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R You Preaching the Gospel?
R’s of the Gospel
D. L. Moody had a famous and easy way to recall what he considered the gospel:
• Ruined by the fall
• Redeemed by the blood
• Regenerated by the Spirit
I like alliteration so I like his idea. However I would like to present an augmented version which I think is more biblical and a more complete gospel:
• Ruined by our fall into sin; and not inherited sin or the fall of Adam (Romans 5:12 – “because all sinned”).
• Ruled by our King (Messiah/Christ – prophet, priest, king) (Matthew 4:23 – “preaching the gospel of the kingdom”). This part of the gospel is often neglected because some only consider the death, burial and resurrection as the gospel; and yet Jesus preached the gospel before He ever preached His DBR! The gospel includes Jesus sitting on a throne after the cross and empty cave.
• Redeemed by the blood (Eph.1:7 – “redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins”).
• Regenerated by the Spirit (this would be different than Moody’s which was Calvinist. That theology teaches the Spirit enables the spiritually dead to believe which means we are actually spiritually alive before believing!) (Rom.8:10 – “but the Spirit gives life”).
Notice how easily these fit into Peter’s sermon on Pentecost:
• Ruined by our fall into sin – Acts 2:36 – “whom YOU crucified”
• Ruled by our King – Acts 2:30 – “seat on his THRONE”
• Redeemed by the blood – Acts 2:23 – “nailed to a CROSS”
• Regenerated by the Spirit – Acts 2:38 – After people repented and submitted to baptism is when they received new life which is the “GIFT of the Holy Spirit.)
This little alliteration does not contain all that is in the gospel, but it is a good place to start. The gospel includes who Jesus is, our King, and what he did, our atonement, and our response to that gospel through submission and sanctification.
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