The Great Design Of The Gospel

THE GREAT DESIGN OF THE GOSPEL

I. INTRODUCTION.

A. What is man that God is mindful of him?

1. Psalms 8:3-4: "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which

thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest

him?"

2. Ecclesiastes 5:1-2: "Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear,

than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with thy mouth,

and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon

earth: therefore let thy words be few."

3. What does God want to accomplish in us on earth?

4. If each one did and was exactly what He wanted, what would be the result?

B. Is his purpose for us:

1. To baptize as many as possible? True, but what then? Why be baptized? Merely to add to the number

in the local church?

2. To get as many to attend as possible? True, but this is not the supreme purpose.

3. To get all to read the Bible, to sing, to pray, to give? Yes, but this is not the supreme purpose.

II. DISCUSSION.

A. God’s supreme purpose is suggested in Genesis 1:26.

1. Genesis 1:26: "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have

dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the

earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

2. Adam was made exactly as all men ought to be.

a. Man corrupted himself; Satan had gained control and changed man into his evil image.

1) Genesis 6:5: "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every

imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."

2) Ecclesiastes 7:29: "Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have

sought out many inventions."

3) Ezekiel 28:15: "Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity

was found in thee."

b. Israel was told to be like God: "For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt,

to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy" (Lev. 11:45).

3. God’s purpose is to restore man to his original image.

a. We have developed evil practices, attitudes, and desires; we live in rebellion to God, we love the

world, we have become selfish, and are filled with hatred and strife. Some of those outside of

Christ are not as far into these sinful dispositions and practices as others, but every accountable

person has departed from that perfect image into which God created Adam and Eve.

b. These are in Satan’s image, not God’s.

c. The Gospel is able to change us back.

1) Romans 1:16-17: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto

salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the

righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith."

2) 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14: "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren

beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through

sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to

the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."

d. Matthew 5:48: "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

e. Ephesians 3:19: "And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."

f. 1 Peter 1:14-16: "As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in

your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of

conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."

g. 2 Peter 1:3-4: "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life

and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are

given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the

divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

4. The supreme purpose is summed up in these words: to develop in us God-like attitudes, personalities,

and life.

B. But how can we know what God is like?

1. One purpose of Christ’s coming was to reveal God to us.

a. John 14:6,9: "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the

Father, but by me....Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not

known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us

the Father?"

b. It is easier to show how to do a certain activity than to verbally describe how to do it.

1) It would be very difficult to tell someone how to form the letter “G” but it would be very easy

to demonstrate it.

2) It might be hard to tell a student how to work a math equation, but a demonstration of the

process written on the blackboard can clearly teach how it is done.

c. Christ revealed God:

1) Matthew 1:23: "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall

call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."

2) John 14:9: "Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not

known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show

us the Father?"

3) Colossians 1:15: "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.”

4) Colossians 2:9: "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."

5) Hebrews 1:1-2: "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the

fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath

appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds."

d. When we see Jesus showing compassion, weeping over sin, or showing real humility—we see a

picture of the Father.

2. Christ is the perfect standard to which we are to be conformed:

a. Passages:

1) Romans 8:29: "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the

image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."

2) 2 Corinthians 3:18: "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord,

are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

b. Matthew 11:28: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

What did the Lord mean? “Be like me, put my principles into your life, be changed into my

likeness.” "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an

example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed

himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the

tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your

souls" (1 Pet 2:21-25).

c. The most expensive watch is no good unless it is properly set and keeps good time. If a Christian is not like Christ, he is not serving God’s purposes.

3. We must not use the wrong standard: "For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare

ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and

comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise" (2 Cor 10:12; cf. Jer. 10:23).

a. Christ is the true, infallible standard: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus"

(Phil. 2:5).

b. How is this purpose accomplished?

1. By education:

a. Matthew 28:19-20: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the

Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I

have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

b. John 6:44-45: "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I

will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God.

Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me."

c. Hebrews 8:10-11: "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those

days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will

be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his

neighbour, and everyman his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least

to the greatest."

d. We cannot grow into the likeness of God without knowing what He is like.

e. It is a great challenge to teach people, adults and children, to know God, and to be transformed into

his image.

2. By application:

a. Matthew 7:24-27: "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will

liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the

floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon

a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto

a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came,

and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."

b. John 13:17: "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them."

c. James 1:22-25: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For

if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in

a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of

man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being

not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed."

III. CONCLUSION.

A. Christ is the model, the New Testament is the negative, and a true Christian is the picture.

1. 2 Corinthians 3:18: "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are

changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

2. The ugly caterpillar is transformed into a beautiful butterfly.

a. An alien sinner, contaminated and stained by a multitude of sins, can be transformed into the

likeness of Christ: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed

away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Cor. 5:17).

b. God proposes to change us from old image of Satan into the new, beautiful, glorious image of his

Son.

B. Here are some questions for each of us:

1. Have you accepted Jesus as your model?

2. Can you sing the following songs with their true meaning?

a. “I can hear my Savior calling; I’ll go with him all the way.”

b. “All to Jesus I surrender, all to him I freely give.”

c. “Take my life and let it be, consecrated Lord to thee.”

d. “O How I love Jesus!”

C. Even the best Christian is not in the exact likeness of his perfect Lord.

1. But each can daily grow toward his perfect example.

2. 2 Corinthians 7:1: "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all

filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

3. 1 John 1:7-10: "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another,

and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we

deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive

us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make

him a liar, and his word is not in us."

4. 1 John 3:2-3: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but

we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every

man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."