"For I am not ashamed of the
gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one
that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For
therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it
is written, The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:16,
17).
The word "gospel" means
"good news". From Matthew through Revelation, almost 100
times, the one gospel is mentioned in one of these ways: the gospel, the
gospel of Christ, the gospel of Jesus Christ, the gospel of God.
Jesus tells us, in Mark 16:15, that when a man preaches, he is to preach
the gospel, so that the hearers may be saved.
As it was then, so is it today:
to be saved, one must believe and obey the gospel. Today, God’s
words, written by men chosen by God, are preserved for us to read,
study, and learn, so we may obey the same gospel. A sad fact is
revealed in 2 Peter 2:1-3: "But there were false prophets
also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you,
who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that
bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many
shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth
shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with
feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a
long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not."
That this is true today, there can be no doubt. A drive through
our area will show that each religious meetinghouse displays a different
name. The names are not different because each group teaches and
obeys the same gospel. Rather, it is because the gospel has been,
and is being, perverted, as Paul stated in Galatians 1:6-9: "I
marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the
grace of Christ unto another gospel; which is not another, but there be
some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But
though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you
than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As
we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel
unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed".
In the weeks to come, your writer will be challenging each reader, as
well as himself, to prove one’s faith and practice by the true and
pure gospel of Christ!
Because it is essential that each person study the Bible for himself, you are invited to request a free, by-mail Bible study course. Even the postage is paid.