After Jesus had died for our sins, was resurrected and
just before he ascended into heaven, he commanded his apostles in
Mark 16:15-16, "And
he said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every
creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does
not believe will be condemned." Our Lord wanted the gospel preached
to everyone. The word "gospel" literally means good news or good
tidings. In Romans 1:16 the apostle
Paul says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who
believes; for the Jew first, and also for the Greek." So we see
that the gospel of Christ is Godís only power unto salvation. It is by the
gospel or good news that God saves us.
What does the Bible say that
the gospel is that saves us? In I Corinthians
15:1-4, Paul is reminding the church at Corinth about the gospel
when he says, "Moreover, brethren, I declare
unto you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, and
in which you stand; by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that
word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to
you first of all that which I also received; 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." Here we see that
Paul was reminding them of the gospel in which Christ died, and was
buried, and was raised again on the third day. Also notice, they were
saved by the gospel. So the good news of the gospel is the death, burial,
and resurrection of our Lord, as the following chart illustrates.
Illustration by Robert Swain
Why then is the death of Christ good
news? The good news of the death of Christ is that Christ has died for us,
taking our punishment, and now God can be just in saving us. Without his
death we would all be doomed for eternal punishment and no one could be
saved. Even though the death of Christ is a terrible thing to have to
happen, it is good news to us. We read in I John
4:10, "In this is love, not that we
loved God, but that He loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation
for our sins." Christ had to be buried since he died. Then after
three days, Christ was raised up from the dead. We read in
I Corinthians 6:14,
"And God both raised up the Lord, and will also raise
up us by His own power." So why is the resurrection of Christ, the
gospel or good news? The good news of the resurrection of Christ is that
since God was able to raise up Christ, He will also raise us up from the
dead. Jesus says in John 11:25,
"I am the resurrection, and the life. He who believes
in Me, though he may die, he shall live." So the gospel is the
death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is certainly good
news.
In II Thessalonians 1:7-9 we
read that, "When the Lord Jesus is revealed
from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on
those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey not the gospel of
our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction
from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power."
Here we see that vengeance will be taken on those who obey not the gospel
of Christ. The gospel as we have seen is the death, burial, and,
resurrection of our Lord. How do we obey the death, burial and
resurrection of our Lord so that vengeance will not be taken on
us?
We are given the answer of how to obey the gospel in
Romans 6:3-5 which says,
"Or do you not know, that as many of us as were
baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were
buried with Him through baptism into death: that just as Christ was raised
from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in
newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of
His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His
resurrection." So here we see that we are baptized into His death,
we are buried with Him through baptism, and then just as Christ was raised
up from the dead, we also are raised to walk in newness of life after
baptism. There must be a death, burial, and resurrection before this
new life is possible. Only in baptism does our old sinful person die
and our new person rises free from sin. We are transformed from
death to life. We become a new creation.
Illustration by Robert Swain The chart
above illustrates how that in baptism we obey the gospel. That is we obey
a form of His death, burial, and resurrection when we are baptized, so
that vengeance will not be taken on us. Continuing in this sixth chapter
of Romans we read in verses 17-18 (KJV), "But
God be thanked, that you were the servants of sin, but you have obeyed
from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then
made free from sin, you became the servants of righteousness." So,
we see that when people obey that form of doctrine that is a form of the
Lord's death, burial, and resurrection when they are baptized, they are at
that point then made free from the sin and become the servants of
righteousness.
Have you obeyed the gospel by being baptized into His
death, being buried in baptism with him and then being raised with Him up
out of the watery grave of baptism to walk in newness of life? If your
baptism was not for the purpose of making you free from sin so that you
can be saved, then you haven't obeyed the gospel of Christ. You haven't
been made free from sin. As we have already seen, the Lord will take
vengeance on all those who obey not the gospel of Christ. If you haven't
why don't you correct your situation and make things right? Don't put it
off. Satan wants you to put off making it right.
The reason that so
much time and detail has been spent on the subject of baptism in this
course is because of all the different perversions and distortions of
baptism that men have come up with which are different from what God has
said in the Bible. The tragedy is that this will cause people to be lost
in eternally. The gospel is being perverted today just as it was perverted
in the first century. Paul says in Galatians
1:6-8, "I marvel that you are turning
away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different
gospel: which is not another; but there be some who trouble you and want
to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven,
preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him
be accursed."
People pervert the gospel of Christ today when
they attempt to make changes in God's plan to save man to suit themselves.
We have been discussing these perversions throughout this course. It is a
serious matter with God to have his gospel perverted and it will not go
unnoticed. That person will be accursed by God. The person who perverts
the gospel of Christ will be eternally lost and also cause others to be
lost by believing a perverted
gospel.
Questions Lesson
18
Obedience To The
Gospel
(click on the button
of the answer of your choice)
1) (Mark 16:15-16) Jesus wanted the gospel
preached To only a few people. To every creature. To just good
people.
2)
The gospel means good news. 3) (Romans 1:16) The gospel is The power God uses to save everyone who believes. Optional since we can be saved without it. Something all people like to
hear.
4)
Paul was ashamed of the gospel of Christ. 5) (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) The gospel is the good news That all men are going to be saved. That no one is going to be saved. Of the death, burial, and resurrection of
Christ.
6)
We are saved by the gospel. 7) (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9) Vengeance will be taken on Those who do not obey the gospel. Everyone. On no
one.
8)
One will still go to Heaven if he does not obey the gospel. 9) (Romans 6:3-5) We obey the gospel which is the death, burial, and
resurrection of Jesus Christ when we Say the sinners prayer. Accept Jesus as our personal saviour. Are
baptized.
10)
When we are baptized we are raised as a new person free from sin. 11) (Romans 6:17-18) When we obey the form of the death, burial, and
resurrection of Christ when we are baptized, We are not saved. We are not made free from sin. We are then made free from
sin.
12)
We obey a form of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ
when
we are baptized. 13) (Galatians 1:6-8) If a gospel is preached other than what we find in
the
Bible then It is a perverted gospel. It is pleasing to God. It is all
right.
14)
There are many perverted gospels being taught today. 15) (Galatians 1:6-8) One who preaches a perverted gospel Is doing God's will. Will be accursed and lost eternally. Will be saved if he is
sincere.
16)
One who preaches a perverted gospel will cause no one to be lost.