The Apostle Paul tells us that the “gospel” (good news) given to him by the resurrected Jesus was the “mystery of Christ”. That mystery was that all nations will "rejoice and be glad in His salvation".
“When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the nations are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (Ephesians 3:4-6)
Paul refers to this mystery as “my gospel" which had been “kept secret” in the past.
“Now to Him who is able to establish you according to MY GOSPEL and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past…” (Romans 16:25-27)
Paul, the Apostle to the nations, elaborates on what he calls “my gospel” in his New Testament letters. John, one of the twelve Apostles to Israel, and the writer of Revelation, recognized that Jesus had not only atoned for the sins of Israel, but also for everyone else...
"He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)
Paul explains in his letters that the “mystery” revealed to him and kept secret in the past is the good news that by the grace of God Christ Jesus will return "bringing salvation" to ALL people and that God will "reconcile to Himself ALL THINGS, whether things on earth or things in heaven".
“When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the nations are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (Ephesians 3:4-6)
Paul refers to this mystery as “my gospel" which had been “kept secret” in the past.
“Now to Him who is able to establish you according to MY GOSPEL and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past…” (Romans 16:25-27)
Paul, the Apostle to the nations, elaborates on what he calls “my gospel” in his New Testament letters. John, one of the twelve Apostles to Israel, and the writer of Revelation, recognized that Jesus had not only atoned for the sins of Israel, but also for everyone else...
"He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)
Paul explains in his letters that the “mystery” revealed to him and kept secret in the past is the good news that by the grace of God Christ Jesus will return "bringing salvation" to ALL people and that God will "reconcile to Himself ALL THINGS, whether things on earth or things in heaven".
“For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all people…God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself not counting their trespasses against them...and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross…" (Titus 2:11; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Colossians 1:19-20)
Paul told everyone that...
"Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds because of your evil deeds. But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence." (Colossians 1:21-22)
Paul tells the whole Roman empire that...
"…the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God…in this expectation we are saved; but expectation that is seen is no expectation at all. Who expects what he can already see? We expect what we do not yet see, and we wait for it patiently.” (Romans 8:19-25)
Again - ALL creation will someday "be set free"! That is our expectation (hope)!
In this life we only HEAR about our salvation and our reconciliation with God. We show our trust in what we have heard by believing. Believing is having FAITH in what we do not presently see.
Paul told everyone that...
"Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds because of your evil deeds. But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence." (Colossians 1:21-22)
Paul tells the whole Roman empire that...
"…the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God…in this expectation we are saved; but expectation that is seen is no expectation at all. Who expects what he can already see? We expect what we do not yet see, and we wait for it patiently.” (Romans 8:19-25)
Again - ALL creation will someday "be set free"! That is our expectation (hope)!
In this life we only HEAR about our salvation and our reconciliation with God. We show our trust in what we have heard by believing. Believing is having FAITH in what we do not presently see.
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not being seen." (Hebrews 11:1)
But there will come a time when ALL humans will SEE and enter the Kingdom of God where they will dwell with God in the New Heaven and New Earth.
"That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe." (1 Timothy 4:10)
"Jesus responded and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God... Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." (John 3:3, 5)
"So will it be with the resurrection of the dead: What is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being;” the last Adam a life-giving spirit. The spiritual, however, was not first, but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven...And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man (Adam), so also shall we bear the likeness of the heavenly man (Jesus)." (1 Corinthians 15:42-49)