The GOSPEL

Last evening, my pastor began an evangelism training class. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of members who were there and grateful for their interest and enthusiasm for the subject. Of course, having been born again for over forty years and having served as a pastor for over ten of those years, I have encountered a variety of evangelism training courses. Some of them have been very good and quite rewarding. Others, though, have left much to be desired.

Through experience, I have learned evangelism is best learned by just doing it! Find an opportunity (and they are abundant) to present the gospel to a lost individual and do so. Each situation is different, demanding its own unique approach. There are, however, certain facets of evangelism which never change. The principal one of these is the message you share.

In our opening session, the pastor asked the key question: "What is the Gospel?" No one can properly share the gospel if they don't know what it is! The class discussion was very interesting. It was clear those present have a good grasp of the key facts which comprise the gospel.  Now, how to present them is sometimes the challenge.

Having taught Old and New Testament History at the local Baptist university many, many times, presenting the gospel has been, for me, a requirement. Usually, when I ask my students the same question we were asked last evening, the answer I most often receive is "Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John"! While they are correct in one sense, they have missed the true question. Often, their incorrect answer is due to their spiritual condition. They do not KNOW the Lord.

Each student of mine will hear me share the gospel with them more than once. I begin the Old Testament History course with a discussion of the creation and the covenant made by God with Adam (and mankind). Everything is perfect there in the Garden of Eden.

Then, we encounter Genesis chapter 3 and our world is turned upside down! We read of temptation, disobedience, rebellion, sin, guilt, condemnation, and judgment. We learn the very, very BAD NEWS. Each of us is born a sinner before God. Our nature is spiritually corrupt and chooses to sin against the Most High. The punishment for our sin is death, physical and spiritual. And, if we die physically while we are spiritually dead, we suffer the third death: eternal death. For my math-minded students, I codify this equation as:

SD + PD = ED (spiritual death plus physical death equals eternal death)

What a horrible, miserable equation! I am SD at birth. Because of my sin, PD will follow! What hope is there for me to avoid ED? None, at least, not in myself.

I explain to my students that, even in Genesis 3, we see the grace and mercy of our great God. Beginning with verse fifteen of that third chapter through the entire book or Revelation, God reveals to us His Good News, His Gospel. Yes, that's what the word "gospel" means: "good news". And what is that good news?

God the Son, the second person of the eternal triune God, took upon himself flesh, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life in full obedience to His heavenly Father, suffered and died on a cross as a substitutionary, propitiatory sacrifice, an atonement for His people, was buried, resurrected, ascended, and is coming again! And, if we, sinners by nature and by deed, will turn from our sins and put our trust (believe) in the Lord Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven. We experience a spiritual birth and the "SD" in our equation is replaced by "SL" giving us a new equation.

SL = EL

Physical death is no longer part of our equation. Oh, we might die physically, but, if we already possess spiritual life, we also possess eternal life! Praise God, this is GOOD NEWS! This is the Gospel!

Yes, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are the Gospels. They received that classification because they tell the story of the One who made THE GOSPEL (the message) a reality: Jesus Christ.

So, what is the Gospel? Personally, I like the way Paul describes it in 1 Corinthians 15.

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you THE GOSPEL which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand: By which also ye are SAVED, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS according to the Scriptures; And that HE WAS BURIED, and that HE AROSE AGAIN the third day according to the scriptures: And that HE WAS SEEN ...".

The Gospel is the Good News that Jesus Christ saves sinners!

The Message Needed

I haven't said or written much on Harold Camping's prophecy concerning judgment day beginning today for two reasons.  First, many other very capable, Biblical scholars have spoken on the matter much more clearly than I ever could.  Second, to me the whole affair seemed very trivial (like casting pearls before swine).  Nobody knows when this event will take place, nobody.  Scripture teaches us this fact in various places such as Matthew 24:36.  Therefore, any time anyone produces a "prophecy" or "revelation" concerning such events, there's no reason any Christian who understands his Bible should take it seriously.

Over the coming days there are many possibilities as to the outcome of this false prophecy.  The "prophet" may appear and claim he was "slightly off" on the date and set a new one.  Or, he may claim he misunderstood and the date was right only judgment has begun in the spiritual realm (perhaps those already dead are being judged and the date for those on the earth is just a little further out on the calendar!).  But my prayer, as the pastor of a local Baptist church, is for my folks not to pay heed to such nonsense.  Instead, I exhort my sheep and all born again Christians everywhere:  do not share false revelation with the world, rather, share true revelation, the true and clear message God has chosen to reveal to us, namely, the Gospel!

1.  Because of Adam's sin, everyone is conceived in sin (Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12-14), do sin (Romans 3:9-18, 23), die as a result of sin (Romans 6:23), is under the condemnation and wrath of a just and holy God (Romans 5:18a; John 3:36), and is one heartbeat from eternal punishment in Hell (Matthew 25:46; Matthew 5:29-30; Revelation 20:15). 

2.  But God, rich in love, grace, and mercy, has made a way of escape through the ministry of His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  He was born of a virgin (Luke 1:34-35), lived a sinless life (Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22), gave His life as a substitutionary, atoning, propitiating sacrifice in the place of those given to Him by the Father (1 Peter 2:24; Hebrews 10:12; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:24-26; John 10:14-18), and was raised from the dead as evidence of God's acceptance of His ministry (1 Corinthians 15:1-28).

3.  God, through His church, now calls all sinners to receive this great message, this good news, this Gospel by repenting (turning from) their sins and believing Christ (trusting your eternal soul to Him) (Mark 1:14-15; Acts 16:31; Acts 17:30; Romans 10:9-10,13; Ephesians 2:8-10).

4.  Jesus Christ is the only hope for any and all men.  He is the only way to forgiveness, justification, sanctification, and glorification (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 5:18-21; Romans 8:9-17).  No other figure in history or mythology can provide a means of escaping your condemnation, future judgment, and eternal punishment.  NO ONE.

5.  Those who do turn from sin and trust Christ for their salvation will absolutely escape that great judgment and subsequent eternal punishment.  Instead they will receive an eternal life of peace and joy (Revelation 20:11-15; John 3:16).

This message of good news HAS been revealed by God to us!  Therefore, let us forget "prophecies and revelation" not found in God's Word and let us share true revelation with a lost world which needs THIS word. 

"What is the Gospel?": A Book Review

I received this short volume (127 pages including appendix) as one of the many books freely distributed at this year's "Together for the Gospel" conference and read it during three brief sessions. The book is a very easy read, however, it is filled with solid, Biblical truth.

The author of this brief treatise, Greg Gilbert, serves with Mark Dever at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D. C. He opens his work by noting various answers to the title's question given by several Christians, some of them evangelical. Quickly readers realize this is a more difficult question to answer than we initially thought. The simple truth is many professing followers of Christ do not have a clear grasp of the basics of the Gospel message. Gilbert wisely observes, "an emaciated gospel leads to emaciated worship."

With that, Gilbert is off and running in his effort to answer the question, "What is the Gospel?" Utilizing the Scripture, the author moves from chapter to chapter coving such topics as "God the Righteous Creator", "Man the Sinner", "Jesus Christ the Savior", and "Response--Faith and Repentance". Step by step, he addresses the key elements which comprise the Gospel message. This book is both profound and simple.

If I must find something in these pages to which I may object, perhaps it would be a brief sentence on page 82. Gilbert writes,

"When a person genuinely repents and believes in Christ, the Bible says that he is given new spiritual life."

Unless I am reading that sentence incorrectly, he and I disagree in the ordo salutis (order of salvation). The sentence implies Gilbert believes repentance and faith precede regeneration while I believe Scripture teaches the opposite. On the other hand, perhaps the author intends to say the exercising of repentance and faith indicates the person has been given new spiritual life.

Despite this ambiguity (or disagreement), Greg Gilbert has penned an outstanding theological work which doesn't read like the typical theological work. "What is the Gospel?" is a brilliant yet brief work which I recommend to all Christians who truly desire the answer to the question, "What is the Gospel?"

One of those Heartbreaking Sundays

This past Sunday I preached on the "gospel" based on Colossians 1:5b-8. I sense the Lord's presence very much during my message as I explained what the gospel is and how the Lord uses it in our lives. I don't recall how many times I told the people the need "to repent and believe" and in how many ways I said it. Over and over and over during the message I continued to call people to hear the gospel, repent of their sins, and trust Christ.

In the congregation were more than a few individuals who are listed on our church's prayer list as those needing salvation. Periodically I would find myself looking at them as I called for folks to heed the gospel. Some of them appeared to be sleeping. Others were looking around the auditorium. None of them appeared to be paying any attention to my plea.

Now this was not the first time I have experienced such a response to a message clearly aimed at those apart from Christ. Yes, I call sinners to repent and believe with each and every sermon I preach. But, every now and then, the text leads you directly to a message of salvation and this was clearly one of them. My heart is always broken when I see the word falling on bad ground and being stolen away by "birds" or choked off by "thorns". Oh, if only they could see and hear the message of God. Yet, they sit there, appearing completely unaware of the doom they are courting and the judgment that is awaiting them! Indeed it just breaks my heart.

But it does not surprise me. Clearly their response is to be expected from those who are spiritual dead and depraved as Paul teaches in Romans 3 and Ephesians 2. They will NOT respond on their own just as the Lord said in John 6:44. They are spiritually dead and without hope except for the grace of God.

May God's grace touch their lives and may His Spirit work a work of regeneration in their hearts before it is too late, no matter who might be preaching the Gospel to them.