When the subject of a different Jesus Christ comes up, it is usually focused on cults and false religions. You have the Jehovah's Witnesses who claim that Jesus is not God. There are the Mormons who believe Jesus is a separate god from God the Father. Denominations like the Seventh Day Adventists believe that God the Father exalted Jesus to be His Son, provoking Lucifer's jealousy and a war in heaven! Even Judaism, although of God, only sees Jesus as either a false messiah or a good, but martyred rabbi. This doesn't even begin to touch on what religions like Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism believe about Jesus. But, what about those who seemingly believe in the true Jesus of the Bible and of history, God in the flesh who lived a sinless life, died for our sins and rose from the dead to offer salvation, teach about the Gospel? What does it mean to say that people receive a different Gospel? This can be more difficult to discern. Often times, as Christians, it is assumed that because someone mentions the Gospel that it is all the same, regardless of denominations, etc. Most everybody will agree with what I mentioned earlier, that Jesus is God, lived a sinless life, died for our sins and rose from the dead. But, after that things can get strange. What are some of the "different gospels" that have gained acceptance within Christianity? There are those that believe that mankind does not have free will, therefore, God chooses which individuals will be saved and which ones go to Hell. However, Jesus said, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16)." There are some who teach, albeit indirectly, that the death of Jesus was not sufficient to take away our sins, leaving us to constantly have to ask God to forgive us through various sacrifices and offerings. The book of Hebrews says, "Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary (Hebrews 10:17-18)." Many teach that things like water baptism, church attendance and tithing are necessary after you are saved in order to prove you are a Christian and receive blessings from God. The Apostle Paul wrote, "For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith (Romans 1:17).""These teachings, and others like them, don't necessarily mean a person isn't saved for believing them, but they do not reflect the true Gospel message and how we live as Christians. To teach that they are part of the gospel or necessary to live as Christians, leads to confusion, disunity, quarrels, a focus on the individual and not Christ, an uneven message and hindered evangelism.
"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3)." The gospel is simple. It is sin, death, forgiveness and the restoration of life. Adam sinned in the Garden and died spiritually; the life of God that indwelt him was lost. Therefore, all mankind is born into this world spiritually dead to God, but physically alive to the world. Before God could restore His life to man, He had to deal with the issue of sin that caused Him to remove His life from Adam. Sin is so terrible that God was the only one who could take the penalty for that sin. Therefore, in Christ, God became a man in order to die for us. Then, raised from dead, Jesus could now offer the life of God to anyone who is willing to receive Him by faith. So, when the Bible says, "In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will ... (Ephesians 1:11)," it is not that God chooses which individuals to save, but that He has established the criteria by which individuals are saved; in him, or in other words, in Christ. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your savior, you have been chosen. As for the sin issue, it is finished, as Jesus said. Going back to Hebrews, it says, "In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22)." Only the shedding of blood will obtain forgiveness of sins. Only the shed blood of Jesus is acceptable to God for that forgiveness. Therefore, the sin issue is over. Our confession booths, short accounts, repetitive prayers, altar calls, or any other sacrifice, is not acceptable or required by God. Ephesians 4:5 says there is only, "one Lord, one faith, one baptism ..." The baptism that saves is the only baptism that is required; the baptism of the Holy Spirit received at the moment of salvation. Jesus said, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20)." Wherever two or more Christians are gathered is church; even if it just one Christian because Jesus is with them. In 2 Corinthians 9:7, Paul writes, "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." Tithing is not only Old Testament law, which Christians are not subject to, but God wants us to decide what to give. Besides, giving is not a matter of mandatory percentages, but will be a direct reflection of ones heart to give and the ability to do so. And finally, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)." Jesus Christ is our blessing. Because He indwells every born again Christian, we have every spiritual blessing. Jesus Christ is the Gospel. There is nothing to add to it, nothing we have to maintain, nothing more we receive. Anything else is a different gospel from a different Jesus.
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