The Message we Preach
U-Turn Required
"When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." -Mark 2:17
Do we have to draw you a picture?
The proper response the Gospel demands is not reciting the sinner's prayer, it's not walking an aisle and noting a date on the back of your Bible. It is when a sinner turns away from their sins and turns towards the Saviour. Christians who understood the character and nature of their new master and the fact that Christ paid a dear price for their sins, they no longer live in the same sinful life style that dominated their old life. A U�turn is required for all those who wish to follow after Christ. It doesn't mean all Christian lives in perfect holiness the minute they are born again, it does mean there should be tangible, radical changes to one's life style. There ought to be sorrow and disgust with one's sin that does not diminish, but increases as we grow in holiness. When we set our eyes on Christ, it always means we leave the sinful world behind us.
And being repentant, Christians must put their total trust in Christ. This means that we no longer try to please God by our own merits and good works, instead we look to the complete and final work of Christ on the cross as the only source of our salvation. It does not mean that we live a life devoid of good works, but our good works are no longer attempts at bribing God on judgment day, instead it flows out our appreciation and love for our God so kind and merciful to save us. We love God's word because it reveals to us the person and character of our new master. We desire to preach the good news to those who are lost, because we remember how we were all once lost, like the world. We worship God because our hearts have been made new.
The Gospel we preach is free, but it's not cheap. The Gospel we preach is open to all, but it's narrow and few find it. The Gospel we preach is not a heavy burden, but it is difficult to believe. The Gospel of God offers the sinner everything, but only if the sinner gives up everything. The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is never politically correct, it is never compromising, it is sometimes offensive and at all times confrontational, it's never popular and always counter culture, it's the only message we are given by which sinners can be saved and all glory belongs to God.
May we all strive to be faithful, to that only Gospel that is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe.
Part 8: The Real Good News