if it is good advice instead of good news. Think about what passes for the Gospel today; a better life, health and wealth, a means of dealing with our loneliness and hurt and rejection. But the gospel is not good advice but good news—the grand, great, merry news that God in Christ has done all that will ever need to be done to deliver sinners from the power of sin, death, and eternal separation from God. And only the Gospel has delivering and saving power because all human beings are hopelessly bound to the power of sin.
So we should ask ourselves this question. Have we been treating the gospel as good advice or as good news?
If it is good news it permeates our lives and transforms the way we think about everyday things. It delivers us from the power of sin and places us in the kingdom of God’s dear Son Jesus Christ. In other words it places us under the dominion and rule of Christ.
Some hear the term dominion and rule and may wince at the thought of it. If, all the gospel is to you is good advice sprinkled with moral objectives, then it is understandable that you would wince.
Tim Atchley
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About The Author
- Tim Atchley
- Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
- I currently serve as Senior Pastor of Harvest Church in Knoxville, Tn. I was sent out from Trinity Chapel of Knoxville in 1993 accompanied by my wife Sheila our four children Sarah, Hannah, Josiah & Isaac and a handful of bold, brave and committed believers determined to plant our first church. Pioneering is hard work but well worth the journey. That is why we desire to make disciples of Christ who will, like us, also embrace the call to plant churches.
