So… Though I’m fairly new to sharing my faith on a regular basis and extremely new to Open-Air preaching of the gospel, it didn’t take long for me to understand that when the gospel is presented correctly it usually isn’t received all to well. For my first blog entry on transplantministries.com I’d like to focus on dissecting the reason for why the gospel isn’t received with joy by the majority of those who hear it.
One thing that is common about the rebuke and rejection of the gospel is that an alternative is usually almost always given. For instance, instead of telling people that they have broken God’s law and will stand guilty before a Holy and Righteous God on the day of judgment who will be forced by his goodness to cast them into Hell for all of eternity, the alternative that most would like to hear from you is to tell people how they can be made whole, how Jesus can satisfy their lives, and how God will bless them.
Now lets be very careful not to reject the alternative as unbiblical or not true, because they are true and very valid. However, they aren’t a proper lead-in nor or they intended to be a draw card to bring somebody to Christ. Why? Well the answer is very simple, all three of these statements focus on what God promises he will do for the believer… and they aren’t believers yet… Not only that, the very premise of these statements being used as draw cards are based off of secular humanism which teaches that the whole reason for existence and meaning of life is the happiness of man. Think about that for a second… If Jesus will make me whole, satisfy me, and bless me then hey… The whole reason for existing the whole meaning of life has been fulfilled. I’m happy! And so begins a very distorted view of the relationship between a believer and the one whom he is command to believe in, until of course I stop being happy! Then I’m disgruntled because what I was promised when I ‘made my decision’ didn’t come to fruition so now I think Christianity is a crock…
The difference between secular humanism and the gospel is that the gospel teaches that the reason for existing and the meaning of life is to glorify God. That’s why everyone and everything was created, to the glory of God. There’s just one problem, humanity has miserably failed to do just that. The Bible says in Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Usually when we hear that verse today it’s ripped out of context and used as a means of justifying ourselves by saying, “well everyone else sins too.” There’s just one problem with that logic…
If you are guilty of murder and you stand before a judge and say… ”You know what Judge, I know I murdered, but so did the next ten guys waiting in line so what’s the big deal?” He’s gonna be irate at you cause now not only do you know that you’ve committed the crime but you have used the fact that others have committed the very same crime to allow yourself to feel absolutely no remorse and you are still only concerned with your own skin! So when we compare ourselves to other people, who are comparing themselves to other people, who are comparing themselves to other people… We’re missing the point of that verse… ”For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of GOD!” Not other people.
So what is the point of the gospel?
The point is to reconcile SINFUL man to a HOLY God through the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on the cross paying the price for sin. (Rom 6:23)
What is the goal of presenting the gospel? What is not the goal of presenting the gospel?
The goal of presenting the gospel is to Glorify God, not to appeal to the masses, not tickle people’s ears, and NOT to get decisions.
What is the proper response to the gospel message?
The proper response is to recognize one’s own sins, depraved nature, and hopelessness. Therefore knowing of only one route that leads to safety from God’s wrath and indignation and only one way that leads to salvation and that is repenting (turning toward God) and trust in the Savior who died for the sins of wicked men.
What does the gospel mean?
The gospel is translated “the good news.” But why is it good news to tell someone that Jesus died for them so they could go to heaven. You’re telling someone who believes they’re morally good and deserves God’s favor that someone had to die in their place just for them to have a relationship with God? That’s not good news at all. In fact it doesn’t even sound fair cause after all, they’re good and they deserve a relationship with God! So what makes the gospel “good news.” The gospel is only good news if God’s law (The ten commandments) is used properly to show the sinner that his sin is exceedingly sinful. Paul describes how the law used properly helps us understand that the good news is actually good news indeed.
What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” -Romans 7:7
Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. -Galations 3:24
So what is the gospel?
The gospel is this… The Bible says it’s appointed to a man once to die and after this the judgment. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. If you have lied you are seen as a liar. If you’ve stolen, God sees you as a thief. If you’ve used his name in vain he sees you as a blasphemer. If you’ve looked with lust he sees you as an adulterer of the heart. If you’ve harbored hate in your heart or had anger without cause he sees you as a murderer of the heart. When you stand before a Holy and Righteous God on the day of judgment he will see you as a guilty criminal and he will be forced by his good nature to cast you into hell of all of eternity. BUT, the Bible also says that God is rich in mercy, mighty to save, and patient toward you, and that is why he gave his only begotten Son that whoever might believe in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. If you will repent (turn to God, turn from sin) and trust in Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross then God has promised you will pass from death unto life and he will give you a new heart with new desires and you will be a new creature in Christ. Jesus called this being “born again” and unless it happens to you, you won’t see the kingdom of God.
That gives Glory to God… It won’t tickle as many ears, it won’t get as many ‘decisions,’ and it won’t make everybody happy, but it is the gospel and we are commanded to share it. Those who rebuke the gospel here don’t rebuke it because they don’t like the delivery, they rebuke it because they don’t like the message…
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. -Galations 1:8-10
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. -1 Corinthians 1:18
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. -Romans 1:16
But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. -Romans 10:14-17
Do you have beautiful feet???