CONCEPT LAW AND GRACE.

 A COMMON CONCEPTION OF MANY EVANGELICAL BELIEVERS REVEAL OPPOSITE SIDES OF GOD'S NATURE. LAW REVEALS THE ANGRY, STERN SIDE OF GOD, THE OLD TESTAMENT SIDE OF HIM.; GRACES REVEALS THE MERCIFUL, LOVING, NEW TESTAMENT SIDE OF HIM. MARY ARE SURPRISED TO FIND THAT GRACE AND THE GOSPEL ARE VERY MUCH OLD TESTAMENT CONCEPTS. SPEAKING OF OLD TESTAMENT ISRAELITES WHO WERE LED FROM EGYPT TO CANAAN BY MOSES, HEBREWS 4:1-2 SAYS: "THEREFORE, SINCE THE PROMISE OF ENTERING HIS  STILL  [CHRIST'S] REST STILL STANDS, LET US BE CAREFUL THAT NONE OF YOU BE FOUND TO HAVE FALLEN SHORT OF IT. FOR WE ALSO HAVE HAD THE GOSPEL PREACHED  TO US, JUST AS THEY DID;  BUT THE MESSAGE THEY HEARD DID NOT COMBINE WITH FAITH. SIMILARLY, WE FIND THAT THE GOSPEL WAS PREACHED TO ABRAHAM. PAUL SAYS: IN GALATIANS 3:89: "THE SCRIPTURE FORESAW THAT GOD WOULD JUSTIFY THE GENTILES BY FAITH., AND ANNOUNCED THE GOSPEL IN ADVANCE TO ABRAHAM.: "." ALL NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED THROUGH YOU.'. SO THOSE WHO HAVE FAITH ARE BLESSED ALONG WITH ABRAHAM THE MAN OF FAITH". PAUL MENTIONS IN ANOTHER EPISTLE THAT ABRAHAM AND DAVID WERE EXAMPLES OF MEN WHO WERE JUSTIFIED BY FAITH.  BUT DO THESE PASSAGES FROM ROM. (4:3:6).
 REFER TO THE SAME GOSPEL THAT WE ARE SAVED BY?  ALTHOUGH THE GREEK WORD (EVANGELION) FOR GOSPEL IS THE SAME IN ALL THESE REFERENCES, MIGHT IT NOT BE REFERRING TO A DIFFERENT GOSPEL FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT COVENANT? IT SEEMS POSSIBLE THAT THIS MIGHT BE THE CASE, FOR THERE ARE SEVERAL DESCRIPTIVE TITLES IN THE BIBLE, SUCH AS: " THE GOSPEL OF PEACE," THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST", THE "GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD,"  "THIS GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM" "AN ETERNAL GOSPEL."  SINCE THERE ARE DESCRIPTIVE TITLES, ARE THERE DIFFERENT GOSPELS? PAULS ANSWER IN GALATIANS IS AN EMPHATIC NO!  PAUL SAYS ITS "REPROOF FOR DISLOYALTY." WHEN HE SAYS: I AM AMAZED THAT YOU ARE SO SOON DESERTING HIM WHO CALLED YOU IN ACCORD WITH HIS GRACIOUS DESIGN IN CHRIST, AND ARE GOING OVER TO ANOTHER GOSPEL. BUT THERE IS NO OTHER. SOME WHO WISH TO ALTER THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST MUST HAVE CONFUSED YOU. FOR EVEN IF WE, OR AN ANGEL FROM HEAVEN, SHOULD PREACH TO YOU A GOSPEL NOT IN ACCORD WITH THE ONE WE DELIVERED, LET A CURSE BE UPON HIM!  I REPEAT TO WHAT  I HAVE JUST SAID: IF ANYONE PREACHES A GOSPEL TO YOU OTHER THAN THE ONE YOU HAVE RECEIVED, LET A CURSE BE UPON HIM! WHOM WOULD YOU SAY I AM TRYING TO PLEASE AT THIS POINT--MEN OR GOD?  IS THIS HOW I SEEK TO INGRATIATE MYSELF WITH MEN? IF I WERE TRYING TO WIN MAN'S APPROVAL. I WOULD SURELY NOT BE SERVING CHRIST! TO IMPRESS UPON THE GALATIANS THE DOCTRINAL  SERIOUSNESS OF THEIR INCLINATION TO COMBINE THE PRACTICES OF JUDAISM AS SAVING, PAUL CALLS THIS TEACHING ANOTHER GOSPEL i.e A DOCTRINE OF SALVATION SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT FROM AUTHENTIC CHRISTIAN TEACHING. (GAL1: 6-10)  IT IS HARD TO ESCAPE THE CONCLUSION THAT PAUL BELIEVED QUITE STRONGLY THAT THERE WAS ONLY ONE GOSPEL, WITH RESULTING INFERENCE THAT THE VARIOUS TITLES MENTIONED ABOVE ARE DESCRIPTIVE OF THE SAME GOSPEL. ABRAHAM AND DAVID LOOKED FORWARD TO THE FULFILLMENT OF THE GOSPEL EVEN AS WE LOOK BACKWARDS TO ITS COMPLETION IN CHRIST. THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT THE OLD TESTAMENT BELIEVERS UNDERSTOOD CHRIST'S ATONEMENT AS CLEARLY AS WE DO NOW, BUT THAT THEY HAD FAITH THAT GOD WOULD PROVIDE RECONCILIATION. FOR THEM, AND GOD HONORED THEIR FAITH BY GRANTING THEM REDEMPTION. REVELATION 13  ROUNDS IT ALL OUT WHICH SUSTAINS THE HOLY ONES, WHO KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD AND THEIR FAITH IN JESUS. I HEARD A VOICE FROM HEAVEN SAY TO ME: "WRITE THIS DOWN: HAPPY NOW ARE THE DEAD WHO DIE IN THE LORD!" THE SPIRIT ADDED, "YES, THEY SHALL FIND REST FROM THEIR LABORS, FOR THEIR GOOD WORKS ACCOMPANY THEM."