The Prophetic Telegraph No. 45
THE "FULL" GOSPEL
Our title may lead one to
think that we are about to embark on the theme of the Full Gospel Business
Men’s Fellowship International, to use its full name. But this is not the
case. However, we shall need to refer to the FGBMFI along the way. What is the
FULL GOSPEL? And why has this expression arisen in the last 30 years or so? And
does it suggest that beforehand people were NOT preaching a FULL gospel?
A little analysis will not
be out of place, and may be accomplished in a brief compass. Along with many
others the founder of the FGBMFI believed that the FULL gospel of Jesus Christ
could not be expressed without the knowledge of the Baptism of the Spirit. This
was the great "new truth" being canvassed throughout the Western
World in the early Sixties. It was not "New" according to the
Pentecostal Churches which had preached it from the Twenties, but with the
rising Charismatic Tide, this truth was being preached everywhere, and had quite
a devastating effect on many churches, splitting congregations down the middle.
The splits were not of themselves proof that the enemy had got in, but many
believed that to be so, and continue to hold that view to the present day.
As time passed it was
gradually learned that the experience called "the Baptism of the
Spirit" was in fact true for ALL God's children the moment of their New
Birth, and that the Special Gifts were additional. Also it was learned that
Paul recommended us to be "filled with the spirit" on a daily basis,
because the verb is in the present continuous tense. And most of us who have
lived in this "New Experience" for some years will testify to the
fact that some days we are ''flat'' and almost lifeless, whilst at other times
we KNOW and can FEEL the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon us. Few if any of us
have been able to live up to the expectations expressed by Paul in Ephesians.
But does this "Additional Experience" grant us the license to say
that we now have THE FULL GOSPEL? What is the Gospel? What does the word mean?
The Greek word EUANGELION,
from which we get our word Evangelise, means "The Good News".
Undoubtedly, to become aware that Christ's death and resurrection brings us
Forgiveness, Peace with God, and New Life in Christ is GOOD NEWS! And without
doubt the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives after believing is also GOOD
NEWS! A simple analogy is that of a Bank Account. Before we know Christ, we are
like a man who has an overdraft that he cannot pay off. The overdraft represents
his sin, that he is wholly unable to erase by his own power. But when he learns
of the sacrifice at
Then he learns that God
provides him with the power for everyday living, by the filling of the spirit,
equivalent to financial gifts being paid into his account on a recurrent basis.
That again is GOOD NEWS! All is of God's bounty. Some churches only preach the
first of these Evangels, others preach both. Each believe they have the FULL
GOSPEL. But is it not true that the New Testament contains a very rich fare of
other items of GOOD NEWS? So often the word Gospel is only allowed to mean the
act of salvation, being born again, being converted, whatever language is
adopted for this important event in a person's life. But remove the word
Gospel, and replace it with Good News, and immediately it takes on a far wider
spectrum of meaning. Whereas Television, Radio, and Newspapers provide mankind
with a daily fare of Bad News, the New Testament contains a daily fare of Good
News, with more and more to appreciate as the Spirit of God unveils "all
the riches of wisdom and knowledge in Christ."
So what is the FULL GOSPEL?
And the answer is that none of us are yet able to envisage a proper answer to
that question. Paul said to the Corinthians (lst,2:9) "Eye has not seen,
nor ear heard, neither have entered the heart of man, the things which God has
prepared for those who love Him." But even these great mysteries are not
to remain secret for ever. Paul goes on to say, "But God has revealed them
to us by His Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things
of God." As time passes therefore, we as believers should find the Holy
Spirit ministering to us these "unsearchable riches", so that we may
be built up and established in the ways and the heart of God. But a word of
caution needs to be spoken here. If we are always looking for "Good
News" that concerns only ourselves, we shall very soon dry up.
The really GOOD NEWS
concerns the magnitude of God's love. If we enjoy eternal life and praise God
that we are saved, that is good, but only in so far as it goes. Are we able to
see the extent of God's love to His fallen creation? Are we boxed in by faulty
theology, the teaching of numerous churches and denominations that preserve a
sanctimonious and Pharisaic approach, believing that God is ONLY interested in
the "saved", and has an eternal horror prepared for everyone else? Is
that Good News? Jesus said that when He is lifted up, He will draw all men to
himself. God declared that He will "create all things new".
Paul said that the love of
God is so great that it is impossible for man to comprehend it. Are we then to
suppose that when God has completed His Church, His character changes? The love
dries up? Men can only look forward to a fiendish monster tormenting the rest
of His creation for ever and ever? What kind of Good News is that? We are aware
that most Christians accept the teaching of everlasting hell-fire, simply
because their Bibles seem to declare it and tradition enforces it. But
"acceptance" is not good enough. Our understanding must be such that
we are able not just to ACCEPT something but rather that we should BELIEVE it.
Belief requires proper understanding, not just a vague acceptance. Anyone who
can maintain a belief in an everlasting hellfire based on popular theology
surely cannot have had a vision of the magnitude of God's love. The FULL GOSPEL
means that Jesus died for EVERY LIVING CREATURE, ANGELS AND MEN, and that in
due course God will lead them to Life.
Man may say that he would
prefer to be destroyed than believe in God. But is God unable to counter such a
boastful antagonism? Let us hear what George MacDonald had to say on this
point. "If men say 'We want no such deliverance,' then the Maker of them
must either destroy them as vile things for whose existence He is to Himself
accountable, or compel them to change. If they say, 'We choose to be destroyed,'
He, as their Maker, has a choice in the matter too. Is He not free to say, 'You
cannot even slay yourselves, and I choose that you shall know the death of
living without me; you shall learn to choose to live indeed. I choose that you
shall know what I KNOW to be good'? - - Is it a wrong to compel His creature to
soar aloft into the aether of its origin, and find its deepest, its only true
self?" (Quoted from "Paul Faber" 1890.. page 253)
Furthermore, Paul writing
to the Corinthians (2nd.10:2-6) spoke of Christian warfare. "The weapons
of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of
strongholds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself
against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the
obedience of Christ." Some of us may have had experiences over the years
that prove the point of Paul's words, but whether we have or not, few would
argue against the truth of what he said.
But think again! We accept
Paul's words as true! We truly believe that a Christian is ABLE to overcome the
enemy in this manner! But at the same time we deny that God is able to Himself!
In the end we espouse a limp and ineffectual "Gospel" that is only
able to "save" about 10% of mankind. Beyond that we as men have been
unable to bring life to the multitudes, and they have died, as do all. What
happens then? "It is given unto man once to die, after that the
judgment." Of what does this "judgment" consist? Do we confuse
"judgment" with "condemnation"? Do human judges always
condemn those who appear in court? Judgment from God is always fair, kindly,
positive, refining, and above all leading to repentance and life. Where man has
failed in his evangelistic work, GOD WILL NOT FAIL.
Likewise, in the sermon on the
mount, Jesus enjoined us to "love your enemies, bless those who curse you,
do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and
persecute you." And for why? "That you may be the children of your
heavenly Father." "Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is
perfect." If we to a merely partial degree are able to overcome our
natural tendencies and perform the Master's pleasure in this respect, HOW MUCH
MORE is God able to perform such strong love towards all those who hate Him.
"I am God; I change not; therefore you sons of Jacob are not
consumed." (Mal.3:6) "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and for
ever."
We commend these things to
our readers for thought and prayer. We contend that the FULL GOSPEL is the
Gospel (or Good News) that on the cross Jesus ERADICATED THE WHOLE STAIN OF SIN
FROM THE UNIVERSE. "We do not yet SEE all things under His feet" but
we are sure that one day they will be. "He must reign UNTIL all things are
under His feet." And then it will be said that "every knee has bowed,
and every tongue confessed that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of
God." Anything less than this is detracting from the glory of God, and is
an insult to the magnitude and magnificence of our wonderful Saviour' s
redeeming work at
As a record of actual
experience, we should like to refer to a particular incident, which happened to
our (third) daughter Ruth, who was at a local Grammar School until fairly
recently. She was studying Art as one of her subjects, and during the Art lessons,
students would often discuss topics of interest as they worked. The teacher
would listen and sometimes say a word as well. The subject of Christian faith
arose, and remarks were directed towards Ruth who was known to them as a
believer. She held her own for a while, but made little headway, there always
being some argument against everything she said. But eventually she said,
"One day ALL of you will believe in Jesus, for that is His will." It
produced complete silence. It was the most thought-provoking statement in the
whole discussion, and made its impact. Only time will tell just how many seeds
were sown at that instant.
As we began to pray
together as a family last Sunday, it seemed as though the Lord was instructing
us to preach the FULL GOSPEL of the glory of Jesus Christ wherever we go, and
that the power of the Holy Spirit would attend us. Time will tell as to the
results, but we felt constrained to share these things with our readers. Some
of those who have read previous articles from us on the-subject of
"Universal Reconciliation" have written back to say they cannot
accept what we have said, but "wished they could." In saying this
they have shown a heart that is right, but a mind that is glued to traditional
theology. But if the heart is right, there is one thing that is very clear!
They believe their own sense of fairness is greater than God's, otherwise they
could never have uttered such a thing. The human heart SHOULD be revolted by
the "popular " conception of everlasting hellfire, because it isn't
TRUTH, but a terrible indictment on God's righteousness and justice, and an
insult to the Saviour' s work at
We can understand the
ACCEPTANCE of hellfire by all those who haven't as yet thought it through, and
realised the degree of insult latent within it. But what causes us grief is the
occasional believer who, having been instructed otherwise, and shown all the
many and cogent reasons for believing in God's greater work, STILL wants to
continue believing in endless torture for all the unsaved. When in Old
Testament times a certain religious rite demanded that people burned their
little children as sacrifices to the god Moloch, God's comment was "which
things never entered my mind." If that is how God spoke of the heathen
rites of those days, how can Christian believers, with all the additional
knowledge of God in Jesus Christ be party to the even more terrifying and
heart-rending fiction of an endless fiery torment for all who have not accepted
Christ in this life, even those who have never even HEARD of the name of Jesus?
There are some who
appreciate this fact, and have invented an alternative theology, commonly known
as "conditional immortality." It at least shows their abhorrence of
the "endless torment" theory. But it doesn't go far enough. God is
able to subdue all things to Himself, and will do so eventually, WITHOUT
abrogating the precious gift of freewill that He has given to mankind and the
angels. Human persuasion has resulted in many conversions over the centuries.
Divine persuasion is of a far greater power, and will accomplish all that man
has been unable to do by "the foolishness of preaching." There will
come a time when this truth will be accepted, as we enter the