The Gospel, according to Apostle Paul, is simple. He summarized it in 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. He states that the Gospel which he preached to the Corinthians, and which they received and stand on, is the message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. He reminds them that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and rose again the third day, as attested by multiple witnesses, including himself. He also emphasizes that it is not through his own efforts or merit, but through the grace of God that he is able to proclaim this message and that the faith of the believers is not in vain.
In 2 Corinthians 11:3, Apostle Paul expresses his fear that the believers in Corinth will be deceived from the simplicity in Christ. He knew that the danger of false teachings and false prophets was present in his time, and he was rightfully fearful of it. Today, we see the same concern manifest in the thousands of denominations that exist, with different interpretations and teachings on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This serves as a reminder that we must be vigilant in studying and understanding the word of God, to ensure that we are not deceived and that we remain true to the simplicity of the message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
According to a survey done by the Barna Group, the problem with the Christian church is not that people lack a complete set of beliefs, but that they have a full slate of beliefs in mind which they think are consistent with biblical teachings, and they are neither open to being proven wrong nor to even learning new insights. The survey suggests that spiritual evaluation is uncommon because people fear that the results might suggest the need for different growth strategies or for more aggressive engagement in the growth process. The survey found that both clergy and laypeople were indifferent towards their acknowledged lack of evaluation. This may be a reflection of the fact that many people are not open to new insights or to being proven wrong, which can be detrimental to personal spiritual growth.
https://www.barna.com/research/why-people-dont-evaluate-their-spiritual-lives/
I recently visited the Bird Park and learned that when a chick is hatched, it follows anything that moves as their mother. Likewise, many of us, when born again, the first congregation we join holds the truth. However, many congregations do not hold fast to every truth and they contradict one another, although they believe in the Gospel.
Apostle Paul urged his audience to follow Christ. The simplicity of faith is in Christ because the truth is in a person. However, there are complexities when we follow Jesus. Even the disciples were sometimes confused and minded earthly things instead of spiritual matters. Just like driving, setting a GPS is simple, but to get there requires countless stops and turnings.
The complexity of our spiritual journey calls for one to be diligent, humble, holy and to have love.
Diligent – A car moving up a hill must have an engaged gear. Neutral gear will cause the car to move backwards. This is the same for our spiritual journey. We must progress by growth in learning and practicing what we learn. Many followers have been led astray because they refuse to learn the scriptures. So many followers today do not even read the scripture, much less study it. Did not the scripture command you to study it? 2 Timothy 2:15.
Humble – Do you know how to adjust the slat of a fighter jet? Unlikely. However, you can learn from someone who does. This is similar to our spiritual journey, we should not assume that we can move forward spiritually without others. God designed it as a communal journey and we must be in a community of God’s people, acknowledging that we do not know everything and that we must be humble to learn from others. In 1 Timothy 6:4-5, Apostle Paul instructed that we withdraw from the proud who consent not to wholesome words and sound doctrine. This highlights the importance of humility in our spiritual journey and the need to learn from others who are further along in their faith.
Holy – Holiness and purity are lacking these days. It is easy to preach the impossibility of holiness, but careful examination of scriptures tells us that most of the time it is our unwillingness that causes us to be unholy. Our Lord Jesus went back to the Father so that the Holy Spirit, not just any Spirit, but the Holy Spirit can reside in us. That clearly tells us that we are to be holy people, set apart and different from the world in deeds and speech. 1 Peter 1:16. God forgive us for not believing in living holy lives. Holiness is not something that is impossible to achieve, but it requires a constant effort, and a willingness to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in order to live a life that is pleasing to God. This is something that is essential for our spiritual growth and for our relationship with God.
Love – Love is a verb according to 1 Corinthians 13. This passage is so commonly used in weddings and sermons, but it is the action or the acts of love that make the difference. Love is placed above faith and hope. How many times do we place faith and hope above love? Something worth considering. Without love, nothing we do matters. Love is not just a feeling or an emotion, it is an action. It is something that we must put into practice in our daily lives, through our words and actions towards others. Love is the foundation of our faith and without it, our faith and hope are meaningless. It is important to remember that true love is not just about what we feel, but about what we do, it’s about putting the needs of others before our own.
The simple complexity of our spiritual journey is chartered in a maturing route. May the Father be glorified in all we do. May we be diligent, humble, holy, and loving in the pursuit of following Christ Jesus our Lord. May the Holy Spirit grant us unity as a body as we submit to Christ the head.
Antioch Chapel 