Many Evangelicals today think of the good news, or gospel, as an explanation of the steps an individual must take to find salvation in Christ. But this wasn’t the idea that
Jesus had in mind.
Unfolding Kingdom
In the beginning, God visibly displayed his kingship in the Garden of Eden. He put the first human beings in that sacred garden and commissioned them to extend his visible kingdom throughout the world. They were to fill and subdue the earth as royal and priestly images of God. But Satan led Adam and Eve into a major setback for the kingdom.
Kingdom of God
Scripture refers to the kingdom of God in two primary ways. On the one side, it often speaks of God’s kingdom in terms of God’s unwavering sovereignty or his unchanging rule over all of creation. It also refers to his unfolding kingdom and the way God has revealed his kingship throughout human history.
Divine Authorship of Scripture
Many times Christians find themselves frustrated by their attempts to live ethical lives. They feel helpless and impotent to do what is right and good. In such situations it is a great encouragement to know that learning the Scriptures, reminding ourselves of them, even meditating on the Scriptures, is not an exercise in futility.
Sufficiency of Scripture
Most basically, to say that Scripture is \”sufficient\” is to say that it is able to fulfill the purposes for which it was written. But not surprisingly, this simple idea becomes complicated because it is hard for Christians to agree on what the purpose of Scripture actually is.
God\’s Law in Scripture
Christ fulfills the moral aspects of the law. We depend on Christ\’s morality alone as the basis for our acceptance before God. Yet, we must also conform ourselves to Christ\’s image and example, seeking to live as morally as he did during his earthly ministry, and as he continues to do in heaven.
Lesson 2: The Christ
In this lesson on Jesus the Christ, we will survey the facts and significance of Jesus\’ earthly life and ministry by looking at the periods of his birth and preparation, his public ministry, his passion and death, and finally his exaltation. Each of these portions of Jesus\’ life gives us significant insight into Jesus\’ role as God\’s Christ.