Growing up in church I often heard “The gospel according to Matthew,” or Mark or Luke or John. They call those the gospels. However I’ve come to realize that the gospel we have to offer is found in the book of Acts and beyond. Without the right understanding healing is inhibited.
The gospel in the books of Matthew Mark Luke and John is to repent from sin ; but how?? Being in sin is faith in religion. Being saved by faith is freedom from sin. In other words “realize that you cannot free yourselves from sin and accept salvation by faith in Christ!”
The book of Acts, Hebrews, Romans Galatians, 1 and 2 Corinthians etc explains this freedom from religion. Salvation is described as freedom from religion in Hebrews Ch 10:26-27 and the return to religion is as a return to sin. “Sinning willfully” can only be done by returning to religious checks and balances. One cannot make himself holy without Christ therefore one cannot be sinful without returning to self effort! Examining your heart to “make sure you’re holy “ is a false gospel.
The good news is we are freed from religion which frees us from guilt. Yes religion is “the law” and the law creates the existence of sin. Without religion there can be no sin just as without any laws there can be no criminals. Christ was the end of the law for righteousness. Rom 10:4
In Christ we are free from guilt. Rom 8:1 We are perfect in Christ. We are royalty forever. We are holy by faith. We are not to examine ourselves to “make sure” we are holy in our heart. How could we do that?? No, we are only holy by faith in Christ. The knowledge of who we are in Christ sets us free from sin and death. (Romans 8:2.) Legalism says “make sure you are holy” The gospel says “you are holy by faith in Christ” . The gospel is the power unto your salvation and the power to live a miraculous life. Without this assurance we are weak, sick and ineffective!
“But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread {of righteousness,} and drink of that cup.{of healing} 1Corinthians 11:28
“For he that eateth and drinketh {believing himself to be} unworthy, eateth and drinketh damnation {and death} to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body {was enough to make him healed} For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves {correctly as righteous in Christ} , we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” 1Corinthians 11:29-32 KJV
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God has already reconciled the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.