A saving gospel
In the Scriptures we read that salvation is the end or purpose of faith. [1] The same is true of the gospel. According to Paul, the greatest gift that the gospel gives to man is the salvation of his soul. God sent his Son into the world so that the world could be saved by him. [2] Through the centuries, salvation has been the glorious theme of the Church and the theme of her greatest hymns. The saints of the past saw salvation not as one of the countless advantages of the gospel to consider, but as the great advantage that, once received, took the life of a believer in such a way that he no longer wanted anything. Salvation from self and sin, deliverance from condemnation and wrath, reconciliation with God, and knowledge of Christ are enough!
- Unfortunately.
- In recent decades it seems that salvation has lost some of its value.
- In the view of many.
- The promise of salvation is not a strong enough motivation to lead the sinner to repentance or the saint to true devotion.
- So we must add many more promises to make the gospel call attractive.
- Health and prosperity.
- Purpose and power and making the most of this current life are the real cards in the game of contemporary Christianity.
- In fact.
- The same things that the pulpit promises and the people on the benches are often the same things that Jesus warned could be lost in true discipleship.
- [3] According to him.
- A man might have to lose the whole world to be saved and yet he considered it a good business to obtain salvation at such a small price.
- [4].
In light of the great value that Scripture places on salvation, why does this promise of salvation no longer impress only the modern soul? Why should we add other more earthly promises to make the gospel more attractive to contemporary man? In the first place, it is because men do not understand their deplorable condition. Just as a rich man sees no reason to rejoice when given a simple piece of bread until a turning point in life impoverishes him, the sinner finds no joy in salvation until the horrible nature of his sin is revealed and let him see himself as wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. [5] Second, it is because men do not understand the dangerous situation they are in. A man will appreciate salvation only as long as he understands something of the terrors from which he is saved. A clear vision of hell and the wrath of God will give man a more appropriate appreciation of the salvation that the gospel offers. Third, it is because men do not understand the infinite cost that has been paid to secure their salvation. The redemption of a soul is very expensive and is beyond what a man can afford. [6] Only God has the amount to pay, and he has paid it in full with the precious blood of his own Son. [7] Sinners who are uninformed about the dignity of Christ have little hope of appreciating what he has done for them in the gospel. Fourth, it is because unregenerate men are always like this. The blind do not find beauty in a sunset, the deaf are not touched by even the most beautiful sonata, and the wild beasts do not appreciate art. In the same way, carnal, unregenerate and unconverted men are spiritually blind and deaf to the Word of God and servants of a beastly heart who prefer to feed on their animal desire rather than taste and see that the Lord is good. [8] For this reason, Jesus exclaimed that unless a man is born again, can’t he? the kingdom of heaven, the more you estimate its value. [9] For this reason, do people of the flesh fill the list of our churches? people who come for all kinds of reasons except Christ and thirst for justice. [10] The more practical and momentary promises that have been added to the gospel make it more attractive to them, and they stay in the church while they get what they want. They nourish their flesh in a religious way, but their souls remain dead to God and to the hope of true salvation.
Excerpt from chapter 8 of the book “The Power and Message of the Gospel?From Paul Washer, which will be published by Faithful Editor. We had the opportunity to translate it and the privilege of being able to share with you brief excerpts from each chapter. .
Translation: Vin-cius Musselman Pimentel. Un revised or modified version. Published with permission.
© Faithful Editor. All rights reserved. Original: A Mighty Gospel (Paul Washer) [26/8]
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