Oct 22
23
Scripture Reading: Acts 13:13-43
“Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, ‘Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.’ So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: ‘Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. All this took about 450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ Of this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’ Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “ ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’ And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ Therefore he says also in another psalm, ‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’ For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about: ‘Look, you scoffers, be astounded and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.’’ As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath. And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.” (Acts 13:13–43, ESV)
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Introduction
As you can see, we have taken a little break from our study of the book of Exodus. This break will not last long. We will return to Exodus next Sunday, Lord willing. And I do hope that today’s sermon will help to propel us forward through the chapters that remain.
The title of the sermon today is, What Is The Gospel? I decided to preach this sermon for four reasons.
One, I wish to clearly communicate the gospel message knowing that there may be some in our midst who have not yet heard the gospel. That would be surprising to me if a person has been attending for any length of time, for the gospel is indeed proclaimed here Lord’s Day after Lord’s Day as we make our way through various texts of scripture. But today I will proclaim the gospel in a very direct way, and perhaps the Lord would be pleased to use this gospel presentation to draw someone to salvation through faith in Christ.
Two, it is not only those who do not have faith in Christ who need to hear the gospel but Christians too. Those who have heard the gospel before and have believed it to the saving of their souls, need to hear to gospel message again and again. It is good for us to be reminded of what God has done for us. It is good for us to reflect upon gospel truth so that we might grow in our appreciation for what God has done. Indeed, as we contemplate the gospel our love and gratitude towards God and Christ will increase.
Three, I wish to clearly communicate the gospel message to you today so that you, Christian, might know how to do the same. Granted, not all Christians are called and gifted to preach and teach in the church. And not all are called and gifted to minister the word out in the world as evangelists (strictly speaking). But all Christians are called to be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in them. And what is the reason for the hope that is in us except the gospel of Jesus Christ? Brothers and sisters, if someone were to ask you the question, what is the gospel?, or if you had the opportunity to proclaim the gospel, would you know what to say? I do trust the majority of you know the Bible well. I’m confident that your understanding of and belief in the gospel is strong. But if you are not prepared to clearly and succinctly present the gospel when the opportunity arises, you will likely allow the opportunity to pass you by. Today, I hope to present the gospel of Jesus Christ to you clearly and succinctly as an example so that you might be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in you.
Four, I wish to clearly communicate the gospel to you today to prepare us for the remainder of our study of the book of Exodus. Chapters 35-39 of the book of Exodus describe the building of the tabernacle. Chapter 40 describes the glory of God filling the tabernacle. I’ve already warned you that these chapters are repetitive. Detailed instructions for the building of the tabernacle were given to Moses on the mountain and these are recorded for us in Exodus 25-31. Now here in Exodus 35-39, the building of the tabernacle according to the design shown to Moses is described to us. These chapters repeat what was said before, but the repetition is important. As we work our way through the repetition of Exodus 35-39 I will take the opportunity to back away from the tedious details of the text to talk about the biblical theology of the tabernacle. I hope to show you that the tabernacle of the Old Covenant proclaimed the gospel. In other words, the tabernacle of Old was very much about Jesus Christ and the good news that has come to us regarding the work he has accomplished and the victory he has won.
And so today I simply wish to answer this most foundational question, what is the gospel?
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The Gospel Is Good News
There are two things foundational things that you need to know before we get into the specifics.
First of all, you should know that the word gospel simply means good news. Gospel means good news. In fact, the word itself is not uniquely Christian. The Greek word is εὐαγγέλιον. It can be used to describe any kind of good news. One Greek lexicon says that the word refers to “‘news that makes one happy’ or ‘information that causes one joy’ or ‘words that bring smiles’ or ‘a message that causes the heart to be sweet.’” (Louw Nida, 412). So then, in a general sense, gospel simply means good news. Our king has won the war and has repelled the invaders, is good news. Your lost son has been found, is good news. In just a moment we will come to consider the gospel of Jesus Christ, but before we come to that, do not miss this simple fact: the gospel is news. It is not a way of life. It is not good works. It is an announcement or proclamation. It is a message of joy. Yes, belief in the gospel will produce a certain way of life. And yes, we are to adorn the gospel with good works. But the gospel is a message – a message of joy that must be proclaimed.
The second foundational thing that you need to know is that the gospel is a story. In fact, this is true of all good news. It’s hard to imagine any kind of good news being received as good news without a backstory. You know, back in the olden days – before the invention of the internet, phones, the telegraph, and even the printing press – the news would be spread from town to town by heralds, or criers. If a king had a message to spread, he would send out his heralds or messengers. Now, imagine a herald standing in the middle of the town square saying, “I have good news, the king has won the war.” I think you would agree with me that that proclamation of good news would only be received as good news by the citizens of that town if it were set against the backdrop of bad news. The announcement, “the king has won the war”, would not cause the citizens to rejoice unless they knew there was a war. Without the backstory, the proclamation of good news would not make sense. Instead of rejoicing, the citizens would look at the hareld with confusion and bewilderment on their faces. Wait, what did you say? The king has won the war? What war? We did not know there was a war! But if the citizens of that land were first told the bad news that an enemy was approaching and was threatening the nation, their homes, and their families, and if the citizens were carrying within them angst regarding the threat, then the news, the king has won the war, would not bewilder them, but would immediately be recognized as good news – indeed, great news – and all would erupt in celebration. You see, for this reason, I have said, the gospel is a story. The gospel is not a simple announcement, but a story. And it is a story that begins with bad news. The good news of Jesus Christ can only be appreciated as good news when it is delivered as a story.
To approach a stranger on the streets and to say to them, Jesus loves you, is not the gospel. Or to say, Jesus died for sinners and the forgiveness of sins is available to all who have faith in him (though much better than the simple statement, Jesus loves you) is not really the gospel either, for you have not told the story! Do not be surprised, especially in our day and age (when so many are ignorant of the basic teachings of the Bible, when that person looks at you with confusion on their face! Jesus? Who is he? Why did he die? What do you mean by “sinners”? Am I a sinner? Are you saying that I need forgiveness? Etc. You see, when the gospel is presented as a mere announcement separated from the story that is told in scripture, it will not be recognized as good news. The king has won the war and has saved us? What king? What war? Saved us from what? Why should I care?
So then, we begin with these two truths. One, the gospel of Jesus Christ is good news – it is a joyous announcement or proclamation. Two, if the good news of the gospel is to be received as good news, a story must be told. The good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ can only be comprehended if the story of redemption that is told in the Bible is understood.
In the remainder of the sermon today I wish to tell you that story. I will tell it in four parts. And I want you to memorize these parts. The story of the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is the story of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation.
Can you repeat those words after me? Creation. Fall. Redemption. Consummation.
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Creation
If we wish to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ clearly then we must begin where the Bible begins, and that is with the story of creation. The very first verse of the Bible says this: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1, ESV). So then, there is God, and there is his creation. Everything that exists falls into these two categories – God and creation – Creator and creature.
There is so much to say about God. What is his nature? What are his attributes? How does he relate to this world he has made? Indeed, the rest of the scriptures from Genesis 1:1 onward reveal God to us. In the scriptures, we learn there is only one God (Baptist Catechism, 8), that he is “a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth” (BC, 7), and that, “there are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one God, the same in essence, equal in power and glory” (BC, 9).
These truths about God are essential truths. In fact, I would argue that a person cannot be saved without believing these foundational truths about God. But I have a question for you: must we proclaim these truths about God – truths about his nature, his attributes, and his tri-unity – every time we proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ? I think not. Much of this can be reserved for later should a person desire to know more. The goal here is to tell the backstory so that the good news regarding salvation in Jesus Christ can be intelligible. So what does a person need to know in order to understand why the news that Jesus died for sins and rose in victory is good news? Well, first of all, they need to know that God exists and that in the beginning, he created all things seen and unseen, including mankind.
The second thing that must be said about creation is that when God created the heavens and earth everything was good. In the beginning, the heavenly realm, the earthly realm, and everything within them were good. These realms and the creatures placed within them were upright, pure, and without defect. Everything was as it should be. No sin, no sickness, no death. Everything that was brought into being by the word of God was good. Indeed, it was very good. The narrative of Genesis 1 makes this clear.
The third thing that should be said about creation is this: after God created the man Adam, he placed him in a special garden. That garden was a temple, for there man enjoyed communion with God. And in that garden, God entered into a covenant of works with man. I’m afraid this fact is often forgotten in our presentations of the gospel. But I think you would agree with me that it is a very important part of the story. One cannot really understand man’s fall into sin, redemption in Christ Jesus, or the idea of consummation, apart from the covenant of works that was made with Adam in the garden.
Now, please do not misunderstand me. I am well aware of the fact that your time with a person may be very limited and that you might need to present the gospel of Jesus Christ very quickly. When that is the case, I would not fault you at all for skipping over this detail or that in the hopes that you will have an opportunity to say more at a later time. But if possible, do not forget to talk about the garden temple and the covenant of works that was made with Adam there. It is an important part of the backstory.
After God created Adam and Eve, he entered into a covenant with them. Adam was to guard the garden-temple that God had placed them in. He was to expand its borders. He and his wife Eve were to fill it with their offspring. This they were to do with love for God in their hearts. They were to worship him as priests. They were to serve him as kings on earth. They were to proclaim his word as prophets. But this was a time of testing for them.
Two things were given to Adam and Eve to signify that this was a time of testing
First of all, they were given the weekly Sabbath. Six days they were to work, and on the seventh day, they were to rest. This they were to do in imitation of their Maker, who took six days to create the heavens and earth. He rested on the seventh day as a pattern for them. The Sabbath day was (and is) a sign. It signified God’s eternal rest. And it was an invitation to the man and women to enter that eternal rest through their faithful work and obedience.
The second thing given to Adam and Eve to show that they were in a time of testing were two trees: the tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
What did the tree of life signify? It symbolized the reward that God would graciously give to Adam and Eve if they passed the test. They would pass from life to life, that is to say, from life in paradise to eternal life in glory. The tree of life was a symbol of this, and its presence in the garden of Eden was a sign of the test that Adam was under.
And what did the tree of the knowledge of good and evil signify? It signified rebellion, and the curse that would come upon the man, the woman, and all of their descendants should they fail to keep the garden temple, to expand its borders, and to fill the earth with worshipers of YHWH, the one true God, creator of all things seen and unseen.
When we proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, we must tell the story of creation, for it is the backdrop against which the story of our fall into sin, our redemption in Christ, and the consummation of all things is set. When we speak of creation we must say, in the beginning, God created the heavens and earth and all things seen and unseen. Everything that came from his hand, including man, was good, indeed very good. But “when God had created man, He entered into a covenant of life [or works] with him upon condition of perfect obedience: forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death” (BC, 15). This story of creation, and of the covenant of creation, is the story that is told in Genesis 1 and 2. If people do not possess this foundational knowledge already, we ought to begin here when telling people the good news about salvation through faith in Christ.
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Fall
Now that we have discussed the creation, let us move on to the subject of man’s fall into sin. This is the bad news which makes the good news good. Christ came to solve a problem. He came to defeat an enemy, rescue captives, restore what was lost, and finish a work left undone. If people are to understand the good news of Jesus Christ, they must first know something about the problem, the enemy, the bondage, the loss, and the unfished work. It is the very bad news of man’s fall into sin that makes the good news of man’s salvation in Christ Jesus comprehensible.
So what needs to be said concerning man’s fall into sin? Two things: One, the fact of the fall ought to be proclaimed. Two, the effects of the fall ought to be explained.
The story of the temptation of man and of Adam’s rebellion against God is told in Genesis 3. I trust that you know that story well. A rebel from the heavenly realm approached Eve on earth in the form of a serpent and tempted her. And Eve in turn tempted her husband, Adam. The serpent claimed that God’s word was not true, that God was holding out on them, and that they could be enlightened and empowered, if only they would eat of the forbidden tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil – by the way, the evil one utters the same kind of lies even to this present day. Adam sinned against God when he listened to the word of the intruder instead of the word of God. With evil rebellion, discontentment, and pride in his heart, he took fruit from the forbidden tree and ate. As I have said, that story is told in Genesis 3. The doctrinal truths concerning man’s fall into sin are summarized in questions 16 through 18 of our catechism.
Q. 16. Did our first parents continue in the estate wherein they were created?
A. Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God. (Gen. 3:6; Eccles. 7:29; Rom. 5:12)
Q. 17. What is sin?
A. Sin is any [lack] of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God. (1 John 3:4; Rom. 5:13)
Q. 18. What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created?
A. The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit. (Gen. 3:6,12,13)
Now, what were the effects of Adam’s sin? Truthfully, a lot could be said about this. The effects were truly devastating. I will present them under three headings:
One, the curses of the covenant of works (or of life, or creation) fell upon Adam and Eve
The wages of sin is death: Physical death. Spiritual death: alienation from God, wrath, depravity. .
Two, the blessings promised under the covenant of works were lost.
Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden of Eden and the way to the tree of life and all that it signified was blocked off.
Three, the guilt of Adam’s sin, the loss of original righteousness, and the curses of the covenant were transmitted to all of Adam’s descendants, that is to say, to all humanity, for Adam was the head or representative of all humanity. All who were born of Adam and Eve (and that includes you and me) are born in Adam, in sin, under the broken covenant of works and its curses.
The story of the temptation of man and of man’s fall into sin is told in Genesis 3:1-13. The effects of Adam’s fall into sin are observed in Genesis 3:14 through to the end of Genesis 6. Indeed, the effects of Adam’s fall into sin are observable in all of the scriptures from Genesis 3:14 onward. Also, they are observable in the whole course of human history. That we are by nature fallen and sinful creatures should be evident to anyone with eyes to see.
The great doctrinal truths regarding the effects of Adam’s fall into sin are summarized nicely in Baptist Catechism 19-22.
Q. 19. Did all mankind fall in Adam’s first transgression?
A. The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself but for his posterity, all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. (1 Cor. 15:21,22; Rom. 5:12,18,19)
Q. 20. Into what estate did the fall bring mankind?
A. The fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery. (Ps. 51:5; Rom. 5:18,19: Is. 64:6)
Q. 21. Wherein consists the sinfulness of that estate whereunto man fell?
A. The sinfulness of that estate whereunto man fell, consists in the guilt of Adam’s first sin, the want of original righteousness, and the corruption of his whole nature, which is commonly called original sin, together with all actual transgressions which proceed from it. (Rom. 5:19; 3:10; Eph. 2:1; Is. 53:6; Ps. 51:5; Matt. 15:19)
Q. 22. What is the misery of that estate whereunto man fell?
A. All mankind, by their fall lost communion with God, are under His wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries of this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever. (Gen. 3:8,24; Eph. 2:3; Gal. 3:10; Rom. 6:23; Matt. 25:41-46; Ps. 9:17)
As I have said, this bad news is the backdrop against which the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is set. Apart from at least a superficial understanding of the backstory of creation and man’s fall into sin, the story of our redemption in Christ Jesus would be unintelligible.
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Redemption
Let us now consider the work of redemption that Christ has accomplished. To redeem is to buy back. Or, if you prefer, we can talk about the work of salvation that Christ has accomplished. To save is to rescue. Whichever term you prefer, we need to talk about Jesus Christ and the work that he has done to rescue sinners from their sin and misery.
I’ll briefly talk about our redemption under three headings.
One, let us ask, what did Christ come to save us from?
Answer: He came to save us from all of the miseries that came upon the children of Adam when he fell into sin and broke the covenant.
Remember questions 21 and 22 of our catechism.
Q. 21. Wherein consists the sinfulness of that estate whereunto man fell?
A. The sinfulness of that estate whereunto man fell, consists in the guilt of Adam’s first sin, the want of original righteousness, and the corruption of his whole nature, which is commonly called original sin, together with all actual transgressions which proceed from it. (Rom. 5:19; 3:10; Eph. 2:1; Is. 53:6; Ps. 51:5; Matt. 15:19)
Q. 22. What is the misery of that estate whereunto man fell?
A. All mankind, by their fall lost communion with God, are under His wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries of this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever. (Gen. 3:8,24; Eph. 2:3; Gal. 3:10; Rom. 6:23; Matt. 25:41-46; Ps. 9:17)
What did Christ come to save us from? All of that!
Two, what did Christ come to save is to?
Answer: he came so save us so that we might have what was offered to Adam but forfeited. He came to pay for our sins so that he might cleanse us, and live a righteous life so that he might give us his righteousness. This is so that we might be reconciled to the Father and enter into the eternal Sabbath rest that was offered to Adam. Christ came to give us eternal life of which the tree of life was a symbol. Christ came to bring his people into the eternal and blessed presence of God in his eschatological temple wherein heaven and earth will be made one. All of that was offered to Adam in the covenant of works, but was forfeited. Christ came to save us to that.
Three, how did Christ accomplish this work?
Answer: Christ, the eternal Word of God took to himself a human nature. He accomplished our redemption by living in obedience to God’s law and by suffering and dying in the place of sinners. He endured God’s wrath in the place of those given to him by the Father. He atoned for their sins as he died as their substitute. He rose again on the third day in victory and ascended into heaven as the first fruit and forerunner of all who are united to him by faith.
Here is the thing that I want you to recognize: What Christ came to redeem us from, what he came to redeem us to, and the way in which he accomplished our redemption, is very much related to the story of creation, to the covenant that God made with Adam in the garden, and to the breaking of that covenant. Christ came to save us from the curses of that covenant. He came to redeem us so that he might bring us into that state of glory that Adam failed to obtain. And he accomplished this redemption in the flesh, as the God-man, the only mediator between God and man, the second Adam.
Stated differently, whereas the first Adam broke the covenant that God made with him as head or representative of the human race, the second Adam, Christ the Lord, was faithful to keep the covenant that God made with him as the head or representative of those given to him by the Father. What covenant was this? It was not the covenant of works that was made with Adam in the garden, but the covenant of redemption made between the Father and Son in eternity. There are many places in the scriptures where we are given a glimpse into the terms of that covenant (Isaiah 42:1-7, Isaiah 50:4-9, Luke 4:17–21). Perhaps the most famous is John 17 where Christ prays to Father and says things like this: “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. ‘I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.’” (John 17:1–6, ESV)
As we consider texts like John 17, along with the so-called servant songs of Isaiah 42 and 50, it becomes clear that in eternity the Father covenanted with the Son (and the Spirit) to redeem a people from amongst fallen humanity, from every tongue, tribe, and nation, and to bring them safely into the new heavens and earth, which Adam failed to obtain. What would the Son have to do to accomplish this? First, he would have to take to himself a true human nature. He would humble himself by “being born, and that in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross, in being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time (BC 30). And after this, he would be exulted in victory by his “rising again from the dead on the third day, in ascending up into heaven, in sitting at the right hand of God the Father, and in coming to judge the world at the last day” (BC 31).
You see, Christ did not merely keep the terms of the covenant that was made with Adam in the garden. That covenant required perfect and perpetual obedience. And that covenant was broken! Christ kept the terms of, what we call, the covenant of redemption. Not only did he have to be perfectly and perpetually obedient to the law of God in the whole of life, he also had to suffer in the place of other, die for others, and endure the wrath for others. No such thing was required of the first Adam. But this was required of the second Adam, for he was sent to rescue fallen and hell-bound sinners. Thanks be to God for the redemption that is ours in Christ Jesus.
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Consummation
Please allow me to say just a word about consummation. To proclaim the gospel it is important for us to speak of creation, fall, and redemption in Christ. I would argue that it is also good to speak of consummation.
To consummate is to make a thing complete or final. And here I simply want to stress that though Christ accomplished the redemption of those given to him by the Father nearly 2,000 years ago, and though the Spirit has been applying the redemption earned by Christ to the elect in every age from Adam’s day to the present, the consummation of all things is still in our future.
The scriptures teach that Christ will come again. He will come, as Hebrews 9:28 says, “not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” When comes, he will not atone for sin – for that work has been done – but to bring all who have faith in him into the new heavens and earth which he has earned. Also, he will judge those not in him with eternal damnation.
I say that it would be good for us to speak of the consummation of all things when we proclaim the gospel because it will help those we share with to fully understand what Christ has come to save us from and save us to.
Christ did not come to merely give you a better life on earth. In fact, for many followers of Christ, life on earth is made more difficult, not easier, because of their profession of faith. No, he came to redeem us so that we might be with him and in the presence of God’s glory forever and ever in the new heavens and earth which he has purchased by his shed blood.
And Christ did not come to merely wash your sins away and to renew you inwardly so that you might enjoy a clean conscience before God and walk in his ways on earth. No, he has cleaned of sin to save you from the wrath of God. He has cleansed you and renewed you to make you fit for the new heavens and earth.
Stated differently, when we speak of the consummate state – that is, of the second coming of Christ, the final judgment, and the new heavens and earth – the story of our redemption in Christ is completed. Notice, Christ will not take his people back to Eden. He will not place them under that covenant of works again, which was a covenant of testing. And neither will he set before them the two trees – tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. No, when Christ returnes he will bring them into the state of rest and glory of which the weekly Sabbath day and the tree of life are signs. What was offered to the first Adam but lost, the second Adam has won. And this he has done, not for himself only, but for all who are united to him by faith.
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Conclusion
Creation, fall, redemption, consummation. Yes, I am away that you will not always have 45 minutes to proclaim the gospel to someone. In fact, you will often have 5 minutes or less. Find a way to tell people the good news of Jesus Christ. Tell them the back story of creation and of man’s fall into sin. Tell them that Christ has come to save sinners. If you have the opportunity, tell them about the consummate state – what Christ has saved us from and to. And urge them to turn from their sins, to place their faith in Christ, and to be baptized in the church, wherein they will be taught to observe all that Christ has commanded. In brief, tell them that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:16–18, ESV).
