There is so much good news that is not preached. In many cases there is bad news preached via scripture and they stop just before the next verse which has the good news. I have a few examples below:
It’s kind of like secular news where they only report on the bad news. There is so much good news in His Word to discover! Much hidden treasure to discover!
Phil. 2:12-13 (NKJV) “12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”
v.12 “..work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”. I’ve heard this so many times and only vs. 12. It leaves hanging there thinking you have to do this whole Christian walk by yourself. A very heavy burden indeed.
However, the good news is in vs. 13 which many have not heard because it has not been preached or talked about. It’s the good news of vs. 13 that says “it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Ver. 13 tells me I’m not alone in this salvation thing. It is His free gift that I have received.
Here is vs. 13 in (NLT) – “13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”
and here in (AMPC) wooo! – “[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.”
This is such good news! There is so much good news that preachers have not preached and people have not shared with one another. It’s like they want to share the bad news and not move onto the good.
The Old Covenant vs. The New Covenant:
Old covenant: “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” (Isa. 55:8-9 NLT). compare this to new covenant:
Here is another example of not moving on to the next vs. that has the good news.
1 Cor. 2:9 “9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him.”
Vs, 9 is old Covenant: Isa. 64:4. This leaves you hanging in the state that no one has seen and no one has heard and no one will ever know. And it’s an old testament reference in new testament scripture. Most people do not move onto vs. 10 that has a big “but”. … “10 But it was to us (Thos who believe in Christ) that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets.
Here is vs. 10 in the (AMPC) – “10 Yet to us (those who believe in Jesus Christ) God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the [Holy] Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding [emitting or producing] the profound and bottomless things of God [the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man’s scrutiny].”
full context (1 Cor. 2:7-16): “No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. 8 But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. 9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,
{Old Covenant Ref. Isa. 64:4}
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him.”
{Old Covenant Ref. Isa. 64:4}
But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For,
{Old Covenant Ref. Isa. 40:13}
“Who can know the Lord’s thoughts?
Who knows enough to teach him?”
{Old Covenant Ref. Isa. 40:13}
But we (Those who believe in Christ) understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:7-16 NLT).
The Holy Spirit in us (Jn. 15:26-27, 16:5-15) reveals these things to us. The deep secrets of God have been revealed to us by the Holy Spirit in us.
“But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. And you must also testify about me because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry” (Jn. 15:26-27 NLT).
“But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged. “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me” (Jn. 16:5-15 NLT).
“However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you]” (Jn. 16:7 AMPC).
The secret revealed by the Holy Spirit
“This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory” (Col. 1:26-27 NLT).
God’s mysterious plan revealed.
“When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles …assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles. As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets. And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus. By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News. Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning. God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord. Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence” (Eph. 3:1-12 NLT).
…and here is one more in the same vein. This one is about Paul struggling with sin.
Romans 7:14-24 (NKJV) “14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”
Many stop with this scripture and leave you hanging with “struggling with our flesh” with no hope of getting out, always a slave to sin. However, if you continue reading through Rom. 7:25-8:1-17 you get to a big “But” again that leads into the good news.
Some of the good news:
Rom. 8:9-11 (NKJV) “9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
…and then on into Rom. 8:12-17 (AMPC) “12 So then, brethren, we are debtors, but not to the flesh [we are not obligated to our carnal nature], to live [a life ruled by the standards set up by the dictates] of the flesh. 13 For if you live according to [the dictates of] the flesh, you will surely die. But if through the power of the [Holy] Spirit you are [habitually] putting to death (making extinct, deadening) the [evil] deeds prompted by the body, you shall [really and genuinely] live forever. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For [the Spirit which] you have now received [is] not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing sonship] in [the bliss of] which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father! 16 The Spirit Himself [thus] testifies together with our own spirit, [assuring us] that we are children of God. 17 And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory.”
Note about the ending of vs. 17 “only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory “, it is important to note that he was speaking to those who are being and would be persecuted because of their faith in Christ. We who believe in Christ and stand in our faith are certain to face persecution. However He in us is greater than He that is in the world and we have the victory because of Christ! 🙂 – 1 Jn. 4:4 (AMPC) “4 Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world.”
The Holy Spirit here is key! He is called the helper, the comforter, the teacher and the one who will guide us into all truth. He is in us (those who believe in Him) and makes all the difference. We are no longer a slave to sin. We have received His new life: 2 Cor. 5:14-15. The Spirit gives life: Jn. 6:63. We who believe in Jesus Christ have been buried with Christ and raised to new life! Rom. 6:36:3-18. For those who believe in Jesus Christ, their old sinful nature has been nailed to the cross. Rom. 5:12-21, 6:1-23, Col. 2:6-13, Tit. 3:5, 2 Cor. 5:17.
Christ in You (Good News) Study Map 