If we do not OBEY that Gospel, we are damned for all eternity: “… the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power” [2Thess 1:7-9]
However, even if we know what the Gospel is, we cannot obey the Gospel perfectly in and of ourselves. Wonderfully, Jesus Christ obeyed the Gospel perfectly, on behalf of those He came to save. Those whom Christ saves are then supposed go out into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature – to all those whom God puts in their path as they journey through life. Therefore believers in Christ need to know what this Gospel is so that they can present it to others, as clearly and accurately as possible. Many people who may be genuine Christians often do not have a proper understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They do not fully understand what it is that saves a soul or how it is that God performs His work of salvation in a person. Just like Apollos, they need to be instructed in the way of God more perfectly: “And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.” [Acts 18:24-26]
WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?
The Gospel or Good News of Jesus Christ is God’s plan of salvation and it can be summarized as follows:
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ALL are spiritually lost – all have sinned and are unfit for heaven. (Rom. 3:10-23)
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God is holy and NO SIN can be in His presence. So even one sin qualifies me for eternal separation from God (James 2:10)
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ETERNAL punishment in hell is the penalty for sin. (Luke 12:4-5, Rev. 14:11, Rev. 20:15)
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No works, no human effort of any kind can provide salvation, nor can anyone participate in their salvation (Eph. 2:8-9, Titus 3:5, Isa. 59:1-12, Rom. 10:3)
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Only a Divine substitute who takes the punishment for ALL my sins can eliminate the need for me to go to hell (Isa. 43:11, Isa. 63:5)
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Jesus Christ – and ONLY Christ – is that Divine substitute – the “Lamb of God”. (Isa. 43:11, Luke 2:11, Acts 4:12, Isa. 53, John 1:29, Titus 2:13, 3:6)
“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
God is the One who opens our blind eyes to the truth of who God is and who we are and He does this by regenerating our spiritually dead soul:
John 11:25-26 – “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
God does everything when it comes to a person becoming saved:
Ezekiel 36:25-27 – “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” John 16:7-8 – “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment”
God has chosen to use believers to get this gospel (or “good news”) out, to sow it in men’s hearts:
Mark 4:15 – “And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.”
Once we have preached the Gospel to someone it is up to God to do what He wills with our seed sowing. Nevertheless, we are obligated to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers to water the seed that we sow and to pray to God to have mercy on the souls of men just as Moses interceded for Israel. When it is God’s time to save someone, He will give them new life from above. He will put His Spirit in them.
What Gospel are YOU trusting in?
“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 ye have received, let him be accursed.” [Galatians 1:8-9]
To God Be The Glory!
Posted by Jeff & Cindy 
