KNOW WHAT THE GOSPEL IS WITH CERTAINTY : YOUR ETERNAL DESTINY IS AT STAKE!

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

KNOW WHAT THE GOSPEL IS WITH CERTAINTY : YOUR ETERNAL DESTINY IS AT STAKE!

“He said to them go into all the world and preach the GOSPEL to every creature. He who believes and is baptized [by water and the Holy Spirit] will be SAVED; but he who does not believe [this gospel] will be CONDEMNED [damned, KJV].” Mark 16: 15,16, NKJV.

The first key word here is “gospel” (genuine or counterfeit), followed by “believe” (or not believe), then “saved” (or condemned), in this descending order.

Hereunder are Bible and Testimony references to help you, first, to “make your calling and election sure” (2 Pet. 1:10), and to be “always ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” (1 Pet. 3:15):

BIBLE: “Gospel [Gr. evagellion, ‘good news.’]. The message of Christianity, the message of salvation through Jesus Christ [alone]. This ‘good news’ [everlasting gospel] was revealed in EMBRYO from the beginning (Gen. 3:15; 12:3), but was disclosed MORE FULLY by later Bible writers, especially by ISAIAH, who is sometimes called the ‘gospel prophet’ (see Isa. 49:60-62). Jesus announced His ministry to the people of His own village of Nazareth in the words of Isa. 61: 1, 2 (Luke 4:18,19).

“The ‘good news’ is described as ‘the gospel of Christ’ (Rom. 15: 19; 2 Cor. 4:4, etc), ‘the gospel of God’ (Rom. 1:1), and ‘the gospel of the grace of God’ (Acts 20:24). It is called a ‘mystery’ (Eph. 6:19). The phrase ‘the gospel of the kingdom’ (Matt. 9:35; Mark 1:14, etc.) has reference primarily to the gospel of ‘the kingdom of heaven’ or ‘kingdom of God’ (Matt. 12:28; 13: 24; Mark 1:15; Luke 17:20,21).

“Christ commanded His followers to preach the gospel to ‘every creature’ (Mark 16:15, 16; cf. Matt. 28:19; Acts 1:8). The preaching of the ‘gospel of the kingdom’ to all the world is given as a SIGN of Christ’s coming (Matt. 24:14). In vision John saw an ‘angel’ with the ‘everlasting kingdom’ to preach to ‘every nation, kindred [tribe], and tongue and people’ (Rev. 14:6).

“The use of the term ‘Gospel’ to refer to any of the first 4 books of the NT is extra-biblical. Some see a suggestion of such a use in Mark 1:1.”

TESTIMONY OF SPIRIT OF PROPHECY:
“The gospel is a SYSTEM OF PRACTICAL TRUTHS destined to work great changes in human CHARACTER . If it does not work the transformation in life, in habits, and practices, it is NO TRUTH [and must be of the counterfeit ‘another gospel’] to those who CLAIM to believe it.
Man must be SANCTIFIED through the truth [of the true gospel]. And said Jesus, ‘Thy word is truth’ (John 17:17). UNLESS the truth of God shall LIFT UP MAN OUT OF his depravity, his intemperate and profligate habits, and make him REFLECT the image of God he is LOST.” – E. G. White, Letter 14, March 13, 1885.

(Next up: How is the Plan of Redemption/Salvation of the Gospel Explained in Detail?). Bless all, NMF