Five Finger Gospel

Someone shared this with me from a missions trip they were on and I thought I would share it here. It is using your fingers to share the gospel. 

Start with pinky and middle finger up. Which one is bigger? The middle one. God is big. He is large and in charge (hands up in field goal position and then in muscle position). He is the creator of everyone and everything. He is just and righteous and holy and loving and good and much more.

The pinky finger reminds us of us. We are small. We resemble God in that we are created in His image. God created everything good including man, but
(Raise finger in between the pinky and middle) sin came between us. Rom 3:10, 23 there are none righteous no not one, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. As the New England Primer said “in Adam’s fall we sinned all”. Adam was our representative and he failed. We are all guilty before God. The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23).

God had a plan and sent His Son (raise index finger) to accomplish that plan. But God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us (Rom 5:8). He died in our place, satisfying God’s just wrath against sin. He died for the ungodly (Rom 4:5; 5:6). The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 6:23). We have a better Adam, a better representative. Rom 5:18 – therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. Jesus not only forgives us for our sin, but provides for us in His life of perfect obedience, fulfilling the law, the righteousness we need to stand before a just God. Jesus did everything we need. Paul tells us that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Rom 10:9). If you come to Christ in faith you can be good with God (give thumbs up). That is our greatest need, to be right with God. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Rom 10:13).

The gospel really is good news. It is not good news for those who think they are righteous. It is good news for sinners. Lawbreakers. The unrighteous. To be righteous is to be a law keeper. When we receive Christ we are clothed with His righteousness, so when the Father looks at us, He sees us as He sees His Son with whom He is well-pleased. This is good news for sinners and it is good news for those who already believe as well. The better we understand the grace of God the more we are motivated from gratitude to live in a way that is pleasing to Him.

Let me put it this way. You have heard of the great exchange? Our sin goes to Christ and He deals with it on the cross and His righteousness is given to us. Forgiveness gets us back to zero. God doesn’t require a zero. He requires perfect righteousness. It is a righteousness He gives to us. He provides the righteousness He requires in His Son.  (2 Cor 5:21). It is a verdict from a judge that can never be changed. God doesn’t say "man he sure sins more than I thought" or "she sure sins big, I might have to change my mind or take back my verdict". No, God is not fickle. He is the righteous Judge and what He declares goes. We can live the Christian life with confidence, not in fear, not presuming on grace, but motivated by His grace to live holy lives as His good law directs us.