The Gospel

“Now that you’re not living in Haiti anymore what are you blogging about?”

I’m at a Hungry for Life staff event and the question is posed by one of Jason’s colleagues. Conversations swirl around us as my mind races to come up with an appropriate response.  “The Gospel.” I finally respond. “It’s the one thing that I feel most passionate about.”

The following days I keep thinking about it and the words Paul wrote to the Romans come to mind.

Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.  Romans 10:1

And you know what? I can totally relate. I have so many family and friends and acquaintances that have never personally looked to Jesus for their salvation that it makes my heart feel heavy.

The gospel is so simple.

“To believe what God says, to do what God commands, to take that salvations which God provides—this is man’s highest and best wisdom. Open your Bible. It is the pilgrim’s guide, in which God describes the glory yet to be revealed. This is the one message of the gospel, ‘Believe and live.’ Trust in the incarnate Saviour, whom God appointed to stand in the place of sinners. Trust in Him and you shall be saved.” (C.H. Spurgeon)

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:18

Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

John 12:48

He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. (Jesus)

John 1:12

But as many as received Him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:

John 3:14-15

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

“The method is simply a word from Him and a look from you, and all is done. You have only to trust in Jesus and you are saved; made a new creature in an instant; set on your feet again to start a new life with a new power within you, which shall conquer sin.” (C.H. Spurgeon)

John 3:16-17

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

“The gospel is preached to you, and God has not sent it with the intention that after you have heard it you should seek mercy and not find it. God does not tantalize, he does not mock the son of men. He asks you to come to Him. Repent and believe and you shall be saved. If you come with a broken heart, trusting in Christ, there is no possibility that He will reject you; otherwise he would not have sent the gospel to you.” (C.H. Spurgeon)

John 6:37b Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.

John 6:40 And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name.

1 John 1:2-3

(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

“We who bear this testimony claim to be believed. We are not liars. Not even for God’s honour would we palm a pious fraud upon you. We have felt in ourselves the healing power of Christ. We have seen it, and see it every day, in the cases of others, in persons of all ranks, and of all ages. All who have obeyed the word of Jesus have been made new creatures by his power. It is not one or two of us who bear this witness; there are hundreds of thousands who certify to the self-same fact. There are persons high and low, who could say, ‘We too are witnesses that Christ can heal the soul.’” (C.H. Spurgeon)

“Here, then, is the marvel – that those who know this do not immediately throng to Christ to obtain the self-same blessing. The behavior of those of whom we read in the Gospels was a rational one. They heard that Christ had healed many, and their practical logic was, ‘let us be healed too!’ Where is He? Let us reach Him.” (C.H. Spurgeon)

“But now men seem to have taken leave of their reason. They know that the blessing is available, an eternal blessing not to be weighed with gold, nor compared with diamonds and yet they turn their back upon it!” (C.H. Spurgeon)

“I know that I, too, once belied Him; when I felt my sins to be a great burden I said within myself, ‘I will go to Jesus, but perhaps He will reject me.’ I thought I had much to feel and to do to make myself ready for Him, and I therefore did this and that, but the more I did the worse I became. I was like the woman who spent her money on physicians and did not get better, but rather grew worse. I fully understood that there was life in a look at Christ, that all I needed was to simply trust, to come as I was and put my case into His dear pierced hands, and leave it there, yet I still did not think it could be so; it seemed so simple—how could it be true? I thought when I came to Him He would say to me, ‘Sinner, you have rejected Me so long, you have mocked Me by saying prayers which you did not feel; you have been a hypocrite and joined with God’s people in singing My praises when you did not praise Me in your heart.’ I thought He would chide me and bring ten thousand sins to my remembrance. Instead of that, it took only a word, and it was all done. I looked to Him, the burden was gone." (C.H. Spurgeon)

Psalm 71:15a My mouth shall show forth Thy righteousness and Thy salvation all the day;