The Modern Gospel vs The Kingdom Gospel

Over the past few years my theology has been catching up with my experience of God. As a result my understanding of what the gospel is and means has changed quite dramatically. This is not a watering down of the gospel, nor is it a liberal reading of Scripture trying to change the gospel so it's more friendly in 2021.

Rather, this has been a study of how Jesus reveals The Father, and how our cultural lens has shaped our understanding of the gospel. I've written a number of blog posts about some of the changes, but I thought I'd share some differences in table format.

When I first heard these distinctions I felt uncomfortable, but after Bible Study, a look back at the early Church, and some reflection, I found a more beautiful gospel. Here is "The Modern Gospel vs The Kingdom Gospel."

Sin

One of the key ways "The Gospel of The Kingdom" is different to the "Modern Gospel" is the way in which sin is viewed. When I was in Bible College I couldn't stand the version of Christianity that "watered down" the problem of sin. That's not what "The Gospel of the Kingdom" does. Rather, the Kingdom Gospel sees sin as something to be healed, rather than something to be punished. Here are some other differences.

Modern Gospel	Kingdom Gospel
God is angry with you because of your sin	Sin makes God angry because it harms you and others
Sin separates you from a holy God because God can’t be with sinners	Sin separates us from God because it makes us feel shame - thinking we are His enemies
If God touches someone sinful, or if someone sinful touches God they die	When God in Jesus touches someone sinful they are healed, restored, forgiven
Sin leads to hell – eternal conscious torment	Sin leads to death – physical, relational, spiritual
Sin is falling short of God’s rules	Sin is falling short of all you were created for
God deals with sin by punishing it	God deals with sin by healing and restoring

Jesus Sacrifice

Recently, the sacrifice of Jesus has almost wholly been taught as "Jesus taking on the punishment you deserve." It starts with the idea that God who is holy is angered by sin and needs a sacrifice to appease His anger and or justice. However, the early Church did not view it this way, and the Prophet Isaiah actually prophesied that people would get this wrong when he wrote in Isiah 53:4, "Yet we considered him punished by God but..." (I've shortened it here, but check out his blog for more.) So what are the other differences the Gospel of The Kingdom and The Modern Gospel views Jesus Sacrifice?

Modern Gospel	Kingdom Gospel
God demonstrated His love by taking our punishment	God demonstrated His love by forgiving and not punishing
Jesus shields us from the wrath of the Father	Jesus reveals a loving Father full of mercy and compassion
The Father is different to the Son	The Father and the Son are one
The sacrifice of Jesus was to appease an angry God	The sacrifice of Jesus was to appease an angry people

Salvation

Now we get to Salvation. What was Jesus achieving on the cross? Who benefits from it, and how do you access what God has done? In the modern gospel the emphasis is on getting to heaven, and is seen like a legal court case where it is decided how you will face eternity. While the Kingdom Gospel is about a relationship with God, and about the restoration of all things. Or as Jesus put it, Heaven on Earth.

Modern Gospel	Kingdom Gospel
Eternal Life means going to Heaven when you die	Eternal Life means we may know God personally now
Eternal Life in Heaven	Resurrection of the Body
Freedom, Healing, Peace and Life when you die	Freedom, Healing, Peace and Life while you live
God forgives you so you can go to heaven	God forgives you so you can experience Heaven on Earth
God only forgives you when you ask for it	God has already forgiven us as shown on the cross
Repent and Believe to change God’s mind into accepting you	Repent and Believe to change our mind that God has already accepted us

Moving Forward

When looking at the "The Modern Gospel VS The Kingdom Gospel" it is easy to see that there are some fundamental differences. When I first heard about these changes I was filled with nervousness and caution. The Scriptures tell us to watch our life and doctrine and I did not want to be led astray.

So the question is, "What will be the anchor for your soul when looking at theology?"

I suggest that Jesus is the anchor. He is our guide. He is the image of the invisible God, He said that if you have seen Him you have seen The Father. Jesus is perfect theology.

The key to understanding what the gospel is, is to look at Jesus and ask, "Does this align with the character, actions and teachings of Jesus?" I would suggest that the modern gospel does not and is in desperate need of an overhaul.