because the Gospel itself is confusing, but because people have such a difficult time applying the

Good News of the Gospel to their own heart. We are often preoccupied wondering how the

Gospel is going to affect another person, when it is our own relationship with Jesus that should be

the focus.

When a person hears that they are freed from the Law that points out their sin and they can

stand Righteous in the prescience of God apart from all the good works they do or sin they may

commit, the true nature of their heart is suddenly revealed and one can witness a variety of

reactions. I have seen some people get mad, some sad, some afraid and others glad. These people

are all in the same room, hearing the same message, at the same time: so why the varying

reactions?

The heart of every person has its own issues. Proverbs says, "That as a man thinks in his heart,

so is he." When the Gospel is delivered in its purest form, placing the burden of its success on

Christ and the blessings awarded to those who receive them by faith, without ever working for

them and without cost, the true intentions of a person’s heart are revealed. It will reveal why a

person does the good they do and why they refrain from the apparent sin they once practiced.

For those that have been seeking to establish their own righteousness through the good works

of their flesh, the Gospel message of Righteousness by Grace through faith tends to make them

angry. They have invested much time, effort and resources to build this comfortable kingdom of

theirs and to hear a message that threatens its existence is enough for them to want the messenger

stoned.

There are also some that may become angry, finding that they have been deceived into trying to

establish their own righteousness from following the teaching of those they trusted. This can

make them angry at themselves for being deceived and with the false teacher for leading them

astray.

Others find sadness when they hear the glorious Gospel of Righteousness by Grace through

Faith in Jesus Christ, because the identity they have gained through their works is suddenly

stripped away and they feel naked.

Some actually become afraid when hearing the Good News. They fear that if they give up

trying to do good and not struggle to refrain from sin that they will lose their salvation or favor

with God. This fear is not from God and neither is the false confidence they have gained through

their works. It is the fear they possess that motivates them to do good, not the love of God. It is

fear of being condemned that keeps them from doing things that would be considered sin, not the

wisdom of God or the love for others. But when they rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ and

accept His righteousness as a gift, true relationship with Christ can be established and the fruit

that will be revealed through them will ultimately be that of love and not fear. Unfortunately,

sometimes to get what you want, you must let go of what you have. In this case, it would be to

gain righteousness by faith in Christ and cease from establishing your own. Through this

exchange however, a person will gain Life with liberty to do good, empowered from the love of

God in their heart, along with the courage to follow Christ without the fear of failure.

Then there are those that hear this wonderful news of the Gospel and find a restoration of joy

leaping within their hearts. They are usually the ones that have fallen into discouragement

through the many inadequate and false messages they have heard over the years. False teachings

that have credited their good works with gaining them favor with God. The good works they were

doing was in response to the love Jesus had poured into their hearts; they were not doing these

works in order to gain favor with God. Under false teaching, these once joyful tasks of doing

good, took on the burden of sacrifices for trying to maintain God's favor. These false teachers had

robbed them of their joy by reducing the value of their good works to an effort of their own

doing, in order to gain favor with God. They were not looking to gain anything through their

works, only to express the love of God that the Holy Spirit was releasing into their very being.

They knew in their heart, that they loved to do good for others because of the love they have

received from Him, yet teachers of self-righteousness had robbed them of the joy that

accompanies such love. They were robbed by the demands placed on them to perform such good

works, masqueraded as the responsibility of a believer and not giving the actual credit for this

ability to the victory of the cross. By doing so, they were destroying the motivating factor within

them, the unconditional love of God. These false teachings emphasized the responsibility for

good works to gain favor with God and not credit the Victory of Christ for giving them the ability

to respond with such good works. It is not obligation that motivates them to good works; it is the

love of God shed abroad in their hearts that has prompted their good works. His love for them

empowered them to love others; they are seeking nothing in return. So upon hearing the good

news, once again this love in their heart is ignited and the joy they experienced to serve others is

again revived. They seek to serve once again, not to gain favor, but as a result of the favor they

have found through Christ.

The difference between false teaching and the real message of the Gospel is not the works one

might produce, but the relationship that develops with our Heavenly Father. False teaching will

motivate a person to do perform good works with false expectations and fear, while the Gospel is

the power unto salvation that motivates through the love of God in Christ at the cross and always

produces His fruit from the foundation of freedom with thanksgiving.

False teaching will cause you to be preoccupied with performing good works through demands

and false responsibility, while the Gospel will continuously demonstrate the goodness of God

revealed through Jesus Christ. The Gospel will cause you to see the true value in others, as Christ

does, whereby having a dramatic effect on how you treat others.

Deception glorifies the deeds done in the body, whether good or bad, while the Gospel truth

speaks of the works done in Christ, whether you are good or bad.

The difference is another gospel is not good news and though it may cause you to look holy

through your works, the Gospel of Christ is good news that declares you holy apart from your

works, a holy people of faith in the works of Christ Jesus. Not from our works, rather from the

finished work of Jesus Christ.

What do you do, if you find yourself offended in this glorious gospel?

Trust in the works and obedience of Jesus Christ as your provision.

Trust that the blood Christ spilled is just as powerful and effective to cleanse you today as it

was the day it was spilled. Accept forgiveness because of His sacrifice and receive His

righteousness as complete sufficiency for your favor with God. Believe in Jesus Christ!

To the one angered by such a message of good news, we say trust in the finished work of

Christ, apart from your own works of righteousness. You may have been told that seeing is

believing, while the Gospel says believing is seeing.

To the one angered from the discovery of being deceived, we say rejoice that the Light has

come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

To the one who now fears losing their identity built from works, we say rest in the work that

Jesus has completed on your behalf and cover your nakedness with His robe of righteousness

through the faith He has now supplied to you. Rejoice! Your identity is as a child of God and

your name is written in the Lambs book of Life, you are hid in Christ.

To the one refreshed and encouraged with hearing the good news once again, we say rise up, go

about and do the good which God has purposed in your heart, healing all that are oppressed of the

devil and allow the goodness of God to flow through you effortlessly. Guard your heart in the

righteousness and liberty that has been given to you in Christ and serve others with the same love

with which you have been showered.

So rejoice one and all, give praise for all that you have received and allow the goodness of God

to be revealed to you through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ, extending the same to

those entire He leads across your path.

To them that believe in their heart and confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and God has

raised Him from the dead shall be saved and declared righteous. For as a man believes in his

heart, so is he. Jesus plus anything is nothing, but Jesus plus nothing is everything. Believe and

receive, then give the same to others. Now you decide whose righteousness will you trust?

Pray this aloud to Jesus,

Jesus, I believe you died for the sins of all and I receive your forgiveness. I want to follow you and ask to be filled with your Holy Spirit right now. I welcome the Holy Spirit and will trust Him to lead, guide, teach and direct me in service to Jesus Christ.

Now thank Him for the gift of the Holy Spirit. You can learn more about the baptism of the Holy Spirit Click Here

If you prayed this prayer, please let us know - we would like to rejoice with you!

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