The Gospel--Sin separates us from God, we all have sinned, we were born sinners, Adam sinned in the garden and due to his sin against God it has past down to all being born with a sin nature. JESUS CHRIST who is God in the flesh, the second person of the Trinity, came into His own creation born of a virgin without a sin nature, lived in complete obedience to God the Father, not once did He sin. Willfully went to the cross and laid down His life so that sinners like you and I could be reconciled back to God, JESUS died on the cross was buried and rose again the third day. JESUS said you must be born again or you cannot see the kingdom of God. Repent ( which means change of mind, turning from ) of your sins and believe in JESUS by grace through faith and you will receive eternal life.
Many unbelievers in this world need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Sadly many professing believers don’t know the gospel of Jesus Christ. Which is one of the reasons I hosts evangelism outreaches, to help teach people how to share the gospel, in some cases, those who have come out to share the gospel have realized they weren’t Christians and got saved, others have grown in their faith and understanding of Gods word by being around others to learn from and grow. Don’t be comfortable in your Christianity, if you can’t articulate or explain the gospel ask yourself why? Could it be you don’t know it? Could it be no one around you is helping you develop by discipling you? Could it be you are pretending? A Christian is a disciple of Christ Jesus, a disciple is a learner, a learner is always seeking to learn. Don’t just be comfortable with a once a week Christianity on Sunday mornings, Christianity is not just church attendance on the Lords day, its a life style of worship lived out daily. Some people sit in churches for 30-40 years and are as lost and dead in their faith as the unbeliever who never attends a church their whole life, because salvation is found in Christ not church attendance, and Christ radically transforms the heart of a believer, a Christian doesn’t stay in a state of dead faith they have a living faith and active faith and they will be a witness for their faith in Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote to those in Corinth to examine themselves to be sure they are truly in the faith. 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! There are many people who are trusting in their church membership as proof of their salvation and as I have already said salvation is found in Christ not church attendance nor membership. This in no way is to take away from the importance of being in membership to a local church, that is vitally important to the life of a believer in Christ, the point here is not to base your salvation upon the fact that you hold membership at a local church. Far to many people that we talk to on the streets while out sharing the gospel have said, "I am a Christian, I belong to such and such church", and when asked what the gospel is they fail to articulate it or to even give it in a basic understanding. During our college evangelism tour, we began a conversation with a student who said he was a Christian and in fact, he was studying to go into the ministry as a pastor, he was from a Methodist church in our city of Elyria. When we asked him how is someone saved, he literally could not give us an answer. Is this the type of men we want to bring in to the pulpit to teach and preach the Word of God and have no idea what the gospel of Jesus Christ is? I say, absolutely not! A man must first be a believer before he is called in the ministry to preach, and if a man be called to preach, he better take that calling seriously, because that is a high calling on a mans life from God. 2 Timothy 2:1-2 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. The man called to preach God's Word will be held to a higher standard for expounding upon the Word of God and teaching those under his preaching. James 3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. We cannot assume that just because someone attends church or says they are a Christian that it means they truly are a Christian. Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ How do you know if your a Christian, ask yourself these questions. 1. Do you enjoy having fellowship with Christ and His redeemed people? (1 John 1:3) 2. Would people say you walk in the light, or walk in the darkness? (1 John 1:6-7) 3. Do you admit and confess your sin? (1 John 1:8) 4. Are you obedient to God's Word? (1 John 2:3-5) 5. Does your life indicate you love God rather than the world? (1 John 2:15) 6. Is your life characterized by "doing what is right"? (1 John 2:29) 7. Do you seek to maintain a pure life? (1 John 3:3) 8. Do you see a decreasing pattern of sin in your life? (1 John 3:5-6) [Note: this refers to not continuing in sin as a way of life, not a total absence of sin.] 9. Do you demonstrate love for other Christians? (1 John 3:14) 10. Do you "walk the walk," versus just "talking the talk"? (1 John 3:18-19) 11. Do you maintain a clear conscience? (1 John 3:21) 12. Do you experience victory in your Christian walk? (1 John 5:4) If they seem to be a believer but just lack knowledge than our goal should be to help them along the way in truth. John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. Being a Christian is not based on good works, church attendance or membership. It is based upon being in Christ, which will produce Christ likeness, you will desire to do good works because we were created for them. Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Also you will desire to be in a local church body of believers and not forsake it. Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. The Lord works through and has given gifts to the Church by those whom He has called to lead and teach His Church to grow and to protect us from false teaching. Ephesians 4:11-14 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. And seek to be in membership, active and utilizing your spiritual gifts for building up other believers. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. Romans 4:19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. I write this out of love for the LORD and care and compassion for the lost and/or deceived, who believe themselves to be right with God based upon the things I mentioned other than in Christ alone. Grace and Peace Ricky Gantz
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