{Let’s Proclaim The Gospel to The World}

Paul opens the book of Romans proclaiming his privilege and his duty to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. After greeting the beloved of Rome, he immediately proclaims that he is not ashamed of the gospel, {Romans 1:16}

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also the Greek.

Today we are going to wrap up this weeks study in Lesson 19{Romans Chapter 6} like Paul unashamed to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. In Romans 6:16 Paul makes a distinction between a believer and an unbeliever. Also in Romans 8:5-8 he again describes an unbeliever and moves on into verse 9-11 describing the believer. Why does Paul write this way?

I believe it is for the following reasons. There are many  more reasons but for today, I am going to narrow it down to three.

1. This letter is written to the CHURCH, the people of God, the body of Christ. The truths of the gospel are being taught to the believers. At conversion, the new believer does not know all that the gospel teaches. In order to grow we are to be continually in the word teaching and preaching the gospel to ourselves. The Gospel is for us!
2. Today and  in Paul’s day,  there are and have been those who sit in the pews, chairs, stone  or dirt floors of the “Church building” who are NOT a part of the Church. This gospel that Paul is not ashamed to preach is for them. The unbeliever. I use to think that because someone darkened the door of the church building that they were in fact, a believer. It is hard to imagine that there are people who are at church meetings every time the door opens that are not true believers. A church goer does not a Christian make. This gospel is for them!
3. Then there are those that do not attend church, our neighbors, family members, friends, and acquaintances. They do not even pretend to know the gospel, they do not have a desire to hear the gospel. They do not know they need the gospel. They are the unbelievers outside the walls of the church building. This gospel is for them!

I have written a small article that breaks down the basics of the Gospel. Today I am going to share that with you. At the end of this post you will find a link to a Free PDF copy that you may print and use for yourself, if you like.

• Use it to preach the gospel to yourself.
• Use it as a tool to preach and teach the gospel to those who attend your church services.   
• Use to preach the gospel to those who are outside your church building.

What is the Gospel

The Gospel is the Good News of Jesus Christ! It addresses and answers the biggest problem man has. God is Holy and Just. Man is not. One day we will stand before a Holy and just God and be judged according to my righteousness. The greatest and foremost Commandment is to, “Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Matthew 27:37-38. Man does not love God with all their heart, soul or mind. Man loves himself with all his heart, soul and mind.

The Character of God

GOD IS HOLY;

Habakkuk 1:13 teaches, “Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You cannot look on wickedness with favor.

Isaiah 59:2 teaches, “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and Your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.

Because of God’s Holiness He cannot look on man’s wickedness with favor. He cannot approve the evil of mankind.

GOD IS JUST:

Psalm 7:11-12 teaches, “God is a Righteous judge, and a God who has indignation every day. If a man does not repent He will sharpen His sword; He has bent His bow and made it ready.

Romans 1:18-23 teaches, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.

Because God is Just and cannot go against His own nature, He must punish sin. 

Man Is  Corrupt

Romans 3: 10-12 teaches, “There is none righteous, not even one, There is none who understands, There is none who seek for God: All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good. There is not even one.”

Ephesians 2:1-3 teaches, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”

Titus 3:3 teaches, “For we once were also foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.”

MAN IS UNDER GOD’S CURSE AND WRATH

Galatians 3: 10 teaches, “For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Law to perform them.”

James 2:10 teaches, “For whoever keeps the whole Law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.”

Ephesians 5:6 teaches, “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

The things spoken of in Ephesians 5:6 have been recorded in Ephesians 5:3-5: Immorality, impurity, greed, filthiness, silly talk, coarse jesting, covetousness, and idolatry. Those who practice such things do not have an inheritance in the kingdom of God.

GOD’S AMAZING GRACE

The Scriptures teach that God is Holy and Just but they also teach that He is Love. In Love God has responded to man’s problem. God’s love has been manifested in the Cross of Jesus Christ.

John 3:16 teaches, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

Ephesians 2: 4-5 teaches, “ But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ ( by grace you have been saved)

THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST

Galatians 3:13 teaches, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.”

2 Corinthians 5:21 teaches, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that He might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Isaiah 53:4-6 teaches, “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way, But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.”

MAN’S RESPONSE

Repentance: Recognizing and confessing that what God has said about man is true…we have sinned. The Holy Spirit will open the eyes of the unbeliever that he may see his sin and guilt. Recognition of our sin and guilt will lead to sorrow, hatred, and shamefulness over what we have done.

Psalm 51: 3-4 teaches, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight. So that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge.”

Romans 7:24 teaches, “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from this body of death?

Sincerity of confession and saying a prayer is never definite evidence of genuine repentance! True repentance is a turning away from sin. There is a change. A true Christian is a new creature.

2 Corinthians 5:17 teaches, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold new things come.”

Matthew 7: 16-17 teaches, “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.”

EXAMINE YOURSELF IN THE LIGHT OF SCRIPTURES

A one-time confession is not evidence of true conversion. You must continue to seek God in His word and examine yourself to see if you are in Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 13:5 teaches, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed you fail the test?”

2 Peter 1:10 teaches, “ Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble.”

COUNT THE COST

True salvation is for a lifetime. It is committing your life, everything, your entire life and possessions to Jesus Christ and His Lordship over you.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 teaches, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body You are not your own you have been bought with a price.”

Luke 16:25-33, teaches, “Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, “ If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand?  Or else, while the other is far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.”

MORE HELPFUL RESOURCES

Why is it That Important to Memorize Scripture

Why I recommend the New Inductive Study Bible

I want to Know You… Studying the Attributes of God

Six Important Questions to Ask When You Study the Bible

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