Are You Blinded By A Gospel of “Get”?

Over thirty year. That’s how long I spent emmersed in gospel’s teaching me to “get”.

One was the gospel of the world. A “gospel” I lived well during my teenage years. The other was what I interpreted from the church. “Get” prettier clothes. “Get” more of Jesus. Strive to “Get” our inheritance or blessing.

On and on, this gospel kept preaching…How alone, Christ didn’t seem to be enough. My striving could somehow claim efficient, in drawing the love of Jesus.

It seemed I always needed…more faith, more good works, more performances, more testimonies. As if God would somehow love me more if I had been more educated, come from a better family, knew more theology, earned my own merit or favor.

Until one day, that “get” gospel collided with a move of the Holy Spirit. I became undone. All I had known to be true began melting that day I lifted my hands in worship and repented of my pride.

I was NOT enough, and I knew it then…yet, I had been blinded for far too long. All my striving and rebelling, determination and Jesus modeling couldn’t “get” me more of Jesus.

I couldn’t make Him love me more. Scripture teaching….we love Him only because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

I was a sinner, saved by grace…solely. And at that moment, I knew it. Everything changed. All of it.

Tears fell as my inward heart melted at the reality of my own arrogance and self-reliance.

I repented of this insufficient gospel of “get” and realized the love of my Jesus doesn’t fade because of anything I do, don’t do, or did.

I took off my heals, stopped plastering my face with make-up, and found intimacy in the Jesus who had always known and loved me, even when I tried to add a false-gospel to who He already is….

The Pharisees in Scripture also loved making people slaves to a false, striving, works theology….

But, I didn’t need anything more. Jesus already loved me. And better yet, inside, He had already given me everything I needed to love and serve Him.

I welcomed him as a child at Bible Camp and His Spirit came alive in me when I felt most unworthy.

No, I didn’t need to “get” Him. He had made me, known me from before the beginning of the foundations of the world, formed me in my mother’s womb, and was calling me with His everylasting love.

It was ME who wasn’t listening, because I had been blinded by a selfish, world-loving, gospel of “get”.

We can talk a lot about “receive” in the church. “Receive salvation”, “receive” faith, “receive” spiritual gifts, “receive” faith.

But when I dig through scriptures, I findd “receive” being two words in Greek;“Dechomai” meaning, “receive from God spiritually within oneself“. “Lambano” meaning “receiving into manifestation into the senses”.

Manifestation means demonstrating OUTWARDLY of something already in us. I dig through Scriptures further.

• “You have been made complete in Christ” (Col. 2:10) PAST TENSE – Already done
• “He has already chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.” (Eph 1:4) PAST TENSE 
• “Who verily was foreordained before the foundations of the world, but was manifest in these last times.” (1 Peter 1:10) PAST TENSE – Already done
• “He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ.” (Eph 1:5)
• “When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” (John 19:28-30) Already Done 
• “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” (Romans 8:29)
• “I chose you and appointed you”(John 15:16) – PAST TENSE
• “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life” (1 Peter 1:3) Already Done 
• “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control]” (2 Timothy 1:7) PAST TENSE
• “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves” (Eph 2:8)
•  “To each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.” (Eph 2:8) PAST TENSE
• “Our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” (Eph 1:3) Already completed

On and on it goes. This idea that God predestined, preplanned, pre-prepared, and pre-equipped us rings loud throughout Scripture.

The overwhelming theme throughout Scripture is that everything has already been done, given, proportioned, predestined to us, by God himself.

So why had I heard so often in churches, we need to…

• Get more of God
• Get more faith
• Get our salvation
• Get our spiritual gifts
• Get our calling

Aren’t all those things already placed in us, from before the beginning of the foundations of the world? Don’t we just need to confess them, draw upon them, access them by humbling ourself to His ways?

Yet, when we set up glass houses of “getting”, we can end up with all the praise. We can pat ourselves on the proverbial back because we labored to “get” God, “get” faith, “get” to walk in our calling…

Doesn’t Scritpure talk of the opposite?

We give God our hearts. We give God our lives. We give God our sins. And THEN we access or manifest the power, purposes, and grace that is already in us?

Scripture calls us to “Cease from striving and know that He is God”. (Psalms 46:10)

Yet, the Pharisees were experts on placing heavy burdens on God’s people. They exerted demands, rules, extra-Biblical mandates, placing God’s people under heavy yokes they struggled to rid themselves from.

But wasn’t it for FREEDOM, Christ set us free? (Gal. 5:1) Didn’t Jesus come to deliver us from man-driven mandates?

So, what if we repented of this world’s gospel of “get” and abandoned ourselves to faith, listened to His call, and chosing intentionally to walk in His purposes….

Might we manifest the fullness of power and life…as we let go and give God access to our lives?

• Because “If God (already) gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?” (Acts 11:17)
• Maybe all we need to do is “Stir up the gifts already in us” (2 Tim 1:6) Fan into flames the gift of God, pre-placed in us, by Him.
• What if the only act of grace He gives us is to “wake up from our slumber” (Rom 13:8-14)
• What if our only prayer is, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” (Psalms 119:17-24)
• Maybe it’s time to “consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” (Hebrews 10:24)
• Isn’t it time to trust, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Gal. 1:5)
• Know, “he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” (Col 1:22)
• Let us, “Continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.” (Col 1:23)

In a world of “get”, striving, earning, gaining, in a culture of pursuing, attaining, demanding and proclaiming….let’s stop tainting the true gospel based on giving, resting, peace and protection…letting go, offering all, manifesting the fullness of Christ already living in us.

My life forever changed, the moment I repented of my own Pharisitical thinking, started the process of letting go of control, so I could trust God to have free reign of the gifts, calls, plans, and purposes of my life.

I don’t want to go my whole life sprinkling God upon my own selfish ways. I want freedom, hope, and the fullness of faith that comes with letting go.

Together let’s trust, the fullness of Christ is already in us.

Isn’t it time we throw off the things that hinder/entangle us, repent and walk in the freedom found in awakening to His everlasting love?