On my walk today I was thinking that I really needed to lay out the basics of the Gospel very simply. Most of my writing here is fairly intense, and is driven by the supposition that my readers know the Lord and have an understanding of spiritual things. So I hope that my writing will appeal to them, maybe shine a little light in some areas, and mostly serve as a reminder of what they probably already know.

To be even more honest, I really write to express what’s inside me. At the same time, part of me, as I’m writing, thinks about how people will receive what I’m saying and continually asks whether I’m saying it the way it should be said.

The other reality that I’ve been having to come to grips with is that there really aren’t a whole lot of readers here anyway. That has been disconcerting, because I don’t know how to do this any better. I can only write what I know and have experienced. And apparently not many people are interested.

So what to do, that was the question I pondered on my walk. Then I saw that I really can’t do anything different, so I’m going to continue to write this blog unto the Lord. I’m going to write it in such a way as to glorify him and try to edify the church. And if there never are any rewards gained in terms of page hits and the like, so be it. I’m going to leave that to the Lord Jesus.

So, how does one communicate the truth about Jesus? We’ve all heard it so many times, yet so many haven’t really HEARD it in their hearts. There’s a line of demarcation in there somewhere, where you know that human efforts just will not be able to bridge the gap; it’s a sovereign work of God.

But again, all I can do is say what I’ve experienced, and then leave the results to God himself. And that’s indeed all I’m called and responsible to do.

So here it is. The Gospel.

Imagine all knowledge and wisdom, from all time and space, gathered together in one place.

Now couple that with unimaginable power – ALL power.

Now incorporate both of those realities into a single live being. He exists outside of time. He always existed. He never was not. When not a single thing had even a hint of existence, he existed alone.

Now add more character qualities. Perfect integrity and wholeness. Unblemished peace and contentment. Unending irrepressible joy.

If we stop there for a moment, we’ve already got an amazing being. He is absolutely boundlessly perfect in every way. He lacks nothing. He is completely worthy of ruling the universe (if there were one) forever, and no one could ever begin to rival him. We will call him God.

But now we’re going to do an astonishing thing – an unfathomable and even scandalous thing. We are going to add in one more character quality, a very powerful and multifaceted one. We will call this new quality love.

Love will be the quality that looks away from itself to something or someone on the outside, and appreciates it and wants the best for it. And true love is even willing to sacrifice for the sake of that person or thing.

This entity we’re imagining now has the ability – no, more than the ability, because love is an intrinsic part of him, it’s his very nature, so let’s say that now he must – find ways to give of himself. As wonderful and flawless as he and his life is, it will become better if he can satisfy his nature by giving of himself.

And because God has perfect integrity, if his nature is to give, he must give.

Now clearly, if God is going to give of himself, he is going to need someone other than himself to give to. And that’s where creation comes in.

To be continued…

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