“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV
Imagine trying to buy a white shirt, only to be told by the seller, “I don’t have pure white now, but I have one that is nearly white, would that work?” The keywords in this statement are “pure” and “near”. This suggests that in moments of desperation or urgency, you might settle for something that is “almost” white instead of “pure” white.
The term, ‘”almost”, is one of Satan’s most dangerous weapons of twisting the truth. One of the marks of Christian maturity is the ability to discern between what is true and what is almost true.
The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16), and no attempt should be made to add or subtract from it. when it comes to what the Gospel truly is. Let’s discuss what the Gospel is not.
Firstly, the Gospel is not about what we must do or how we must live to be right with God. Instead, the Gospel is about what Jesus has done for us, which we could not do for ourselves—He bore the wrath of God that we should have suffered. As our anchor verse emphasizes, we cannot earn it; it is a free gift of His grace.
Secondly, the Gospel is not a message of condemnation. The Gospel is good news, one that inspires gratitude and awe of God in the heart of everyone who hears it.
Although there is a warning in the message that anyone who does not believe is condemned (John 3:18); the good news is that Jesus has made a way for us to escape that condemnation and to experience eternal life in Him with God forevermore.
Furthermore, the Gospel is not just one of many options for salvation; it is the only way. Jesus did not go through such a gruesome death to be one of the ways to be saved. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).
Lastly, the Gospel is not a system of rules and practices that demands strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline to be saved. (Galatians 5:11-12, Colossians 2:20-23). It centers on the crucifixion, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ—acts He accomplished for our sake.
This is not merely a matter of semantics. Preserving the truth of the Gospel is critical, as it determines the eternal destiny of humanity. We must contend for the faith and pass on the true Gospel to generations that come after us (1 Corinthians 15:1-8, Jude 1:3).
Bible Reading Plan: Judges 6-7; Mark 2:1-22