Sunday, March 1, 2009
The Gospel in a Nut Shell
(I Corinthians 15:1-9)
Sincere Christians sometimes worry about sharing their faith with unbelievers. Some Christians feel inadequate in their Bible knowledge or self-conscious about their lack of theological training. They fear “making a mistake,” and thereby damning an unbeliever to Hell forever.
Such fears, though sincere, are unfounded. The Bible teaches that unbelievers are “condemned already” (John 3:18). A condemned man can not become more condemned by anything you do or say. Of course we should not add unnecessary reproach to our witnessing by engaging in foolish antics and questionable practices. But the truth still remains: Unbelievers are condemned already—they can not become condemned more because of our inadvertent mistakes.
In addition, the Gospel is, by divine design, simple. Many fundamentalist believers are familiar with the little tract God’s Simple Plan of Salvation. It was that little tract that first introduced this preacher to the saving Gospel of Christ. I read it as 12 year old boy—and I understood it because it was simple.
Simply stated, the Gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (I Cor. 15:3, 4). Christ died for our sin, was buried and rose again. That’s the good news—the Gospel. And ever since that time all who believe—trust, rely upon—that Gospel are saved. It’s as simple as that!
Showing posts with label salvation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label salvation. Show all posts
Sunday, March 1, 2009
The Glory of the Gospel - 7
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Judged by the Gospel
(Romans 2:1-16)
The simplicity of the Gospel is a stumbling block to many. Religious people especially find that grace as a “free gift” runs counterintuitive to their pride and notions of self worth. “Surely,” they surmise, “God must see my good works. Surely He will see that I’ve been sincere. Surely my good outweighs my bad, granting me a place in Heaven?”
Biblically speaking, such hopes are a sad delusion. Paul states the standard by which all men will be judged in relationship to eternity: “God shall judge the secrets of man by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” You see, we will all be judged by the ultimate standard, Jesus Christ.
Think about it for a moment: Your life will be compared with that of the sinless Jesus. The sobering reality is that your life, and mine, will fall far short. That’s where the Gospel comes in. Only the Gospel can intervene for us when the comparison is made. In fact, if you’ve received Christ as Savior, you’ve already made that comparison. You saw yourself as a sinner, hopelessly lost. You believed that Jesus Christ bore the punishment you justly deserved. You are trusting Christ, and Christ alone, for salvation.
How will we be judged? Ultimately, every man will be judged on his response to the Gospel. Those who reject God’s gift of eternal life will go to Hell—not because they’re worse than someone else—but because they did not believe the Gospel, allowing it to intervene on Judgment Day. The issue, then, is not your lifestyle, good works, or faithful financial contribution to the church. The issue is, and always has been, the Gospel—the one true standard when you stand before God.
Judged by the Gospel
(Romans 2:1-16)
The simplicity of the Gospel is a stumbling block to many. Religious people especially find that grace as a “free gift” runs counterintuitive to their pride and notions of self worth. “Surely,” they surmise, “God must see my good works. Surely He will see that I’ve been sincere. Surely my good outweighs my bad, granting me a place in Heaven?”
Biblically speaking, such hopes are a sad delusion. Paul states the standard by which all men will be judged in relationship to eternity: “God shall judge the secrets of man by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” You see, we will all be judged by the ultimate standard, Jesus Christ.
Think about it for a moment: Your life will be compared with that of the sinless Jesus. The sobering reality is that your life, and mine, will fall far short. That’s where the Gospel comes in. Only the Gospel can intervene for us when the comparison is made. In fact, if you’ve received Christ as Savior, you’ve already made that comparison. You saw yourself as a sinner, hopelessly lost. You believed that Jesus Christ bore the punishment you justly deserved. You are trusting Christ, and Christ alone, for salvation.
How will we be judged? Ultimately, every man will be judged on his response to the Gospel. Those who reject God’s gift of eternal life will go to Hell—not because they’re worse than someone else—but because they did not believe the Gospel, allowing it to intervene on Judgment Day. The issue, then, is not your lifestyle, good works, or faithful financial contribution to the church. The issue is, and always has been, the Gospel—the one true standard when you stand before God.
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