The Crystal Clear Gospel Of Jesus Christ

1st Corinthians 1:17, “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.”

Don't muddy the Gospel. Explain it simply so it can be understood by the hearer.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most significant element of the Christian faith.

Needless to say, the Gospel should be preached at church and I firmly believe at every occasion.

The Apostle Paul separated himself from others according to the clear Gospel message of Christ. Romans 1:1, “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God...” The Gospel is where he divided himself from another.

The clear Gospel message should be the foundation of where a church stands. If one does not get the Gospel saving message correct, then they are likely to err in other understandings of Scripture. ...

Romans 1:16, “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.”

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is made possible through His sinless shed blood—His death, burial, and bodily resurrection—as the full substitute payment which saves a sinner from eternal damnation in the fires of Hell, when believed by faith.

The Apostle Paul plainly defines the Gospel in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4...

1st Corinthians15:1-4, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.”

There you have it! The “Gospel” is the “GOOD NEWS” that Jesus Christ DIED on a cross for our sins, He was BURIED and after three days He physically RESURRECTED from the dead.

If the Gospel is tampered with at all and not explained vividly, it can lose its saving effect. Notice the verses below. ...

1st Corinthians 1:17, “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.”

2nd Corinthians 11:3, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

Galatians 4:5, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”

This is a harsh reality, and a real tragedy which is going on in many so-called “Christian” churches today. These are dangerous religious cults, not New Testament churches. Every Bible-believing church should give a clear presentation of the Gospel, and invitation in the pew to accept Jesus Christ alone as Savior by personal faith.

I’m a stickler for a clear presentation of the Gospel. So should you and every born-again believer be.

Salvation is not a sinner promising to turn from sin, sorrow for sin, or giving their heart and life to Jesus so that He will save them. Salvation has nothing to do with our promises or gifts to Christ. Salvation is simply us accepting Jesus’ satisfactory payment on the cross of Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. We simply trust in Jesus alone to save us (Acts 16:31, Romans 4:5, 1st Corinthians 15:1-4, Ephesians 2:8-9).

Jesus gave His life for us (Galatians 1:4, 1st Timothy 2:6, Titus 2:14); we don’t give anything to Christ for salvation. ...

Galatians 2:21, “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

If we make salvation about us or something we promise to do for God, then salvation is no longer a gift, but we earned it (Romans 4:16, 11:6). A sinner must understand they have nothing to offer Christ, but simply trust in Him alone to save them by accepting His substitutionary payment for their sins.

Salvation is not a reward for the righteous, it is a gift for the guilty!

Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith.

Turning away from sinful ways would be a work. Faith puts all of the merit where it belongs, on the object of our faith, Jesus and His work.

If to “repent” means to forsake our sinful ways TO BE SAVED, but Jesus already paid for our sins by dying on the cross, then what are we repenting from?

No one can turn from sin, which is why Jesus had to die on the cross to pay for our sins.

The true Gospel always points you to CHRIST; a false gospel always points to YOU.

I do not believe I am splitting hairs, because as seen from numerous Scriptures above the Apostle Paul was just as dogmatic. Galatians 1:6-7 plainly teaches that there is only ONE Gospel. It cannot be possible that two plans of salvation exist. So, you either have to be willing to forsake the sinful bad habits in your life to be saved, or you do not, but it simply cannot be both ways to get to Heaven. Jesus Christ Himself said in John 6:28-29 that the only “work” we can do to be saved is to BELIEVE ON HIM. Nothing more is permitted, or else you cannot be saved.

Sadly, Pensacola Christian College (PCC) preaches another gospel of partial faith in Christ plus works to be saved, which cannot produce the new birth. Shame on PCC and their ungodly Campus Church. I fully agree with my ministry friend Michael P. Bowen, who wrote:

I am at eternal odds with the false, counterfeit messages of salvation-by-works that are taught from virtually every pulpit today, on every television channel, and on every Christian radio station; however, I am not at eternal odds with the individuals who preach these counterfeit messages. My heart literally goes out to all of them because they simply do not understand Christ’s plan of salvation. They have been lied to by a crafty enemy named Satan, whose sole aim is to take as many people with him to the lake of fire as he can possibly manage to steal away from God using a counterfeit plan of salvation that appears so real, so genuine, and so holy that few ever realize they have been deceived by it. Oh reader, so many of today’s professing Christians who think they are going to heaven when they die are not going to make it to heaven as they had assumed because they’ve been lied to by today’s error-filled gospel messages.

SOURCE: Michael Patrick Bowen, “I NEVER KNEW YOU,” p. 17; © 2009, Xulonpress.com; Hard Copies Are Available At Amazon

In Paul's Gospel (which Paul said he received directly from Jesus in Galatians 1:12), did you see anything that reads: “follow and obey God's will instead of your self-serving sins.” No, that is not what Paul taught. So why is PCC and their Campus Church promoting this filth? Sad, very said. Michael Bowen is so right, nearly all of today's pulpits, television channels, radio stations, websites and religious colleges are teaching a counterfeit message of salvation-by-works. Dear reader, faith is the only righteous thing that I can do.