The acceptance of Jesus’ gospel will result in the immediate improvement of home life. [1] Believers must love gospel more than mother, father, wife, husband, children, or siblings. [2] Those who know the gospel only in the mind, and who have not experienced it in the heart, cannot be depended upon for support when real trouble comes. [3] The gospel of the kingdom belongs to all who believe it; it shall not be committed to the custody of mere priests. [4] Common people hear gladly teh gospel. [5] We should not try to fit Jesus’ new gospel into old forms of religious belief. [6]
The old religion was motivated by fear-consciousness; the new gospel of the kingdom is dominated by truth-conviction, the spirit of eternal and universal truth. [7] Evidence of belief in gospel is the love shown to one another. [8] The gospel sets men free from the burdensome traditions of a formal religion of ceremonies which old teachers are determined to uphold at any cost. [9] He who knowingly denies gospel before men shall be denied by angels of heaven. [10] The gospel was hidden from wise and self-righteous. [11] It is infectious in its transforming power. [12] Jesus dwells in all who believe his gospel. [13] Loyalty to gospel dependent on sound early home training. [14]
The gospel of the kingdom is a living truth. From generation to generation the gospel must show increasing vitality and exhibit greater depth of spiritual power. [15]
Jesus made it clear that his teachings applied to the individual, not the state. All of them realized more fully that the gospel of the kingdom is a message directed to the individual, not to the nation. [16] The good news of the gospel are that that by faith every mortal may have all the essentials of salvation. [17] The gospel of the good news that mortal man may, by faith, become spirit-conscious that he is a son of God, is not dependent on the death of Jesus. [18]
The higher and more spiritual phases of the new gospel of the kingdom are divine sonship, spiritual liberty, and eternal salvation. [24] To pray is natural for the children of light, but fasting is not a part of the gospel of the kingdom of heaven. [25]
The Jesusonian gospel consists of the Fatherhood of God and the sonship and consequent brotherhood of all men, which is personally realized in loving ministry and social service. [26] Gospel is founded on fact of Jesus’ God-revealing life. [27] In preaching the gospel of the kingdom, we are simply teaching friendship with God. [28] There is but one gospel of the kingdom: the good news of the gift of eternal life which men receive by faith. [29]
This is the gospel: “This is the kingdom of heaven—God is your Father and you are his sons, and this good news, if you wholeheartedly believe it, is your eternal salvation”. [30] Jesus’ gospel must reflect, not so much Jesus’ personality, as his teachings. [31]
The acceptance of gospel, Jesus declared, would liberate man from the age-long bondage of animal fear and at the same time enrich human living with the endowments of the new life of spiritual liberty. [32] The gospel of the kingdom is concerned with the love of the Father and the service of his children on earth. [33]
The gospel of the good news that mortal man may, by faith, become spirit-conscious that he is a son of God, is not dependent on the death or resurrection of Jesus. [34] The gospel is a revelation of goodness of God. [35]
Jesus laid great emphasis upon what he called the two truths of first import in the teachings of the kingdom, and they are: the attainment of salvation by faith, and faith alone, associated with the revolutionary teaching of the attainment of human liberty through the sincere recognition of truth. [36]
The gospel should be: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and in finding these, all other things essential to eternal survival shall be secured therewith.”. [37]
The so-called “Sermon on the Mount” is not the gospel of Jesus. It was the Master’s personal commission to those who were to go on preaching the gospel and aspiring to represent him in the world. [38] Jesus’ gospel, as he preached it and lived it in his day, was an effective solvent for man’s spiritual difficulties in that day of its statement. [39] Truth, beauty, goodness, love, and worship becomes meaningful as fellowship with man and sonship with God. [40] Intellectual strivings may reveal the facts of life, but the gospel of the kingdom unfolds the truths of being. [41]
Jesus maintained various groups of gospel messengers: his apostles, his disciples, the seventy evangelists, and David Zebedee's body of messengers.
If Jesus’ gospel been left as he presented it, the only commentary being the inspired interpretation afforded by his earth life, all nations and all religions of the world would speedily have embraced this gospel of the kingdom. [42]
Now that we enjoy today the advantages of the art of printing little understand how difficult it was to perpetuate truth during these earlier times; how easy it was to lose sight of a new doctrine from one generation to another. [43]
As the gospel of this kingdom shall spread over the world with its message of good cheer and good will to all men, there will grow up improved and better relations among the families of all nations. [44]
Melchizedek receivers proclaimed a gospel of resurrection and rehabilitation to Adam and Eve, and they fully believed. [45]
When proclaiming the gospel we should not make the mistake of only condemning the wrongs in the lives of our pupils; also to accord generous recognition for the most praiseworthy things in their lives. [46]
All Urantia is waiting for the proclamation of the ennobling message of Michael, unencumbered by the accumulated doctrines and dogmas of nineteen centuries of contact with the religions of evolutionary origin. The hour is striking for presenting to Buddhism, to Christianity, to Hinduism, even to the peoples of all faiths, not the gospel about Jesus, but the living, spiritual reality of the gospel of Jesus. [47] We must allow apostolic teachers to teach own views of the gospel. [48]
We must always respect personality of man. Overpowering arguments and mental superiority are not to be employed to coerce men and women into the kingdom. [49]
The teachers of the gospel of Jesus should approach other religions with the recognition of the truths which are held in common, many of which come directly or indirectly from Jesus’ message, while they refrain from placing so much emphasis on the differences. [50]
We should not appeal to fear, mind, religious hysteria, emotion, pity, or sentiment. [51]
It is a folly creating artificial situations for the purpose of exhibiting arbitrary authority or of indulging exceptional power for the purpose of enhancing moral values or accelerating spiritual progress. [52] Old ways should not be attacked, and more should not be reformed; rather we should add a new truth. [53] Jesus forbade apostles becoming embroiled in politics. [54]
Jesus never did he resort to ignoble tactics in meeting the false and unfair attacks of his enemies. We must avoid in the same way dishonesty and unfairness in all our efforts to preach truth and proclaim the gospel. [55] We must avoid distracting details, flowery language and the mere poetic imagery of a play upon words. [56] We must not allow diverting devotion from one duty to proclaim gospel. [57] We must avoid false sympathy; self-pity; mere fellowship in misery; withhold pity from cowards and quitters. [58] We must never make the mistake of identifying the gospel with a particular race, a culture, or a political system. [59] We must not indulge in sarcasm or cynicism at the expense of simple-minded brethren. [60] We do not have to use overpowering arguments, appeals, or miracles. [61] Never should a righteous cause be promoted by force; spiritual victories can be won only by spiritual power. [62]
Christians make a big mistake when, in presenting Christ as the supreme ideal of spiritual leadership, they dare to require God-conscious men and women to reject the historic leadership of the God-knowing men who have contributed to their particular national or racial illumination during past ages. [63] We must strive to live peaceably with all men. [64] Never gospel should be subordinated to physical ministry of sick and afflicted. [65] We should not substitute the working of wonders and the healing of the sick for the proclamation of the gospel of eternal truth. [66]
We should not employ the physical forces of earthly governments, whose rulers may become believers, in the work of furthering the mission of the spiritual kingdom. [67]
We are to be gentle in our dealings with erring mortals, patient in our intercourse with ignorant men, and forbearing under provocation; but we are also to be valiant in defense of righteousness, mighty in the promulgation of truth, and aggressive in the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom, even to the ends of the earth. [68] We must be bold and emphatic. [69] We must be more gracious and less stringent in collateral social requirements. [70] Jesus was equally adept in teaching by either asking or answering questions. As a rule, to those he taught the most, he said the least. [71] You cannot reveal God to those who do not seek for him; you cannot lead unwilling souls into the joys of salvation. [72]
The certainty of the God-knowing religionist should not be disturbed by the uncertainty of the doubting materialist; rather should the uncertainty of the unbeliever be mightily challenged by the profound faith and unshakable certainty of the experiential believer. [73]
We must clash with the established leaders only when they threw themselves directly in the way of the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom to the sons of men. [74] There are deferred rewards inherent in service for truth. [75]
It becomes the duty of those who know about the realities of the spirit to reveal these things to those who discern only the manifestations of the material world. [76]
Our teaching of the gospel of the kingdom, no matter how faithfully and efficiently we execute our divine commissions, is going to be attended by varying degrees of success. [77] We must employ analogies, true stories to illustrate one central truth, not fables or allegories. [78] Extent necessity to go to the people reveals lack of righteous life. [79] We must not be afraid of those who can kill the body, but who are not able to destroy the soul;. [80] First preach the gospel, and when you get a man safely into the kingdom, then if he asks, give him the advanced teaching. [81] Freely have we received; therefore freely should we give of the truth of heaven. [82] We must go into all the world, to every man, woman, and child. [83] At Edrei, Jesus gave an instruction of the principles which should guide teachers and believers of the gospel of the kingdom. [84] We have to live our life so as to lead others to inquire about the gospel. [85] When we go out into the world to proclaim the gospel, we must make such provision for our support as seems best. [86]
Morality can never be advanced by law or by force. It is a personal and freewill matter and must be disseminated by the contagion of the contact of morally fragrant persons. [87] We no longer have to worry about orders to refrain from this or be careful about that, but rather we will all attend to a single supreme duty. [88]
The Father does not require of us as the price of entering the kingdom of heaven that we should force ourselves to subscribe to a belief in things which are spiritually repugnant, unholy, and untruthful. [89] Only law to obey is command to preach gospel. [90]
The persistent preaching of the gospel of the kingdom will some day bring to all nations a new and unbelievable liberation, intellectual freedom, and religious liberty. [91]
Those who know God have experienced the fact of his presence; such God-knowing mortals hold in their personal experience the only positive proof of the existence of the living God which one human being can offer to another. [92] We must preach the gospel without fear or favor; we must remember always that God is no respecter of persons. [93] We have to proclaim kingdom not just with words but in our own life. [94] We must proclaim the whole truth of the good news, not just a part of the saving gospel. [95]
The appeal to human feelings is transitory and utterly disappointing; the exclusive appeal to the intellect of man is likewise empty and barren; it is only by making our appeal to the spirit which lives within the human mind that we can hope to achieve lasting success and accomplish those marvelous transformations of human character that are presently shown in the abundant yielding of the genuine fruits of the spirit. The kingdom of heaven, being a spiritual brotherhood of the spirit-born sons of God, may be promulgated only by the power of the spirit. [96]
As Jesus comforted hungry minds and ministered to thirsty souls, the recipients of his mercy did not so much feel that they were confessing to him as that they were conferring with him. [97] One hour of teaching will not wholly change the beliefs of a lifetime, and so it is necessary to reiterate the message. [98] The spirit of religion is eternal, but the form of its expression must be restated every time the dictionary of human language is revised. [99]
In winning souls for the Master, it is not the first mile of compulsion, duty, or convention that will transform man and his world, but rather the second mile of free service and liberty-loving devotion that betokens the Jesusonian reaching forth to grasp his brother in love and sweep him on under spiritual guidance toward the higher and divine goal of mortal existence. Christianity even now willingly goes the first mile. [100] We must show the same diligence in gaining souls that what we employ in gaining for ourselves. [101] Spirit of Truth gives a strong urge to go out and proclaim the gospel of the kingdom. [102] Do not describe our spiritual experiences to convince unbelievers, but for the edification and mutual satisfaction of believers. [103] We must not prohibit foreign preachers from teaching the gospel. We cannot expect all who believe in the gospel to submit to our direction. [104] We must always make a difference in teaching so as to suit our presentation of truth to the minds and hearts before us. [105] Those who give lives to proclaiming gospel shall live by gospel. [106] Proclaiming gospel can bring an uncertain troublous future. [107] We must whet the appetites of our associates for truth and give advice only when it is asked for. [108]
See also: UB 170:4.8-13.