Paul once wrote to the Corinthians,
“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.” [2 Cor 11:3]
The gospel is to be as Paul also says we should live: “in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God.” [2 Cor 1:12] It is a simple gospel, summarized succinctly by God, who wrote through Paul,
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which you have also received, and wherein you stand; by which also you are saved, if you keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless you 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.” [1 Cor 15:1-4]
Again, as it is written, “the word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart; that is, the word of faith, which we preach;” [Rom 10:8] and which word of faith proclaims simply,
“That if you shall confess with your mouth The Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man continues to believe unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession continues to be made unto salvation. For the scripture says, whosoever is believing on Him shall not be ashamed…for the same Lord is rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of The Lord shall be saved.” [Rom 10:9-13]
The gospel is simple: Jesus died for your sins and rose again. He lives today and calls you unto Himself through His great act of unsurpassable love. The question is: will you believe? Will you accept? The offer remains open to you today; this day, at this very moment, you have a great window of opportunity to call out to the only one who can save you. But tomorrow is uncertain. As it says,
“I have heard you in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation I have helped you: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” [2 Cor 6:2]
Yes, dear reader, “to day if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts,” [Heb 3:15] for you may not hear Him tomorrow; truly, you may never receive another chance; as it is written, “seek The LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.” [Isa 55:6] Return to your God today, dear man; I urge you, repent from your wicked ways. “Repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of The Lord.” [Acts 3:19] You have heard the gospel, that glorious and good news which was brought to us through Jesus Christ. Indeed, “the grace of God that brings salvation” [Titus 2:11] has appeared to you today; therefore, believe; therefore, follow Jesus. Again, good man, hear it once more: Christ loves you – Jesus died for your soul! Why will you die, dear reader? When will you cease to pervert the ways of The Lord? Why will you continue on in death? Repent and believe in the God who loves you and cares for you, for apart from Christ Jesus there is no life; as He says clearly,
“Turn unto me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” [Isa 45:22]
You cannot find salvation in any other, “neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” [Acts 4:12] And Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no man comes to The Father, but by me.” [Jn 14:6] Do not be hardhearted any longer, for Jesus offers you salvation and no other; Jesus offers you life and none other. As Jesus said,
“Enter you in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which are going in thereat: because narrow is the gate, and hard is the way, which leads to life, and few there be that find it.” [Mt 7:13-14]
And let us be reminded once more: that salvation is not of works. You may think yourself a good person, even a righteous person. You may do good deeds, serve at the church, attend church meetings, and even read The Bible on occasion. Yes, you may do all these things, but let me frankly and seriously tell you the truth, dear reader: none of those things shall save you. Truly, if you trust in your works, in what you do, you shall be damned when Christ comes; you shall go to hell, for as it says again, “all our righteousnesses are as a menstruous cloth;” [Isa 64:6] and, “by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” [Gal 2:16] If you trust in your deeds, you shall die; for, “the just shall live by faith.” [Gal 3:11] If you find your righteousness and merit in your own works, or your own ability to obey God’s rules, then you shall be utterly cast off and found to be an abhorrence of God in the end. [Dan 12:2] For, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law.” [Gal 5:4] Again, I urge you dear reader, cease from your own works for righteousness; “for he that is entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from His, [when He rested the seventh day].” [f.f., Heb 4:10] And as it says regarding a man’s salvation, that it is of grace and not of works,
“But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, has made us alive together with Christ, (by grace you are saved;) and has raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” [Eph 2:4-9]
Therefore, reader, I pray you would be urged this day to accept God’s offer to you: believe in His Son Jesus and so be saved. Believe and live your life for Him, for He loves you and died for you; and He is seated in heaven today, “into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for [you],” if you so believe. [Heb 9:24] And upon accepting His offer you shall be “translated into the kingdom of His dear Son,” [Col 1:13] having been “washed…from [your] sins in His own blood,” [Rev 1:5] being made “unto…God kings and priests.” [Rev 5:10] The Lord Jesus offers you a new heart and a new spirit; as it is written regarding “the New Testament in [Jesus’] blood,” [Lk 22:20]
“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.” [Ezek 36:26]
Through Christ every blessing of God shall be opened unto you, for “all the promises of God in Him are yes, and in Him amen, unto the glory of God by us.” [2 Cor 1:20] That which includes adoption into God’s family; as He says to those in Jesus,
“For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received The Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself bears witness with your spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.” [Rom 8:15-17]
And that which includes freedom from sin, from Satan, and from this world. It is Jesus Christ alone, through the power of His Spirit which is given to a man at salvation, by which one can obtain victory over their flesh. That is, victory over the passions and lusts of the body: whether that be anger, lust, cursing, bitterness, lack of self control, or any such thing. As Paul cried out and answered, “o wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord..” [Rom 7:24-25] Jesus says regarding the former,
“If you continue in my word, then you are my disciples indeed; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free…Verily, verily, I say unto you, whosoever continues to commit sin is the servant of sin…If The Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” [Jn 8:31-32, 34, 36]
In Corinthians, we are promised, “therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.” [2 Cor 5:17] Through salvation, through that simple clinging to Christ Jesus – believing in Him and His work – a man is saved and made into a new creature. That old life, that old man, is cast away, and that saved man, having been given a new heart and new spirit, is a new creature. As Jesus said, “verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” [Jn 3:3] Jesus does not offer reformation: He offers transformation, regeneration. He offers you a completely and utterly new life; as it says, a new creature. And not only does Jesus offer you a new life, but a life free from condemnation. As it is written,
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after The Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after The Spirit.” [Rom 8:1-4]
That glorious blessing of forgiveness is found in Jesus Christ alone, who forgives us of all sin. Yes, as David said, “blessed is the man to whom The Lord will not impute sin;” [Rom 4:8] and God has, to those who once were “dead in [their] sins and the uncircumcision of [their] flesh… forgiven [them] all trespasses.” [Col 2:13] Through Jesus, “all that believe are justified from all things;” [Acts 13:39] as God promised, “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” [Jer 31:34]
So what say you, good man? What say you, dear reader? Have you seen Christ upon the cross? Have you seen Him there, bloody and hanging for your sins? Come, look upon His disfigured body, crushed for your sins, and see that He loves you still. Have you seen, as the angel admonished, the place where The Lord used to lay, but does no longer? Have you seen that empty tomb? What say you? Do you believe? Believe in The Lord Jesus and so be saved; for there is no other way of salvation, and there is no other gospel, and there is no other Jesus. Believe and so be saved. Amen.