I am not at present asking you whether you think it is true to say that Christ died in order to save every single human being, past, present, and future, or not. Do you want a friend? For the persons to whom the benefits of Christ’s death belong are just those who trust His Person and believe, not upon His saving death simply, but upon Him, the living Savior. Only when we have learned this can we see what sin is, and only when we see what sin is can we understand the good news of salvation from sin. The gospel is a message about God. The purpose of Christmas is to share this gift. This being so, one thing becomes clear straight away: namely, that the question about the extent of the atonement, which is being much agitated in some quarters, has no bearing on the content of the evangelistic message at this particular point. Time is limited: Benefit from Bible understanding. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,” said Paul (Act 16:31). It shows us ourselves as God sees us and teaches us to think of ourselves as God thinks of us. This is the most important message that you will ever need to hear. Nothing can be achieved by talking about sin and salvation where this preliminary lesson has not in some measure been learned. We are dedicated to helping you understand the things which constitute the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus is coming back. It concerns the Gospel of your salvation according to the criptures (S 1 Cor 15:3). We Must Find a Better Way to Talk About Race, Over 42.6M abortions conducted in 2020, surpassing world's leading causes of death, Social Justice Vs. However, God’s plan of salvation began shortly after Adam and Eve rebelled against Him, if … Excerpt From Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God  by J. I. Packer. The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ paid the penalty for the sins of the world when he was crucified on the cross. True salvation is freedom from the requirement of keeping any part of the Law to get or maintain salvation. It is a powerful message, because it is God’s good news. B. Warfield (eBook Collection), Christianity, Logic, and Aristotle: God is Required, The Vindication of Wrath - Revelation 16:1-7. Thus, it leads us to self-despair. Still today, the Lord calls us to spread his message. However, medication and therapy are not the ONLY resources that we have. Paul considered himself to have been called to be an apostle to preach the Gospel of God. The question of the designed extent of the atonement does not come into the story at all...The fact is that the New Testament never calls on any man to repent on the ground that Christ died specifically and particularly for him. But this is just the question that has to be raised when we speak about sin. It tells us that the reason why we sin continually is that we are sinners by nature, and that nothing we do or try to do for ourselves can put us right or bring us back into God’s favor. “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me...whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it” (Mat 16:24-25). When this remark is made, however, what is usually being suggested is that doctrinal instruction is dispensable in evangelistic preaching, and that all the evangelist need do is paint a vivid word-picture of the man of Galilee who went about doing good, and then assure his hearers that this Jesus is still alive to help them in their troubles. Really?” John Morris; “A Bad Day,” Wade Stanley. If Not, Why Pray? (Genesis 1-2) In these two chapters God creates all of the universe and everything in it (Genesis 1:1), including the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. Throughout the ages, God has called many messengers to speak to those who are near and to those who are far off. “God...commandeth all men every where to repent,” Paul told the Athenians (Act 17:30). Though sin is committed by man, and many sins are against society, sin cannot be defined in terms of either man or society. You do not find such statements in the sermons of, for instance, George Whitefield or Charles Spurgeon. A Piercing Message. And the gospel is received by faith; salvation is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8–9). So, You Want To Downplay Doctrine? The Gospel describes Jesus’ message as the gospel. Since 1960, The Gospel Message has endeavored to preach the truth of Jesus Christ. What is the GOSPEL Journey message? Repentance begins in the heart and flows from there into action. Faith and repentance are both acts, and acts of the whole man...faith is essentially the casting and resting of oneself and one’s confidence on the promises of mercy which Christ has given to sinners, and on the Christ Who gave those promises. In Christianity, the gospel, or the Good News, is the news of the imminent coming of the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:14-15).. Pray for opportunities to share the Gospel message. It is not conviction of sin just to feel miserable about yourself, your failures, and your inadequacy to meet life’s demands. Nowhere in the New Testament is the call to believe expressed in such terms. A fifth message which I have got from God to you is, that you set your hearts and your house in order, for you must die and not live. He accepted Manasseh even before worship was restored. “And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message…” Colossians 4:3 Pray for boldness and clarity as you share the gospel. What are YOU doing about YOUR eternal salvation? The ‘Sexual Rights’ Movement Is Gaining Power Globally. All who hear the gospel are summoned by God to repent and believe. He knows that people are worriers, back then and even more so today. "Just believe on the name of Jesus, and you'll be saved" is a common message of professing Christian ministers and Sunday morning "gospel programs." God Forgave My Sins. To most people the Holy Bible is … If We Say that We Have No Sin, We Deceive Ourselves, The Difference Between Legal & Gospel Mortification. I feel that we see these same issues in regards to Christianity. It tells us who He is, what His character is, what His standards are, and what He requires of us, His creatures. Nor can you tell on what terms to approach Him now until you know about the resurrection, ascension, and heavenly session—that Jesus has been raised, and enthroned, and made King, and lives to save to the uttermost all who acknowledge His Lordship. Why Reading the Bible From Start to Finish is a Life-Changing New Year’s Resolution, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self And How the Church Can Respond, False History of Creationism Is Full of Beans, God Transcendent And Other Selected Sermons (eBook), Why We Should Pray Like the Puritans (Even if We Don’t Sound Like Them), Hope for a Suffering World: Divine Impassibility, Encouragement for Hard Times from Saints of Old, John B. Calhoun’s Mouse Utopia Experiment and Reflections on the Welfare State, A Christian Case for the Importance of History, What Christians Misunderstand About Discernment, The Development of the Doctrine of Infant Salvation, Heaven: Rejoicing in Future Glory (Series). Catechism: God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. Equally, repentance is more than just sorrow for the past; repentance is a change of mind and heart, a new life of denying self and serving the Savior as King in self’s place…Two further points need to be made also: (i) The demand is for faith as well as repentance. 4. “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev 22:17). For nothing less than this is faith. But as important as that is, it is often given to massive distortions or over simplifications. This was not, as some have supposed, a piece of philosophical apologetic of a kind that Paul afterwards renounced, but the first and basic lesson in theistic faith. TGM is edited by Wade Stanley and published by Doug Twaddell, Evangelists of the Church of Christ. It is sometimes said that it is the presentation of Christ’s Person, rather than of doctrines about Him, that draws sinners to His feet. What has to be said about the cross when preaching the gospel is simply that Christ’s death is the ground on which Christ’s forgiveness is given. Nor would it be saving faith if a man in that condition called on the Lord Jesus Christ just to soothe him, and cheer him up, and make him feel confident again. A fourth message I have from God to you is, that you be prepared to meet Him. INSIDE THE ISSUE: “Overcomers,” John Lee; “Rapture! Are the Poor and Minorities Really Better off under Progressive Policy? The Gospel message is to believe in Christ, and to love others. Who wants to be known for who they were in their worst moments? Everyone has a bad conscience about some things in his past, matters in which he has fallen short of the standard that he set for himself or that was expected of him by others. This hope is from God and directs our expectations towards Him. 1) God created us for his glory. Home Gospel Tracts Holiday Tracts Photos About / Contact The Good News of the Gospel. But the Christ who is depicted and desired merely to make the lot of life’s casualties easier by supplying them with aids and comforts is not the real Christ, but a misrepresented and misconceived Christ—in effect, an imaginary Christ. “Through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins” (Act 10:43). Here’s What to Expect. Are you fed up with yourself? In a word, the evangelistic message is the gospel of Christ and Him crucified, the message of man’s sin and God’s grace, of human guilt and divine forgiveness, of new birth and new life through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Few among the kings of Israel or Judah are described as having such an evil character as Manasseh. A snapshot in time, a moment of weakness, or a careless word can permanently change our view of someone. The gospel is a bold message, and we are not ashamed of proclaiming it. Why Do I Need to Keep Asking for Forgiveness? Today, however, when the average person hears the word “gospel,” he thinks of a more modern definition. It does not, therefore, follow that a man is convicted of sin when he is distressed about his weaknesses and the wrong things he has done. The Gospel preached by Christ and the Apostles, had reference to the Kingdom of God. Our desire is: "That every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!" By promising two returns, the doctrine of “the Rapture” promises people a second chance—another seven years, according to LaHaye, another three and a half years, according to others—but a second chance all the same. All I want to say here is that even if you think the above assertion is true, your presentation of Christ in evangelism ought not to differ from that of the man who thinks it false. Gospel Message. These truths are the foundation of theistic religion; and until they are grasped, the rest of the gospel message will seem neither cogent nor relevant. Jeremiah protested that he was too young. 1. John the Baptizer - The good news of Jesus Christ—the Message!—begins here, following to the letter the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. “Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory” (Isaiah 43:6–7). It is the message of the good news of salvation, the word of truth offered to mankind by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross. It is a universal message, for Jews and Gentiles both. The gospel is the news that Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, died for our sins and rose again, eternally triumphant over all his enemies, so that there is now no condemnation for those who believe, but only everlasting joy. What I mean is this: it is obvious that if a preacher thought that the statement, “Christ died for every one of you,” made to any congregation, would be unverifiable and probably not true, he would take care not to make it in his gospel preaching. It is here with the assertion of man’s complete and constant dependence on his Creator that the Christian story starts. What does Scripture say the gospel is? What we have to grasp, then, is that the bad conscience of the natural man is not at all the same thing as conviction of sin. It is not enough to resolve to turn from sin, give up evil habits, and try to put Christ’s teaching into practice by being religious and doing all possible good to others. Are You Ready For Wolf Attacks? The gospel is a message about God. Repentance and faith are rendered matters of duty by God’s direct command, and hence impenitence and unbelief are singled out in the New Testament as most grievous sins. Do you feel that you have failed? And the beginning from which Paul started in such cases was the doctrine of God’s Creatorship and man’s creaturehood. This very question was asked by a jailer in Philippi almost two thousand years ago (Acts 16:30). It is indeed true that the real Christ, the Christ of the Bible, Who [reveals] Himself to us as a Savior from sin and an Advocate with God, does in fact give peace, and joy, and moral strength, and the privilege of His own friendship to those who trust Him. The gospel message is about the greatest gift of all time—God gave us Jesus Christ, his Son, who brings great joy to everyone who receives him. verses None of us are good enough to get into heaven by our own good works. We do not know enough, we are not eloquent enough. You Can’t Outgrow the Gospel. The gospel is a message about sin. The gospel message is a message of hope – “the hope of the gospel” (Colossians 1:23). Gospel originally meant the Christian message, but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out; in this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words and deeds of Jesus of Nazareth, culminating in his trial and death and concluding with various reports of his post-resurrection appearances. (ii) The demand is for repentance as well as faith...If there is to be repentance, however, there must, again, be a foundation of knowledge...More than once, Christ deliberately called attention to the radical break with the past that repentance involves. The gospel is God’s good news revealed in the Bible. Thank you ΙΧΘΥΣ Α†Ω But such a message could hardly be called the gospel. In our presentation of the gospel, therefore, we need to stress these things, in order to lead sinners to abandon all confidence in themselves and to trust wholly in Christ and the power of His redeeming blood to give them acceptance with God. The gospel is a summons to faith and repentance. But when preaching to Gentiles, who knew nothing of the Old Testament, Paul had to go further back and start from the beginning. No one. Christ's counsel is sorely needed, and what He says can profit every one of us. “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also (i.e., put them all decisively second in his esteem), he cannot be my disciple...whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luk 14:26, 33). One tool that I feel Satan uses to blur the line of truth is the manipulation of the flow of information. in … These words are promises to which God will stand as long as time shall last. Nor am I at present inviting you to make up your mind on this question, if you have not done so already. It will be visible to all, audible to all, and its accompanying judgment will be final for all. Dan Rhodes is pastor of the Christian Community Church, 233 N. Sandhill Blvd. However, God received him back favorably. The gospel has been defined by many people in many ways. He could begin at once to declare Christ to them as the fulfillment of Old Testament hopes. And this is all that has to be said. Nor can you make sense of His life until you know about the atonement—that He lived as man so that He might die as man for men, and that His passion, His judicial murder was really His saving action of bearing away the world’s sins. People think they're preaching the gospel to you when they tell you, 'you can have a purpose to your life', or that 'you can have meaning to your life', or that 'you can have a personal relationship with Jesus.' The repentance that Christ requires of His people consists in a settled refusal to set any limit to the claims that He may make on their lives...He had no interest in gathering vast crowds of professed adherents who would melt away as soon as they found out what following Him actually demanded of them. It is a normal thing for those whom God chooses to feel as though they are not worthy of this calling. Unless we see our shortcomings in the light of the Law and holiness of God, we do not see them as sin at all. There is a pitfall here. Many years ago, during the Dark Ages, they were confronted with a different issue — NEI, or Not Enough Information. With these universal commands, as we indicated above, go universal promises of salvation to all who obey them. "Let Brotherly Love Continue," by Louis Garbi; "Election Year," by Rick Sparks; "Influence," by Tom Allen. And what a perfect opportunity! God loves you and has a plan for you. 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