What’s the most important question facing the world today? Is it finding cures for terrible diseases like AIDS and cancer? Is it preventing future armed conflicts with China and North Korea? Perhaps it’s ending the ancient clashes between the Jewish and Palestinian peoples.
What’s the most important question facing yourself and your family today? Maybe it’s how your going to pay for your daughter’s braces or the skyrocketing cost of college tuition. Perhaps it’s how well you’re able to fund your 401(k) retirement accounts.
Those are all important questions in their own right. However, the greatest question facing the world and all of us probably will surprise you because it may be one that you weren’t even thinking of, or maybe you’ve never given any real thought to it.
The question is this: what is the true Gospel?
I know what you’re thinking: why is this the most important question facing mankind? Well friend, I’ll tell you why. It’s by far the most important question facing mankind because only the true Gospel can save us all from our sins and from spending eternity in Hell.
What does the word gospel mean? Literally, it means “good tidings” or “good news”. There are various types of gospels — ideological, political and religious. Each has its own message and each has its own recognized authority that defines what that message is.
Hitler was the recognized authority behind the 3rd Reich. His gospel was one that promoted Aryan supremacy.
Karl Marx was the recognized authority behind the Communist gospel, which touted the welfare of the state over the welfare of individuals.
In 2004 John Kerry was the recognized authority behind the Democratic political party; consequently, he was the one who defined the Democrat’s message.
Today, George Bush is the current leader of the United States – he defines our nation’s policies.
Similarly, their Divine authorities establish religious gospels.
Muslims believe God has established their message through the Koran, which serves as the written authority determining the Muslim gospel.
Mormons believe that God spoke through the Bible plus the Book of Mormon – that serves as their authority.
Roman Catholics believe God spoke through the Bible plus the Apocrypha, plus the visions of Joan of Arc, plus the visions of Fatima, plus the Pope’s infallible utterances.
Charismatics believe God spoke through the Bible plus divine revelations through dreams, visions and tongues.
As you can see, each of these gospels has a different divine authority:
Koran
Bible + Book of Mormon
Bible + Apocrypha + Joan of Arc + Fatima + Pope
Bible + Dreams + Visions + Tongues
Having different divine authorities means you have different gospel messages. I hope you can see this important point. Latter Day Saints interpret the Bible based upon what they read in the Book of Mormon. Catholics interpret the Bible based upon what they read in the Apocrypha and what they hear from other people such as the Pope. Charismatic denominations interpret the Bible based upon their dreams and visions and what other people speak in strange languages.
With all of these different gospels, how are we to know which one is true? Can they all be true? If they are not all true, whose gospel is the true one that alone can save us? How many Gospels can save us from our sins?
The Bible makes it crystal clear that only the gospel of Jesus Christ can save us from our sins. Here are just some examples of the exclusive claims of the Bible:
Jesus Christ is the only way: John 14:6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
No other name: Acts 4:12Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Only one Saviour: Isa 43:11I, [even] I, [am] the LORD; and beside me [there is] no saviour.
Other ways end in death: Prov 14:12There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.
All others are thieves & robbers: John 10:1Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
That’s fine you say, but Mormons, Roman Catholics and Charismatics all believe in Jesus – so therefore, isn’t it sufficient to simply believe in Christ? Look carefully at Luke 4:33-34:And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and he cried out with a loud voice, Saying, Let [us] alone; what have we to do with Thee, [thou] Jesus of Nazareth? Art Thou come to destroy us? I know Thee who Thou art; the Holy One of God.
From this passage, we see that Satan and his demons believe as well! That tells us that, by itself, following a gospel broadly defined only by a belief in Christ is incomplete. Consequently, we must dig a little deeper to further define the boundaries of the true gospel.
Let’s look at Revelation 22:18-19For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and [from] the things which are written in this book.
What is God saying in these verses? Many people claim that this passage is only referring to the book of Revelation. However, such an argument quickly crumbles when we examine it closely. Consider our own alphabet: a change in the shape of one letter of the alphabet (the last letter, Z) changes the entire alphabet. Or consider ourselves: cutting off one finger alters the entire human body. In the same way, adding or deleting from Genesis or Psalms or Ruth or John or Titus or even Revelation changes the entire Bible. God tells us that adding another message to His Word or deleting out portions we’re uncomfortable with results in us receiving the plagues spoken of in it.
One of the greatest physical plagues throughout Scripture was leprosy, so is God telling us that Muslims, Mormons, Roman Catholics, Charismatics and others are going to be stricken with leprosy? No, the physical plagues mentioned throughout Scripture, as terrible as they were for those on the receiving end, serve as pictures for us of the greatest plague: falling under God’s wrath as a result of our sins and spending an eternity separated from Him in Hell.
That is the horrible consequence of following another gospel that adds to or takes away from God’s Word. If judgment and Hell typify the Bible’s plagues, then what are its “good tidings”? The answer to that is the thread running throughout all of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation: God’s mercy and grace poured out upon His people in the salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ.
This is the ultimate blessing for those who by God’s grace are following the gospel circumscribed by the Bible alone and in its entirety.
Therefore, we can say that the Bible, the whole Bible and nothing but the Bible establishes the true Gospel. God has provided a means of escape for mankind from spending eternity in Hell for our sins through the salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ.
WHAT THINKEST THEE? Let us know.
To God Be The Glory!
Posted by Jeff & Cindy 
