Armor of God: Feet Shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace
Written by my Husband, MelThe "gospel of peace" is not just about being at peace with others (which is also vitally important) but more about being armed in the gospel of Jesus Christ, who made peace upon the cross by offering himself as the payment for all of our sins. Also, we are all commissioned by Christ to go out into the world and share the gospel of salvation with others.
(Isaiah 52:7) How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
Shoes can symbolize our walk with the Lord, so being armed with the True gospel will help arm us against the false gospels being thrown at us by many false teachers. The more you read the Word, the better your feet will be shod with the True message of Jesus Christ.
To have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace means we should be prepared to stand firm on the Gospel of salvation. Again, the meaning of shoes. When you study your Bible and the true gospel, you should not be deceived by false doctrines. There are many groups that try to add their own false doctrines to salvation. We must use discernment and dismiss anything that does not line up with scripture.
The good news is that Christ made peace between the Father and mankind through his death upon the cross. The Father is a holy God who cannot look upon sin. No person on earth could save himself by his own works because we are a fallen race. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was the spotless, perfect, lamb of God, who took our sins upon himself to wash us clean.
We are justified in the eyes of God and saved by faith in the finished work of Christ upon the cross. However, we must repent of our sins and allow the Holy Spirit to transform us from the inside out (sanctification). The Holy Spirit is also a free gift from God to those who are truly born again. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is also known as being filled with the Holy Ghost, sanctification, second blessing, or second act of grace. These terms all describe the immersion of power by God's Spirit in order to live an overcoming life and spread the gospel. There are nine gifts, as well as nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. Every Christian should desire this second blessing from God.
It is important to understand the peace made upon the cross between the Father and mankind. Before Christ came the Hebrews were kept by God under the Law of Moses. There was not a perfect sacrifice for the sins of the people. The animal sacrifices were symbolic of the final sacrifice of God's Son upon the cross. The law was our tutor, to teach us about sin and the consequences of sin. Under the old covenant they were slaves of sin, as well as the law. But under the new covenant of grace, we are free men and sons of the living God.
Christ fulfilled every letter and stroke of the law upon the cross and brought a better covenant through his shed blood. Many people confuse the law of Moses with the law of Christ. Christ said, "If you love me you will keep MY commandments" and went on to say," this is MY commandment that you love one another." The law of Christ was centered upon heart issues. Christ taught us to love one another, turn the other cheek, forgive one another seventy times seven, show mercy, be kind and hospitable, not to judge with hypocrisy, and for those without sin to cast the first stone. Christ was the light from heaven to teach us the true ways of God. The old covenant was referred to as a perpetual and everlasting covenant for all generations to the Hebrew people. In the Hebrew, this is defined as a final decree by God as long as the old covenant was in effect.
However, the issue of whether or not the gentile believers were expected to keep the law of Moses was settled forever by the Jerusalem Decree (Acts 15: 4-30). All of the Apostles and Elders of the church were in agreement that gentile Christians were Not expected to keep the law of Moses.
(John 1:17) For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
When we were bankrupt in our debts he paid them in full and washed us white as snow in his precious blood. Let us stand firm in our faith of the True gospel of peace and share it with a lost and dying world.
(Eph 2:14-17) For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
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