:: THE TRUE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST ::
In this modern times, i have seen that many churches preach the gospel, their own gospel. Today, christian tend to sell christianity as a product- "come, believe in Jesus and you will get blessed". I hear this very disturbing statement-"all you have to do is believe in Jesus, that He came and died for you, accept Him as your saviour and you'll be saved"
Do you see anything wrong with this kind of statements?
I do. Whatever happened to repentance?
"Wow! There are so many that came forward for salvation tonight!" (The multitude applauds.) "Now, it is very simple. You just repeat this little prayer after Me, and then you're a Christian! Now it doesn't really matter whether you fully understand the prayer . . . it works just the same. Now ready? Repeat after Me... 'Dear Jesus... Come into my heart...'"and so on ...
You bring your friend to church, and he gets saved. He prays the sinner's prayer (without a single mention of the word sin) and he goes home, believing he is a new creation and God is going to watch over Him, God is going to bless him.
3 weeks later, he gets dumped by his girlfriend and starts to wonder "is God for real?" His life hasn't really changed.
As you can see, when we try to picture Jesus Himself using our modern methods of evangelism, it seems completely foolish. I think this is a very good test for any method. "Could I see Jesus doing this?" or "Could I see Jesus preaching or teaching this?" Since the Bible tells us, "Walk in the manner that He walked" (I John 2:6), we should always try to compare our actions and message to the Master's.
Jesus gave us the great commission. Mark 16:15 "Go ye into the world, and preach the gospel to every creature"
Before people believe in Jesus, which is the only way to be saved, they need the gospel preached to them.
And what is this gospel Jesus is referring to? the gospel of repentance!
Think about it — what was the first message Jesus delivered, after he emerged from the temptation in the wilderness? Scripture says, in matthew 4:17 "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand"
Jesus called people to repent before he even called them to believe! Mark writes, "…Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:14-15).
Elsewhere Jesus says of his mission, "…I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Matthew 9:13). And he told the Galileans, "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3).
Jesus' gospel was all about repentance!
__________________________________________________________________
John the baptist also preached repentance to prepare Israel for the coming for the Messiah
Matthew 3:1-2 "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand"
Simon Peter, the disciple of Jesus Christ, also preached repentance!
Acts 2:37-38 "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost"
Paul the apostle told the pagans Athenians, and in the presence of king agrippa about repentance.
Acts 17:30 "now commandeth all men every where to repent"
Acts 26:19-20 "I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: but shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance"
___________________________________________________________________
The gospel of repentance is the true, life-changing gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Without repentance, how can sinners realise that they need Christ? That they need to turn to Jesus as their Saviour?
Right now, i see many christians getting "saved". I may get stoned but i can bravely say that they are not genuinely saved at all!
just like how Joshua told the israelites in Joshua 24:19 "You are not able to serve the Lord", I, Joshua Chua also tell you that if we do not repent before God of our sins, we cannot serve Him!!!
Christians only change and become like Christ when they realise their sins and want to change (repent) and they give their life to God.
2 Corinthians 7:10 "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death."
Let us preach the true gospel of Jesus Christ, one that includes repentance!!!
Do you see anything wrong with this kind of statements?
I do. Whatever happened to repentance?
"Wow! There are so many that came forward for salvation tonight!" (The multitude applauds.) "Now, it is very simple. You just repeat this little prayer after Me, and then you're a Christian! Now it doesn't really matter whether you fully understand the prayer . . . it works just the same. Now ready? Repeat after Me... 'Dear Jesus... Come into my heart...'"and so on ...
You bring your friend to church, and he gets saved. He prays the sinner's prayer (without a single mention of the word sin) and he goes home, believing he is a new creation and God is going to watch over Him, God is going to bless him.
3 weeks later, he gets dumped by his girlfriend and starts to wonder "is God for real?" His life hasn't really changed.
As you can see, when we try to picture Jesus Himself using our modern methods of evangelism, it seems completely foolish. I think this is a very good test for any method. "Could I see Jesus doing this?" or "Could I see Jesus preaching or teaching this?" Since the Bible tells us, "Walk in the manner that He walked" (I John 2:6), we should always try to compare our actions and message to the Master's.
Jesus gave us the great commission. Mark 16:15 "Go ye into the world, and preach the gospel to every creature"
Before people believe in Jesus, which is the only way to be saved, they need the gospel preached to them.
And what is this gospel Jesus is referring to? the gospel of repentance!
Think about it — what was the first message Jesus delivered, after he emerged from the temptation in the wilderness? Scripture says, in matthew 4:17 "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand"
Jesus called people to repent before he even called them to believe! Mark writes, "…Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:14-15).
Elsewhere Jesus says of his mission, "…I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Matthew 9:13). And he told the Galileans, "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3).
Jesus' gospel was all about repentance!
__________________________________________________________________
John the baptist also preached repentance to prepare Israel for the coming for the Messiah
Matthew 3:1-2 "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand"
Simon Peter, the disciple of Jesus Christ, also preached repentance!
Acts 2:37-38 "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost"
Paul the apostle told the pagans Athenians, and in the presence of king agrippa about repentance.
Acts 17:30 "now commandeth all men every where to repent"
Acts 26:19-20 "I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: but shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance"
___________________________________________________________________
The gospel of repentance is the true, life-changing gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Without repentance, how can sinners realise that they need Christ? That they need to turn to Jesus as their Saviour?
Right now, i see many christians getting "saved". I may get stoned but i can bravely say that they are not genuinely saved at all!
just like how Joshua told the israelites in Joshua 24:19 "You are not able to serve the Lord", I, Joshua Chua also tell you that if we do not repent before God of our sins, we cannot serve Him!!!
Christians only change and become like Christ when they realise their sins and want to change (repent) and they give their life to God.
2 Corinthians 7:10 "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death."
Let us preach the true gospel of Jesus Christ, one that includes repentance!!!
Lord, if it pleases you, it pleases me. @
12:35 AM
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