“Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” Revelation 14:7
There are four gospels in the New Testament, each written by individual disciples of Christ, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. All four gospels were given to these individual authors by the Spirit of God, each different from the other three, and yet in perfect symphony of content, meaning, and purpose. Within those four gospels is given by our Creator and Redeemer, the basis truths of who God is, what His will is for man for the glory of God, and the eternal blessing of men, but also, the revelation of the singular way by which God in Christ has reached down to earth, coming Himself, to accomplish a work on the cross of Calvary by which man alone can be saved from all that would keep him from God’s blessing and life.
This gospel of Christ, or gospel message, described by the Apostle Paul, is “…the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” (Romans 1:16) The central thrust of this message from God, revealed by the writing of these four men led by the Spirit, is the matter and subject of “righteousness,” or a “rightness” according to God and not men. Men have their standards of what is right, but those standards cannot measure up to the righteousness of God, especially that which is revealed in Christ. That which is right in the sight of God is “qualitative” and “quantitative.” It is both of a perfect, unique, and absolute pure essence, that it can only come from God. As to the extent of that righteousness, its magnitude is as great as the holy character of God, in every aspect of His being. It exists from before time began, and stretches forward into eternity, never varying. It is changeless in its absolute power and authority to render righteous in the sight of God that individual who appeals to the mercy and grace of God to be saved from sin, Satan, and the world. In other words, the righteousness of God, which He, the Father, gives to the sinner in answer to faith, is perfect, complete, eternal, and overwhelmingly sufficient to render the soul just and holy before God. Only the righteousness of the perfect life of Christ, offered to God the Father in His precious blood shed on Calvary, is sufficient to save the lost soul. But save it, Christ will, for THERE is His power revealed. When faith cries out to God for mercy and grace, and the appeal is to no other than to the true and living God, revealed in Christ, then mercy is given. Sins are forgiven, and washed away, and the very righteousness of Christ is given to the believer, being received by faith. That righteousness is both a gift, and a resolved absolute commitment by God to the believer, that the saved sinner now belongs to Him, to Christ. As such, all that is IN Christ now belongs to the believer, to be known according to the measure of his faith, and the purpose and will of God.
The four gospels were given to mankind a good many years after Christ’s ascension, approximately between 50 A.D. and 90 A.D. It was during a period of grace, when God by the church was stretching forth His hand to reach the multitudes with its message and transforming power. Over approximately two thousand years later, we find in Scripture the mention of an angel of God, flying across the heavens, declaring “the everlasting gospel.” Why? First of all, because of its content: “Fear God, and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come…” (Rev. 14:7) The call of God to all of mankind, “…every nation, tribe, tongue, and people,” is to fear, or worship God in reverence, giving glory to Him. This is righteousness. The time is critical, for the hour of God’s judgment has finally come.
Dear Father, Save us all today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.