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Summary of Article:*	Christianity has lost it power since we have left off half the gospel.
Body of Article:*	Do you remember the film, “Honey, I Shrunk The Kids,” where the scientist dad accidentally shrinks his children? The children then struggle in a world where everything is bigger then they are. Little things become great obstacles to them as they journey to regain their true selves. I think over the years and centuries we have done the same to the gospel and the Christian. We have taken the gospel and shrunk it and thus shrunk the believer so that the obstacles of life seem insurmountable. Depression, control, immorality all become obstacles that seem overwhelming to the shrunken gospel and miniature Christian. What shrunk in the gospel? Most Christians understand their salvation as simply, “I am saved and going to Heaven. I have been forgiven and I have my ticket for glory. In the mean time, it is a mean time. I must survive the best I can, though Satan is an overwhelming foe whose got my number.” So he struggles, fearing every shadow and turn in life. Depression from low self worth dwarfs the Christian as he struggles to overcome an identity of shame and condemnation that has shrunk him to merely a forgiven sinner. The true gospel not only forgives the sinner but gives him a whole new identity as a new creation who is holy and righteous. He can take on his true stature as a Child of the King, a Royal Priesthood, a Partaker of the Divine nature. Depression itself shrinks in light of the believer’s true identity. A wife struggles with trying to control her husband and her children. Thinking it is her responsibility to help her hubby live the Christian life as a good, Sunday go to church Christian. She tries to control her children using shame, guilt and manipulation to mold them into the perfect children. Her gospel has shrunk to an impotent message of try the best you can and maybe life will turn out ok. However, she can never rest in her efforts to control. Life is full of self effort, conflict within the family and frustration with herself. The full gospel promises to complete the work that God has begun in her husband. It tells her she is incapable of parenting her children apart from Christ empowering her, which is actually what He wants to do if she will surrender her strength and effort and rest in Him. The Christian often falsely believes, “I am only human” as he struggles with immorality. He feels dominated and overcome with inappropriate thoughts, impulses and worldly temptations and obstacles. He believes he is powerless to overcome his sexual drives and fallen nature. He has been minimized to a defeated demoralized individual because his gospel has shrunk to only a ticket to heaven. The reality is he is so much more than “only human”. He is in union with Christ, the God of the universe. His true nature is pure and holy. He has the power of Christ within him. When Christ on the cross said “It is finished”, He meant just that. The gospel is everything we need for life and godliness. It give us full stature as God’s sons and daughters. It gives us a new identity and the power of Christ’s life within us to live an empowered life that can overcome any obstacle life throws at us. Don’t live with a shrunken gospel. It should touch every area of your life. It is the power of God unto salvation, both in daily life now as well as life in the hereafter.
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