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The
Gospel: The Power Of God
Jesus told His disciples to “go into all the world
and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)
“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel
to every creature.’ ” NKJV What was that “gospel”? It was the
good news that salvation was offered through Jesus Christ. God
doesn’t want anyone to be lost. (II Peter 3:9) “The Lord
is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is
longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that
all should come to repentance.” NKJV Scripture further reveals
that there is only one gospel which is referred to as the “one
faith” in Ephesians 4:5. “one Lord, one faith, one baptism;”
NKJV The apostle Paul also declared the uniqueness of the
gospel of Christ. (Galatians 1:6-8) “I marvel that you are
turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ,
to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who
trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if
we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than
what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” NKJV The
gospel is God’s power to save mankind. (Romans 1:16-17)
“in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ,
according to my gospel. Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on
the law, and make your boast in God,” NKJV (I Corinthians
1:18) “ For the message of the cross is foolishness to those
who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of
God,” NKJV One way to summarize the content of this gospel is
that it contains facts to believe, commands to obey, and promises to
receive.
Body:
I.
Facts to Believe
·
Christ died for our sins on the cross. (I
Corinthians 15:1-3) “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel
which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you
stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which
I preached to you – unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to
you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for
our sins according to the Scriptures,” NKJV His death was
prophesied in the Old Testament. (Isaiah 53:4-6) “Surely
He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him
stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our
transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement
for our peace was upon Him, And by His striped we are healed. All
we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his
own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” NKJV
Jesus died so we might live. (I Peter 2:24-25) “who
Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having
died to sins, might live for righteousness – by whose stripes you
were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now
returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” NKJV
·
Christ was raised from the dead. (I Corinthians
15:4) “and that He was buried, and that He rose again the
third day according to the Scriptures,” NKJV This was for our
justification. (Romans 4:25) “who was delivered up
because of our offenses, and was raised because of our
justification.” NKJV
·
Christ is reigning over His Kingdom from heaven.
(Ephesians 1:20-23) “which He worked in Christ when He raised
Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly
places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion,
and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that
which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave
Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the
fullness of Him who fills all in all.” NKJV Also Revelation
11:15 “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud
voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become
the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign
forever and ever!’ ” NKJV
·
Christ will return one day. (Acts 1:10-11)
“And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up,
behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, ‘Men
of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same
Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like
manner as you saw Him go into heaven’ ” NKJV He will come to
judge the world. (Acts 17:31) “because He has appointed
a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man
whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by
raising Him from the dead.” NKJV
II.
Commands to Obey
·
One must believe that Jesus is the risen Son of God.
(John 8:24) “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your
sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your
sins.” NKJV (Romans 10:9)
·
One must confess his faith in Christ. (Romans
10:9-10) “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus
and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you
will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto
righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation.” NKJV
·
One must repent. (Luke 13:3) “I tell you,
no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” NKJV
(Acts 3:19) “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins
may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the
presence of the Lord,” NKJV
·
One must be baptized for the forgiveness of his sins.
(Acts 2:37-38) “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the
heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and
brethren, what shall we do?’ Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and
let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit.’ ” NKJV (Acts 22:16) “And now why are you
waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on
the name of the Lord.” NKJV
·
Then one must live faithful to the end.
(Revelation 2:10) “Do not fear any of those things which you
are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of
you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have
tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you
the crown of life.” NKJV The possibility of losing one’s faith
is very real. (Hebrews 3:12-14) “Beware, brethren, lest
there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from
the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called
‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of
sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the
beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,” NKJV
III.
Promises to Receive
·
Forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38) “Then
Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in
the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” NKJV (I John 1:9)
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” NKJV
·
All spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3)
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in
Christ,” NKJV
·
Eternal life in heaven (Romans 6:22-23)
“But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of
God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting
life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal
life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” NKJV (Mark 10:29-30) “So
Jesus answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one
who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or
wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall
not receive a hundredfold now in this time – houses and brothers and
sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions – and
in the age to come, eternal life.’ ” NKJV
Conclusion:
The gospel is truly God’s power to save. This
salvation is a gift by God’s grace. (Romans 3:23-24) “for all
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified
freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”
NKJV
Bobby Stafford
May 8, 2016
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The
church of Christ
