Love the Brethren

I am told that about 80% of children are born with a birthmark. Of that number, only about 10% of the those birthmarks remain into adulthood. Our own granddaughter, Addy was born with a bright red splotch on one of her arms. There is some clinical term for it, but in common speech, it was a birthmark. Given time, the spot faded away and is completely gone. However, for a while, we could clearly identify Addy from just that birthmark.

I relate that for this reason: in the book of 1^st John, the apostle states there are several birthmarks that every Christian bears, from the moment they are born-again until death. These indelible marks are present on 100% of those who are saved, and never fade away. In fact, these marks are permanently embedded on the child of God from the time of their spiritual birth and only grow deeper and become more prominent.

In case you are not aware, one of the major themes of 1^st John is identifying true conversion from false. We know this is one of his primary reasons for writing, because John says so near the end of the letter. If you, like many Christians, are searching for assurance of your salvation, or questioning whether you have truly been born from above, I highly recommend you read and study the little book of 1^st John.

In that letter the inspired author lists numerous beliefs and behaviors that help identify the true convert. If you want to determine whether you have become a disciple of Christ, I would urge you to give serious thought to those distinguishing marks that John states are clearly visible in the life of every believer. One of the most clarifying characteristics of a Christian is their love for the people of God. John states repeatedly one of the more readily recognizable birthmarks of a child of God is a love for the children of God.

Take note how clear the apostle is in 1 John 3:14, “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.” Much could be said from this one short verse, but let me draw your attention to just a few things.

First, for those who say no one can truly know whether or not they are saved, or whether or not they are going to heaven when they die – they need to read 1^st John. John employs the word “know” over 30 times in that brief book. Including in the passage I just shared. He does so, for the very purpose of emphasizing assurance of salvation. The writer says we can KNOW we have passed from death to life, (and that is the language of regeneration and salvation), because we love the brethren.

So, in this passage, we learn that one of the most distinguishing marks of every Christian is their love for one another, or their love for their brothers and sisters in Christ. You can know you are a Christian if you have a deep, abiding, and growing love for the people of God.

Contrastingly, John goes on to write, in the most candid language, you cannot be a child of God and not love the children of God. Friends, God is love; and one of the most distinctive marks of His children is their love for one another. So here it is in plain language, if you do not love people of the Christian faith – you are not a Christian. Simply stated, you cannot be a follower of Christ, if you do not love the family of God.

However, if you do love God’s children this is one of the identifying marks of those who have been regenerated and indwelt by the Spirit of God. And if I may, if you will look back up at the verse I quoted, you will note there is no qualifying clause about which of God’s children we are to love. Or said another way, there is no supplemental attribute here that limits the scope of the brethren to whom we are to love. We are commanded to love every blood-bought, born-again believer. Every single one of them. Even those (like me) who are hard to love.

Which is exactly what Jesus did! He loved the unlovable. The love of Christ is a selfless, sacrificial love. And He commands us to love one another in the same way: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). By this Jesus said, will all people know you are my disciples … when you love one another.

If you are asking yourself, am I a Christian? Answer this, do you truly love the people of God? Because, love for the brethren is a prominent and permanent birthmark of every child of God.

Empty Boots

Fayetteville, North Carolina is a military town much like Perry and Warner Robins, rich in patriotism. Each year to commemorate Memorial Day, a vivid reminder of the high price of Freedom is organized. There at Fort Liberty, (formerly known as Fort Bragg) some 7,500 boots are lined up on empty field to represent every American life that has been lost in the global war on terror since the attacks of 9/11.

These empty boots sit as a solemn reminder of the high price of freedom and the costly sacrifice of so many. To memorialize these deaths, an American Flag and a picture of each life lost is placed on each of the boots. This field full of empty boots not only represent a life lost, but also the heartbreak and sorrow for their families left behind. We do both these heroes and their families a great disservice if we fail to honor their devotion and love for country … especially on Memorial Day.

On one of those boots, there is the picture of an American hero named Pat Tillman. If you are unfamiliar with him; after the cowardly attacks of 9/11, Tillman left behind the opulent life of a successful NFL player to join the US Army. Tillman turned down a 3.6 million-dollar contract with the Arizona Cardinals to fight for his country. He and his brother both enlisted at the same time, joined the Army Rangers, and were trained in Fort Benning, GA. After fighting in Operation Iraqi Freedom, he was redeployed to Afghanistan and in April 2004, Tillman was killed in action. He was 28 years old.

His story rightly made the headline news because of his willingness to leave behind a life of wealth and comfort to serve his nation. While his life is a great illustration of American patriotism and heroics, there have been countless others like him have left behind friends and family, answered their nation’s call, and paid the ultimate price for our freedom, who’s story did not make the nightly news. Yet we owe them all a great debt.

Our nation is rich with the history of men and women who had the courage and fortitude to stand against cruel oppression to ensure their loved ones could enjoy a life of freedom. The men and women that we honor on Memorial Day, are a great example of what Jesus meant, when he said in: John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Sadly, for too many Americans, the Memorial Day holiday symbolizes little more than the unofficial start of Summer. Most schools are out and high school graduation ceremonies have concluded. Swimming pools open and droves of people flock to our nation’s beaches. Backyard grills will sizzle with the sound and smell of hamburgers and hotdogs. However, not nearly enough thought is given to the sacrifices that have made all this possible.

Friends, Memorial Day is about far more than BBQ’s and three-day weekends. It is a day to pay homage to the – more than ONE MILLION men and women in uniform – who have paid the ultimate price for freedom. Empty boots and empty homes ought make us thankful for our national heroes.

I believe this kind of selfless sacrifice is certainly worthy of recognition, but is also a shadow of what Jesus did by willingly laying down His life. Let me remind you, there is an empty cross and an empty tomb, where the King of Glory suffered and died for your freedom. He left behind the splendor of heaven and the worship of angels to come to this sin-cursed world. He came and fought evil and the rulers of darkness in order to secure freedom for the soul. To be clear, Jesus did not die for American or earthly freedom, but liberty from the bondage of sin.

Calling upon men to sacrifice for others wasn’t empty rhetoric for Jesus, anymore than it was for the men and women we honor on Memorial Day. Indeed, He suffered, and they suffered, because what Jesus said is true … greater love has no man than this, than to lay down his life for his friends.

So let me encourage this Memorial Day, to give honor to whom honor is due, and praise to whom praise is due. Take the time to pay homage to those who have served and died for our freedom so we can live the lives we love. But also, give proper praise to Christ Jesus who died so that we might live forever!

The Gospel is for Everyone

Allow me to begin with a simple truth; the Bible is an amazing book. The more someone honestly and humbly studies Scripture, the more amazed they will become at the beauty, transcendence, and excellence of God’s Word. Frankly, there is no book like the Bible. The providential wisdom of the Holy Spirit’s work of governing men not only to write what they did, but to also arrange their writings in the deliberate manner in which they did – is simply beyond human comprehension or explanation. As our church continues to work our way sequentially through entire books of the Bible, we are learning afresh just how magnificently the inspired authors tied thoughts and ideas together in a way that is above and beyond any intellectual work of men. The Scriptures are inarguably of Divine origin.

Case in point, it was not until we began a verse-by-verse exposition of John’s Gospel that it became abundantly clear, the Apostle’s writings are not just skillfully structured, they are Holy Spirit situated in order to drive home eternal truths. Allow me to give you just one example of what I mean.

In John chapter three we are introduced to Nicodemus, a religious leader of the Jewish Sanhedrin. In John chapter four we are told about a woman that Jesus encountered at Jacob’s well. To put it mildly, these two individuals are about as different as different can be.

Nicodemus was a well-respected, religious male Jew. The unnamed woman at the well was a social outcast and was considered by the Jews of her day to be of impure blood; a “half-bred” as it were, because her family lineage was a mix of Jew and Gentile. Nicodemus hailed from the city of Jerusalem, educated in the law of Moses and by every outward standard, a very moral man. The woman at the well was an uneducated, immoral, five-time divorced female from Samaria, shunned by society because she was living with a man outside the covenant of marriage.

As if these comparisons are not obvious enough, consider this; in John chapter three Nicodemus came to find Jesus. In John chapter four, Jesus came to find this woman (John 4:4). Nicodemus, for whatever reason, came late at night under the cover of darkness to seek out Jesus, in contrast to Jesus who came to the woman at the well in the middle of the day. Then finally, we see that Nicodemus came to ask Jesus questions, but Jesus came to Jacob’s well to ask this woman questions.

Take note dear friends, these two stories are not told back-to-back simply by random coincidence. Instead, this is by Divine design. What John and Jesus and the Holy Spirit would have us learn by these two contrasting real-life narratives is this – Jesus and His Gospel is for everyone. These stories are purposefully arranged to make every reader aware; that no matter who you are, where you are from, how religious you are, how immoral you are, or whether you are looking for answers or looking to be left alone … you need Christ.

Both Nicodemus and this woman at the well, with all their differences, shared the same need – they both needed Jesus and His Gospel. Please hear me dear friend, regardless of whether you are educated or uneducated, male or female, Jew or Gentile – you need Jesus. Whether you are rich or poor, shunned by society or high-society, you need Christ. The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is for religious people and irreligious people. The reconciling work of Christ is Good News for every person on the planet no matter who they are or what they have done. This is exactly why the Holy Spirit inspired John to record both these stories and strategically arrange them in the way he did.

Can you not see the unparalleled wisdom of God in teaching deep eternal spiritual truths in the simplest of ways? By paralleling these two very different events of these two very different individuals, we learn one all-important truth – all people everywhere need Jesus. Nicodemus needed to be born-again, so do we. This woman at the well needed soul-satisfying Living Water, so do we. Whether you are someone like this religious man, or someone like this Samaritan woman, we are all looking for satisfaction and fulfillment that in truth, only God can provide. Trust in Him.

As I said in the beginning, the Bible truly is an amazing book.

Read it, learn it, believe it, love it, live it and share it.

Because Jesus and His Gospel is for everyone.

The Greatest Gift

What is the best gift you have ever received?
What is the most valuable present you have ever gotten?
Now, I wouldn’t exactly label those as trick questions, but they are something like “loaded questions.” The reason they are loaded is this; I would argue (and so would every Christian) that the most valuable and wonderful gift anyone could ever receive is the gift of eternal life found in the Lord Jesus Christ. Far more precious and costly than any earthly gift, is the gift of saving faith in Christ alone. It is my belief, the greatest gift ever given is described in one of the greatest verses ever written.   

As our church continues to work our way each Sunday morning through the Gospel according to John, we currently find ourselves at the (once) very well-known passage, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

If you are old enough to remember, there was a time when you couldn’t turn on a football game without seeing someone hold up a sign with this passage reference written on it. Inarguably, American culture has changed much since then. However, the truths contained in that wonderful verse remain the same; God loves a world of sinners so much, He gave His Son that anyone and everyone who truly believes in Him, would not perish, but have everlasting life.

One commentator said John 3:16 was the greatest verse in the Bible. He explained why he felt this way by writing, “The greatest Being loved to the greatest degree and gave the greatest treasure as the greatest gift to provide the greatest deliverance and the greatest eternal blessings to the least deserving of people.” Can you say Amen to that?!

Perhaps there is no other passage that so succinctly declares God’s love, sacrifice and grace in giving His Son for sinners as this passage. Martin Luther called John 3:16, “The Bible in miniature.” These men are right; God giving His Son to save fallen mankind is the greatest gift ever given. Think with me for a few moments about this extraordinary gift of God’s grace.

First, it was love that motivated God to send His Son. The Apostle John declares, God loved, so God acted. Our society treats the word “love” far too flippantly. Yet true love, Biblical love, is far more than an emotion or some sentimental feeling. True love, the kind of love that God has for His people, is a love that acts … a love that does something for those in need. God unconditionally loved, so God freely gave.

Secondly, what was it that God gave? God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son. Think on that dear friend. God gave His Son … I say again, His Son. Would any of you reading this article be willing to sacrifice one of your children in order to secure the release of a stranger or an enemy? “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Perhaps we’d be willing to give ourselves to save another, but one of our children? Not likely.

Yet, God loved so much that He gave His One and Only Son to redeem a world of sinners. Which leads us to our final consideration; this gift of love is available to whosoever will receive it. God’s love is so vast, it reaches people and people groups from all over the planet. Nonetheless, there is a stipulation stated about this gift. Eternal life is only given to those who receive this gift of grace. Those who refuse this gift, or said another way, those who refuse Christ – will indeed perish. That word perish, does not mean annihilation, but eternal separation from God’s goodness.

We might ask, why would anyone refuse the greatest gift that could ever be given? Only pride and depravity would reject history’s greatest gift. Think on this, just as much as we delight in giving gifts to those we love; God gave the very best gift to those whom He loves! You cannot earn this gift, but you can receive it by faith.

God’s gift of His Son is the greatest gift ever given to mankind. Nothing else even comes close! I imagine, with next week being Christmas, many of you have gifts scattered all around your home.
Yet let me suggest to you, the greatest gift that has ever been given, wasn’t wrapped in colorful paper, but wrapped in swaddling clothes.
The greatest gift ever given did not have a ribbon or bow attached to it, but instead a crown of thorns placed on His head.
The greatest gift ever given wasn’t placed under a tree – but nailed to a tree.

Have you received this gift? If so, have you shared Him with others?

Who is Jesus? – Part Four

Who is Jesus, according to Jesus? Or asked another way, what does Jesus have to say about Himself? I would like us to consider those questions today. Let me remind you, when asking and answering, “who is Jesus?” we have been limiting ourselves to the first chapter of John’s Gospel. So far, we have noted what John the Apostle explained, what John the Baptist proclaimed, and what the first followers of Christ declared about Jesus. In this last article in our series, I would like to us to think on the claims Jesus made of Himself. While still limiting the scope of our inquiry to John’s opening chapter.

In John 1:51 we read these words, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” Candidly, many of us reading that statement do not fully appreciate what Jesus is saying about Himself. Further still, that claim is a little foreign to most of us, and the reference is likely unfamiliar. Therefore, let me give some background information to what Jesus is saying.

All the way back in Genesis chapter 28, we are told about a man named Jacob and a unique dream he had. In this dream, God spoke to Jacob and renewed several covenant commitments made with his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac. This is the same Jacob who’s named would be changed to Israel, and father 12 sons who would become the 12 tribes of Israel. But years before the birth of his many children, God gave Jacob a night-time glimpse into glory. He dreamed about a ladder that stretched all the way from heaven down to earth. On this ladder, he could see angels ascending and descending between the heavenly realm and earthly. At the top of the ladder Jacob saw the LORD.

When Jacob woke from his dream, he said “Surely Yahweh (the LORD) is in this place. This is the very house of God and the gate of heaven.” So Jacob named that place Bethel, which means – house or dwelling place of God (Genesis 28:16-17).

So, if we go back to John chapter one and the statement that Jesus made, we can discern several claims Jesus is making about Himself. Remember, Jesus told those first followers, “you will see heaven open and the angels ascending and descending on the Son of man.” Make no mistake, those Jews who heard Jesus say this would have instantly connected His claim to that Old Testament event. We may not immediately see that parallel, but those Israelites who heard Jesus that day, absolutely would have. By saying what He did, Jesus is definitively claiming to be the true fulfillment of what Jacob saw hundreds of years earlier.

Hence, the first truth we learn about who Jesus is, from Jesus; is that He is claiming deity. Let me say that again, Christ is claiming to be God. Remember, Jacob said, “surely Yahweh (the LORD) is in this place.” Jesus is telling His hearers; God is in this place – and I AM Him. This is no minor assertion friends. Both the original hearers and us readers are forced to decide whether we are going to believe this claim Jesus is making. Either they (and we) take Jesus at His word, and believe He is Yahweh God incarnate, or we reject this claim and consider Christ a liar and a fraud.

Secondly, Jesus is not only saying He is God, but that in His flesh, He is the dwelling place of God. Let me remind you, Jacob named that place Bethel, which means House of God. Folks, much could be said this time of year about the Christmas Holiday, but this much must be clear – Jesus is Emmanuel, or God with us. Jesus is God robed (housed) in human flesh.

Next, from this ancient vision given to the patriarch we learn; Jesus is the only way to enter heaven. Did you notice, Jacob in his dream said this was the very “gate of heaven.” Regardless of what our pluralistic society teaches us, there are not many ways to heaven, there is only One. Jesus is THE way, THE truth, and THE life; and no one comes to the Father, but by Him (John 14:6). Jesus is not a way, or one of many ways, but He is the only way. Or as Jacob dreamed and Jesus claimed, Christ alone is THE gate of heaven.

Finally, from that Old Testament reference one last truth about who Jesus is can be learned. Let me remind you, in his dream, Jacob saw a ladder that stretched from heaven to earth. By stating this ancient vision was fulfilled in Him, Jesus is declaring that He is the ladder that extends from the heavenly realm down to earth. Think on that dear reader. Jesus is using vivid imagery to make clear what He was doing by condescending to this earth. He came to span the gap between holy God and fallen men. Or, simply stated Jesus is God come down to men and only He can bring men back to God. You can’t get to God without coming to Christ.

In closing, if you want to know who Jesus is, I encourage you to read the first chapter of John. Many people had much to say about who He is and was … including Jesus Himself.

Do you know Him?

Who is Jesus? – Part Three

So far in this series, we have considered the claims made by John the Apostle and John the Baptist about the Person and work of Jesus. The beloved Apostle John has declared Jesus to be the Eternal Son of God who took on flesh and tabernacled among men. The Baptizer assertively called all men to “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Thereby announcing Jesus to be the Final, Complete and Sinless Substitute who alone can remove the sins of fallen men.

As we continue to work our way through the early pages of John’s Gospel account, I would have us notice the claims made by the first few followers of Jesus and who they documented Jesus to be.

Standing along the shores of the Jordan River, dozens (if not hundreds) of people watched as John the Baptist pointed to Jesus and publicly declared Him to be the very Son of God (John 1:34). Having both seen Jesus pointed out and having heard the Baptizer’s bold claims about Him, two men from among the crowd began to follow Jesus. According to John 1:39 these two individuals spend an entire day with Jesus listening and learning from Him.

After hours of sitting at Jesus’ feet and discovering who He truly is, one of the men, Andrew, filled with joy and amazement, leaves to tell others about this wonderful Man he has encountered. The very first person Andrew finds is his brother Simon (Peter) and excitedly says to him, “we have found the Messiah!” (John 1:41). The word Messiah (or Christ) means, “the anointed one” or the “chosen one.” Andrew is the first person on the pages of Scripture to unambiguously claim Jesus is Israel’s long-awaited Messiah. Make no mistake friends, this is a big deal.

Understand, the Jewish nation had been praying for, and longing for this promised Messiah to come for centuries. One of the primary contentions between Jesus and the religious leaders of Judaism was their refusal to acknowledge Jesus as their promised Messiah. Nationally, Israel’s expectation of Messiah was completely skewed. They were looking for a political or military figure to free them from Roman occupation and reestablish the nation of Israel as a world power. However, those first followers were right, Jesus was in fact Israel’s Messiah even though, generally, Israel rejected Him.

Contrary to their distorted expectations, Jesus was the Spirit-anointed Son of God sent to deliver God’s people. Yet Messiah didn’t come to deliver them from Roman rule, but from a greater enemy – the enemy of sin. Christ came, not to free Israel from Gentile power, but to free all God’s chosen people from the power of sin and death. Jesus came, not to break the shackles of Rome, but to break us free from the bondage of sin. This was the appointed task of the Messiah, and it is exactly what Jesus has done for His people. Andrew was right, he had found the Christ of God.

Have you? Have you found the Christ? Have you recognized Jesus as your Messiah? Has He freed you from the bondage of your sin? If not, I urge you to trust in Him today. He alone is the Holy Spirit-anointed Son of God who can take away your sin.

Let me remind you again, as John nears the end of His inspired account of the life and times of Jesus the Messiah, he tells us exactly why he had written what he did. Please take note of John’s purpose statement, your very soul depends upon it … “these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). I have written these things, John might say – so you could know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that Jesus is who He claimed to be. And … He is who we claim Him to be!

John could write with confidence about who Jesus was because He had been eye-witness to countless miracles and signs that Jesus performed. But more than that, John’s own life had been miraculously changed by the Messiah. It began that day (mentioned above) when John the Baptist pointed at Jesus and said behold the Lamb of God. You see, the second person that began to follow Jesus that day, besides Andrew – was John. Who would become known as the beloved Apostle and would write the very Gospel record that we have been discussing. John also spent the day with Jesus and it changed him forever.

And dear reader, if you will spend some time with Jesus, and recognize Him for who He is … it will change you forever!

Telling Others about what Matters Most

Theology matters. I say again, theology matters. I’m fairly confident I’ve repeated that frequently enough from the pulpit that the members of MHBC have grown weary of hearing it. Nonetheless, theology matters. Doctrine matters. Words matter. What you believe matters. It matters deeply.

As a Christian and as someone who has studied the Bible for the better part of four decades, it is my conviction that Baptist theology most closely aligns with Biblical theology. I know several of you reading this article would disagree, and that’s okay. I have close friends right here in town who feel the same way about Lutheran, Presbyterian or Methodist doctrine. But ultimately, we are all accountable to the Lord, not others. Therefore, conscience constrains me to preach and promote what I believe to be true, which is Baptistic teachings. By God’s grace, I hope to devote my life contending for the body of truth that (I believe) was once delivered to the saints.

Yet however deep-rooted my convictions may be, and though we may strongly disagree on any number of theological beliefs, if you are a Christian, you are my brother or sister in Christ; not my enemy. Yes, our doctrinal differences may compel us to draw some ecclesiological lines. So much so, I may not feel comfortable inviting you into the pulpit where I pastor, but if you have committed your life to following after Christ, we are on the same side. We love the same Lord. We have been saved by the same Gospel. We have been washed in the same blood. We are kept by the same Holy Spirit. And we will live in the same heaven forever. If indeed you have been born-again, we are Christian family and I love and value you. As we should all people.

Having said all that, allow me in my feeble way to encourage every Christian to make sure you are rightly and consistently proclaiming the Gospel message. Whether you are a pastor, an elder, a Sunday School teacher or simply someone who loves Jesus and wants others to know Him … I want to challenge you to make sure you are intentional about sharing the Gospel. Most all of us are pretty good at talking about our favorite subjects, ought we not also be inclined to converse about Christianity?

Someone, somewhere at some time said something incredibly silly and unfortunately it has stuck around. “Preach the Gospel, and if you have to, use words.” Or the quote is also repeated like this, “Preach the gospel at all times; Use words if necessary.” Now I will concede that seems really religious and shrewdly spiritual – but the truth is, it’s only a half truth (at best). To be honest, I think many of us have used this pious-sounding platitude to assuage our guilt of not sharing the Gospel like we should.

Of course, those of us who claim to be Christians should live like Christians. It should be the aim of every believer to live a life consistent with Christian conduct so that others take note that we have been changed by the Word of God. Yes, we ought to have a witness to a watching world that we are followers of Christ. However, being a Godly example is not enough to win someone to Christ. Our behavior may indeed cause others to ask questions, and we hope it does. But if or when asked what makes the Christian different, how do we reply? The answer is – the Gospel.

We must be willing to tell others that Jesus Christ came into this world to do for us what we could not, and would not, do for ourselves! Yes, we ought to live holy and consecrated lives reflecting the light of Christ before a lost world shrouded in darkness, but we must also vocally convey the Gospel to others. Dear follower of Christ, be ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within you (1 Peter 3:15). However, we don’t have to wait for someone to ask, nor is it mandatory that we establish deep-seated relationships with someone in order to share the Gospel with them. Confessing believer, live like a Christian should – but you must also communicate the Gospel in more than actions, but in word. We must do what we would sometimes tell our small children, use your words! Romans 10:14 asks this question, “How shall they (unbelievers) call on Him in whom they have not heard?” People should hear about Jesus from followers of Jesus. That doesn’t really seem all that unreasonable.

As a Baptist pastor, I would love to see more people filling Baptist churches. However, as a Christian, I would prefer to see more people come to know Christ! This happens when God’s redeemed people, regardless of denomination or affiliation, speak the Glorious Gospel of Christ to those God has put in their path. It grieves me that I do not share this good news more frequently or with greater boldness. I think most every Christian feels this way.

Therefore, I want to challenge every reader to make sure they are communicating the Gospel, and that the church they support is faithful to unashamedly proclaim the Gospel. Unfortunately, I have heard numerous sermons (and confess to having preached some early in my ministry) in which the Good News of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone was never even communicated. What a shame! Church attendee, be a good listener and make sure the preacher is proclaiming a Gospel-centered sermon, not just telling you what you want to hear.

Nothing is more important than being lovingly unambiguous about how lost sinners can be made right with a Holy God. We must be crystal clear about this. Simply stated, someone can be wrong about many Bible doctrines and still go to heaven, but the Gospel is the one truth everyone must get right. We might disagree on how much water it takes to properly baptize someone. We can debate the proper method of interpreting prophecies and parables. Furthermore, we might strongly disagree on when the church started and which denomination most rightly represents apostolic doctrine, etc. etc. While these issues are all weighty, and many of us have strong convictions about them, you can be mistaken on these truths and still go to heaven. However, you cannot be wrong about the Gospel and truly be a Christian.

In 1st Corinthians 15:1-3 the Apostle Paul adamantly declares the Gospel is the supreme doctrine in human history. Theology matters and I will not suffer anyone who says otherwise. Yet, not everything the Bible teaches bears the same weight of eternal consequence. The principal doctrine in Christianity is the good news of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus in the behalf of lost sinners! While there are numerous important doctrines in the Bible, the Gospel is of greater value than them all and we ought to willingly share it with others.

Christian, does your pastor use words like; reconciliation, regeneration, repentance or redemption on a regular basis? Do you? Do you know the Gospel so that you can share the Gospel? Have you trusted in the finished work of God’s Son as your only hope for heaven? If so, are you telling others this matters most?