Contrary to popular belief, ignorance is NOT ...’bliss’. It may be a temporary salve to do things we want to do versus what we ought to do, but in the end, there is a ‘payday’ and it usually will cost you. I hope you read my post yesterday.

When Jesus arrived on the scene some two thousand years ago, He had great compassion for the multitudes of people who were suffering. In fact we read in Matt. 9:35-36 that He went about ‘healing every sickness and disease among the people’, a people He described as sheep having no shepherd. But if you read carefully there, what did He do before...He healed all their sickness and diseases? He went about teaching and preaching in their synagogues. His people were suffering for a lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6) and He wanted to enlighten them to truth so He could heal them and set them free. (Luke 4:18; John 8:32-36). We also know, for the most part, that many folks are not interested in coming to the light with all their hearts. (John 3:19-21; Matt. 7:13-14)

So what exactly was Jesus ‘teaching and preaching’ everywhere He went? The gospel. And need I tell you there are plenty of ‘other gospels’ out there today that don’t line up with the one Jesus came preaching? (2 Cor. 11:3-4; Gal. 1:6-9)

I like to think that most professing ‘believers’ today would agree on this one foundational truth embedded in the gospel that Jesus preached: #1 – “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. (Rom. 3:23). If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. (1 John 1:10). Jesus made it clear that He was here to call ‘sinners to repentance’ (Luke 5:31-32), and unless we ‘repent’ we will all likewise...perish’. (Luke 13:3,5). And ‘perishing’ is not a ‘blessing’.

But it is from here, that the understanding of what the gospel Jesus preached takes on multiple forms and deviations. I would submit to you that many people attending church today have been convinced to believe that they will always... remain ‘sinners’ until Jesus comes back for them; but...if they just make some verbal acknowledgment and say they believe in their heart that Jesus is the Son of God who rose from the dead’, then ‘Voila’ – they are ‘saved’, guaranteed a place in heaven and need not worry about God’s judgments or wrath that falls upon all sin. And ‘when they sin, God has their back, understands they are wretched sinners but need not worry because they are ‘covered by the blood’.

The only problem with that line of thinking is it does not line up with God’s word because that cleansing’ only comes when we repent, and walk in the light as He is in the light’. (1 John 1:7). And the understanding here is ‘IF you sin’, (not ‘when’), then yes, we have and advocate with the Father and can be forgiven . (1 John 2:1). But if you continue to practice lawlessness, which is what ‘sin’ is, (1 John 3:4), then you might want to revisit Heb. 10:26-31 and Matt. 7:21-23 for a very sobering reminder to what you can expect.

And yet...the gospel Jesus came preaching tells us that we can change, that we can be ‘made well’ and become a ‘new creation in Christ’ where we actually walk in the freedom He paid for on the cross...so that we can go and sin no more. Why do so many people have a difficult time believing this?