The Everlasting Gospel

In Revelation chapter 14, we find 3 messages delivered by three angels that are to be heralded to the whole earth prior to Jesus' coming. In the first angel's message we find the words "everlasting gospel." "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the EVERLASTING GOSPEL to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." [Revelation 14:6-7 KJV] The everlasting gospel was foreordained from the beginning, from the foundation of the world before there were any created earthly beings.1 Peter 1:18-21 KJV18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. What is the everlasting gospel? It is the good news that the Messiah has come to seek and save that which was lost. The everlasting gospel is salvation made possible by faith in Christ Jesus alone. The everlasting gospel has a key feature expressed by the word atonement (At-One-Ment). Atonement makes it possible to be restored unto the Father, to be one again with Him. Atonement is the price that was paid for sin. The Bible says, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." [1 John 3:4 KJV] The penalty for the transgression of God's Law, of the principles that govern His kingdom is death, and justice demands that the death penalty be administered for transgressing God's Law. The bad news is, "For the wages of sin is death; but" the good news is, "the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." [Romans 6:23 KJV] How can this God of justice who has declared the death decree for transgressing His Law also be a God of grace, mercy, and forgiveness? The Father never takes the transgression of His Law lightly, and so He was prepared to take the consequences of our sin, of our transgression of His Law upon Himself and to do this He took the form of a man, He took upon Himself flesh and blood, so that He could take the place of the first Adam who transgressed God's Law and brought the curse of sin and death upon the whole of mankind. Jesus became the last Adam and stood at the head of the race of man but at a higher capacity than the first man Adam, for Jesus was the Lord from heaven.1 Corinthians 15:45, 47 KJV45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. Jesus, who never sinned, being fully man and fully God could die and pay the penalty for man's transgression of God's Law. It was Jesus' atoning blood that made reconciliation possible. Every other world region, except Christianity, denies the atonement. Like Cain, their faith is based on works. They show by their works that there is no need for atonement because they believe God can deal directly with them the same as He can deal with anyone believing they can work and perform what God requires so there is no need for atonement. The account of the conflict and the death of Abel seems very distant and unrelated to our current day and so the lessons to be learned often go unnoticed or maybe considered irrelevant to the time in which we live. But the truth is the story of Cain and Abel is the centerpiece of world events and shows us what we can expect in the final controversy just prior to Jesus' return. The recorded conflict in Genesis between Cain and Abel has persistently reappeared throughout the history of mankind. Abel showed by the sacrifice of the lamb that salvation lies outside of us and Cain said, no, the works of my hands is enough to satisfy the demands of justification and provide salvation. But God's plan of salvation has never changed for it is "the everlasting gospel." During the time when the gospel light had almost gone out, during the darkest time of the middle ages, when the devil through his proxy the apostate church had almost succeeded in stamping out every trace of the everlasting gospel, the reformers determinedly saw to it that the light would once again shine brightly. What was the central message of the Reformers? It was that salvation exists outside of ourselves, that justification is by faith in the completed work of Jesus Christ the Son of God and not by any works of our own. Salvation is appropriated by faith, by laying hold of the promise, by relying on Jesus' sacrifice that lies outside of ourselves and found only in "the everlasting gospel." This is why we must do as the first angel urges us to do, we must preach with a loud voice "the everlasting gospel" to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. Salvation is by faith in Jesus the Son of God and that we are saved and sin is atoned for only by the blood of the Lamb. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." [Acts 4:12 KJV]