Bible Reading: Psalm 146, 147; 1 Corinthians 15;1-29
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand” – 1 Corinthians 15:1 (KJV).
Leaving one church and joining another is not the gospel. It is not just a change of church or place of worship even though it could result to that. Some people erroneously claim that they have embraced the gospel because they honoured the invitation to join Pentecostal Church.
Today, many things go on in the name of the gospel most of which are not by any means related to the gospel. Come to my church and your suffering will end, or join our church and you will not have problem again or you will begin to experience financial prosperity. These are some of the things people preach with the belief that they are preaching the gospel.
The gospel is not about things, it is about person, the person of Jesus. If you preach any other thing (your church, your auditorium, your pastor, your mantle or your vision) other than Jesus, you have missed the message of the gospel. The gospel is centered on Jesus. His ransom and sacrificial death on the cross as atonement for man’s sins, it is about his burial representing the end of the old nature. It is about his victory over Satan, sin and its consequences. It is about his resurrection signifying a new life, a new birth. It is about his satisfying the demands of justice and paying the price for man’s sins, it is about the exchange on the cross for our sins. The gospel is about man’s hopelessness without Christ and the need for a saviour. It is about God’s provision of redemption in Christ.
“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 (KJV). On the cross Jesus took our sins and offered us his righteousness, he was rejected that we might be accepted. By exercising faith in the work of Christ on the cross, his death and resurrection, one receives salvation.
The gospel simply states that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life; that no man comes to the father except through him. Avail yourself of this great provision of salvation in Christ Jesus.
PRAYER: Thank you Lord for so great a salvation.
Rev. Vincent Diolu