For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Rom 1:16)
Even though this is what God says through Paul, there are many Christians who do not really believe this. Therefore they have invented another gospel. However, we need to keep in mind what is revealed in Hebrews 4:12,13: For the Word of God is quick [living], and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. The Word of God obtains life through the Holy Spirit.
Therefore Peter equated the Gospel with the Word of God, and told us that it is what brings about the New Birth: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the Word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached unto you. (1 Pet 1:23-25)
How does the Word of God bring about the New Birth? First of all we need to go to John 3:5, to see that the “water” mentioned by Christ is a metaphor for the Word of God: Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. So the Word of God and the Holy Spirit work together to bring about the New Birth.
And this is exactly why the Lord Jesus Christ gave this command to the apostles, and consequently and subsequently to the Church: And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.(Mark 16:15,16)
This should be an incentive to every Christian, as well as every evangelist, pastor, and teacher to make sure that the full and true Gospel is shared or preached. So what is the full Gospel? While it is summarized in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, it needs to be expanded to explain what is being said: 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 ye 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 rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
We can take this a step at a time to understand the full and true Gospel.
1. “I declare” – the Gospel is a declaration and a proclamation. Just as a herald would make a proclamation on behalf of a king, we are to make a proclamation on behalf of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Without fear or favor. Without any apologies.
2. “Which I preached” – it is the preaching of the Gospel which should be the top priority in every church, regardless of what the rest of the message might be all about.
3. “Which ye have also received” – Every sinner who hears (or reads) the Gospel must receive it as from God and respond to it with the obedience of faith. The Gospel is to be obeyed, because it commands all men to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. If repentance is not preached, then the Gospel has not been properly presented. Repentance is necessary for the remission of sins. And repentance means a total turning away from sins and idols, and turning wholeheartedly to God and Christ for salvation.
4. “By which also ye are saved” – we are saved by believing and obeying the Gospel. But saved from what? (1) firstly eternal Hell. So if the mention of Hell – the Lake of Fire – is avoided by the preacher, he has failed to present the true Gospel, (2) We are also saved from self – the sin nature (the flesh) which dwells within. So if this is not mentioned, then the hearer does not understand that the flesh must be crucified or mortified after salvation.
5. “Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture” – the sufferings of Christ in His body, soul and spirit, the crucifixion of Christ, the forsaking of Christ by the Father, the shedding of His blood, the offering of His soul for sin, must all be presented. How else will the sinner understand the heavy price that was paid for his redemption? And “according to the Scriptures” should take people back to Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 to show what that meant. But the hearers must also here that it is God who became sinless Man in order to die for their sins, and that the full price of redemption was paid at Calvary.
6. “He was buried” – this is not so much about the entombment of Christ as it is about what He did for three days and three nights in Sheol/Hades (in the heart of the earth). Christ went to the spirits in prison (evil angels, the unrighteous dead as well as the righteous dead) and proclaimed His victory over sin, death, Hades, Hell, and Satan. Because He was victorious on the cross, He shouted triumphantly “It is finished!”
7. “He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” – it is the resurrection of Christ by which God the Father has made Him both Lord and Christ. The Bible says that He rose for our justification. In other words, we could not be justified by grace through faith had Christ remained in the tomb. Was this “according to the Scriptures”? Absolutely. In Psalm 16:10 it was said prophetically of Christ 1,000 years before His resurrection: For thou wilt not leave my soul in [Sheol]; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Peter quoted this in Acts 2:27: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in [Hades], neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Thus the true Gospel is full and complete, and all these things must be presented for sinners to receive the Savior as their own Lord and Savior.
Even though this is what God says through Paul, there are many Christians who do not really believe this. Therefore they have invented another gospel. However, we need to keep in mind what is revealed in Hebrews 4:12,13: For the Word of God is quick [living], and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. The Word of God obtains life through the Holy Spirit.
Therefore Peter equated the Gospel with the Word of God, and told us that it is what brings about the New Birth: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the Word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached unto you. (1 Pet 1:23-25)
How does the Word of God bring about the New Birth? First of all we need to go to John 3:5, to see that the “water” mentioned by Christ is a metaphor for the Word of God: Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. So the Word of God and the Holy Spirit work together to bring about the New Birth.
And this is exactly why the Lord Jesus Christ gave this command to the apostles, and consequently and subsequently to the Church: And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.(Mark 16:15,16)
This should be an incentive to every Christian, as well as every evangelist, pastor, and teacher to make sure that the full and true Gospel is shared or preached. So what is the full Gospel? While it is summarized in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, it needs to be expanded to explain what is being said: 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 ye 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 rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
We can take this a step at a time to understand the full and true Gospel.
1. “I declare” – the Gospel is a declaration and a proclamation. Just as a herald would make a proclamation on behalf of a king, we are to make a proclamation on behalf of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Without fear or favor. Without any apologies.
2. “Which I preached” – it is the preaching of the Gospel which should be the top priority in every church, regardless of what the rest of the message might be all about.
3. “Which ye have also received” – Every sinner who hears (or reads) the Gospel must receive it as from God and respond to it with the obedience of faith. The Gospel is to be obeyed, because it commands all men to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. If repentance is not preached, then the Gospel has not been properly presented. Repentance is necessary for the remission of sins. And repentance means a total turning away from sins and idols, and turning wholeheartedly to God and Christ for salvation.
4. “By which also ye are saved” – we are saved by believing and obeying the Gospel. But saved from what? (1) firstly eternal Hell. So if the mention of Hell – the Lake of Fire – is avoided by the preacher, he has failed to present the true Gospel, (2) We are also saved from self – the sin nature (the flesh) which dwells within. So if this is not mentioned, then the hearer does not understand that the flesh must be crucified or mortified after salvation.
5. “Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture” – the sufferings of Christ in His body, soul and spirit, the crucifixion of Christ, the forsaking of Christ by the Father, the shedding of His blood, the offering of His soul for sin, must all be presented. How else will the sinner understand the heavy price that was paid for his redemption? And “according to the Scriptures” should take people back to Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 to show what that meant. But the hearers must also here that it is God who became sinless Man in order to die for their sins, and that the full price of redemption was paid at Calvary.
6. “He was buried” – this is not so much about the entombment of Christ as it is about what He did for three days and three nights in Sheol/Hades (in the heart of the earth). Christ went to the spirits in prison (evil angels, the unrighteous dead as well as the righteous dead) and proclaimed His victory over sin, death, Hades, Hell, and Satan. Because He was victorious on the cross, He shouted triumphantly “It is finished!”
7. “He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” – it is the resurrection of Christ by which God the Father has made Him both Lord and Christ. The Bible says that He rose for our justification. In other words, we could not be justified by grace through faith had Christ remained in the tomb. Was this “according to the Scriptures”? Absolutely. In Psalm 16:10 it was said prophetically of Christ 1,000 years before His resurrection: For thou wilt not leave my soul in [Sheol]; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Peter quoted this in Acts 2:27: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in [Hades], neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Thus the true Gospel is full and complete, and all these things must be presented for sinners to receive the Savior as their own Lord and Savior.
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