My first editorial as interim editor of the Carolina Messenger, which communicates the goals of the paper as well as the theme for that issue: the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Tag Archives: the gospel
And This Is Eternal Life…
And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
John 17:3 – Scripture Of The Day (January 6, 2014)
It is a very popular notion among religious folk who have been influenced by our post-modernistic, we’re-all-okay, everyone’s-right-and nobody’s-wrong society to try to take faith in Jesus Christ out of the salvation equation. Take this article by Fox News commentator Bernard Goldberg. He seems to offer a snarky criticism of the Roman Catholic Pope’s recent pronouncement that people who don’t believe in Jesus will go to heaven anyway…while at the same time joining the Pope in questioning the notion that only believers in Jesus will be saved…and then ends the article by denying that he’s an atheist and thus implying that he believes in God. Confusing, I know…
The truth is much simpler. Do you want eternal life? Know that there is only one true God, and know his Son, Jesus Christ. Those who will be condemned for eternity are those who do NOT know God and do not obey his Son’s gospel (2 Thess. 1:8-9). What does it mean to know God? Keep his commandments (1 John 2:3-5). What does it mean to obey the gospel of Jesus Christ? Believe in him (Mark 16:16), repent of your sins (Acts 17:30), be immersed via water into him and his body, the church (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; John 3:3-5; Gal. 3:26-27; 1 Cor. 12:13; Col. 1:18), and hold fast to his Word (1 Cor. 15:1-2).
Go Therefore And Make Disciples Of All Nations…
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:19-20 – Scripture Of The Day (January 2, 2014)
The mission of the church. Christians are God’s chosen people for one reason…to tell others about God (1 Pet. 2:9). Our own salvation from hell is but a perk given out of God’s grace (Tit. 2:11; Rom. 6:23). While we may have initially obeyed the gospel out of a desire to be saved from condemnation (Acts 2:36-41), we must grow to care about the spiritual well-being of others more than ourselves (Phil. 2:3-4; cf. Ex. 32:31-33). We will come to take our mission seriously only when we realize that we are surrounded by lost souls who need the gospel just like we do. At that point, we will be unable to be silent (Jer. 20:9). Praise God that he is with us in this endeavor, helping us and giving us the increase! (Phil. 2:13; 1 Cor. 3:5-9; 2 Cor. 9:8-11) With God at our side, we cannot fail! Have you fulfilled your mission today, Christian?
