ABCDE of the Gospel
Jesus says:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” Matthew 7:21-22
Don’t be one of them.
Jesus says:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”’ John 3:3
And it is not something that man can do by himself.
Jesus says:
‘But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.’ John 1:12-13
Have you been born of God? Made new by God so you can walk in the new life?
A– Accept that you are lost
‘As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.”’ Romans 3:10-12
‘[1]for all have sinned and [2] fall short of the glory of God, ‘ Romans 3:23
Isaiah makes it very clear – even my good things that I do are an abomination to God. Isaiah 64:6
Lord HELP me please, I agree that I have not yet been saved by You, other people cannot save me and I cannot save myself, – I am asking for the saving work of the Holy Spirit in my life, so that I can be reborn and fulfilled.
B - Be aware of the cost
But isn’t the price already paid by the blood sacrifice of Jesus? Can’t I just say “I believe in Jesus” and then everything is sorted out?
Then why should I calculate the cost? That’s 100% right – Jesus paid the full and perfect price of salvation for the entire world’s debt of sin. The decision I have to make is whether or not I want the new life that Jesus bought for me on the cross… free and for nothing!
Because if I TAKE HIM… Then HE Takes me, and the changes that MUST then take place are many times more than what people want.
Remember: Being a Christian is not just a free “go to Heaven” ticket. It’s a new life to be lived in an old, sinful, God-hating world…
‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. ‘ II Corinthians 5:17
This is why Jesus himself stops the multitude of curious people and tells them to calculate the cost first.
‘Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. ‘Luke 14:25-27
Lord, I want to, and even though I don’t know exactly what it all means, I will make this decision again every day and follow You deliberately wherever You lead me.
C - Christ is the only mediator
It’s logical—if I can’t save or change myself, I need a SAVIOR and a PURIFIER who can do it for me. Read 1 Corinthians 1:30.
Here many people put their HOPE in a hundred and ten different things – the Muslim hopes in Islam, the Hindu hopes in Krishna, the African native hopes in his ancestors and the satanist hopes in satan… And so there are hundreds of other gods that people hope in to be reconciled to the Father and to win a place in eternity. But praise the Lord – God says there is only one HOPE – Jesus.
‘Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”’ Acts 4:12
‘To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. ‘ Colossians 1:27
There is no other way to be saved—to be renewed, to be blameless in this world, mind, soul and body at the second coming of Christ, apart from the life of Christ that is now alive IN me.
Christ is not only the theme of being a Christian – he who says that he abides IN Him, should himself live as Jesus lived. Christ must be given the first and best place in the Christian’s life in everything. Christ must be seen and heard and experienced in the life of the convert. That is why Paul strives for Christ to become more and he to become less. John 3:30
In his own life and also in the life of the new congregations.
‘My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, ‘ Galatians 4:19
That is why we set our minds on the things that are above where Christ is. We preach and speak and sing about Christ.
‘For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, ‘ I Timothy 2:5
‘For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.‘ I Corinthians 8:5-6
Oh, it is so tragic that there are so many good people who fill the churches and yet are not born again, and do not have a saving, sanctifying relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. God does not warn man in vain, note: Let yourself be saved from this crooked and twisted generation.
‘Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. ‘ II Corinthians 13:5
Are you IN Christ and Christ IN you? Don’t be content to sit in a church pew without Christ Jesus. Call upon the Name of the Lord and HE will save you and entrust Himself to you. John 2: 24, 25
D– Do what God says in His Word to do
‘“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? ‘Luke 6:46
To be a Christian is to be obedient to the Father. The devils’ faith does not save them because they do not do what God says. Praise the Lord that Jesus paid the full price for us on the cross, but HE bought us free from sin / self / the world / satan so that we can be obedient wholeheartedly. Just believe – won’t save you. If I listen and hear and respond I am reconciled to God, I am saved.
Romans 1:5 It is obedience of faith that saves the sinner.
If the Lord says: Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved – can I be saved if I do not call on the Name of Jesus?
If the Lord says: I am faithful and just and will forgive and cleanse you if you confess your sin and leave it alone. – can I be saved if I don’t?
Right through the Word we see the Lord talking about the children of DISOBEDIENCE with whom HE had a battle..
Col 3:6 by which the wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience. Do you want to fight with God? Even the man [Jesus] had to learn obedience, and likewise the Christian. Get into action so I can do what God expects of me.
This is why the Lord warns us:
‘“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21
Can I now glory in my works? Certainly not, because it is still God who makes it possible and gives meaning. To Him alone belongs the honor and glory.
Similarly, the conversion baptism is not a church ritual – it is a command from God that must be obeyed.
‘He who [1] believes and is [2] baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. ‘ Mark 16:16
By implication then, he who does not believe will not be baptized either. And even if I am baptized, [without faith] – then I am not saved because it is not baptism on its own that saves, I must believe and obey to be saved. Romans 6 makes the necessity of baptism crystal clear.
‘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.’ Romans 6:3-4
And it is that new life I’m looking for – that’s why I DO what God says. Lord, thank You for making it possible for me to be obedient to Your word.
E - Enjoy, being a Christian brings the joy of the Lord to man.
How wonderful is the joy, peace and joy of the person who walks daily with God. There is no other way than to raise a song of praise to the glory of God. In vain the unsaved, disobedient man tries to sing hymns to become spiritual. It’s only when the Christian takes the word of God to heart that the [joy of God] become ours.
‘But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:26-27
‘If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. ‘ John 15:10-11