Gospel

THE GOSPEL (Part One)

by Tolubori Ayo-Alabi
07/08/20
Not For Sale
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Peradventure you have no idea what the gospel of Christ is, or you probably heard the wrong gospel preached to you, this article is for you. Wrong gospel I say, not because the gospel is wrong or can ever be, but because some have twisted the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ due to gain and lack of knowledge, and have ushered many into what I call “pseudo salvation”, thereby hindering them from enjoying God’s gift of salvation, and other privileges found in Christ.

Some of these preachers have the notion that if you don’t leave your sins, Jesus won’t accept you, while others of their group preach on any matter or subject and then link it to altar calls. Some even go as far as meeting unbelievers for the first time and tell them “You need Jesus in your life if you want to be rich, and have all the good things of life!” To them, this is preaching the gospel.

You see, when sharing the gospel with people for the first time, the motive for telling them to receive Christ should be based on the good news of what Jesus did for them in His death and triumphant resurrection. Not on gains and self-seeking!

Understand me, I haven’t said prosperity, longevity of life, perfect health, etc. are not God’s will for you, they are! But the gospel isn’t these things, the gospel is Christ and Him crucified, and resurrected!

Sin brought death into the world. Sicknesses, diseases, lack, etc. are all manifestations of death, due to sin. However, Jesus Christ came to destroy the works of the devil! He did this by destroying the body of Sin, and ultimately its manifestations.

Hence, the message is not first about consequences, but the reality that the problem of man, which made him to be so far away from God – (sin), has been rooted out by Christ Jesus, through the destruction of the body of Sin on the Cross. And that now, there is forgiveness of sins and justification of life for those who believe in Him, because not only did He die, He also rose from the dead, and reconciled man back to God, thereby making peace with the two. Now, whoever believes in Him has peace with God and everlasting life, both in the now, and the hereafter. This is the gospel!

“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” Rom. 5:12

The gospel of Christ is the message of redemption and reconciliation. This is the message we are called out to preach! This gospel is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes, and it is this gospel that will reach the ends of the earth for the discipleship of nations in preparation for the coming of our Lord, Saviour and King, Jesus!

I’ve ministered to people who spent 10, 20 years of their lives in Church but were never born again until they heard this true gospel preached to them. Also, I have seen believers who could not effectively communicate the gospel of Christ for genuine salvation, until they were rightly taught.

You see, Apostle Paul’s command to Timothy to do the work of an evangelist was not because he was occupying the office of an Evangelist by calling, no. The truth is the ministry of reconciliation is given to all who believe. We are all called to save the lost; this is our primary assignment in Christ, and it is the least we can do to appreciate and express His love towards the saved and the unsaved.

Bible Verses
Rom. 5:17-18
“For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.”

Rom. 1:16
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”

2Tim. 4:5
“But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry.”

2Cor. 5:18-20
“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.”

Rom. 10:8-10
“But what does it say? ”The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”