What is the gospel?

What is the gospel?

Romans 1:16 identifies the gospel as, “the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes.”

Most biblical south, church going people cannot even tell you what that means. Most of us have sat in a church on and off for our entire lives and really don’t even know what we’re there for.  If you ask the average church goer in America if they’re saved, they will tell you “yes” based off a confession that they have said a prayer and accepted Jesus into their hearts, and can’t even tell you what they’re saved from. When you ask them to tell you what the gospel is they can rattle off that “Jesus died on the cross for my sins,” there’s no acknowledgement of how heavy a statement that is. A man DIED. A man was murdered for our sins. A man was crucified, after being beaten with a leather cord attached to pieces of scrap metal, ripping his flesh from his body to cleanse you off your sins. A man was spit on, tortured, had the hairs from his beard ripped out, and further more that man was innocent of all the crimes he was charged for, in fact, this man was perfect who had never even sinned or had a sinful thought for that matter a day ever in his life. The bible reads that he opened not his mouth. He did not even open his mouth to defend himself of the charges made (Isaiah 53:7). He said he freely gave his life. He laid it down and could pick it up at any time (John 10:18), and he gave his life to the point of death.

So why did Jesus have to die?

Jesus had to die because God’s wrath rested on all of mankind and we were all destined to hell from the moment Adam and Eve sinned. (Romans 5:14- death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned free from all cording to the likeness of the transgression of Adam). Jesus, being fully God, agreed to come to earth, be born of a virgin, who impregnated by the Holy Spirit, and live life as a man, totally free of all sin. He had to live a life free of all sin, because GOD HATES SIN. God is holy, he is righteous, he is without speck or spot, there is no sin in him, and God will not allow any sin around him, meaning sinful mankind would not be able to rest in his abode (heaven) when this life is over. (But your iniquities have separated you from your God- Isaiah 59:2). Satan is the father of sin, anyone living in sin will have their father’s reward (hell). God’s wrath abides on the wicked (those who practice sin). Think of it like this, God is eternal, he has no beginning, he has no end, committing an offense against an eternal God would take all of eternity to pay him back for just one sin. Hell is a real place, and people are dying and going there every single day. A great majority of people dying are ending up in hell. Harsh, I know, but it is a biblical principle. (Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.-Matthews 7:13-14). The bible says very few find it. Furthermore the apostle Paul said, “The righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?”- 1 Peter 4:18, and the bible says, “Hell hath enlarged herself to no end,” (Isaiah 5:14). Hell was designed for the devil and his angels, but because of the wickedness of men, it actually grows to hold the souls that are arriving there each day.

Jesus had to die on that cross to satisfy the wrath of God (Yet it pleased the LORD to crush him- Isaiah 53:10). As stated earlier, God hates sin, and his anger was on all mankind. Jesus drank the cup of God’s wrath (Matthew 26:42), so we would not have to. Jesus was so anxious before he was to be arrested he sweated drops of blood, not because of the actual crucifixion, but because he knew what was in store for him spiritually. Jesus suffered hell on that cross. As stated earlier, hell is an eternal place designed for the wicked. What took place on that cross was an exchange, a holy and spotless life for all the sins of mankind. He died and defeated death, and after 3 days he rose again with all power in his hands.

Examine yourself

I hear so many people confessing to be Christians with their mouth, but their lifestyle shows otherwise “These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips, But their heart is far from me, and in vain do they worship me”- Matt 15: 8-9. People who see nothing wrong with sinning, and when you point it out to them, you’re labeled as “judgmental.” People are only considered judgmental now a days when a biblical principle has been deemed outdated, and has become socially acceptable so right or wrong is now determined by what is relative to that person. There is no such thing as a Christian alcoholic, weed head, fornicator, liar, adulterer, idolater, homosexual, murderer, thief, and the like. When I label someone as such I am referring to people who practice a lifestyle of these things with no remorse, no repentance and no desire or need to change. (Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? DO NOT BE DECEIVED. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites… will inherit the kingdom of God- 1Corinthians 6:9-10). Christians do in fact sin, but a true Christian is repentant, meaning they do not allow themselves to be overtaken by that sin, they confess their sins to the lord and he is faithful and just to cleanse them from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Furthermore, a righteous man falls seven times, but he rises (Proverbs 24:16).

The Son of God (Jesus) was manifested to take away our sins, so how can someone living and knowing that they are living in sin confess to be a Christian. (Whoever abides in him does not live a lifestyle of sin, whoever continues living in sin has neither seen him nor known him. Let NO ONE deceive you. He who practices righteousness (practicing a lifestyle) is righteous just as he is righteous, he who sins (practices sin) is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning- 1 John 3:6-8). God knows your heart, not your actual beating heart, but the “will” within you, and he knows if you will to serve him or your sin. Grace is not an excuse to sin. (Shall we continue sinning now that grace abounds? Certainly not! How can we who died to sin be alive to it- Romans 6:1-2)?  “God know my heart” is not a valid excuse. The heart is deceitfully wicked above all things who can know it? But God says, “I the Lord search the heart (will) and test the mind to render every man according to his works and even render to him the fruit of his doings (Jeremiah 17:9-10).

“The saddest place on Earth is the biblical south, where people have just enough religion to send them straight to hell”-Paul Washer. It does not matter if you played the drums, sung in the choir, served as a deacon, even preached in the pulpit, it does not mean anything if you are not living it. There will be many pastors on judgment day saying, “Lord, Lord did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, and do mighty wonders in your name? And Jesus, will answer, “depart from me I never knew you, you who practice lawlessness.” God sees everything (For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing. Whether good or evil. - Ecclesiastes 12:14).

Salvation is the greatest gift known to man. God is not some tyrant in the sky giving out mean orders to make us miserable only to send us to hell because he doesn’t like us. He gave us these commandments, because he loves us. He knows the consequences of sin, and he is fair. He will fairly judge, whether good or bad, he will justly give rewards. Secondly, he already gave his son to die for you, that’s the greatest sign anyone needs. A man died so that you could have eternal life. Death has lost its sting! You can have freedom from sin; all you have to do is repent and believe the gospel. He’ll give you a brand new life, with brand new desires and a brand new heart to please him (if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new- 2 Cor 5:17). He loves you more than you can ever imagine. Give your life to him while you still have time (Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. - Matthew ll: 28). This is not about condemnation or to make you feel bad. This is to share with you the same good news that transformed me and changed my life, and you can have the same thing in Christ.

Grace and peace to you all!