The Happy Gospel

 

 

 

The Happy Gospel, The book

I have never read a single book for such a long time, not because am inundated to read yet another boring piece of literature but because of the amazing goodness and bliss am able to sap from it every page I read such that i have to read and reread a chapter at least five times. Benjamin Dunn does a splendid job of communicating the gospel with such an ease but behind the ease is a truth that scandalizes everything we have probably learned as Christians or have perceived about God.

The Gospel as Benjamin Dunn Puts it in his book is a massive stumble in the vineyard which its source is an unusual goodness .Dunn mask the shame religion brings upon us but a far more revelation of the breathtaking recovery we have in Christ Jesus.

The Happy Gospel, The happy Message

What is this happy gospel that we are talking about is it about the gospel of ease and ‘don’t care about anything buddy’. We are so used to a sullen, shrunk, sad gospel such that joy becomes something far fetched. I had come to believe before I was overwhelmed by Gods goodness that Christianity is a religion of seriousness ; Being serious about sin, about God about worship, just serious about everything.

Its widely acceptable that a gospel that takes people to heaven is that of preaching against sin, calling believers to be serious about their walk and talk, ‘soldiers in the army’ Christianity where we are all but careful about the next sin in our lives.

In the midst of this chaos and the massive misrepresentation of God and of the gospel in this current age is the happy message. It’s the good news that announces the salvation of men.

The gospel is the power of God unto salvation.

Romans 1:16-17 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

17 For in the gospel righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."(NIV)

”

1:16 there is nothing that makes me ashamed of the extraordinary Generosity and goodness of God which is the gospel, for in the gospel the powerful already accomplished rescue mission is announced to everyone. If it’s God who announces it then it’s really powerful and carries with it sufficient believability not only to those who seem to be near God but to everyone else.

1:17the gospel announces the genius of God which is that our right standing with him is of faith from the first to the last, from the beginning to the end as it has been declared that those who have been declared just shall live by this faith.(Kainos Amplified)

What religion has stolen from us, the gospel comes with its massive power and declares our breathtaking recovery reveling a righteousness which is from faith to faith.

Religion will always remind us of something imperfect in us that always calls us to do something that we think we ought to do to get out of our imperfection, How ever the gospel, the word of his grace (acts 20:32) always announces the breathtaking recovery to fullness, Holiness, righteousness we have now in Christ and this is the spirit of the happy gospel.

Well you may ask “what about preaching against sin?” “What about rebuking bad behavior?” I will say that the gospel carries with it power, power to make you change. Its always in the good news of our blessed God. The gospel brings to conformity all our deeds to what Christ has accomplished for us. While there is a place for rebuking and refuting evil? Its always done in righteousness for the believer.

There is not enough to quote what Benjamin Dunn says in his book. Through it all it’s apparent that the gospel is the only route out of sin into the glorious life of Christ. The best religion has done I to plague us into performance contracts and the result is usually a life of frustrations devoid of the joy and bliss that Jesus said “that our joy may be full”(John 15:11)

So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can

Keep on forgiving? I should hope not! If we've left the

Country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live

In our old house there? Or didn't you realize we

Packed up and left there for good? That is what

Happened in baptism. When we went under the water,

We left the old country of sin behind; when we came

Up out of the water, we entered into the new country

Of grace—a new life in a new land!”

(Romans 6:1-3 the message.)

You and I in Christ have left that old country of sin and are now found in Christ. Let this reality hit us hard as tons of bricks and scandalize the little religious beliefs that we have held up to for a long time.

Christ does not only set us free from sin but also from ourselves.

At the first sip of the Good News we come face to face with

The realities and limitless possibilities of the New Creation.

A Christian is altogether new and enjoys a joy-filled life in a

New world. Christians are set free not only from sin and its

effects, but are also set free from themselves (Benjamin Dunn, The happy gospel ,)