THE SIMPLICITY OF THE GOSPEL.

1 Corinthians 1:21 ᵀʰᵉ ᴾᵃˢˢⁱᵒⁿ ᵀʳᵃⁿˢˡᵃᵗⁱᵒⁿ

𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘥𝘰𝘮, 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥'𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧. 𝘏𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘚𝘐𝘔𝘗𝘓𝘐𝘊𝘐𝘛𝘠 𝘖𝘍 𝘗𝘙𝘌𝘈𝘊𝘏𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘚𝘛𝘖𝘙𝘠 𝘖𝘍 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘊𝘙𝘖𝘚𝘚 𝘐𝘕 𝘖𝘙𝘋𝘌𝘙 𝘛𝘖 𝘚𝘈𝘝𝘌 𝘛𝘏𝘖𝘚𝘌 𝘞𝘏𝘖 𝘉𝘌𝘓𝘐𝘌𝘝𝘌 𝘐𝘛.

The gospel is good news, and the good news is simply that Jesus died for our sins and is now alive. 

Satan has been defeated and the victory has already been won! 

God intentionally designed the gospel to be simple so that it appealed to the common man. And it is being conveyed through "the foolishness of preaching".

This is God's method; This is God's way.

The redemptive work of Christ on the cross was all-sufficient and all-inclusive, and requires no addition from man.

Don't stumble over the simplicity of the gospel by trying to add something to what God has already done in Christ.

The gospel is so simple that one could easily stumble over the very simplicity of it. People have always stumbled over the simplicity of the gospel.

For instance, some folks will say to you, "Your deliverance is not complete." So you will need to undergo some ritualistic processes before you can be fully delivered.

There is no such thing as "Incomplete Deliverance" The redemptive work was completed once and for all - It's a full redemption!

What is required is not an addition, but faith in the finished work of Christ!

In the mind of God, the believer is not only forgiven and saved from sin, he is also delivered, healed and blessed! 

"WHO HATH DELIVERED US FROM THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS, and hath translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son" Col. 1:13.

It is an all-encompassing redemption!

If we are not careful, we can be so tangled up in a long string of religious ideas and rules that we wind up confused and discouraged.

The gospel is not complicated, but many things about Christianity and the Bible have been made complicated by man. 

THE GOSPEL IS BASICALLY ABOUT WHAT GOD HAS ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED IN CHRIST THROUGH HIS DEATH, BURIAL, ASCENSION, AND HIS SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF MAJESTY ON HIGH.

In some quarters a lot of emphasis is being made about what the devil is doing, and how something has to be done about him. But little or nothing is being said about what God has already done in Christ.

The gospel is basically about what God has already accomplished through Christ's death, burial, ascension and His sitting at the right hand of majesty on high.

The Bible says that He "disarmed principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him and in it (the cross)" (Col. 2:15 AMP).

And He "...hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of his dear son" (Col. 1:13).

Adding a little element of an occultic background with a bit of traditional religious beliefs to the teaching of the Bible is syncretism! It's a terrible mixture, and it is hazardous to faith.

You can't mix a little incantation and a little concoction with a little Jesus!

This is what Apostle Paul refers to as "Another Gospel," and we need to pay attention to what the Bible has to say about it.

Galatians 1:6-8

6. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto ANOTHER GOSPEL:

7. Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

8. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

E. W. Kenyon once said, "The redemptive work of God needs no help from Satan to make us complete in God's presence."

The Word says that Christ "... disarmed the powers and authorities..." (Col. 2:15 NIV). 

It also includes the ones in Africa and elsewhere.

The negative impression that have been created over the years through false teaching is that Africa's case is unique, when it comes to demonic activities. Christ's victory seems to be prevalent in other parts of the world except Africa.

We've been left alone to do something  about the demons in our domain so to speak.

So we need to roll up our sleeves; grit our teeth; flex our muscles and have a show down with the devil. And some folks are renowned for their expertise at yelling or shouting the devil down.

Satan has already been defeated, and why would you fight a defeated foe?

We are not called to fight against the devil, but we are called to "fight the good fight of faith..." (1 Tim. 6:12). It's a good fight because Satan is already defeated, and the believer is on the winning side. We are called to enforce his defeat through our faith in the finished work of Christ! 

God's power to save, heal, deliver and bless is in the gospel.

"...IT IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION TO EVERY ONE THAT BELIEVES..." Rom. 1:16

               Emmanuel B. Afolabi