There Is A Message That We Must Proclaim: The Gospel

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.  To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.  To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.  I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.

Insights: Yesterday we learned about the three reasons we need to own this goal of proclamation.  Today, we will examine the three parts which make up the gospel.  The first part of the gospel is we are all sinners.  The Scriptures tell us we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  It is imperative for people to understand they are sinners and they have a fallen sin state which separates them from the Lord.  The Father, however, did not leave us abandoned in our state of sin.  He knew a provision needed to be made to restore the relationship between Himself and humanity.  As a result, God provided a substitute for our sin in the person of His Son, Jesus.  The Old Testament tells us all things are cleansed by blood and there is no remission of sins without the shedding of blood.  In order to make a perfect sacrifice which was sufficient for the remission of all sin, required a perfect sacrifice.  The only One perfect was God Himself, and therefore, He came in the person of Jesus.  Jesus was fully God and fully man at the same time.  He lived the sinless life and shed His blood to pay our sin debt.  He was God’s provision for us.  There is still one last part of the gospel and that is repentance.  We must receive this gift and accept God’s gift of grace.  The evidence of our reception of the gospel is a turning from our way of sin and rebellion to that of obedience, love and devotion to the Lord of grace.  If you are one who has never received Jesus as your Lord and Savior it is as simple as praying and asking Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to come into your life.  Once He does, you are then to listen and obey Him as Lord of your life and this plays out in the form of repentance from your previous life of sin.

Questions:

1. Have you ever encountered God’s provision for your sin?

2. Have you ever repented of your sin and received the free gift of eternal life through Jesus?

Prayer: Father, grant me the boldness to share all the aspects of the gospel with those around me.  Amen.