Sharon (not her real name) first married “a prince of a man” who treated her wonderfully well. When he died and she remarried, she expected her second husband to be the same. Finally reality set in; she realized that he was mean spirited and difficult to live with, not at all what she expected.
Expectations can confuse me. If I think someone will be harsh and they are kind, I’m unsure about trusting them. This has nothing to do with reality for that person may be genuinely a nice person, but for some reason, I thought otherwise. When this happens, my expectations mess with my head.
This happened to John the Baptist. He preached of a Messiah who would judge sin and “burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” When Jesus came and began a ministry of healing and John himself wound up in prison, no wonder he thought he had misunderstood. These expectations motivated him to send his disciples to ask if Jesus was really the “Coming One, or do we look for another?”
Jesus replied, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: the blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me” (Matthew 11:4-6).
Because John was not sure why Jesus came, it is safe to assume that others do too. Was He here to make people feel guilty? To show love to all, no matter what they did? What was this man all about? What is His agenda?
My devotional reading asks the obvious question, “What is the gospel?” If I asked ten people that question, I’m sure I would get ten different responses. Looking into my own heart and experiences, these might be some of them.
If I stuck by my pride, particularly my spiritual pride, I would say that the gospel is a salvation that depends on me. If I am good enough, do righteous deeds, and please God and others, then I will go to heaven when I die. But that is not the gospel.
If I stuck by my independence, I would say that the gospel is a nonsense created by cripples who use God as a crutch. I would declare that I am not needy like they are and do not need any saving because I can get along quite well by myself. Certainly, that is not the gospel.
If I stuck by my money (what little there is), I would say that God is pleased by those who give. I would claim a salvation based on my charitable giving, which in essence is a declaration that salvation can be purchased. If a widow’s mite can please Jesus, imagine His pleasure at my generosity! But that is not the gospel either.
If I stuck by my intellect, I would say that the gospel is for those who understand the deep mysteries of God. I would puff up when people say, “You know the Bible so well” and base my standing before God on my grasp of His truth. Even though this eliminates those who cannot read, small children and others, I would be certain that because I am so smart, I would go to heaven. This is not the gospel either.
However, when I realize the depth of my spiritual poverty, when I acknowledge that I am nothing and have nothing but massive sin and guilt, then I am in the place where I get the correct definition. The gospel is none of those things that human pride and vanity expect. It is God, in mercy, pardoning my sins, covering them with the blood of Christ. It is God who loves me no matter what I am or have or have done, shedding abroad in my heart His love, guiding me into goodness, and making Himself known to me.
The gospel is not for those who think they can secure it by themselves. It is for those whose poverty of spirit has prepared them to receive that amazing gift from God for which there is no payment, no earning, no deserving. The gospel is the good news that Jesus died for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day that we can be forgiven and adopted into the family of God, just as we are. It is eternal life, not earned or bought or deserved. It is God’s amazing grace.
Those other notions about the gospel can affect me even now that I’ve finally figured it out. If I let the pride of my old nature rule, or if I hang on to any of those things that supposedly give me merit, then I will look on others with expectations too. I will think that the saved with talent should be performing, that the saved with money should be generous and the saved with brains should never be wrong. Those expectations totally ruin fellowship with those who came into the kingdom of God the same way I did; without earning or deserving any of God’s blessings and without any merit of our own.
The gospel is good news only for the poor in spirit. Whatever else a person has doesn’t matter, but if anyone thinks it does, that expectation will keep them from experiencing the saving power of God. The gospel is for those who have no expectations about themselves or about what God will do; their only hope is in His mercy and grace.
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