What Is Your Response To The Gospel?

Two scenarios that always happen…

I sat a young man down in my living room sometimes ago and started talking to him about Jesus. This guy had tattoo on his body and was nicknamed ‘Nigga’ in the vicinity he resided. After telling him about the ‘eternal salvation’ in Christ Jesus which washes away all his ‘lifetime sins’ and makes him a new creation with an empowerment to live a victorious Christian life, this guy got so emotional and opened up to me that he has never heard the gospel preached in such way! He further said, he practically avoids preachers coming to him to talk to him and also stopped attending Christian gatherings because he knows he is a sinner and he is not finding it easy overcoming his moral failures. We prayed together that night and he was filled with a kind of serious overwhelming Joy!

Recently, this young man was telling me about how he no longer jokes with church attendance and also already planning his wedding to be in few months from now as a result of his hatred for sexual immorality. He was joyed that God has been so good to him and he’s so willing to serve him. Wow! This was someone that I told that his future sins are already forgiven in Christ Jesus!

The second scenario…

I once explained the eternal redemption in Christ Jesus to a ‘Christian’.  Heresy…you are telling people to go and be sinning…this ‘your’ gospel is another gospel…stop this thing…bla bla bla… Funnily, this guy (from my observation) is dealing with sexual immorality! Can you just imagine!!! When a sinner heard the gospel, the response is: thank you Jesus for this unimaginable love just to set me free!

When a self-righteous person hears the gospel, the response is: Heresy! You are misleading people! Bla bla bla…

These scenarios remind me of the words of Christ to the religious people of His days:

‘…I tell you the truth, CORRUPT TAX COLLECTORS AND PROSTITUTES will get into the Kingdom of God before you do…’ (Matt 21:31)

Now listen carefully: Paul was very careful to point out to us what the gospel does:

‘…But now we have BEEN RELEASED FROM THE LAW, having died to that by which we were bound, SO THAT WE SERVE IN NEWNESS of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter…’ (Romans 7:6)

People want to serve God in the newness of the spirit …but they don’t want to agree that they have been RELEASED FROM THE LAW! Why are people so proud? They want to have a part to do in their salvation. Why are you disturbed that I told sinners that they are eternally forgiven in Christ? Is it your gospel? Paul preached in the synagogue using these words:

‘…Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through JESUS FORGIVENESS OF SINS IS PROCLAIMED to you, and through Him EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IS FREED FROM ALL THINGS, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses…’ (Acts 13:38-39)

Can you go on evangelism and use those exact words???

‘…through Him EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IS FREED (justified) FROM ALL THINGS…’

From how many things??? What was the effect?

‘…the people KEPT BEGGING that THESE THINGS MIGHT BE SPOKEN to them the next Sabbath…’ (Acts 13:42)

Can you just imagine the transformation this gospel caused? As usual, guess the people who were annoyed by this gospel?

‘…But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and BEGAN CONTRADICTING THE THINGS SPOKEN BY PAUL, and were blaspheming…’ (Acts 13:45)

Wow! The religious folks won’t allow the gospel to be preached. The gospel that came to set them free! It was too much for them to handle! I can almost hear them telling Paul and his assistant: ‘…How can you say once they believe, they are justified from ALL things…don’t you know you are giving them license to sin…bla bla bla!

In fact, see what they eventually did to Paul and his team,

‘…The Jews, however, incited the religious women of prominence and the leading men of the city. They STIRRED UP PERSECUTION against Paul and Barnabas and DROVE THEM OUT OF THEIR DISTRICT…’ (Acts 13:50)

…simply for preaching the true gospel! Don’t be ashamed of the gospel! Don’t be scared to tell them about what Jesus did for them. What we preach is the complete ‘forgiveness of sins which is in Christ Jesus to anyone who will simply believe’! (Acts 13:38, Luke 24:47, Acts 10:43) That is the gospel.

I hate sin and I don’t support a sinful lifestyle at all! But I know from scriptures and experience that the power to sin no more lies in believing the gospel of NO CONDEMNATION! (John 8:11) That is how God designed holiness to be derived in the New Testament. (1Cor 1:18-25, Romans 4:5)

Don’t be a ‘pha-ri-see’ who is always ‘far-to-see’ that the gospel has the ability to make people live a very holy life. Neither be a ‘Sad-du-cee’ who is always ‘Sad-to-see’ people know they are eternally forgiven.

The NEWNESS OF LIFE which we all want people to have is only possible when they understand that they have been delivered from the LAW! (Romans 7:6)

Therefore stick to the TRUE gospel and see lives being transformed before your very eyes.

Amen.