Matthew 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
This passage of scripture states plainly that the gospel of the kingdom must be preached in all the world, before the end of all things commences. The word "This" is used, meaning that it is not any old gospel, but rather a specific gospel that is to be given to the world. The next logical question then is "What does this gospel consist of?" The answer is simple, for it entails accepting Jesus Christ by faith in His atoning blood, trusting to His own righteousness for our salvation, and putting into active practice, the laws, commandments, and instructions He has given to us in His word, as the rule and guide of life. In other words, a living faith that works by loving obedience is what the scripture is referring to when speaking of "This gospel of the kingdom". Let's read:
Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
It is of critical importance for the essential component of obedience to God to be incorporated into our daily experience, for our faith must be finely interwoven with our practice, in order for us to exemplify "This gospel of the kingdom". Furthermore, our love to God and our fellowmen is actually gauged by our obedience to God, for the two are inseparably intertwined, and one cannot exist without the other. The commandments of God are to be followed and observed in real life, for they form an integral part of the gospel, thus the notion that God's law has been nailed to the cross is a doctrine that savors of antichrist. It was to satisfy the claims of God's broken law, that Christ came to our world to live and die, so that we might be freed form the shackles of sin and death.
But now that we have been freed, do we dare say that we are now free to trample on His law because Christ paid the penalty? God forbid! And in the strongest language possible, the apostle Paul refutes this assertion, by stating to the contrary that sin should not reign in our mortal bodies, after we have been emancipated from spiritual bondage. Let's read:
Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Thus, the gospel of the kingdom teaches us the necessity of faith coupled together with good works, which are the natural outgrowth of the work of The Holy spirit living on the inside of our hearts, and empowering us each day to live in conformity to God's revealed will. Grace, mercy, truth, and law are all vital components of "This gospel of the kingdom", and therefore, in our presentations to the world, we should be careful not to project unbalanced views of God's saving grace, by preaching a gospel without law, for the principles of God's kingdom are eternal in nature, and wood must never be nailed to stone.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which teaches us the importance of the law in the whole plan of salvation, and it is the will of God that it be incorporated in the preaching of the good news. Let's read:
Revelation 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!