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God.--If the Word of God underlies the gospel, the God of the Word is its Author.
The gospel is called "The gospel of God" (Rom. 1: 1). It is "the power of God unto
salvation" (Rom. 1: 16). It is concerned with "the salvation of God" (Acts 28: 28).
Its basis is "the righteousness of God" (Rom. 1: 17). It issues in "the peace of God"
(Phil. 4: 7), and its character is that of "the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20: 24).
No gospel that is authorized by the Scriptures originates from a Source lower than
God Himself. The healing power was not in the serpent of brass, or in Moses who
erected it, but in God: "Pray unto the Lord that He take away the serpents" (Numb. 21: 7:
See also II Kings 18: 4). It was God Who prepared the great fish (Jonah 1: 17). Jonah
prayed to the Lord, and the Lord spake unto the fish and returned Jonah to the land of the
living (Jonah 2: 10). Not all the carpenters in the days of Noah could have constructed an
ark to withstand the onslaughts of that great deluge. It was the Lord Who shut Noah
within the ark (Gen. 7: 16), and it was God Who "made a wind to pass over the earth"
so that "the waters assuaged" (8: 1).
This, then, is the twofold basis of the gospel--the inspired Word, in its type,
prophecy, history and doctrine; and God, as the Author and Provider of all things
necessary to make that gospel His power unto salvation.
#18.
Simple gospel notes on John 3: 16.
(2:) The manner and mainspring.
pp. 158 - 160
We have looked at the important bearing of the opening words of John 3: 16:
"For God." Let us consider now the message contained in the words, "so loved".
So.--In this word is expressed the "manner" of the manifestation of the love of God:
"For thus God loved the world." An illustration of this translation of the word is found in
John 4: 6:--
"Jesus, therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat THUS upon the well."
The word can also be translated, "after this manner" or "on this fashion" (See
Matt. 6: 9; I Cor. 7: 7; Mark 2: 12).
It is of great importance, both in the preaching of the gospel and in the receiving of it,
that we realize the importance of the way in which the love of God was manifested
towards a sinful world. This, however, must be deferred while we look for a moment at
the great mainspring of the gospel--love.
Three statements stand out in the N.T. concerning the Being of God: "God is spirit"
(John 4: 24); "God is light" (I John 1: 5); and "God is love" (I John 4: 8 and 16).