1. DIVINE LIFE
MINISTRIES
NEW BELIEVERS’ COURSE OUTLINE
TITLE: THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST
I wonder what comes to your mind when you hear or read about the
gospel of Christ. Chances are that you believe like many others that
the gospel is all about the message preached to sinners; or as they call
it “the sinner’s message” Well, the gospel is a lot more than just the
sinners’ message even though it begins with ministering to the sinner
and leading them to Christ and then continues from that moment of
salvation up until the second coming of the Lord Jesus!
The gospel is the good news of the kingdom of God and of salvation
through Christ Jesus, received by faith on the basis of His expiatory
death, burial, resurrection and ascension. It is any message that has
its base on the accomplishments of the death, burial, resurrection and
ascension of Jesus Christ. It is the teaching of the basic facts of the
death, burial and resurrection of Jesus and the interpretation of these
facts or their relation to mankind. So it covers all subjects related to
the results and benefits of:
The death of Jesus e.g., the redemption of mankind
The burial of Jesus e.g., defeat and paralysis of the devil and all
his works,
The resurrection of Christ e.g., justification and even
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2. The ascension of Jesus e.g., the glory of the life in Christ (new
creation life)!
THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of
God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and
also to the Greek.” – Rom 1:16
Paul the apostle made this all important statement when he was writing
to the Roman church. He said he was not ashamed of the gospel of
Christ because the gospel is the power of God unto salvation for
anyone that believes! The gospel is that message that has the
inherent ability and the power to bring about salvation once it is
believed upon. This means that the sharing of the gospel is more than a
speech or a seminar. It is much more than nice religious talking about
God but the very conveyor of the power of God Almighty to save! So
whenever you have the opportunity to hear the word of God being
shared, give it all the attention you can possibly give because you are
listening to words that convey God’s Mighty power.
This explains why one day when Jesus was teaching in Luke 5:17 the
bible says “And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching,
that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were
come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and
the power of the Lord was present to heal them.” Please observe that
amongst the audience were Pharisees and doctors of the law! These
were people who were learned in the Jewish tradition and doctrine but
we never hear that there was any power present in their meetings. It is
only the message of the gospel of Christ Jesus that has and conveys
that divine ability to effect changes in the lives of the listeners and
believers.
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3. You can listen to philosophies, traditions of men, theories,
methodologies or high sounding nonsense from sun up to sun down;
but it will not make any difference in your life. What changes lives is
the power embedded in the gospel. Only the gospel can cause a change
in a man’s life or condition and until he receives it, he has not arrived
yet. I dare say that the proof of the source of a message is in the power
that it conveys and the changes that it effects in the lives of people.
The word of God declares in 2 Cor 3:6 that God has made us able
ministers of the new testament, not of the letter (the written), but of the
Spirit: for the letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life (makes alive).
You see, there was an Old Testament and there is a New Testament.
The Old Testament was based on the letter or the written laws and
commandments but the new is not so. The new is based on the power
of the Spirit in the Word of the living God. So when we minister now,
we do not just share words of information, ethics or morality but we
bring words that in themselves carry a divine ability that can change
the lives of anyone that receives them. Remember that when the Devil
tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Luke 4:9-12), he spoke the written
word to Jesus to convince Him. In other words, there is a difference
between accurately quoting the word of God and ministering the word
of God! The gospel is that ministration of the word of God through
the influence of the Spirit of God.
The gospel is the miracle working power of God wrapped up in divine
utterances and that miraculous ability is unwrapped as it is preached
and believed upon. Remember that the salvation of a soul is the
greatest miracle that can occur! It is therefore in place to say that the
message that has the ability to effect such an eternal change in the
human spirit must therefore have the greatest miracle working ability
possible!
THE REASON WE EXIST
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4. As powerful as the words of this message are, it is important to note
that except they get to a target or predetermined audience, they would
never be able to effect any change in any life. Take for example, if you
are not being taught this now, the power of it may never come to play
or manifest in your life. So since someone has got to hear it and
believe it for the power therein to be made manifest in their lives;
someone has got to tell it too. This is the reason we exist as a ministry!
The bible says in Rom 10:13-15 “For whosoever shall call upon the
name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in
whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of
whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a
preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is
written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of
peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”
You see, there is no doubt that anyone that calls upon the name of the
Lord would be saved. There is no discrimination at all; anyone from
any part of the world irrespective of race and color can call upon that
name and be saved. The only question then is how can they call on
Him in whom they have not believed? It is practically impossible! The
only reason they would call upon that name is that they believe in the
saving power of the name. So, how are they going to believe in Him of
Whom they have not heard?
Remember, the word says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the
word of God (Rom 10:17). Until people hear the word of God, they
cannot have faith. Until they have faith, they cannot call on His name;
and until they call on His name they cannot be saved. You now see
that the real task here is to get the people to hear the message and the
only way they can hear is through the ministry of a preacher!
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5. Once again, this is exactly why we exist as a ministry! We have been
sent and commissioned by the Holy Ghost to tell it to everyone we can
reach so that by hearing this message from us, they can have faith; call
upon the name of the Lord and ultimately be saved! We are divine
messengers that God has brought your way for the fulfillment of His
great desire and plan for your life.
Take for example, in Acts 11:11-15, we read of a man called Caesarea
who had seen an angel in his house one day. The angel asked him to
send for Peter who would come and tell him words by which he and
his household would be saved! Did he say words? Just the telling of
words can save a man and his family? These must be no ordinary
words I tell you. They are words born of the Spirit and impregnated
with power to cause salvation!
In Psalm 107:20 the scripture declares that “He sent his word, and
healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” The gospel
is God’s solution for the problems of men. It heals and delivers from
all forms of destruction and we are the privileged custodians of that
message. So when you listen to us, you are listening to God’s solution
for the world. In fact, as you are reading this now, you are reading
God’s solution for the world and if you would believe them, they
would most definitely cause the desired results in your life.
It is equally noteworthy that the angel didn’t tell Caesarea the words
by himself or didn’t the angel know the words or the message of the
gospel? Emphatically yes! The reason the angel didn’t tell the message
himself is that angels are not the sent ones for the job. It is a ministry
God in His wisdom has left exclusively for us to handle. It’s a ministry
for the recreated beings that have the very essence of divinity and the
Holy Ghost resident in their lives. It’s simply our job.
Now you understand where Peter was coming from when he said “For
we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (Acts
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6. 4:20) or when Paul said “For though I preach the gospel, I have
nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me,
if I preach not the gospel!” (1 Cor 9:16) Indeed we cannot afford to be
quiet about this message for necessity has been laid upon us to do the
job. We have been called, separated and commissioned for this very
task!
THE DETAILS OF THE GOSPEL
According to the word of the Lord revealed in Isa 61:1-4; the gospel is
simply the message that supernaturally implements the purpose and
accomplishments of the Lord Jesus Christ. It proclaims liberty to the
captives and the opening of prison doors to them that are bound; it
brings comfort to all that mourn, gives them beauty for ashes, the oil
of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of
heaviness and finally makes them the trees of righteousness that God
might be glorified!
Wow, if anyone had been held captive to sickness, disease, failure,
poverty, addictions of all sorts and whatever you may consider, the
gospel is that message that announces their liberty! Even if the
condition of the person has gone beyond just captivity to
imprisonment, the gospel announces the opening of the prison doors.
In other words, something has already been done about the captivity of
the world, something has been done about the imprisonment of
mankind by the devil and his cohorts and the gospel is the
announcement of what is now obtainable. It is the announcement of
the present truths of the word of God.
Bear in mind that no one who is held captive can consider walking out
of captivity without being sure his status as a slave had been changed
to that of a free man. If he dared to do so, he would most likely be at
the risk of greater captivity and punishment from the task master! So
the gospel brings that accurate information that they no longer have to
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7. remain bound because the task master has been defeated and paralyzed
(Heb 2:14)!
Furthermore, if it were that one had lost something so dear to him in
life for which they felt like life for them had become one of eternal
mourning, the gospel is that message that brings comfort, beauty and
joy! So whenever we minister the words of this gospel message, we
are conveying comfort, beauty and joy. This is why I say that one of
the ways to tell whether it was God speaking to you or not is in
whether the voice that spoke to you spoke comfort or fear! God
doesn’t speak fear at any time no matter what.
Even if your case is that you are cumbered with a load of care, I mean
you are concerned about so many things that seem not to be working.
The gospel is the announcement of the availability of a garment of
praise in exchange for your heavy spirit. I mean the gospel dresses you
up in a garment called praise so that sleepless nights can become
praise nights. This is one reason I have made up my mind never again
to be worried in this life to matter what because I found out through
the gospel that I am dressed and equipped for praise!
A MESSAGE OF THE GLORY FOLLOWING THE
SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST!
Summarily, the gospel that the Lord has sent us to preach and bring to
the knowledge of the world is that message that tells and shows us the
picture of the man that is the result and beneficiary of the sufferings of
God. 1 Pet 1:10-12 says “Of which salvation the prophets have
enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that
should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the
Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified
beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us
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8. they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by
them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost
sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.”
You see, the prophets of old did prophecy about today. They were
inspired of the Spirit about these days we are living in now. The
inspirations they got were so exciting to them that they went on to find
out when it would be. Have you ever looked forward to an event or
occasion with great anticipation before? I mean an event you dreamt of
again and again before it finally came to pass? That was how these
early prophets desired to see the days we are living in today because
the Spirit of the Lord showed them that in the days following the
sufferings of Christ, it would be glory galore!
They were greatly disappointed when they discovered that these things
were not for them at all but for us who would live in the post
resurrection and ascension days. That’s why when Peter was writing
about us and our calling in Christ Jesus; he said God called us to glory
and virtue (2 Pet 1:3). I mean we have been called and separated from
the rest of the world in Christ Jesus. The believer in Christ Jesus is the
called out one for the glory and the Excellencies of the Lord. So the
gospel is the word of God concerning that glory which is the result of
the suffering of Christ Jesus.
So the ultimate question would be – Has Jesus come? And has He
suffered and died? If the answer to these two questions is yes, then
these are the glory days!
SO WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO?
Eph 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God:” and Titus 3:4-5 “But after that the
kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by
works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his
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9. mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of
the Holy Ghost;” say it all!
The gospel is that message of the salvation plan of God made
available to mankind by the grace of God and appropriated to the
receiver by faith. This means that the grace (unmerited favor) of God
has made salvation available so we no longer have to try or do
anything to qualify for it. All that is necessary now is for man to
simply believe in what God has done and it is appropriated to him
supernaturally! It’s like a Father who has willed everything he has to
his son and requires that the son be given full possession of it all only
when he believes that his father actually willed it all to him! Yeah, that
simple! Believe and become! In any case, we would talk more about
believing later in this course
If you haven’t given your life to Christ yet, I mean you haven’t
embraced the gospel of Christ, you can do so now by saying the words
of this prayer below out loud!
PRAYER OF SALVATION
Oh Lord God, I come to you in the name
of Jesus Christ. I believe that you sent
Him to die for me and to bring me eternal
life. I confess His lordship over my life
and I receive eternal life into my spirit
now. Thank you dear Father for saving me;
I am born again now in the name of Jesus.
ASSESSMENT
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10. Please let me state categorically that the reason for this assessment is
not to score you or give you any credits but to see to it that you have
clearly understood the topic of discourse. So kindly ensure that you
answer these questions in accordance with your understanding rather
than in accordance with what is written in the outline.
If you find that at some point you don’t seem to know the answer, then
read and re-read the outline until you have a firm grip on the material.
If it takes you several weeks to understand this, it doesn’t mean that
you are dull in understanding at all. It simply means that you are smart
and have decided to take your time to understand the subject and that
in my honest opinion is a million times better than rushing through for
reading sake.
1. Several definitions were given for the gospel in this study,
kindly outline three.
2. Why was there no power in the words the devil spoke to Jesus
during His temptation even though they were the words of God
3. What do you understand by the statement “the letter killeth but
the spirit giveth life”?
4. From this study, what have you discovered to be the reason
why we exist as a ministry (Divine Life Ministries)?
5. Why didn’t the angel that visited Caesarea preach to him and
his family since that would have been faster?
6. In one sentence, what do you understand by the mission of
Jesus according to Isa 61:1-4?
7. If truly glory was supposed to follow the sufferings of Christ,
what do you have to say about believers in Christ Jesus who
are “not really” living in the glory now?
8. What other lessons did you learn from this study (a lesson is
not necessarily something new but something that you may
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11. not really be putting to work at the moment and intend to
work on now)?
9. Do you have any personal questions in connection with the
study that you would like to ask a leader or pastor?
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