Paul warned the Christians of his day, For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it! 2 Corinthians 11:4. Frankly, millions of sincere men and women have put up with a false gospel. They have been deceived all right—far too easily deceived. Why? Because too many have failed to obey Gods command to prove all things 1 Thessalonians 5:21, . Jesus Christ said, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel Mark 1:15. Have you believed the same Gospel, which Jesus preached? You need to be sure! There are many, many gospels being preached in the world today! We hear the word, Gospel used so many times. People talk of this and of that as being as true as the Gospel, and I often wonder what they really mean by it. What is the gospel? Knowing the answer to this question is vital if one is to receive salvation and have a life-transforming relationship with Jesus Christ, for belief in the wrong gospel will not save, but condemn Galatians 1:6-9. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 provides a good summary of what the gospel is: Jesus commanded, “Repent you, and believe the gospel” Mark 1.15. But exactly what is it that we—YOU—are supposed to believe? Just what is the true gospel? Do you know? Notice Mark’s account again: “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God.” This is the gospel that Jesus preached. It was in this same context that He said, “Repent you, and believe the gospel.” Which gospel?…of the “kingdom of God.” Mark 1:1 refers to this message, when it states, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” The gospel of Jesus Christ was about the KINGDOM OF GOD—not something else! One must believe that gospel—not a humanly-devised counterfeit or substitute. Strong Warning Not to Pervert It This subject is so important that God inspired the apostle Paul to issue a warning to the Galatians then and to us now: “I marvel that you are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that you have received, let him be accursed” 1:6-9 This is a very blunt statement—and a strong warning to all who will heed! In the Old Testament, Jesus was prophesied to come as a messenger. Notice Malachi 3:1: “Behold, I will send My messenger John the Baptist, and he shall prepare the way before Me Christ: and the Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in.” Christ was the “messenger” of the gospel, not the message itself. And His message is actually the very core—the centerpiece!—of the entire Bible. Is the gospel a message about Jesus Christ, or is it the message He brought? You need to understand the real good news of Jesus Christ! When Jesus Christ came to live on earth as a human, He brought with Him a message called the gospel. What was this message Jesus preached? Lets first look at the message Christ Himself proclaimed while on earth. Mark records for us, in Mark:1:14-15 , what Jesus preached during His ministry: ... Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel. Mark says this gospel is the news of the Kingdom of God, and this is the gospel we are commanded to believe in. As mentioned above, the word gospel literally means good news. Jesus brought as His gospel the good news of the Kingdom of God. Consequently the gospel is not about man, nor how God feels about man. It is all about Jesus, from start to finish. Jesus is the gospel and what message He came with. Let’s look at scripture to unfold the gospel: All are sinners and cannot do anything to save themselves. Romans 3:23 Jesus Christ, Gods Son, is a perfect Saviour for sinners, even the worst. John 6:37-44; Hebrews 7:25 Jesus Christ died for sinners, was buried, and rose again on the third day. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 It is the power of God for salvation to all who believe. Romans 1:16 Salvation comes only through Jesus. Acts 4:12 Salvation is the gift of God by His grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ alone, and not by any works you do. Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7 Salvation comes through the blood of Christ, which makes the sinner righteous before God and brings reconciliation with Him. Romans 3:25, 5:9 Salvation comes at the moment the sinner believes the gospel. Romans 10:9-13; Ephesians 1:13-14 Salvation is granted by God and secured by God. John 10:27-30 Jesus perfectly accomplished and completed all the works necessary to save sinners just like you. John 19:30 Salvation is completely of God and not of man in any way, and it is to the glory of God alone. Romans 8:28-30; Romans 9; Ephesians 1 The Bible says, The way we RECEIVE the gospel is by repentance towards God and faith in the risen Lord Jesus. Repentance is towards God because the person you most offended with your sins is God himself. To repent means “to come to your senses about where you are, change direction and turn back to God.” Christ wants all to be saved. He yearns for more human beings to receive His saving blood and to repent before God, calling on His name so they can be saved. Jesus warned those who are ashamed of Him that He will be ashamed of them when He comes. Can you say with Paul, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes? This is the real gospel. Not a secular gospel of saying education is salvation, or claiming the gospel is an announcement. But it is the whole gospel of Scripture, the gospel Jesus delivered to His disciples, the gospel Paul preached to the Gentiles, the advance good news of the soon-coming Kingdom of God in all its splendor, glory and magnificence, and with its shining hope for all mankind.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Apr 2014 21:44:57 +0000
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