Faith Basics: The Gospel Part 3

In this episode Dan and Nathan discuss the basics of the Gospel as presented through "Two Ways to Live". After an overview they focus in on boxes five and six: 5. Jesus, the risen ruler and savior. 6. Two ways to live—our way or God's new way.

View Two Ways to Live

• Automated Transcription

• Dan Jarms 0:00
  Today on faith matters, we are continuing our Basics series with part three of basics on the gospel.
  
  Dan Jarms 0:13
  I'm Dan Jarms. And you're listening to faith matters a podcast to help update you on matters of faith Bible Church, as well as equip you in matters of the Christian faith.
  
  Dan Jarms 0:32
  Well, we are in part three of learning the gospel. And I have Nathan Thiry with me here again, and Ethan, again. So we have been working through two ways to live as a gospel presentation, something I've been using for over 20 years, it's been very helpful. And just to remind you two ways to live is is a form of learning the gospel, you could learn all kinds of forms, Romans road, the way the master like there's lots of really good things that get us to the to the Gospel, what is particularly appealing to me about two ways to live, is that it walks through the storyline of the scripture in a big, overarching way. And it allows really easy connections with people and their storyline. And I think we'll even give you a flavor of that as we walk through the two boxes. Nathan, would you just remind us of the the core concepts or six core concepts and two ways to live? Do you want to remind you of those, and let's then we'll dive into resurrection and faith and repentance. Yeah,
  
  Nathan Thiry 1:31
  having this outline of the six things in your head is really helpful for even just knowing how to jump into gospel conversations with people. So first, who God is God is a creator. And the fact that God is the Creator means that he has the right to judge us, he has the right to rule us, He created us to be in a loving relationship with him. So super important to understand who God is. And he created us to be rulers under him over the earth. And obviously, we've all failed at doing that. So then we get to the second box, which is sin. And the primary essence of sin is not just breaking God's rules, although it is that it's rebelling against God. It's saying, instead of God being the creator, and ruler, I want to act like I'm the creator and the ruler. So then we get to the third box, and it's God's not gonna let that rebellion go on forever. He is going to judge it. He judges it now in history, He's going to judge it, judges that through mortality, everyone, everybody dies. And then he's going to judge it ultimately through like a fire through his eternal judgment. So everybody dies, Watson comes judgment. So but God has a plan a way for anyone who trusts in his son to be saved. So the fourth box, Jesus is perfect life is virgin birth is perfect life is death on the cross for our sins, that he comes and dies in our place. And then we're gonna get today to the fifth box, which is Christ is resurrected now. And I love that about to St. Louis, there's this really strong emphasis on the resurrection, which you see, as you read through the acts, the sermons and acts from from Peter and Paul and other apostles is there's an emphasis on the resurrection. And then finally, the sixth box, we have to decide what's our response going to be? You can't sit on the fence. If this is all true, if God is creator, we've sinned judgment is coming. Christ lived a perfect life died in his resurrected now and now is the judge of the Earth. You have to decide, are you going to continue in your own way rebelling against God trusting in yourself? Or are you going to repent? Put your faith in Jesus?
  
  Dan Jarms 3:18
  Yeah, which way will you choose exactly? To live God's new way or to live your old failing way? There's only two ways there's only two ways. All right, why don't you unpack for us then the key concepts for resurrection. So we we look last time, at Christ dying for us. God solved his own problem by coming in the form of Jesus Christ to die for our sins. And we get to the other side of the central gospel, remember, First Corinthians 15, the apostle Paul says, that I give you these things of first importance that Christ died for our sins, according to Scripture. And on the third day, he was raised from the dead, according to scripture. So once you unpack that for us, yeah,
  
  Nathan Thiry 4:02
  we oftentimes focus on Jesus dying, which is really good, we should talk about Jesus's death, his dying in our place, taking the full wrath of God, but the resurrection is really the thing that shows us that God has accepted what Jesus did, he made the full payment for our sins has been resurrected. So he's conquered death, he's fully paid for our sin. The father has accepted Jesus as payment. And God raised Jesus to life again, as the ruler and judge of the world. So that's the thing that too, so there was emphasizing with his point is, not only is Jesus's death, effective, and paying for our sins and purchasing salvation, but he's also now been raised to rule over the earth and to be the judge of the world. Jesus has been given the power to judge the authority to judge and so he is the judge. He's the one who's gonna evaluate each person, each man and woman on the basis of what they do with him. And so the verse that tourists love uses to describe this as First Peter one three, which has Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In His great mercy. He's given us new birth into the living hope through the resurrection us As Christ from the dead, so we have this new birth, this new life through Christ's resurrection from the dead.
  
  Dan Jarms 5:06
  Let's unpack some of the touch points or keys. Maybe the question is, what's significant? You already mentioned one about our forgiveness. So the resurrection means that Christ's sacrificial payment was accepted. Paul says, if there's no resurrection of the dead, then you're still in your sins. And First Corinthians 15 is payment for sins was accepted. That's proof. What other key things? Yeah,
  
  Nathan Thiry 5:31
  and so that definitely improve of our forgiveness. Also, there's just confidence of what God's future plan is that we're going to live forever, in glorified bodies with Christ, and then death is not the end. It's not just about getting right with God. And then living in this kind of spiritual existence floating around on a cloud somewhere like we're looking forward to a glorious resurrection, as Christ has been risen from the dead, we too will bleed risen from the dead in like manner. So there's this confidence in the future, and that God has a physical plan for his sons and daughters living with him with Christ ruling on his throne of physical earthly throne, the throne of David, Christ will rule forever for the millennial kingdom for those 1000 years, but then after that, for the new heavens and new earth for all of eternity, Christ is going to rain forever. So we have this strong hope of living with God on the earth and resurrected bodies, because Christ was risen from the dead, the first fruits, as it were, of the resurrected from the dead.
  
  Dan Jarms 6:25
  That's, that's such a powerful reality, the groaning that we feel from Romans eight, because of Christ's resurrection and his return, the fallen world we live in, because of Christ's resurrection will be remade. So our bodies will be remade, I think at first Thessalonians four, that when Christ returns, all the bodies in the graves will be called up. And all of us who are alive and remain will be caught up to him. So resurrection just has such far reaching implications for future physical life, perfect life. And then and that returning glory, because that's, that was always a key part of apostolic preaching. When the apostles preached the gospel they preached Christ is going to return. How is his resurrection related to his return? Yeah,
  
  Nathan Thiry 7:12
  I mean, he's been resurrected now to, to reign forever. You don't, you don't have a dead king running forever. He's alive. He's gonna return and reign forever. And the resurrection is what makes that possible. So we're, we have confidence that he's, he's the Lord. He's the judge of the Earth as the one who's been resurrected. He's been vindicated. He's been shown to be righteous, showing that he perfectly paid for all of our sin, all those who trusted him. And now he has the right to judge. He's the one who perfectly lived the human life. He's the one who did exactly what God the Father expected and established perfect righteousness. He also paid for our sins. So he's he is in the place of having the right to judge everyone, people, oftentimes you hear that it's very popular to say, you can judge me, shouldn't judge will Jesus actually has the judge of the resurrection is establishes Him as Lord and judge of the Earth as ruler of the earth. And everyone has to give an account to him. Yeah, all of us will have to answer to him and to him alone, for our lives and who we are and what we believe in what we've done. You know,
  
  Dan Jarms 8:12
  Psalm two predicted it, that his son would come and crush his enemies, and you want to kiss the sun. You want to bow and worship and homage to the sun, and faith and repentance, which we'll get to in a minute. For that, I think of one of the key verses in Acts chapter 17, Paul's preaching the gospel on Mars Hill. And he says, At the end of the sermon, because he God has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed. And of this, he has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead. So there is a judgement day coming. So the resurrection gives us the greatest hope that we could ever have. Paul will talk about all of our trouble that we have here is like momentary affliction. Because eternal life in a physical reality, will eclipse whatever we have gone through on Earth. So there's this great hope. But there's also a demand for action and reaction when you can't ignore the resurrection of the dead, because it means that Christ is the king who will come to judge and that time is coming soon. That leads us to the last box of faith and repentance. So resurrection demands a response. Why don't you talk about faith and as they like to talk about submission? Those two concepts?
  
  Nathan Thiry 9:35
  Yeah, the the six box into his love is really focused on our response. So what should our response be and you have the option of as to as delivered drawers, continuing to try to act as if you're your own king or ruler, or queen, or to make Christ your king. So they have the little crown, which represents our own attempt to rule ourselves in our own world, obviously, as we we've been talking about throughout is it failure Yeah, around in See how successful is the attempt for us to rule ourselves? Yeah, or you can let Christ rule. So our way is to reject God as ruler, live our own way, continuing this damage and destruction and death of run rebellion, and face death and judgment in the end, or the new way, submit to Jesus as a ruler, rely on Jesus, death and resurrection be forgiven by God receive a new life that lasts forever. So that new way is, it's repenting of the old way, repenting of living as my own king and ruler, repenting a living for myself, and living and rebelling against God and then putting my faith in Jesus, who lived the perfect life who died and he rose again. I'm trusting in Him. So faith and repentance is is the right response to all of this truth. Yeah,
  
  Dan Jarms 10:40
  the guys who develop two ways to live I like to use the word submission, because repentance is a little bit foreign to someone who has no church background. So they use the word submission, which most people understand what submission is, they don't like it, but they understand what it is. But faith is to put your trust in something repentance is to turn your back on something like turn your back on sin and idolatry and turn to Christ. But submission, which is embedded in those concepts, is is bound before or surrendering my will to God's will, to me that that happened without even me ask, knowing what it was when I got saved. I just remember my life was not in the right place. And I got down on my knees and I said, my life is yours. You can do with it what you want. Because I was making a mess of it. Whatever I thought what I was doing by ruling my own life was was really
  
  Nathan Thiry 11:36
  abysmal. Yeah, that submission, right makes me think of John 336, which is the verse that today's live uses there. Whoever believes in the sun has eternal life. But whoever rejects the sun or whoever doesn't obey the sun, will not see life for God's wrath remains on them. And I think that disobedience? How do you know you're not submitting to your mom? You don't do what she says, You disobey? How do we know that we're not submitting to God, we don't want to obey Him. We reject His authority. So yeah, the opposite of what repentance really means is I'm submitting to God, I want to obey Him. Because I put my faith in Jesus. So yeah, it's, it's really the core of it, isn't it? Yeah. So
  
  Dan Jarms 12:09
  we go back to as the pictures unfold, we go back to our lives coming under the authority. And so the picture is, the crown is above all, and we place ourselves under the authority of Christ, the King, for the rest of our lives, and for all eternity. And that's, that's really the call. And that's where the hope is. Let's give just a couple of touch points on each of the concepts. What would you do to connect the way life goes now to the hope? And the judgment of resurrection?
  
  Nathan Thiry 12:45
  Yeah, we don't get far away from talking about death. No, you talk about a shooting situation that happens. Yeah. In a church or in a school or Super Bowl celebration, Super Bowl celebration. Yeah. And people die. And so what what's the deal with that what's going to happen, or we all have loved ones who have died, or we know someone whose loved one has died. And so the resurrection is just a super encouraging and helpful thing to think about in terms of like, what happens next, is that the is that it isn't over. That's kind of what you see portrayed on TV on movies on modern, you know, humanistic, materialistic philosophy is you die, and then it's done. But the reality is, the resurrection shows us that there is life after death, and there's going to be a judgment, God is going to accomplish justice. Those who have not repented of their sin and their rebellion, and they're evil and have have not trusted in Christ, they're going to be judged by God forever. And eternal, conscious torment away from God and His goodness. And those who trust in Jesus are gonna live forever with Him and on the earth in the way that he intended for us to live. So there's this very compelling hope and very clear justice that God is going to accomplish either through the salvation Christ gives His people or through judgment that Christ pours out on those who are His enemies. So that that comes up. I think it can come up in conversation as we talk about death and evil, even like the problem of evil, like, what's up with all the wicked people around the world? Well, that's not the end of the story. Yeah, even if in their lifetime, they never face justice for what they've done. We could rulers of different nations and people and even individuals in situations, they're going to face justice one day, after the resurrection of everyone, everyone's been resurrected, and everyone's gonna face God's judgment on them. Yeah,
  
  Dan Jarms 14:21
  yeah. So so it's enormously good news. And as I think of the book of Revelation, which it unfolds, God's final judgments before the restoration. It's It's the great news. It was the great news that John heard in Revelation chapter five about who is worthy to take the scroll and the scroll is a picture of the remaining judgments, the unfolding of the remainder of, of sinful history and Christ coming back to restore all things. And there's this scene where the angel calls out here's the scroll who's worthy to take it in. It's silent in heaven for a half hour and John weeps uncontrollably, because if there's no one to end the evil in the world, we are all consigned to live under death and evil forever. And he thought that was the most mournful thing in all of existence to think about, and then Christ steps forward, to unfold that the Crucified lamb who's risen and ready to come back. So it is enormously good news that, that Hitler will get everything he deserves not just one death. Right? I know that the the person responsible for 20 million deaths, dies. And that's it. That's all he has. He just dies. And that's his justice. And it's it seems it seems unfair. Well, that's that's the reality of Christ's final judgment is that everyone will get the full extent. Of course, that's terrifying, because that means I will get my full do also, unless I turn and trust Christ,
  
  Nathan Thiry 16:00
  which should compel us to also want to share this good news. Yes. Which I mean, you can get into the response. I mean, we have a choice. Yeah. We're not stuck because of the gospel. Because of the promise of the gospel, we have an opportunity to repent and put our trust in Christ. Now we know understanding that theology behind it, we need the Spirit to open our eyes to really give us face to face to understand, but, but that offers there, and we as God's children, as as ambassadors, we share that good news, with the hope that God will have mercy on the person we're talking to, and will help them to see who he is, as creator, see their sin, see judgment, see Christ's understand His resurrection, and believe in Him and submit to Him. So there's there's that hope of you can respond in faith and repentance and have salvation. That's the promise of the gospel, whoever believes, will not perish but have everlasting life. So we have hope
  
  Dan Jarms 16:44
  it is glorious hope. Okay, let's a couple quick touch points on faith and repentance. So this is where I think we have to ask some questions to reveal what people are really trusting. So somebody says, Well, I do believe there's life after death. Where are you going to be? Which way? Are you living? And some people might give any answer. You know, I've lived a pretty good life now. What's that person trusting for their eternity?
  
  Nathan Thiry 17:16
  Yeah, if you're trusting that you've lived a pretty good life, you're trusting in your own works. You're trusting that? No, God's gonna look at me and say, It's okay that you rebelled against me, I'm okay with with where you're at. They're trusting their own assessment of what justice is and how one can be forgiven. And God makes it clear that no one is saved by their own works, you know, it's by grace are we saved through faith. So, being a good person is not enough, you've got to put your faith in Christ.
  
  Dan Jarms 17:40
  And in the sense, it's still this idea that I can stand aside or apart from God, and make my own rules for why I can enter in and he's actually got to abide by my standard. So I'm of equal standing to God, and I determine what's good enough, and what makes me and so trusting in yourself, you remain on the throne, apart from God, instead of letting God rule. So what are we trusting in? What are we hoping in? And that's the same kinds of answers. When somebody says, I don't believe the Bible. I'm thank you for telling me this, but I don't really believe the Bible. And then the question is, so what are you trusting? And does it have the power to help you in the end? And who is it really? So those are questions that might come up? touch points on repentance, and why we might need to talk about turning away from something to something? Yeah,
  
  Nathan Thiry 18:34
  I think what you just said about when I'm saying, I'm good enough, I can be good enough. I'm making myself the King, the Queen, the judge of the earth. Does that really make sense that I can create things do I know how all this stuff came about? Like repenting of the craziness of that? It's not, it's not coherent, to think that I have the right to judge or that I'm the creator, I should be on the throne. Given all the things that we see around us in creation, it's evident to us so just repenting of acting as if I were God, when God has made it clear through everything around us that He is God. Also, we see the fruits of our own labors, so to speak, in terms of us being the ruler, what kind of satisfaction is that really give us what kind of peace does that produce in our relationships? What kind of flourishing on the earth does that cause? And we have to acknowledge that we need to repent of trusting ourselves because we can't save ourselves we can't produce the peace and the life that only God can produce. So yeah, just recognizing what's true, according to a God who said, need to repent of believing a
  
  Dan Jarms 19:33
  lie. Yeah, yeah. And, and turning our back on those other things, those false hopes, those false saviors that we're trusting in those that have no power over life and death or to give us what truly satisfies our souls. Yeah, that's the illusion and the lie of this present life is that getting the next experience having the next thing, being my own boss is salvation, like it is everything that I've ever hoped for, is to have experience and control. And that's going to end at death. That what the illusion of that well will end and then we will have to face God for eternity. Thank you Nathan for coming in. And we're praying as we go through this as a church. We go through learning the gospel, we all get encouraged by it. I love the gospel, it means more to me than ever, not just the entry point, but the A to Z of the Christian life. So this steers us that way. So thanks for doing this Nathan.
  
  Nathan Thiry 20:30
  Thank you, Dan.

Dan Jarms

Dr. Dan Jarms is teaching pastor and team leader at Faith Bible Church in Spokane Washington, as well as associate dean at TMS Spokane. He has been married for over 30 years to Linda, and has three adult children. He earned his B.A. in English at the Master’s College, B.Ed. at Eastern Washington University, M.Div and D.Min in Expository Preaching at The Master’s Seminary. His other interests include NCAA basketball, gardening, brick oven cooking.

View Resources by Dan Jarms

Nathan Thiry

Nathan Thiry is the Growth Groups & Outreach Pastor at Faith Bible Church. He enjoys biking and outdoor activities, and has a passion to see the gospel spread throughout our community and the whole world!

View Resources by Nathan Thiry