The Gospel is simply believe in Jesus or go to Hell!

[Lanolin]

It may be in the order as you say, I will not dispute that.

For me, God gave me to believe first and then I epented. It is that when my heart was broken, I prayed and fasted, praying to "You Are Who You Are,". I fell into a deep sleep and He gave me something to understand.

It was the following day when I was musing over just how evil the world and mankind is, when bang! I realized, "Hey, I am a man, part of that evil, You are It." God's Holy Spirit entered into me and everything turned to light.

He then led me to His Only Begotten Son by His Spirit.

Did you know it is written, that no man comes to the Father but by Jesus Christ. Did you know it is written that no man comes to Jesus Christ unless the Father draws him to Him?? He is so perfect and good, amen.

You just described repentence...knowing you are evil and then believing because the moment you repented you believed and Gods spirit entered you.

Think many people confuse knowing ABOUT God or seeking God with actually KNOWING God.
With me it was repenting then believing I certainly cannot say i believed before I repented.

 

[mailmandan]

You just described repentence...knowing you are evil and then believing because the moment you repented you believed and Gods spirit entered you.

Think many people confuse knowing ABOUT God or seeking God with actually KNOWING God.
With me it was repenting then believing I certainly cannot say i believed before I repented.

Amen! Those who believe the gospel and are saved have already repented in the process of changing their mind and choosing to believe the gospel. We repent before we believe.

Matthew 21:32 - For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

Mark 1:15 - ..repent and believe the gospel.

Acts 20:21 - ..repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

*Notice the order. Repent precedes "believe him/believe the gospel/faith in our Lord Jesus Christ."

In regards to merely knowing ABOUT God vs. actually KNOWING God, in John 17:3, we read - And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent (which is an intimate, experiential knowledge, found only in a relationship). The term "know" implies intimate, experiential knowledge, through a relationship with Him, not merely theoretical knowledge.

 

[JaumeJ]

You just described repentence...knowing you are evil and then believing because the moment you repented you believed and Gods spirit entered you.

Think many people confuse knowing ABOUT God or seeking God with actually KNOWING God.
With me it was repenting then believing I certainly cannot say i believed before I repented.

My understaanding by what you have just posted, is simple, you believed God, so you truned from this world and age to Him…..but this is what I am understanding. No matter, Jesus Christ is Lord, neither of us can prove it by the ways of this age, but it certainly stands out as true to those who believe Praise our Lord, Jesus, amen.

 

[Hevosmies]

i admit thats kind of a "redneck" presentation of the gospel. But hey, i've seen that plant a seed too! God will give the increase. Some of these rednecks out here might need to hear just that! HEY BUDDY, BELIEVE IN JESUS OR YOUS GOING TO HELL!

I've said already how I like to present the gospel. I use the "way of the master" strategy. I believe its BIBLICAL. I tell them the bad news through asking if they are going to heaven ,or if they are a good person, showing they have broken God's commandments (atleast lied or stolen usually) and say you are a lying thief, if God were to judge you based on your works where would you go?

Then I tell the good news that God sent His son to die for our sins on the cross and will be a perfect savior to all who repent and believe the gospel, believe in Jesus and having faith in His blood, FULLY PERSUADED in the faith like Abraham.

in short, thats how I believe is a good way to do it.

 

[Lanolin]

Reverse psychology?

 

[Budman]

Those bemoaning the "turn or burn" approach act as if God owes them something.

If a blind man was walking toward a cliff, one certainly shouldn't complain about someone yelling, "turn around or you're going to fall to your death!"

Hell is much worse than falling off a cliff. The soul is more valuable than physical life.

Fear of God and His judgment/wrath is absolutely valid for conversion.

"It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:31)

"By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil." (Proverbs 16:6)

"The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. " (Proverbs 14:27)

 

[Locoponydirtman]

It's not believe in Jesus or go to hell. You are already headed to hell, the good news is that Jesus made an alternative option for you. You don't have to go there even though you have been heading there all your life.

 

[CherieR]

Read the Bible. It is full of evidence. Do you deny it? The heavens declare the glory of God. Only non-believers deny the evidence. There is also personal empirical experience that counts as evidence. All born again believers should be able to attest to such. We have the Holy Spirit of God indwelling us. What more do you want? Proof? Well, that is something entirely different, isn't it? Proof is for maths and alcohol

Hey Magenta, reading the bible is good but it is not the only evidence for the case for Christianity. There are sources outside the bible that support it. Archaeology is one example. It may give location of cities of antiquity or show other writings from the biblical time period. Science also such as why infants were to be circumcised specifically on the 8th day. These are some examples. The bible is God's word but someone who does not believe the bible is God's word may not be convinced with only hearing the bible.

 

[claysmithr]

10lovecommandments.com

 

[Magenta]

Hey Magenta, reading the bible is good but it is not the only evidence for the case for Christianity. There are sources outside the bible that support it. Archaeology is one example. It may give location of cities of antiquity or show other writings from the biblical time period. Science also such as why infants were to be circumcised specifically on the 8th day. These are some examples. The bible is God's word but someone who does not believe the bible is God's word may not be convinced with only hearing the bible.

I did not say the Bible was the only source of evidence. In FACT I mentioned personal empirical experiences as evidence, and also cited history, eye witness accounts, and the fact that the heavens declare the glory of God. Non-believers are WITHOUT EXCUSE.

 

[7seasrekeyed]

Churinga said:
To begin with, diametrically opposed to most modern methods of preaching the Gospel, the message should begin with the wrath of God.

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Matthew 11: 28-29

right. well that kind of conversion usually gets a few hearts a fluttering and a few fear filled folks at the pulpit, but God says He sent His Son because He loved us and His Son die for us while we were still sinners and lost

God gives an invitation, not an ultimatum

 

[dcontroversal]

Not necessarily so. Look how Jesus treated the situation.

To those who came needy, broken, repentant etc., He treated with kindness revealing God's grace and mercy, but to those who came challenging His Personhood, truth and authority He warned them of the wrath to come, announcing 'woes' on them and even calling them vipers etc.

Here is a sampling of the NON PC Jesus...

Matthew 23:13-16,23-27,29 NASBS
[13] "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. [14] [Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.] [15] "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. [16] "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.'

[23] "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. [24] You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! [25] "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. [26] You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. [27] "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. [29] "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,

Matthew 23:32-33 NASBS
[32] Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. [33] You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?

Amen.......the book of JOHN does not even contain the mention of hell....!

 

[Absolutely]

Yes well Jesus had John the Baptist go before him and witness, and he wss baptising people for remission of sins. Why were they being baptised in water, for repentence. They knew rhey were dirty and needed to be made clean.
Its repent and believe, not believe and repent.

For the most part yes,and i am not disagreeing.
But for some,like in my case,Jesus came to me and i repented at his feet like thomas did.

 

[Absolutely]

And btw,thank you so much Jesus for redeeming me from that aweful life.

Dear God.....thank you,thank you,thank you.

 

[Absolutely]

The Gospel is Simply 'Believe in Jesus or Go To Hell'.
Many Christians explain the Gospel as 'believe in Jesus or go to hell', without any further explanation other than Jesus died for your sins. While, according to the Bible, hell as most Christians visualize it, does not exist, this abbreviated Gospel is a terrible over-simplification of the issue, which causes endless confusion and some very bad feelings. Perhaps, if Christians would take a little time to do their homework and a little more explaining, the message might actually make more sense to more people.
To begin with, diametrically opposed to most modern methods of preaching the Gospel, the message should begin with the wrath of God. The bad news has to come before the good news. Telling someone that they can be saved is completely ridiculous if they neither know they are lost, nor what it is they need to be saved from. Telling someone that there is a pardon available is an absolute waste of time, if the person does not know they are already condemned.
There are two points that non-believers also need to understand....
Either the vast majority of people deny that God exists at all, or deny that the God of the Bible is the Sovereign God of the universe. This in spite of the fact that there is ample evidence for both. Instead, they follow other false gods and spiritual paths that are based on unsubstantiated claims made by mere people, or they come up with ridiculous and far fetched theories for the universe and everything in it. Most people have had a long time to figure it out, but continue to willfully deny God of His rightful place. Therefore, why in the world should He allow them into His kingdom. Especially since, these people would have exactly the same nature as they did in this world. Which brings us to the second factor...
If the kingdom of heaven is going to be populated by people who are just as sinful there as they are here, it would mean that the kingdom would soon deteriorate into the same mess we now face. Instead, the kingdom of heaven will be populated by people who have chosen to be part of it and, by doing so, have been 'born again, adopted as "sons" by God and given the gift of God's Holy Spirit, which enables them to fight temptation in the here and now. Again, the point is they have chosen to live as God's children. And, as God's children, they will live in His coming kingdom.
Oh, and by the way, the "ask Jesus into your heart" is another confusing, non-Biblical expression that needs to be completely scrapped.

This is Ray Comfort methodology.
" hells best kept secret"

The only difference is,you incorrectly assume there is no hell.

Ask the rich man,lazarus, Jesus,and Abraham.
They would tell you different.

Some are saved via this method.
I personally know noone that was saved via the law being held up to their sin.( convincing them they are lawbreakers).

 

[John146]

This is Ray Comfort methodology.
" hells best kept secret"

The only difference is,you incorrectly assume there is no hell.

Ask the rich man,lazarus, Jesus,and Abraham.
They would tell you different.

Some are saved via this method.
I personally know noone that was saved via the law being held up to their sin.( convincing them they are lawbreakers).

I was saved through the preaching of hell. I didn’t want to go and when I heard what the Lord had done for me I received Jesus Christ as my Savior from hell to everlasting life in heaven.

 

[Absolutely]

I was saved through the preaching of hell. I didn’t want to go and when I heard what the Lord had done for me I received Jesus Christ as my Savior from hell to everlasting life in heaven.

Those that think they are good,and because of their goodness,they will go to heaven.
Ray targets these people.
I personally encounter the self righteous rarely.
Most know they are going to hell