The word “gospel” means “good news.” It comes from the Old English word, godspel which consisted of two words: god which meant “good” and spell which meant “tale.”[1] In modern days we use the word—gospel—to summarize the saving work of Jesus Christ. One Bible dictionary I have in my office defines gospel this way “The gospel is the joyous proclamation of God’s redemptive activity in Jesus Christ on behalf of humans enslaved in sin.”[2]
Everyone loves to hear good news, but the believers in Judah during the time of Habakkuk have been told bad news. God tells Habakkuk that God will send the Babylonians to punish Judah for their evil and wickedness. But when we read God’s message to Judah we need to be careful as we shift that message to us.
We learned from Habakkuk 1:5 that God is sovereign in how he deals with all people. God surprises the people of Judah and in the process reminds them about God’s sovereignty. Scripture makes it clear that God is sovereign in how he deals with all people. He knows what is going on. He understands the world in which we live. And he is working things out according to his plan.
We learned from Habakkuk 1:6–10 that God is just in how he deals with Israel in a specific way. God had a unique relationship with Israel. He made a promise with Abraham marking out one family and one nation (Gen 11:10—Exod 18:27).[3] God also gave the Mosaic Law which was 613 laws for a life of obedience following God (Exod 19:1—Acts 1:26).[4] I say all of this because we—as Americans—shouldn’t insert ourselves into these prophecies in Habakkuk because God hasn’t made a promise with America like he did Israel.
We learned from Habakkuk 1:11 that God is gracious in how he deals with us in a different way. In the book of Acts the gospel is directed toward the Jews (Acts 1—10) and then to the gentiles (Acts 11—28). It’s clear in the book of Acts that God is no longer using one nation—Israel—to display his glory. Now all people have access to God through one man: Jesus Christ (Acts 13:31–41).
We live in the time of grace. We interact with God because of the grace offered to us. We are not interacting with God based on the law that was given to Israel. We don’t have the same obligations as Israel under the law because we are gentiles living in the age of grace.
Christ coming to the earth displayed God’s grace of salvation. Under grace the responsibility of man is to accept the gift of righteousness offered freely through Jesus Christ to all people. That is what we call the good news of the gospel.
But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus (Rom 3:21–24)[5]
There are two important elements of the time of grace. One is that we get blessed through grace. Another is that grace is offered to all. God no longer is dealing with one people—Israel—now he is interacting with all mankind (as seen from Acts 2:1 through Revelation 19:21).[6]
That’s the news that is good news. God loved the world so much that he gave his Son, through the nation of Israel, to offer salvation to all the world. And faith in his Son gives eternal life. That’s news that is good.
[1] Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed (Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003), 540.
[2] R.H. Mounce, “Gospel” (pp. 512-515), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd edition, edited by Walter A. Elwell, Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2001), 513.
[3] Charles Ryrie, Dispensationalism (Chicago, IL: Moody, 2007), 61-63.
[4] Ibid., 63-64.
[5] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.
[6] Ryrie, Dispensationalism, 64.