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The Gospel Force
The world we live in is so broken that the word ‘news’ is synonymous with ‘bad news’. The Bible says, ‘For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find (Rom 7:18. NKJV).’ Evil is everywhere, it is both malign and oppressive. We are an ego-maniac society, where the ‘self’ is at the foundation of a top-notch narcissistic pyramid. While millions of dollars are invested in ‘research & development’, psychology is a never-ending stream of discovery. The bottom line: the human mind is corrupt.
The root of every problem in the world today lies at the heart of the problem, which is our rebellion against God. In this tech world, with so much evil around, God in His sovereign wisdom has packaged ‘good news’ to affect eternity 2000 years ago. It is not a one-time, but an all-time ‘good news’. Good news even amid bad news. The Bible says, ‘This was the LORD’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes (Ps 118:23).’
Gospel (Greek: εὐαγγέλιον; Latin: Evangelium) originally meant the Christian message (“the gospel”), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was reported. The Webster dictionary says it is, ‘the message concerning Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation: one of the first four New Testament books telling of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. How can a 2000-year-old story of redemption through Jesus Christ make sense in the now? And the only thread by which this whole ‘glory’ is ours is through ‘faith’. Unless the Holy Spirit uses this story to make it a revelation in the now, we are doomed to bad news day after day. We are bereaved of hope. This message is imperative and transformative.
Therefore I consider the gospel as a ‘force.’ It only needs to be released to cause an undeniable impact. The more I have preached on the simplicity of the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ, the more I have begun to realize, ‘there is more to it’ in terms of its impact on my personal life. This Gospel is preparing me for all eternity. The world needs it now more than ever before. Jesus Christ has commissioned us with this gospel: And He said to them (disciples), “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature (Mk 16:15).” We need to train ourselves. This is a tremendous obligation with responsibility to the disciples. It requires intentional training, preparation, and a surrendered will to follow in the footsteps of our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The New Vision:
So, I call ‘the Gospel force’: a tribe of ‘preachers’ who will herald the ‘gospel’ as ‘torch-bearers’ of our generation: Endued, equipped, and empowered.