Jesus said, “Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” (John 4:35) At the end of the synoptic gospels, we hear Jesus giving the command to go into all the world and preach the gospel (Matt 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:45-47). What is this gospel? “…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…” (1 Corinthians 15:3-5)
As you read those passages from the synoptic gospels, you find that included in the gospel proclamation there is the call to repentance. The word “gospel” of course means, “Good News.” The apostles took that command of Jesus seriously (Mark 16:19,20). On the day of Pentecost, Peter stood with the other apostles and proclaimed the gospel with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven (1 Peter 1:12; Acts 2:14-39). As you follow the footsteps of the apostles in the book of Acts, you find them faithfully proclaiming the gospel by the power of The Spirit of God.
Thus, the divine pattern for worldwide evangelism and the content of that message is clearly laid out for us in the Scriptures. Unfortunately, the sacred message of “repent and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15) is being replaced by a man-made gospel of ‘accept and receive’. The command to preach the gospel has been turned into a talent show of emotionalism that is void of declaring the reality and seriousness of sin with the call to repentance. To “make” Jesus lovable, we have leaned upon our own understanding and sought to stress the importance of believing apart from the need to repent. Yes, we are called to believe the gospel, but any “belief” that is void of repentance is NOT the gospel (Luke 13:1-5). Paul told the Ephesian elders that he testified both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, “repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 20:21, emphasis added).
What means does God use to bring a person to that place of brokenness and the saving knowledge of His Son Jesus Christ? “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) It is this gospel of “repent and believe” that contains the power to save our souls (Romans 1:16,17).
Life is short, death is sure, sin the cause, Christ The Cure. Hallelujah for the gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone!
