Hi there,
So it is a simple thought: the Gospel points to the Gospel, that's the Gospel (selah). But how does it play out? In reality there are many attempts at pointing to the Gospel, but only so many succeed. The rest become distortions of the Gospel, that twist and divert from the Gospel's true meaning. A pest myna bird, for example, does not often sing but continues to make bleating noises, why? Because it is trying to rush the Gospel, instead of letting song emerge from a love of the Gospel, the myna bird rushes the first note of the song that would be inspired by the Gospel and then returns to denial of the Gospel. The myna bird typically only makes one sound. Now you say "But the Gospel has many sounds" and you are right, the Gospel invokes all kinds of sound, but because the myna bird is not reconciled to the whole of the Gospel, it only knows how to make one sound.
This concept of the whole of the Gospel, is a common development; the tiger may not steal or destroy, but he will murder - is this a fulfilment of the Gospel, focusing on only one sin? And indeed does the Gospel not justify the tiger murdering prey, saying "David ate what was not lawful"? So you see that there are different degrees of law fulfilled by the Gospel in the heart of a creature. A tiger may murder too much, for more than he needs, does the Gospel then get twisted or is the tiger merely sluggish to hunt in future, until he learns not to eat so much? As God said to the greedy man "this night your soul will be required of you, then whose will be those things you have stored up?" (Gospels from memory). In the end it is the Gospel that points to what is kosher and how.
Is Kosher the sole artifact of the Gospel? Jesus reminded the Devil "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Gospels, from memory). If the Gospel points at itself, and becomes kosher gospel, has it not fufilled the Gospel? Has it not fulfilled Itself? This is the mystery of the Gospel, that in pointing to itself, it feeds the One it is pointed to, within. If it is pointed to within, and develops kosher, then it feeds from within. This is what it is to be fed spiritually, the body can wait! The Marvel of this, is that it applies to all of Creation: Christ left nothing unaddressed by the Gospel. This then, is power! Shall we twist the Gospel, though? No! The Gospel must point to itself all the more, this is the Gospel!
The encouragement of this is that the Gospel is out there to be found. Everything leads to the Gospel, because everything wants to be fed spiritually, before getting lost on the way, not knowing how to point to the Gospel the way we ought. We - as Christians - are stewards of the Gospel. It is for us, to believe the Word that comes from God and to feed on it, until we are strong enough to feed others. This is the calling of the Gospel.
God bless.
So it is a simple thought: the Gospel points to the Gospel, that's the Gospel (selah). But how does it play out? In reality there are many attempts at pointing to the Gospel, but only so many succeed. The rest become distortions of the Gospel, that twist and divert from the Gospel's true meaning. A pest myna bird, for example, does not often sing but continues to make bleating noises, why? Because it is trying to rush the Gospel, instead of letting song emerge from a love of the Gospel, the myna bird rushes the first note of the song that would be inspired by the Gospel and then returns to denial of the Gospel. The myna bird typically only makes one sound. Now you say "But the Gospel has many sounds" and you are right, the Gospel invokes all kinds of sound, but because the myna bird is not reconciled to the whole of the Gospel, it only knows how to make one sound.
This concept of the whole of the Gospel, is a common development; the tiger may not steal or destroy, but he will murder - is this a fulfilment of the Gospel, focusing on only one sin? And indeed does the Gospel not justify the tiger murdering prey, saying "David ate what was not lawful"? So you see that there are different degrees of law fulfilled by the Gospel in the heart of a creature. A tiger may murder too much, for more than he needs, does the Gospel then get twisted or is the tiger merely sluggish to hunt in future, until he learns not to eat so much? As God said to the greedy man "this night your soul will be required of you, then whose will be those things you have stored up?" (Gospels from memory). In the end it is the Gospel that points to what is kosher and how.
Is Kosher the sole artifact of the Gospel? Jesus reminded the Devil "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Gospels, from memory). If the Gospel points at itself, and becomes kosher gospel, has it not fufilled the Gospel? Has it not fulfilled Itself? This is the mystery of the Gospel, that in pointing to itself, it feeds the One it is pointed to, within. If it is pointed to within, and develops kosher, then it feeds from within. This is what it is to be fed spiritually, the body can wait! The Marvel of this, is that it applies to all of Creation: Christ left nothing unaddressed by the Gospel. This then, is power! Shall we twist the Gospel, though? No! The Gospel must point to itself all the more, this is the Gospel!
The encouragement of this is that the Gospel is out there to be found. Everything leads to the Gospel, because everything wants to be fed spiritually, before getting lost on the way, not knowing how to point to the Gospel the way we ought. We - as Christians - are stewards of the Gospel. It is for us, to believe the Word that comes from God and to feed on it, until we are strong enough to feed others. This is the calling of the Gospel.
God bless.
