His Complete Gospel

"The gospel has no expiration date."

“And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.” (1 Corinthians 12:28)

MINISTER RICK RENNER in his book “Apostles & Prophets: Their Roles in the Past, the Present, and the Last Days” speaks of this verse saying, “So by necessity, an apostle to some degree must also serve prophetically, evangelistically, pastorally, and even instructionally,” and also, “He is the only one of the five who, if needed, can stand in for all five of these ministries.” (Pg. 324) This is an important distinction because first, all five of the ministry offices are needed in the church, and second, all five work together. One does not work without the other. The evangelist needs the prophet. The prophet needs the pastor and the teacher. The pastor and the teacher need the prophet and the apostle and the evangelist. As separate offices and sometimes separate people, but also in themselves for what they are called to do.

A pastor cannot say he is not called as an evangelist. An evangelist cannot say he is not called as an apostle. There will be times when every ministry office needs to work in the Spirit in an office they are not directly called to. There should never be a church service without an altar call, for instance. Though the pastor may be more of a preacher than a teacher, Jesus’ heart is for souls. When under the anointing, his heart must beat as Jesus’ heart beats. Though a teacher may not be called to the pastorate, they are also called to evangelize and give witness to the gospel with signs and wonders and miracles. All things are to be done in the order God wishes for that hour and that congregation (1 Corinthians 14:40). But no one in a ministry office should refuse to operate in what that moment asks because of personal discomfort or defined beliefs. What is God asking you to do? is the correct thing to ask.

In the book of Acts we see another important point of ministry – all offices must speak the complete gospel. People have set aside doctrine Jesus taught based on length of time, on incomplete knowledge and misunderstanding, on fear relabeled reverence, on God’s sovereignty instead of personal responsibility. First, the gospel has no expiration date. All that Jesus accomplished on the cross, as a living spirit, and as resurrected King continues to be operative. His shed blood provides forgiveness, healing, and abundant life. His Resurrection continues to provide access to the power of the Spirit as they experienced it in Acts 2. The Spirit is not less effective now than He was then.

The Word of God tells us “Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, to day, and for ever (Hebrews 13:8).” This includes ministry offices set out by the apostle Paul, and the gifts of the Spirit given to the church, and the speaking of tongues. What we fear, we tend to avoid. God asks us to seek Him over it and not to decide for ourselves. This is what we do far too often. We consider it in our own mind and not through the reading of (meditating on) the Scripture. Some also level the fullness of God’s salvation speaking of His sovereignty. He is sovereign, but He also said through the apostle James that He tempts no one with evil but only brings good. 1 John 3:8 tells us Jesus “was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” There is no other way to read this than to see the fullness of the gospel.

Jesus died as the sacrifice for sin, not as a sinner. This must be understood. In the Levitical law, which He fulfilled, an animal took the place in physical death for the people it was dedicated to. Jesus took our place. Our sins were laid upon His physical body, so that when He released His spirit (for death had no claim on Him since He was sinless), He died in the flesh. His shed blood cleanses us from sin when we accept it. His shed blood also provides our healing. This is repeated in both the Old Testament and the New Testament (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24). Healing has no expiration date.

When Jesus breathed on His disciples, they received salvation (John 20:22), and the Holy Spirit came to live inside them. When the Spirit fell at Pentecost, fifty days later, He came upon them in great power. Speaking in tongues (which was heard then as different languages) was an evidence of this. Like sunburn is evidence I’ve been too long in the sun. Some have said they simply spoke foreign languages, but the apostle Paul speaks at length about tongues, a Spirit language, saying He spoke in tongues more than “ye all (1 Corinthians 14:18).” Similarly, the laying on of hands was commanded of the disciples by Jesus before He returned to heaven, and He said when we lay hands on the sick, they will recover (Mark 16:18). There is no “if” to this. We must preach salvation with laying on of hands and the filling of the Spirit in order for all that Jesus purchased to be shown in His church.

He is the head of the church. We are the body. What the head prefers, the body shows. My head is never doing one thing and my foot another. If we have truly made Jesus Lord of our life, then we are submitted to His will which has been made plain throughout the gospels, where He “healed them all,” and in the book of Acts where even the shadow of Peter, and clothing taken from Paul, brought healing. Where their fervent prayers in the Spirit shook prisons. Some have said certain parts of salvation died with the last apostle. You will not find this in the Word. In fact, let’s go to Revelation which speaks of a future time. Here we have the Lamb, thrones, angels, elders, redeemed men and women, prayers. Here, we see eternity presented and the plan of God fulfilled with a remade earth and the end of death and sorrow forever.

We are meant to be ever learning, ever growing in spiritual knowledge and revelation, ever discerning between truth and error, ever working the will of God through the supernatural things of the Spirit. There is no height we reach where we know it all and have done it all. There is no leveling off because we’ve reached a zenith. We say, “But that belief seems to go against the Word of God.” Does it? Ask God. He is never offended by our inquiries. He loves them. Ask, “Is that man an apostle? Or did the apostles die off?” God liveth forever, and no word of His ever dies or shows up powerless, so that is your answer. Jesus called them apostles, and Paul both refers to apostles besides the twelve (he was not one of the twelve) and to false apostles, those who tried to fool people into believing they were one. No one could fool anyone of such a thing if it weren’t possible. Ask, “Did salvation end with the book of Acts?” Paul made this analogy as well, saying, “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain,” and “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins (1 Corinthians 15:14, 16).” We find even thinking of this ludicrous yet omit other parts of the gospel without batting an eye.

In Luke 10, Jesus tells a story of a man beaten to the edge of death by thieves and of how a Samaritan, a man not of his same culture, aided him, tending to his wounds and paying for his care. Jesus makes a powerful statement to us, “Go, and do thou likewise (Luke 10:37).” Here is our behavior, not only to those who need Jesus, we must present God’s love to them in all its configurations, but also within the church body itself. The priest and the Levite walked away. They had no inclination to do the fullness of their offices. Time and personal beliefs altered their behavior. At another time, Jesus watched a woman give her last two coins, while richer men made a show of the portion that they gave. We see her as giving all she had and overlook that many others, standing right beside her, didn’t do as much and yet felt satisfied. My satisfaction only comes when God is satisfied. Otherwise, who I am doesn’t matter at all. I come before you with weakness, and in much trembling, my speech not with enticing words of man’s wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should stand only in the power of God. And you should seek Him continually for the greater things we are bid to do in all the offices with the complete doctrine given to us, nothing missing from it.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” (John 14:12)

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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com