The story of Joseph is not only a real story but one that is a picture of Jesus and wider biblical teachings. One such picture is of salvation, not only of conversion or becoming a Christian (being saved from the penalty of sin) but of our ongoing salvation (sanctification, being saved from the power of sin).
The 5 Rs of Salvation (c.f. Saving Faith) that we can see in this story are: Recognize, Remorse, Repent, Restoration and Renewal.

*Talk two around the campfire at New Life Camp, July 2024. Read talk one here. 

Who here likes confectionary? A confectioner was someone who weighed out goods, particularly sweet goods… Sweets, the children’s delight. As sweets came to be made of sugar cane we got candy. Who here likes candy? Who can tell me their favourite candy? (take answers).
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My favourite candy is Jelly Babies from the UK. They are harder to find here (and expensive) but you can find some knock off brands (not as good). Jelly Babies were invented in the Victorian era (1800s). At this time they were called ‘Unclaimed Babies’ because of all of the orphans. After WWI they were renamed ‘Victory Babies,’ each colour representing a different allied nation. The in 1939 something terrible happened! WWII began and many of the allies brought in food rationing to support the war effort. In England, sugar was so scares that it was rationed until 1953. Can you image no/little candy for children!? Then in 1953 the company who relaunched Jelly Babies hired a Christian man who embedded a secret set of symbols on the babies to share the Gospel.

First, what is the Gospel? It is Christianese, a Christian word, for Good News. It is the good news of about a King who has been victorious and who offers the rewards of His battle to all who turn and trust in Him, to become His subject. Jesus is that King. In His death and resurrection He defeated sin and death and hell so that all who turn and trust in Him might find forgiveness and life eternal.
Jelly Babies help us to learn about the Gospel. Let’s learn a song before I explain it (tune: Doe a deer):

Black for sin a dreadful thing
Green for sorrow over sin
Red the blood that Jesus shed
Pink when we are born again
Yellow the riches of Christ
Orange our future in heaven.
Jelly Babies, a story of good news,
about Jesus, Jesus Christ!
 
Before we  unpack that a leader is going to distribute some real Jelly Babies. Please only take one but do not eat it! Hold on to it. As I explain each one, I’ll invite everyone who has one to say (after I’ve explained it), ‘Yum, thank the Lord for Jelly Babies, yum, yum, yum…’

Black (blackcurrant)- a sad face= the darkness of sin
Green (lime)- crying= sorrow for sin, the pain it causes us and how it grieves God
Red (strawberry)- ‘B’= the blood of Christ
Pink (raspberry)- diaper= new life in Christ
Yellow (lemon)- a necklace= the riches of Christ
Orange (orange)- a bum bag= our journey to heaven

Last campfire I ended by sharing how I had a hole in my heart. Tonight I want to share how I came to believe the Gospel and you can too. After my paperclip experience my pastor (who as a WWII veteran had his own interesting testimony) announced he was running a baptismal class in his home. Here anyone would learn more about the Gospel and about baptism. If you believed you could/would be baptized. It was during this class, in the fall of 1994, that I learned the Gospel more clearly and believed—as a paperclip sinner you didn’t need to convince me I needed Jesus! I was baptized, which is what believer’s do outwardly to become a Christian, on Dec 11, 1994 p.m.

Following Jesus has been the great adventure of my life, but it began when I believed in the Gospel.

Let’s sing again!

 
QUESTION- Who here likes doughnuts? Who has a favourite doughnut?
(My favourite are chocolate knots with sprinkles-yum). 

​Did you know they have found doughnut-like foods in archaeological digs from Bible times? The modern doughnut, however, came from the Dutch in the 1700s- oly koeks- oily cakes. However, it wasn't until the 1850s and a Capt. Gregory from the USA that doughnuts lost their middle. Originally, they were dough knots, a knotted dough ring. Perhaps Gregory took them out to fit on his ships wheel, or to allow the centres to cook more easily, or maybe to save money! At any rate, by the 1920s there was a doughnut machine and their popularity in WWI and WWII with soldiers helped to bring them into American culture: Krispy Cream, Dunkin Donuts (and Tim Hortons in Canada). 

Let's learn a funny song about doughnuts and Jesus.

 Let me explain that song.

God created us to know Him. Just like Lego, a puzzle or a craft has the grand design that we build, we were created to know God. Mt 4:10 says we were created, to worship (love) and serve Him. When God first created us, our ancestors (Adam and Eve) were in a perfect garden. There was only one negative command, not to eat of a certain tree lest they died (Gen 2:17). The moment they ate of it, the greatest tragedy happened: they spiritually died and began to physically die. In their rebellion they were cut off from God.

QUESTION- Who knows the central letter in the following words: sIn and prIde?

"I"- destroyed the peace and purpose and friendship and fullness we were created for. Like a doughnut, we were no longer whole, we had a hole in our heart. 1600 years ago Augustine said, "Our hearts will go on being restless until they fine their rest in You." Similarly, 400 years ago Pascal said, "Our hearts are a bottomless cavern."

QUESTION- Without God, what sorts of substitutes do people try to fill their lives with?

Pascal also said, "We have a Christ shaped hole in our hearts." Because we were made for God, only a restored relationship with Him through faith in His Son, Jesus, will make us whole again.

Let me tell you part of my story of becoming whole. When I was young I believed in God. Life was good. I was getting on being a child. Then two things happened that made me realize I wasn't whole. The first was when I was 5 and my parents stopped taking me to church. I knew that wasn't right, so I pestered them until we returned. But still, there was something missing. Then one day about 7 I entered a store with my father and I stole something! (Drum roll) Can you guess what it was? A paperclip. Yes, I stole a paperclip. I felt so guilty that I walked out of the store and through it in the grass beside the sidewalk. However, I still felt guilty. I was aware of a whole in my heart. 

I'll tell the rest of that story at our next campfire together, but let me tell you how we can fill that hole and become whole. When we turn from our sin and trust in Jesus, Eph 4 says, "Christ comes to dwell in our hearts by faith." Forgiven and assured of life eternal, He helps us worship and serve Him forever, just as we were created to. YUM.

[distribute doughnuts and ask children if they think they know what sweet treat I'll bring next time]

Every age has a counter message that seeks to shroud, confuse or combat, the true Gospel. Our age is no different.

When in the city recently I came across a large mural on the glass of a leading Canadian bank. It read, “There’s no better feeling than being accepted for who you are.” Such a slogan is riddled with faults.

Firstly, expressive individualism rooted in subjective feelings (and not objective truth) is not a sure guide.

Secondly, total-acceptance (or the intolerance of ‘tolerance’) is as ridiculous. Sure, we respect people as being created in the image of God on the one hand, but we embrace others, not based upon who they put themselves forward as, but whether they, in truth and goodness, are nice and useful people.

Thirdly, the message is clearly ideological (cultural-marxism or woke), where if someone doesn’t agree with you on your terms, then they must be a bad oppressor and must be shamed and re-educated.

Beyond mere virtue signalling, much of our society seems to have bought into the anti-Gospel, lock, stock and barrel. No longer is it about LGBT, it has become the flag, or mantra of our day. It is the anti-Gospel. Embrace your sin, relish in it and demand others do too.

The true Gospel proclaims that we are sinners. That we are accepted by God only when we’ve been accepted by Christ through repentance and faith. That joy only begins when we receive grace and the Holy Spirit works to renew us into the people God wants us to be.
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I wouldn’t want to be accepted for who I am—what a hideous thought! Rather, my sole hope is being accepted before God by virtue of who Christ is—and has applied to me—through the imputed righteousness and imparted Sanctifier. It is only when I become a new creation and am transformed and await my glorification as a saved sinner that there can ever be a true feeling of joy, even jubilee.

​Christian, even yet-to-be-Christian, do not be fooled by the anti-Gospel of our age. It doesn’t satisfy or save. 

What is a credible conversion? What ought we to expect of ourself or another who is converted so we might know who is saved and with whom we can have Christian fellowship.

While today ‘conversion’ has very negative connotations, biblically it is very positive. Conversion means to be transformed from one state (a sinner) into another (a saint). A key biblical word for this is metamorphosis (a glorious change), like that of an ugly worm into a beautiful butterfly. It is what happens to the believer who responds to the Good News of Jesus in repentance and faith (Acts 20:21). Like Faith and Following, repentance and faith are really flip sides of what we call conversion; they represent a change, a turning.

Repentance means a change of mind, a sorrow over one’s sin and so a turning from it toward one’s only hope—the provision of forgiveness and new life in the Gospel.

Faith (explored more in Saving Faith) means more than mere mental assent or belief (c.f. James 2:19), but an active trust, a crying out to Jesus for mercy, believing His promised offer of salvation to be true. It is personal trust in the Saviour.

While the path to conversion may be very long (Engel’s Scale of Evangelism) and can even be parsed (Order of Salvation), conversion is always a moment (you can’t be 75% saved). The normative momentary nature is seen in across Scripture (e.g. Paul, Lydia, the Philippian Jailer). It is like the flipping of a coin; the sudden onset of a new season. However, sometimes conversion is more like a slow turning of a coin where someone grows in their realization of their sin and then imperceptibly in their faith in Jesus (e.g. the disciples. This can be true of children in Christian homes or an adult who has sat under the Gospel for some time). While it appears like a season of conversion, at some point there is a hidden moment when our heart believes.

Whether in a moment or a season repentance and faith must be passed through, either consciously or evidently, for conversion to be credible. Do you have a clear understanding of the Gospel and a trust in it. Are you aware of your sinfulness, your need of and faith in a Saviour, and the assurance of salvation (Ro 8:13). (Have you been convicted, convinced and comforted?). Do you have a new softness of heart, a new love for God, regard for others, general humility, a desire to do God’s will. These were not present before but now by the regenerating and indwelling of the Spirit you are a ‘new creation’ (2 Cor 5:16). They are changed, permanently.
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Thus, repentance and faith are not just for conversion but the Christian life; they are traits of a truly changed person, “As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.” (Col 2:6).

There are a lot of words and ideas in the Bible that are taken for granted. One such word in Christianese is ‘the Gospel.’ What is the Gospel (or Good News)? Before we get the Gospel out we must first get the Gospel right.
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As Paul warned the Galatians of “a different gospel” we must first note that there are false gospels (Gal 1:6). Often there is enough truth in these to make them believable. Some common examples include:

As the RCMP used to train officers to identify fraudulent bills by memorizing the facets of a real bill, so too we must know the true Gospel because there are endless counterfeits. In this way we will always be able to identify other gospels. Our energy should be devoted to knowing the one true Gospel.
So what then is the Gospel?
Gospel (original god spell, or good news in old English) comes from the Greek word euaggelion (εὐαγγέλιον). It is a proclamation, a message.

In the Greco-Roman word the gospel was a proclamation of good news when a new King/Emperor was crowned, a son born to such a man, or a decisive victory won in battle. In the Jewish world the Gospel was God’s intervention to save His people, particularly in His promised Kingdom. Of course, in both cases, it was only good news depending on what you did with the message (c.f. 1 Cor 1:18; 2 Cor 2:15–17).

Jesus is God’s King (“the Christ”) who broke into history to bring salvation for His people.  Through His life, death and resurrection He won a spiritual victory over sin and death and hell and Satan. Charles Hodge said, “The gospel is so simple that small children can understand it, and it is so profound that studies by the wisest theologians will never exhaust its riches.”

Paul defined the Gospel this way:

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, (1 Cor 15:3–4).

Mark spoke of the Gospel call that is closely associated with the Gospel (for every message must be responded to, positively or negatively): “repent and believe in the gospel” (Mk 1:15b).

When we turn and trust in who Jesus is and what He has done, all the benefits the King won (forgiveness [Cross] and life [Resurrection]) are credited to us through faith; our relationship with God is restored and we enter into the New Covenant with Him.
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The Gospel is a message with a corresponding call to respond. The Church is called to publish these glad tidings universally and without discrimination. We need to get the Gospel right and then get the Gospel out.

In the wider Christian world you will find varied views on Creation ranging from an historic six day creation to theistic evolution and everything in between. Certainly God as creator, creation ex nilo (out of nothing), the existence of Adam and Eve, a Fall, etc, are all primary views. “I believe in God the Father, maker of heaven and earth” the Apostles Creed says. However, is the how as important? How did God create the world? This—in my view, strictly speaking—is a secondary matter; yet nevertheless so indispensable to the Gospel that it borders on being a primary matter and hence worthy of our attention.
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The absence of an historic six-day creation has at least 5 implications for the Gospel:

1. Is it reliable? 
Many treat Gen 1–11 as if it were pre-history, somehow in a different category to the rest of Genesis and in this way able to reckon Genesis with science. (Even though literarily those chapters are written in the same Hebrew narrative style; it’s all meant to be viewed as history).

When Jesus spoke about creation in relation to His teaching on divorce He (the Creator) cited it as if the narrative were true, “He answered, ‘Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female…” (Mt 19:4). If we want people to believe the rest of the Bible, including the Gospel, we must remain committed to the trustworthiness of its foundation.

2. The basis of the Gospel’s backbone (a biblical worldview).
Every story stands or falls upon the story that came before it. Genesis answers questions of origins and lays the foundation for biblical doctrines. If you remove the story’s foundation you jeopardize the story itself.

For example the 9 Cs have often been used to simplify the overarching story of the Bible:

Creation/Corruption/Curse/Catastrophe/Confusion/Covenant/Christ/Cross/Consummation

However if Gen 1–11 (even 12) are not real events in some meaningful way then this is all you are left with:

                                                                                                                   Christ/Cross/Consummation

The Gospel story then stands on shaking ground.

3. The impact on other fundamental beliefs.
The Creation account, as we’re seeing more and more in our culture, matters for other fundamental Christian beliefs, most notably gender and sexuality. Both Jesus and Paul root their theology of gender and sexuality in Genesis. Churches most impacted by cultural views on these subjects also tend to have the most fluidity when it comes to their views of Genesis.

4. The origin of death.
This is crucial. The Bible clearly says in multiple places that death came as a result of sin (e.g. Ro 6:23a). That can only be true if the narrative in Genesis is true. The moment you allow for an old earth you admit death before the Fall. The whole Gospel revolves around Jesus being the solution to death that resulted from the Fall that didn’t exist beforehand.

5. The first and second Adam. 
There are other theories as to how Adam was really the first man, however, how is Paul to be taken at His word that Adam was the father of all peoples (Acts 17:26) if in fact he wasn’t. Add to this Christ as the second Adam (1 Cor 15:45, c.f. v. 21–22) who through faith becomes our federal head so we no longer suffer from the effects of the first Adam.
***
So questions of Creation are not simply a peripheral issue to be avoided because in our culture it happens to be controversial; with gentleness and respect we must insist upon its great Gospel significance.

We can over and under shoot in sports, hunting and when driving. All of these can be detrimental. What is more detrimental is when we over or undershoot in the presentation of the Gospel. What I mean is when we diminish the Gospel by limiting it or when we embellish it and so enlarge it; when we bring the question of the extent of the atonement into its proclamation. The Gospel is neither "Christ died for you," nor "Christ may have died for you." The Gospel is the Gospel, it does not depend upon the extent of the atonement.

When this over/under happens, I confess, my neck twitches because of the biblical and theological imprecision involved, not to mention the unnecessary insensitivity it shows to Christians of differing beliefs (General and Particular)- can't we simply agree in the Gospel? 

Before we get the Gospel out, we must first get it right. Gospel agreement is foundational to salvation and Christian fellowship. 

Limiting It

I have met and heard (both historically and present day) of those who only preach the Gospel to God’s elect, or refrain from offering the Gospel or calling sinner’s to repent for fear of preaching to the unelect. (Yet we show we are among the elect by believing the Gospel!).

This paralyzes hearers from believing the Gospel because they are left wondering… It also reduces faith to a mere passive acceptance or realization that you are among the elect.

Though the Bible speaks about election, NO WHERE does it tie it to the Gospel's proclamation.

Enlarging It

I have met and heard (both historically and present day) of those who preach the Gospel and insist, even base it solely or rest it heavily upon, the claim that Christ died for everyone (in a specific sense) or that Christ died for you (in a specific sense), and that all you need to do to be saved is to realize this. (Certainly there is universal value in Christ’s death and the Gospel is to be published to everyone).

This often immunizes hearers from truly believing the Gospel because they think they’re ok because of Christ’s death or have an interest in Christ or passively "accept" Him vs actively trusting in the Gospel or think that belief is the same as mental assent (e.g. if you believe Christ died for you, you will be saved). 

Though the Bible speaks about the extent of the atonement, NO WHERE does it specifically tie it to the Gospel's proclamation. 
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What then is the Gospel? 

Gospel (original god spell, or good news in old English) comes from the Greek word euaggelion. In the ancient world this was the announcement of a king’s victory. It was good news! Jesus is that King who through his life, death and resurrection won a spiritual victory over sin and death and hell. Trusting in His Gospel brings to the believer all of the benefits the King won.

Its proclamation doesn't depend on the extent of the atonement and may be described as: 

*To self-realize is to become who you want to become through mental envisionment.
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I recently came across two ‘interesting’ presentations of the Gospel from reputable evangelical ministries. (Sadly they are all too common as a bit of research revealed and common knowledge attests). They may be said to be a presentation of the ‘self-realized Gospel.’ They go something like this:

Example #1

[after a list of questions, including “Do you believe that Jesus is your lamb?”]

“Did you give the right answers to these questions? Do you believe your answers to be true? If so, then the Bible says Jesus has paid the punishment for your sin. He is your Saviour. You will never have to be afraid of the Second Death or the Lake of Fire…”

[then it adds there is “one more important thing to say” and provides what it calls a thank you prayer or a type of sinner’s pray]

Example #2
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Simpler versions of this would include ‘Jesus died for you, you just need to believe that to be saved’ or ‘God is love, you just need to accept His love to be saved,’ etc.

I have no doubt many who put forward these sorts of messages are well-intentioned. There is certainly much orthodox truth in what they say. There is belief that we must assent to in order to have something to believe in and be saved. (our sinfulness, Jesus' death and resurrection as historic, etc). The shortcoming is ‘what must I do to be saved?’ It is not to passively give mental assent to something. It is not to rely on your own work of mental understanding. It is not passive believe or presumptuous interest but saving faith.

This message is put forward and then we wonder why people don’t change or fall away—they’ve never believed! This message may have become popularized because of self-realization in broader culture (eastern religions), New Thought/Word of Faith, making the Gospel more palatable to a non-Christian public and doctrinal illiteracy. Whatever the reason, it sadly isn’t the full Gospel.

We know this is not the Gospel by knowing the Gospel itself and also by knowing heresy.

The Gospel in the Opening of Acts
“Anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts 2:21)

“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)

Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord…” (Acts 3:19–20a)

See What is the Gospel?

Heresy
The self-realized Gospel may be considered as a form of Socinianism. Apart from holding some very unorthodox views, Socinius (1539–1604) taught that one is saved merely through mental assent to certain doctrines. While the self-actualized Gospel is often very orthodox it shares this ‘assenting’ in common. But even the demons believe, James tells us, but they are not saved!

Socinianism in this broad sense is alive and well, embraced by many (like one I spoke to yesterday, last week, people who sit in the pews, the wider nominal Christian public).

In conclusion, a self-realized Gospel relies on self and mental assent. The Gospel comes with empty hands and relies completely on Jesus. It is a declaration that calls sinners to actively repent and believe. 

Let us help each other get the Gospel right and also to get it out in order that many may be saved.

(We recently heard of Paul's biography and testimony in Philippians 1 and were also encouraged by a visiting evangelist to use our testimony as a means of sharing the Gospel with others. This is my testimony. What is yours?). ​

I was born and raised in a nominal Christian family. Such nominalism, however, did not prevent the Holy Spirit preparing my heart and from hearing and responding to the Gospel. From as young as I remember I cannot recall not knowing that God existed (c.f. Ps 22:10b). Likewise, I knew that we should do what was right in His eyes. For example, around 5 years of age, my parents stopped going to church one summer. I knew this was morally wrong and so we began going to church again in the fall because I insisted. Going to church and Sunday School established many of the basics of the Faith in my life. I even stopped going to Sunday School at a very young age so that I could stay up and listen to the sermon. But belief in God, worship and good morals is not the same as believing in the Gospel; that’s a lesson that a paper clip taught me. Yes, a paperclip! One day I accompanied my father to Sketchley’s Dry Cleaners to pick up his uniform. At the counter there was small container of paper clips. When no one was looking I stole one. I broke the 9th commandment. As we walked back to the truck I felt so miserable for what I had done that I tossed that paper clip into the grass along the sidewalk. Yet, my conscience continued to convict me that I had not only sinned but was a sinner. Then Pastor Fehr, who was converted wonderfully during WWII, invited anyone from the church who might be interested in Baptism to attend a series of classes on what it meant to become a Christian and how Baptism was the ordinance to express this. You didn’t have to be a Christian to attend but could attend to explore these matters. Very simply in those classes Pastor Fehr shared from the Bible of how Jesus was sent to die for sinners and that if we repent and trust in Him Jesus would forgive our sins and grant us new life. That was enough, I did not need much convincing. I believed. Upon profession of faith I was baptized at an evening service on the Lord’s Day, December 11, 1994. I was 9 years old. Since that time God’s persevering grace kept me from straying too far from following Jesus, even during my teenage years. I wasn’t perfect but was spared many youthful sins. I continued to grow in the Faith, in a knowledge of the Scriptures, in a reliance on the Holy Spirit, all while humbly proclaiming, “I am a great sinner, but Christ is a great Saviour.”
 
My testimony is that simple and all of this took place when I was very young. Many Christians consider it a great privilege to be led to Christ through some type of “Damascus road experience” after having blatantly pursued a life of sin. Certainly there is great grace in these conversions, but God’s grace also works in other ways, including my experience. In the parable about of the vineyard workers from Matthew 20 these ‘Damascus road’ conversions would be those perhaps hired at 5 o’clock in the afternoon. Responding to God’s providential care and grace at a young age you might say that I was a worker called “early in the morning.” Though the attitude of the early workers is portrayed negatively, in practicality it is a blessing to be called early and it is a privilege to know Jesus from a young age and have longer to get to know Him. I count it as God’s wonderful grace that I was positioned in a place where I could respond to the Gospel early to know and follow Jesus.