Yes, I have done this before. This was the motto for Verdict Publications for many years. Verdict was a theological publication that was supported by a group of Christian scholars for about 20 years. I was also a supporter of Verdict, but I am not a scholar. However, some of what they wrote rubbed off on me.
Only a small percentage of professing Christians know and understand the Gospel. The reason for this is that many believe that it is the Gospel plus their religion or the Gospel plus whatever it is that they believe. This is why Verdict's motto was "The Gospel Plus Nothing and Nothing But the Gospel". There is no room in the Gospel for Calvinism, Catholicism, or any man conceived religions.
Paul and the apostles did not have a religion. All that they had was faith in Christ, however they were constantly battling those that wanted to introduce Judaism and the law into the Gospel. There were many Judaizers in the early church. A Judaizer is someone that believes in Jesus, but also believes that you must keep the law. There are many Judaizers today, some are on the Forum.
What many do not understand is that the law is the very nature and character of God. To do or to keep the law you would have to be, not like Christ, you would have to be Christ, who is the epitome of God's Holy Law. The law demands absolute and total perfection, anything less than perfection is sin. This is why Paul wrote...
"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin" Romans 3:20.
Having established that religion and law keeping will not save, let us move on to what the Gospel is. The Gospel is that work that Jesus did in our name and on our behalf. Jesus is God's new Adam and our representative. A representative is someone that acts for you. Jesus as our representative has offered to God the Father a life of perfect obedience according to God's Holy Law. He did this in our name and on our behalf, just like we did it ourselves. It was the life of Jesus that was lived for our justification.
"To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that he might be just and the justifier of him which believes in Jesus" Romans 3:26.
It is because of the righteous life of Jesus that we can stand before God in the judgment as just and complete in Christ, Colossians 2:10. Because of the doing and the dying of Jesus, God now sees us as perfect and complete in Christ.
When Jesus died on the cross, we died with him. This is why Paul said, "I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live" Galatians 2:20. God has put to death the old sinful Adamic race in Jesus Christ.
"Knowing this, that our old man (Adam) is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin" Romans 6:6.
In the Gospel the law has been fulfilled for us and our sins and the sins of the world have been destroyed, 1 John 2:2. Jesus as our representative has victoriously defeated sin, death and the devil, Colossians 2:15. God now sees ALL THINGS in his Son Jesus Christ. Jesus is God's new humanity and is the savior of the world, John 12:47. Because of the doing and the dying of Jesus we have been reconciled to God, 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19. God now sees us as new creations in Jesus Christ.
"If any man be in Christ he is a new creation: old things have passed away; behold all things have become new" 2 Corinthians 5:17.
The Gospel is God's great free gift for all of humanity. Is this Gospel Yours? Are you resting in Christ and his Gospel? Hebrews 4:10, or are you still trying to be good enough? Jesus has done it all and he did it perfectly. No need to be predestinated. No need for any religion. We are saved by faith and by faith alone, this is why it is... "The Gospel Plus Nothing and Nothing But the Gospel.
Only a small percentage of professing Christians know and understand the Gospel. The reason for this is that many believe that it is the Gospel plus their religion or the Gospel plus whatever it is that they believe. This is why Verdict's motto was "The Gospel Plus Nothing and Nothing But the Gospel". There is no room in the Gospel for Calvinism, Catholicism, or any man conceived religions.
Paul and the apostles did not have a religion. All that they had was faith in Christ, however they were constantly battling those that wanted to introduce Judaism and the law into the Gospel. There were many Judaizers in the early church. A Judaizer is someone that believes in Jesus, but also believes that you must keep the law. There are many Judaizers today, some are on the Forum.
What many do not understand is that the law is the very nature and character of God. To do or to keep the law you would have to be, not like Christ, you would have to be Christ, who is the epitome of God's Holy Law. The law demands absolute and total perfection, anything less than perfection is sin. This is why Paul wrote...
"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin" Romans 3:20.
Having established that religion and law keeping will not save, let us move on to what the Gospel is. The Gospel is that work that Jesus did in our name and on our behalf. Jesus is God's new Adam and our representative. A representative is someone that acts for you. Jesus as our representative has offered to God the Father a life of perfect obedience according to God's Holy Law. He did this in our name and on our behalf, just like we did it ourselves. It was the life of Jesus that was lived for our justification.
"To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that he might be just and the justifier of him which believes in Jesus" Romans 3:26.
It is because of the righteous life of Jesus that we can stand before God in the judgment as just and complete in Christ, Colossians 2:10. Because of the doing and the dying of Jesus, God now sees us as perfect and complete in Christ.
When Jesus died on the cross, we died with him. This is why Paul said, "I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live" Galatians 2:20. God has put to death the old sinful Adamic race in Jesus Christ.
"Knowing this, that our old man (Adam) is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin" Romans 6:6.
In the Gospel the law has been fulfilled for us and our sins and the sins of the world have been destroyed, 1 John 2:2. Jesus as our representative has victoriously defeated sin, death and the devil, Colossians 2:15. God now sees ALL THINGS in his Son Jesus Christ. Jesus is God's new humanity and is the savior of the world, John 12:47. Because of the doing and the dying of Jesus we have been reconciled to God, 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19. God now sees us as new creations in Jesus Christ.
"If any man be in Christ he is a new creation: old things have passed away; behold all things have become new" 2 Corinthians 5:17.
The Gospel is God's great free gift for all of humanity. Is this Gospel Yours? Are you resting in Christ and his Gospel? Hebrews 4:10, or are you still trying to be good enough? Jesus has done it all and he did it perfectly. No need to be predestinated. No need for any religion. We are saved by faith and by faith alone, this is why it is... "The Gospel Plus Nothing and Nothing But the Gospel.
