“Go
ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end
of the world” (Matthew 28:19-20).
Introduction
The Gospel message is a treasure that will shine
throughout eternity. It makes those who believe it fit to enter the Kingdom of
Heaven. “And this gospel of the kingdom
shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then
the end shall come” (Matthew 24:14).
The message
Its message is all about our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Saviour of the world, and proclaims that salvation can only be received
through His blood. Jesus says of Himself, “I
am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”
and “I am the door” (John 14:6,
10:7), therefore entrance into the Kingdom is through Him alone. Admittance is
through personal repentance, “Repent,
and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission
of sins” (Acts 2:38). This is the solid foundation of our Christian
witness to the world; anything short of this is a false gospel.
The cost
Man thinks he merits eternal life through his own
sacrifice or other religious activities and good works, but the gospel states
that it is through what Christ has done alone. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:
it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians
2:8-9). J. C. Ryle, the first bishop of Liverpool, once said, “Men are apt to
forget that it does not require great open sins to be sinned in order to ruin a
soul forever. They have only to give hearing without believing, listening
without repenting, going to church without going to Christ, and by and by they
will find themselves in hell.”
This is why we, unlike false religion, do not
sell salvation through indulgences, trinkets, pilgrimages or good works. “Ho,
every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come
ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without
price” (Isaiah 55:1). The gospel is the offer to the lost soul of the free
gift of salvation, without any kind of charge except what it cost Christ to
effect it. “By grace ye are saved” (Ephesians 2:5). We simply call them to
repentance, “Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31), but warn than rejection of
the offer will result in damnation, “He
that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned
already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of
God” (John 3:18).
The builders
Whenever we teach, preach, or share the message
of the gospel, we are involved in the greatest building project Heaven and Earth
have ever known, for through it God is building His Kingdom. This is one of the
reasons we need to make sure that we are ministering the unadulterated word of
God rather than a watered-down, man-pleasing version of it. God will not build
on a crooked foundation. “Except the
LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it” (Psalm 127:1).
Those who are building on that which is not the
truth will not appreciate our labour for the Lord. They will be hostile and try
to undermine what we say and do. “Behold,
I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as
serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up
to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be
brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and
the Gentiles … And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the
father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and
cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's
sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. But when they persecute
you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not
have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. The disciple
is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the
disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have
called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of
his household?” (Matthew 10:16-18, 21-25). Many martyrs have proven that
these words are true.
Conclusion
We live in an age where people, including
Christians, expect instant results for their labour, and become disheartened
when they seem to fail. As Christian witnesses we do not preach to get results,
but instead we do it for the glory of God. We are simply messengers. We leave
the results to God. “So then neither is
he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the
increase” (1 Corinthians 3:7). We have a responsibility to call the lost
to Christ. “And the Spirit and the
bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst
come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely”
(Revelation 22:17).
© 5/1/2008