“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people…”
Revelation 14:6 KJV
As simple as this question may seem, can we truly answer it? Do we actually know what the Gospel of Jesus Christ, whom we profess to serve, really is.
In its most basic form, it is the good news of salvation to fallen humanity, but lets explore this in more detail and I pray that by the end of this writeup, you Reader, would come to a much deeper understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.”
Roman 5:12 NKJV
God created man in His image, physically but also spiritually. As God is holy, loving, meek, long suffering, forbearing, slow to anger, kind, gracious and the like, so was Adam made- man was formed in the likeness of God.
His nature was in harmony with the will of God. His mind was capable of comprehending divine things. His affections were pure; his appetites and passions were under the control of reason. He was holy and happy in bearing the image of God and in perfect obedience to His will and should Adam and Eve have continued to live in perfect harmony with God’s commands and not given in to the temptations of satan, Jesus would have had no need to come down to this earth as a man and die; there would be no need of a Gospel message.
However, we stand here today defiled by sin and in need of a Saviour. It was through one man, Adam, that sin entered into this world, and as the saying goes “like father like son”, so all of Adam’s children have been made in his image, defiled by sin and destined to destruction. Through yielding to the temptations of satan in Eden, our first parents lost their robes of righteousness and consequently, both they and all their descendants after them are clothed in filthy rags, having lost our righteousness.
“But we are all like an unclean thing,
Isaiah 64:6 KJV
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags.”
Our sins have separated us from our God, Isaiah tells us, and because of our iniquities, He has hidden His face from us, so that He will not hear us. Sin has caused a void, a chasm, a great rupture in our relationship with a most Holy God, we have transgressed His great Law of love and are therefore condemned to die.
“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”
1 John 3:4 KJV
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Romans 3:23 NKJV
“For the wages of sin is death…”
Romans 6:23 KJV
Just let those few verses settle into your mind Reader, we are in a dire condition. We have all sinned, we all stand as transgressors of God’s great Law, which is the foundation of His Kingdom, therefore, we deserve the punishment of the second death. There is nothing that we can do to save ourselves. Like our first parents in Eden, making our own fig leaf garments will do us no good. Who can save us from this body of death and corruption?
When we truly sit and analyse the facts, it is a solemn thought, but praise be to God on high, who, even though we have fallen short of His glory, has made a way that we can be saved from this death and destruction.
“I am the way….” Jesus says in John 14:6.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
John 3:16-17 NKJV
It was God the Father, who so loved His created beings, Adam & Eve and their posterity, that He provided the Way to bridge the gap between Himself and fallen humanity. It was through His Son, Jesus Christ that mankind could be redeemed, for if it was not for Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, we would have been doomed.
Friends, we cannot separate the Law and the Gospel as many Christians try to do today, using many Scriptures out of context to justify disobedience to God’s Commandments. Sin is the very transgression or breaking of God’s Law, and it was because of this transgression, that Christ came to die. He upheld what the Law required, and that was the death of the transgressor, for if the Law was unimportant, why then did Christ need to die? He took all our transgressions upon Him, and He gave His life in our place. Ponder upon this solemn thought.
It is Christ who saves us, and not we ourselves, woe to them who reject Christ and His mercy.
“All we like sheep have gone astray;
Isaiah 53:6 NKJV
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
The LORD has placed the sins of all humanity upon His Son, and if we believe that Christ Jesus came to this earth that we might be saved, if we accept the atoning merits of His Blood, which was shed for us upon Calvary, we might have life, and have it more abundantly.
Christ came to this earth in the form of a man, bearing the weaknesses of man. He veiled His Divinity with humanity, putting on flesh and blood, that He may know what it is to endure sin, what it is to feel pain, and to be buffeted with the temptations of the enemy, yet despite all this He never once sinned.
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
Hebrews 4:15 KJV
He is the spotless Lamb of God, who, through total trust in His Father, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, overcame sin. He lived the life that we should have lived on our behalf and through Him, eternal life can be received. Now, as our Great High Priest, He sits at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us, pleading His righteous Blood for us and granting us the power to be victorious over the temptations of satan.
This my friends truly is good news! This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and it is this Gospel, which must be preached to every kindred, nation, tongue and people upon the earth, for all must have a chance to hear this great message of salvation “and this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” Matthew 24:14 KJV.
We are all lost, but through Christ we may be found, we are all blind, but through Him we may see. I counsel you to buy from Him, the righteous robe of His character and be clothed in His righteousness.
“Christ was offered once, to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for Him, shall He appear the Second time apart from sin for salvation, therefore, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?” Hebrews 9:28;2:3
Reader, you have heard the Gospel, therefore harden not your heart any longer, for soon the door of mercy shall be closed and Christ shall come to save His people and to destroy the rejectors of His saving grace.
Choose ye this day, whom you will serve!
Loud Cry Compendium
Loud Cry Compendium 