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The Beautiful Simplicity of the Gospel

Theology, once known as the queen of the sciences, has a long history of big words and subtle distinctions, and while Christianity shares in this heritage, she has always maintained that the Gospel is ultimately quite simple.  There are many who love to discuss the complexities of theology, and those things have their place, but the wonder of the Gospel is its simplicity.  The beauty of the Gospel is that it can be comprehended and obeyed as equally by the pauper as by the prince.  The Gospel is the great equalizer in the Universe, rendering all men equal before God regardless of ethnicity, gender, age, social status, or academic erudition.  The seminary professor may know more about God and the Scriptures, but that does not mean that his grasp on the Gospel and His walk with God are deeper or more genuine than the pupil in his classroom.

The Apostle John provides a concise summary of the Gospel in 1 John 3:23.  He says, "And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He has commanded us."  There it is: believe in Jesus and love one another.  We study thick books and debate topics like the precise mechanism of salvation and the nature/chronology of the millennium, but at the end of it all, the simplicity of the Gospel is what makes it so beautiful.  Now, don't get me wrong.  Theology/doctrine is important, even vital.  After all, we have to know who Jesus Christ is if we are going to believe in Him.  Certainly we have to know what love looks like in order to love one another.  All those details fill in the bones of our faith and practice, and yet, no matter how many definitions and clarifications you put around the Gospel, its simplicity shines through.  As we grow in our faith, our knowledge and wisdom ought to deepen, but we will never grow past belief in Jesus and love for others.  Our faith should mature, but it should never stray from its foundation.  These simple truths are what unite and define the Church.

Hymnist John H. Sammis captured this truth well in his classic hymn "Trust and Obey."  The beloved refrain says, "Trust and obey, for there's no other way/To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey." Every man should strive to know God more intimately and to serve Him more thoroughly throughout the duration of his life, but the simple truths of the Gospel must never be lost amidst that search.  No matter how many degrees a man has or how many books he's read, his duty remains to believe in Jesus Christ and to love others.  May God's people never lose sight of the beautiful simplicity of the Gospel.
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