The Radiance of Gospel Treasure

The gospel is a treasure chest heaping with magnificent gems, jewels, coins, and fine craftwork. The prime treasure has already been spoken of: Christ himself. Connected to this is Christ’s work of redemptive suffering unto death and resurrection unto glory. His death on a cross in the place of His people and mighty resurrection as the firstfruits of a new creation are together the jewel of jewels. These are the most powerful and precious events to ever occur on earth. Even so, this is only the beginning. This is but the surface, as it were, of deep gospel waters. We have only begun to search “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8).

One gem shines all the spiritual blessings that are found in Christ. He forgives sins. He grants eternal life. He reconciles to God. He frees from the ruling power of sin. He frees from the fear of death. He saves from divine wrath. In the world we may have nothing but in Christ we gain everything. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:3).

Bliss! Freedom! Wonderful is my anthem: Christ is generous to sinners; Christ has been generous to me! Incredible mercies are found in this gospel chest, in this gem of spiritual blessings found in Christ. Find them by faith. They are yours in Christ.

Another gem shines the transforming power of the gospel. It is not only a message about salvation, but it is a message that imparts salvation. It is about life and it makes alive. God speaks life. He speaks things into existence. His command, “Live,” bestows life. If you have an ear to hear that Christ died and rose for you, then believe and live; God says to you in Christ, “Live!” Will you hear and believe? Will you be His?

People transformed by the gospel answer the call of Christ, which we discuss in a moment. After answering the call, they are baptized as a testimony of their newfound life in Christ. They serve in the Lord’s church, live for the Lord’s will in the world, and are conformed to the Lord’s holy image in their hearts, minds, and life. They are called disciples, or followers (Matthew 16:24-28). They no longer live for their own personal kingdom but for the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). They no longer live to accumulate worldly treasures but heavenly treasures (Matthew 6:19-21). They have new hearts (Ezekiel 36:26; Ephesians 3:17). They are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

All this comes from the transforming power of the gospel. Do not look inside yourself to find the answers to life and meaning and eternity. Contaminated water does not need contaminated water to be purified. It needs something from the outside, either a blazing fire or powerful chemicals. It needs to be made into something that it is not. It cannot clean itself. It needs to be made clean. Sinners are like this. The world says you don’t need help. Pride says you either you don’t need help or that you are able to help yourself. The gospel is a blazing fire with power from God to purify your heart and make you clean before Almighty God. Only He can do it.

Another gem shines the call of Christ to undeserving sinners. Repent and believe. Repent means turn around. Believe means trust. Repent means leave sin behind. Believe means cleave to God in Christ. Repent means set sin aside for the sake of God. Believe means depend on God for deliverance from sin. Hear the good news of a generous King who shares His treasure with homeless outcasts and rebels. Would you belong to Him? Then turn. Would you move into His castle and sit at His table and share in His feast? Then trust. The gospel calls out to you to call out to Christ. This is the call of Christ, repent and believe. Turn toward Him and trust His provision.

Repent. Change your mind about God, yourself, and Christ. I no longer believe God is not, but that God is. I no longer believe that I am good, but that I am a sinner. I no longer believe the Christ is a myth, but that Christ is the Savior, that He is my Savior by his death and resurrection. Repentance is a spiritual turnaround that begins in the heart and manifests in a changed life. My apathy toward sin has turned into deep sorrow for my sin. My indifference toward God has turned into genuine love for God that the Devil and the armies of hell cannot take away from me. My pride and high view of myself have turned to meekness and a low view of myself.

There is no boasting here. All of this is a gift of grace (Ephesians 2:1-10). The changes and turnings of repentance do not come from the sinner, but from the Holy Spirit working within him. He is compassionate and powerful. And this is repentance. Change. Turn. There is no receiving Christ apart from repentance in the heart. How can you see Jesus and trust Him unless you turn around and look at Him?

Believe. Trust in Jesus from your heart as your all-sufficient Savior from sin and death. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins. I believe he bore my guilt and shame; I believe he bore the wrath of God that I deserved. I am overwhelmed by this. He was not obligated to do it. I was not entitled to a second chance, much less the free gift of eternal life. But this is the gift of God to me through His Son, Christ Jesus my Lord. He loves me.

I believe that Jesus rose from the dead with a new and glorious body and that this is my hope and assurance of eternal life promised in Christ. God made this world. God made these bodies. God has made all kinds of things with all kinds of bodies, surfaces, materials, and so forth. His creative power and his creative purpose shine daily to us from every angle. It should be perfectly normal to believe that God can and will create a new world with new bodies. Does this shock us? Yes, but it should not.

Of all that is difficult to grasp in the Bible, it is not difficult to grasp this: God creates things. He created a world. He created humans with bodies. Seeing the sin-cursed, death-trapped state of this world and these bodies, it is with a certain amount of ease that I expect God to make a restored world with restored bodies. I eagerly await a redeemed world and redeemed bodies. God has promised to create a new heaven and new earth that will contain new bodies in the likeness of the risen Christ. I long for this. I long to dwell in a body of resurrection glory in the presence of the exalted Christ in a world without sin. In reference to this ultimate hope, I was saved (Romans 8:18-25).

Just as the blood-stained cross is my rescue from sin, the beauty and incorruption of resurrection life is my rescue from death and a pointless existence. Apart from this, nothing means anything; and all of this is a mean joke (1 Corinthians 15:12-20).

I believe that Jesus is the perfect Son of God, both God and man. “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). Leave all behind and come to Him. Repent and believe upon the Son of God; be saved from sin and death. Reach out the empty hand of faith and receive Christ. You must let go of any other hope or security you would otherwise cling to. Grasp unto Christ with all your heart. Are you trusting in money as your security? Drop it. Does your job, family, or people’s opinions shape your identity? Drop it all. The only way to come to Jesus is empty handed. Do you think that your good morals, good deeds, good reputation, good religious involvement, or any other personal goodness gains you God’s favor? Drop it quickly. Drop it gladly, for God is not impressed.

Why look inward when a Mighty Savior reigns above? Empty your hands and fall before Him. Jesus receives gospel-humbled sinners with joy and gladness. Go to Him and find forgiveness and eternal life. He is there in heaven.

Jewel of Jewels

A blood-stained cross is the supreme gospel jewel. Christ’s sacrificial death that atones for sins is His crowning achievement. Resurrection life in heaven is the crown rewarded for that achievement. He is a sufficient substitute for sinners and a faithful representative for His people. His death and resurrection are the heart of the gospel treasure, the light that shines in the darkness. This is a jewel most precious. By God’s grace, this message of Christ has the power to purify our corrupt hearts. Through it, God’s Spirit removes the God-hating, sin-loving heart and bestows a God-loving, sin-hating heart. He makes the blind to see and the dead to live. For whom? For those who would answer the call; for those who repent and believe. Abandon all other hopes and helps, and look to Christ.