The Terms of the Gospel

Transcript

GRM 894
3/14/2004
The Terms of the Gospel
Selected Verses
Gil Rugh

All right I want to talk with you tonight about the gospel and particularly one aspect of the gospel. But first I want to remind you of the essence of the gospel. In light of the tremendous popularity of the movie, The Passion of the Christ, there is much material being produced. In the last week or so I received a very nice, colorful brochure. The pages aren’t numbered but it’s a multiple-page brochure as you can see, very well done as far as appearance and that. I think it was produced by believers, I’m not familiar with the organization. Why they really sent this to me is they want you to order multiple copies for your congregation to use to share with people and so on. Basically, what is said is fine, but the gospel is not a significant part of the brochure. It talks about, since His arrival the world has never been the same. Maybe it’s because He’s such a disturbing reminder that goodness and greatness rarely come wrapped in the package we might expect. He came mysteriously cloaked in the most common form, the form of a servant. Then they reference Philippians 2:7. Questions were asked what kind of man is this? Matthew 8:27. Ordinarily a carpenter’s son was not prepared to effectively challenge the time-honored customs of His day, and it just goes on. Think about it, how did a 30-something from Nazareth start a revolution that would yank the entire ancient world, and so on. The world has yet to produce a man or a woman on a par with Jesus. The questions are unavoidable, the answers are inescapable. A thoughtful analysis of Jesus’ life leaves us wondering how He could invoke such passion in so many ways for so long. It goes on this flavor. There was always controversy swirling around Him. One look at Jesus you realize the great passion can turn the tide. I’m just reading you one line here. Usually there are multiple paragraphs on each page. He lived and died for something He valued more highly than His own life. We are still feeling the aftershocks, the tremors from Jesus courageous life and death continue to reverberate across time, leaving us off balance and occasionally trembling in unbelief. We’re not used to hearing about people who live and die so selflessly. Maybe that’s what makes Jesus’ story such an enigma. So rare is the man or woman who exists for something other than self. You see the flavor. He’s a great man, He’s an awesome man, even as the God-Man. But the purpose of the message of Christ is not to evoke awe of His selflessness, admiration over His courage. On another page, everything we admire about Jesus comes from God. Then a quote from John 5:19, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself, only what He sees the Father doing.” It may be hard to wrap your mind and heart around Jesus’ Word. Jesus is clearcut, He never does anything He doesn’t see His Father doing. There is not a single word or image with enough depth to capture the essence of Jesus, He’s too large to contain. He can’t be adequately summarized. We’d say well there’s an element of truth running through all of this, but so what? I mean He’s wonderful, He’s awesome, He’s overwhelming. He’s presented in a way that the world presents many of the great men of the world. But it is tilted toward what the Bible’s flavor of what a great person He was. But so far, we really don’t have anything of substance about who He is and why He came. He’s just awesome and awe-inspiring. We’re well into the multiple pages of the brochure. I was going to count how many paragraphs were in here, but I lost interest and didn’t get it done.

It was one of those moments His followers would never forget. Jesus knew that His death loomed large on the horizon, that somewhere in Jerusalem an empty cross awaited His arrival. Rather than seeking pity, Jesus looked for an opportunity to inform and reassure His disciples regarding events to come. His horrific suffering and violent death were about to become a reality. Eleven of the twelve who listened to His ominous predictions that night couldn’t bear the thought of losing their beloved friend. Jesus was acutely aware of their deep distress, reminding His companions He was doing this for them. Everything that was about to happen would not be in vain, death would be followed by resurrection. The world would be saved through Him just as God intended. But still no gospel. How would the world be saved through Him? Why is His death going to save the world?

There are 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 pages into the brochure. There is no mention of sin, there’s no mention of why this is such a dramatic event. Then there is one paragraph that brings in the issue of sin and reconciliation. Immediately following that paragraph, throughout His lifetime Jesus was loved and hated. Today very little has changed. He is loved and followed by those who know they desperately need God. He is hated and left for dead by those who have their relationship with God all figured out. There is a good chance you are leaning in one of these two directions. Most people are. However, you may be part of a third group, those who are indifferent toward Jesus. If you find yourself here, please don’t surrender to the influence of indifference. Too many already have. Give your soul a fighting chance. There’s a final way to end this brief Jesus Journal. Let me pray for both of us. If you’re ready, please join me.

Here’s the prayer you’re supposed to pray. Father in the name of Jesus Christ I bring a prayer before you. Jesus has captivated us; He has arrested our attention. His passion is overwhelming. We cannot help but be enamored by what He has accomplished through His life, death and resurrection. We are forever grateful for His supreme sacrifice. We are beginning to recognize that we need Jesus more than anything else. I pray that you will intensify our hunger for Christ. He’s the one who paid the way for us to enter and enjoy a restored relationship with you, something we are powerless to do on our own. He’s the one who invites us to turn and enter the kingdom. He’s the one who offers us life that is boundless and free, permanent in every sense of the word. It’s difficult for us to understand how anyone can give so much. In your good pleasure you have chosen to make us aware of who you are by sending your Son. What we've seen we cannot escape, deny or forget, so we humbly ask you to increase our faith, lift the could of our unbelief and save us. In Jesus wonderful name I pray. Amen.

Well, you know I don’t know what the purpose of this prayer is. I mean I bring a prayer before you, Jesus has captivated us, He’s arrested our attention. His passion is overwhelming. We’re beginning to recognize we need Jesus more than anything else. Why? Intensify our hunger for Christ. What’s this all about? Put this in the context, there’s one paragraph in this 14- or 15-page brochure that mentions sins. But you read in the context of the brochure, it almost is lost. People are supposed to pray this at the end, I want an increased hunger for Jesus. I appreciate more…….what do I appreciate about Him? He was a selfless man, the brochure emphasizes. He had courage, He had passion. Well, yes, that puts Him on the level, maybe, of a Ghandhi and some great people. But He’s unique, He’s the Son of God. Okay, so He’s a step above these and I’m inspired. You know and you put in your pantheon of great leaders and men who inspire, and Jesus would be at the fore. But is that what it’s all about? You see the danger?

Here is…….I think probably a Christian organization thinking they are doing something wonderful. Here order these and you can get special prices by ordering large numbers so your people are ready to take advantage of the opportunity. But when all is said and done, what? Almost any Protestant or Catholic could take this brochure and say yes, Jesus inspires passion in my heart by His passion, His selflessness overwhelms me. But conviction of sin and so on, almost lost.

I want to talk about the gospel, I want to really talk about our response to the gospel, the response that is required to the gospel. But I want you to understand first you must have the gospel. Turn to I Corinthians 15. If you don’t have the gospel right, any response to what is proclaimed accomplishes nothing. In I Corinthians 15, and we will come back to this passage, Paul says, “I want to make known to you brethren the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received in which you stand. By which you are saved, if you hold fast that which I preach to you.” Everything depends on the gospel and the content of the gospel. You are saved. Why? Because you believe, you receive what I preach to you. What was that? “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received.” Remember Galatians 1 Paul said he received the gospel directly from God. It was a direct revelation to him. He wasn’t the only person to whom the gospel was revealed, but Paul was one of those apostles that had the gospel directly revealed to him.

Christ died for our sins according to the scripture. That’s where we have to start-- the death of Christ for our sins. We don’t want to just romanticize about the death of Christ, disassociate it from for our sins. He died for our sins according to the scriptures. He was buried which proves He died. He was raised on the third day which demonstrates His victory over sin and death and the devil. He appeared to witnesses, verse 5 and following. The appearances prove His resurrection. The death and resurrection of Christ, payment in full for our sins. Notice how concisely Paul gives the gospel down. He reiterates what he preached to the Corinthians, pagan Greeks. Now we’ve moved outside of the realm of the Jews who had such a thorough understanding of Old Testament scriptures. What did he say he did when he came to Corinth? “I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” The way he started out in the opening chapters of this letter to the Corinthians, reminding them when I came, I just preached Christ. I mean how can we take the time and the money and effort to write such an extensive brochure and fail to get to the heart. Here Paul can summarize in what we have as 2-3 verses. Here is the gospel, here is what saved you when you received it or believed it. Christ died for our sins; He was raised. Here it is. The death of Christ for our sins, the resurrection of Christ to demonstrate the completion of His work. If He hadn’t been raised, He would have just been a man who died on the cross. His resurrection was required, follow-up on His death, and the scriptures prophesied that resurrection.

Come back to the book of Romans, just before the book of I Corinthians, back up to Romans chapter 4 and look at verse 24. “But for our sake”………these things were written for our sake, not only for previous generations. “To whom it will be credited as those who believe in Him.” I’m quoting from………the reference is back to Abraham in Genesis where Abraham believed God, God credited it to him as righteousness in verse 22. Now that wasn’t just written for Abraham’s benefit. But that was written under the direction of the Spirit of God to reveal the truth clearly for all subsequent generations that all who believe the revelation that God gives will be credited with God’s righteousness. “To whom it will be credited,” their faith, will have righteousness credited to their account. “As those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He who was delivered over because of our transgressions and was raised because of our justification.” You see there again the conciseness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s why the Bible does not primarily draw out in detail, as we have considered in previous studies, the matters of the extent of His suffering, belabor that. But it focuses primarily on the reason and the purpose for His death and resurrection. Verse 25, “He was delivered, over because of our transgressions.” That’s why He went to the cross, our sins. “He was raised because of our justification.” The word justification is basically the Greek word righteousness. He was raised because righteousness had been provided for us, the work was done. His resurrection is the stamp of approval, if you will, that the work of salvation is complete. So that all who believe in Him will be justified, will have righteousness credited to their account, is the point here. You see the death and resurrection of Christ for our sins, payment in full for our sins. That’s the message we have to share with people.

Now that gospel comes to our hearts and lives through faith. Faith is the response to the gospel. Note chapter 5 verse 1 of Romans, “Therefore, having been justified by faith.” We’re talking about how the work of Christ is applied to the heart and life of the individual. The Bible is clear that the death of Christ paid the penalty for sin, potentially. But that penalty as it has been paid, is not credited to anyone’s account unless they respond according to God’s instruction. That’s the whole point of the argument being made here. What we’re talking about here is what is called the terms of the gospel. In other words, upon what terms does God offer salvation to sinful human beings, like we’d do in a contract. You’re going to sign a contract you want to say what are the terms of this contract. Then you enter into an agreement to those terms. Upon what terms does God offer you salvation? What are the requirements for the work of Christ to be credited to an individual’s account? We enter into the realm of the application of the gospel to a life. How are people saved? The Biblical answer to that is they are saved by faith. The terms of the gospel do not include baptism, sacraments, good works or anything like that. The gospel is offered on this term, you believe what God has done in Christ. The initial and most basic term or word we use for the terms is the word faith. We’re justified by faith.

Back up to chapter 3 of Romans, and in a section that is extensive, begins with verse 21, and this begins the second major division of the book of Romans, remember. First major division began in chapter 1 verse 18 and ran through chapter 3 verse 20, where Paul demonstrated that every single person, Jew and Gentile alike, are condemned as sinners. We are all shown to be guilty sinners before a Holy God. Then chapter 3 verse 21, how can guilty sinners become righteous in the sight of a holy God. “But now apart from the Law,” the Law couldn’t bring righteousness, the Law could bring condemnation. The Law could reveal that people were sinners, but the Law couldn’t make sinners righteous, because sinners couldn’t keep the Law. “But apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Christ for all those who believe.” You know we have the same basic Greek word, different forms as a noun, as a verb, but it’s the same basic word. There is no real difference between faith and belief, except as we have in our words, we have nouns and verbs. But you have the same basic word in a noun form or a verb form. Through faith in Jesus for all those who have faith, is the point in verse 22. All in the Old Testament as well as the new revelation being given through the New Testament pointed to the fact you must believe God. That’s not new. The Mosaic Law was never given as a way of salvation.

Come down through this section, verse 23, “all have sinned.” That’s been established in the first 3 chapters. Verse 24, “being justified,” declared righteous “as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus whom God publicly displayed as a propitiation or satisfaction in His blood through faith.” Verse 26, the last part of the verse, “so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Why didn’t God just declare everybody forgiven? Because He has to be just as well as the justifier. It would not be just, it would not be righteous for Him to simply declare sinful people absolved, because there is a penalty associated with sin, which is death. He must both be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. So that excludes boasting because it’s not by the Law of works, but it’s the law of faith. Here’s what is required. Verse 28, “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith,” and that’s true for Jews and Gentiles alike. That’s where you come into chapter 4, and Abraham is the example. Let’s go back to Genesis chapter 15, how did Abraham become righteous before God? “Abraham believed God and God credited it to him as righteousness.” This is not new, 2000 years before Christ came, 500 years before the Mosaic Law was given. Moses was declared righteous by faith.

So how can a person be saved? They must hear the gospel. “Faith comes by hearing”, Romans chapter 10, “and hearing by the Word of Christ.” Your faith does not save you, your faith in the gospel saves you. People say well I have my faith; you have your faith. We all have faith. I came here tonight by faith, believing that you would come, too, so I’d have somebody to preach to. That was by faith, because I didn’t know you were here to see until I came and saw you. You came by faith, assuming that we would have the service that we said we would have. So, we all have faith, faith doesn’t save a person. Faith in the message of Christ saves a person. Sometimes we are tongue tied when a person says well, I have my faith, I believe. I shared with you a recent experience at the restaurant where the man I was talking to said to me well I believe in Jesus. I said but you know that faith doesn’t save you. You’re not saved because you believe in Jesus, you must believe that Jesus, the Son of God, died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin. A person must understand they are sinners guilty before God, justly condemned, and it’s the Son of God’s death on the cross who paid the penalty for their sin. When they believe that message they are saved. Most Roman Catholics, most Protestants believe in Jesus. This brochure I shared with you encouraged people to believe in Jesus. But what does that mean? I mean you must understand you believe in Him as your Savior from sin and there is no other hope, there is no other answer. The problem we have with Roman Catholicism, they believe that believing in Jesus is part of the solution but not the complete solution. You must have faith in Jesus and also do these works to be saved. That’s what the Judaizers said. You must believe in Jesus plus be circumcised and keep the Law. That faith doesn’t save you. It’s only faith in the message of Christ as the complete payment for your sin.

Look in Acts, keep backing up and go to Acts chapter 10. You’ll note the context here. Acts chapter 10, Peter is at the house of Cornelius. For the first time Gentiles as Gentiles are going to hear the gospel and have opportunity to respond. Peter gives them a summary of the message of Christ, and the fact that the message of salvation is open to all. God doesn’t show partiality. He started there in verse 34 and he summarized in very brief form the life of Christ, demonstrated He was the Son of God. Then in verse 39, they put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. God raised Him on the third day, granted Him to become visible to certain witnesses who would testify to the truthfulness of the resurrection. He ordered us to preach to the people and solemnly testified that this is the one who has been appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. And of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins. You know what happened when these Gentiles heard that? They responded in faith to the message that Peter just preached. What’s the evidence? The Holy Spirit came upon them and came into their lives. Evidence they had believed it simple. What does he do? You’ll note how quickly Peter can get to the gospel here. Let me summarize for you. Jesus Christ the Son of God came to earth, demonstrated He was the Son of God the Messiah of Israel by the miracles that He did. They put Him to death, they crucified Him. He was raised from the dead and now we are preaching to you a message that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins. They believe it and are saved. We have to be careful that we understand the simplicity of the gospel and the clarity of the gospel. The gospel is preached, people receive it by believing the message.

Faith is the response. That’s the terms upon which salvation is offered to people. Here is the gospel, here are the facts of the gospel. You ought to be able to get to that very quickly. If you’re confronted by a dying person and they only have a minute and a half, you ought to be able to clarify the gospel and get it done. Don’t rove around talking about God and His goodness and you know the importance of knowing God and being prepared to die by knowing God and hope you’ll believe in God. I mean just cut to the chase. You’re dying and you’re dying as a sinner separated from God and on your way to hell. You have but seconds to go. You must understand Jesus Christ the Son of God became a man to die to pay the penalty for your sin. For the wages of sin is death. Only by believing in Him can you receive forgiveness. But if you will believe in Him you will receive complete forgiveness. You know this is true because God raised Him from the dead. Oh, it’s too late, I can’t do good works. I shared this with a lady who had just turned 90. She says it’s too late for me to do good works. I said but it’s not too late for you to believe in Jesus Christ. Laying on this bed you can believe in Him. She did. You know what she said to me? I can tell she really got saved—you know she Oh I want to believe in Him and trust Him. You know the next thing she’s saying to me? Oh, you have to tell people not to wait until they’re 90 to believe. She’s going on to tell me about how I have to tell people about this. I say well wonderful. All of a sudden, she wasn’t concerned about doing works to be acceptable for God, she wanted people to know before they got to be 90, spent their whole life in futility, that they could be saved by just believing.

Faith is the saving response to the gospel, to the gospel. Don’t stumble here. When people say I believe in Jesus, I don’t know what to say. They already told me they believe in Jesus. Well tell them that won’t save them. You say oh doesn’t faith in Christ save you? Yes and no. What do you mean faith in Christ? I believe in Him. That’s fine, but do you understand how sinful you really are and without hope? Let’s clarify this. I just want to go away and say oh I’m glad you believe in Jesus, now we both believe in Jesus. It’s good to know we’re going to heaven. They paddle off the way they were. No, let’s clarify this. Did you know that many people who believe in Jesus are going to be in hell? Do you know that Jesus said many will say to Me on that judgment day Lord, Lord we did many mighty works in your name and so on. Jesus is going to say you know I never knew you. Depart into hell. But Lord, we called you Lord, Lord. We did mighty works in your name. You see that? People who believe in Jesus are going to hell. So, we have a chance to clarify for people. Then it’s faith in that message.

There are related words, and this is really what my message was tonight. There are other words besides faith. Sometimes there have been those who want to be so pure with the gospel they say the only word you can use is faith. There are other things that are involved in faith that are used synonymously to convey the idea of faith. They are part of saving faith. For example, people are encouraged to repent. We encourage a person to repent, we’re not encouraging them to do works. That is a saving response to the gospel because repentance is part of saving faith. A person who truly believes in Christ is repenting, they repent of their sins, they are turning from their sins. Literally the word means to have need of another mind, to change your mind. It’s always associated in the scripture not only with a mental action, but with a change of a person, a turning of a person. I am turning from my sin to the Savior, I am repenting.

Look back to the book of Mark. Remember there haven’t been different ways of salvation. Salvation has always been by grace through faith. Abraham is the clear example, and we’re back in Genesis 15, for salvation was by faith before Genesis 15, but Genesis 15 gives a clear statement of it. But in Mark chapter 1 John the Baptist came on the scene in verse 4 and he was preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Now it wasn’t baptism for the forgiveness of sins, it was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness. Repentance was what brought forgiveness of sins, because remember as Matthew records this in Matthew chapter 3, John refused to baptize those who had not demonstrated the fruits of repentance. When the religious leaders came out and said oh, we want to be baptized. He said what? “You brood of vipers. Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Bring forth fruits fitting for repentance.” I mean you just wanted to come out and join the crowd, so you’re going to get baptized, too. If we had done it today, we’d say oh wonderful, they want to get baptized, this is terrific. John says no, you have to repent. My baptism is a testimony I have repented of my sins, turned from my sin, turned from my reliance on myself, turned from my works and cast myself on the mercy of God and trust Him.

Down in, you’re in Mark chapter 1, look at verse 14. After John’s ministry is drawing to a conclusion. He’s been arrested, he’s been taken into custody. Jesus came into Galilee, north from Judea where Jerusalem is, where John would have been arrested. What did he do? He came preaching the gospel of God saying the time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel. Repentance is joined to faith because no one ever believes the gospel who doesn’t repent. Anyone who truly repents, as we’ll see in a moment, believes what God says.

Look in Luke chapter 13 verse 3. Jesus is speaking, He’s clarifying. Some people thought, you know when people had tragedy come into their lives, they must have been worse sinners. It’s the Job idea, Job’s friends—oh if you’re suffering, you must have sinned. He’s reminding these people of His day, the self-righteous, verse 3, “I tell you no. Unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” You see what the terms of salvation are. You have to repent. Verse 5, I tell you unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

Turn over to Luke chapter 24, Luke chapter 24 verse 45. This is after the resurrection of Christ, His death, His resurrection. He’s speaking to His disciples. Verse 45 of Luke 24, “He opened their minds to understand the scriptures.” He said to them, “thus it is written that the Christ will suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations.” What are we preaching? We’re preaching a message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins to all the nations. If you’re going to have your sins forgiven, you must repent. So, well I thought we were saved by faith. Some people have faith. Isn’t repentance a work? No, no more than faith is a work. Repentance is a response to the message of the gospel as the Spirit brings clarity to that sinful mind. I am a sinner, I am guilty, and I turn from my sin and my trust in my own efforts to the Savior. That’s believing, that’s saving faith, that is repentance that leads to salvation.

Look in Acts chapter 3, verse 19. Peter is giving his second sermon in the book of Acts. His first sermon was on the Day of Pentecost. He has told them what? They are guilty of the death of Christ, and they crucified the Prince of Life, in verses 14-15. Then he comes down, that all this fulfilled the scripture, in verse 18. What’s their response? “Therefore, repent and return so that your sins may be wiped away.” Repent. He had given the same command at the end of his first sermon, that they were to repent. Repentance is a saving response to the gospel. It is not a different response, it’s not like oh you can respond to the gospel with faith, or you can respond to the gospel by repenting. No, they are part of the same thing. A person who truly believes the gospel repents of their sin. You see there can be no salvation without a recognition of sin. What are you repenting? What do you mean repent? It means I recognize I am a sinner; I am turning. That helps clarify things, what is involved in saving faith. Genuine repentance.

II Peter chapter 3 verse 9, all the way back at the end of the New Testament. And I’ll read it to you if you don’t get there. “The Lord is not slow about His promise,” II Peter 3:9, “as some count slowness. But is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” Repentance. That’s what God wants, He doesn’t want them to perish, He wants them to repent. So, it’s valid. We present the gospel to someone and say you must repent. You know the world mocks the idea of that old-fashioned look of the man walking down the street with the sign saying Repent or Perish. But that is the message. God calls all to repentance. He is not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. What’s the alternative to perishing? Repentance. Now I want you to note something here. Repentance is not sorrow, it’s not the same thing as being sorry.

Back up to II Corinthians chapter 7. I just want you to note how Paul uses the word, how he talks about sorrow and repentance here. We don’t confuse. Sorrow in and of itself doesn’t mean you’ve repented. Verse 8, “for I caused you sorrow by my letter,” we’re in II Corinthians 7 verse 8. “I do not regret it though I did regret it for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while. I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to repentance. Your sorrow brought you to repentance, for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God.” Note verse 10, “for the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces repentance without regret, leading to salvation. The sorrow of the world produces death.” It’s important we sort this out. People can be filled with sorrow. They’re caught in sin, and they cry, and they weep, but that doesn’t mean they have repented. On the front page of our papers the last few days of a minister who had been caught in sexual sin. I’m sure he has sorrow over that, there’s no indication of saving repentance in that man’s response. We need to be careful. We think oh we brought them, oh yes, they cried, they wept, they were really sorrowful. But was it sorrow according to the will of God. If it was, it led to repentance, which brings salvation. You’ll note the connection, produces a repentance……. sorrow according to God produces repentance to salvation, it brings salvation. Nothing wrong with sorrow. I believe God uses that. A person convicted of their sin and overwhelmed with a recognition of their guilt, their offenses against a holy God. I mean certainly there may be great emotion in that. But great emotion, people going out and seeing a film of the suffering of Christ doesn’t mean they were saved. No matter how many tears they shed. Did that the sorrow lead to repentance? You know this is in the context, Paul talking about a letter he wrote to them. Does the message from God impact them in such a way. Sorrow may be part of the change. The sorrow that doesn’t go to repentance doesn’t go to salvation. So, repentance is another way to talk about our response to the gospel. Saving faith means you have repented, and that brings you to the concept of sin. Repentance by its very definition and recognition indicates what? I recognize I’ve been wrong; I’ve done wrong. We ask people today, do you repent? Another context?????? Are you repentant for what you’ve done? We say well he didn’t seem to be repentant. You watch a court program on TV they say there’s no indication of repentance on his part. They’re not talking about theological repentance. There was no acknowledgement of his guilt and wrong. That’s what we’re talking about. The very nature of repentance involves what? Acknowledgement of my guilt, my sin. We can encourage people, repent. It’s a valid word to use as a response for salvation to the gospel.

Another word that’s used is the word to receive, in the New Testament. I have an idea here I’m going to run out of time before I run out of words. You can invite people to receive the gospel, to accept the gospel. Again, that is not a work, that is like faith. That would be another way of talking about faith, receive the gospel. What are you saying? Believe the truth, welcome it, take it for yourself. A couple of different Greek words here, I won’t bother telling you which Greek word is which because it won’t make any difference to you. Those of you who may be checking it will know the difference yourself. John 1:12, The Greek word we’re talking about here can mean take, receive, approve, accept. John 1:12, “but as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” You see receive and believe are saying the same thing here. As many as received Him, to those who believed in His name, they were given the authority to become the children of God. When you exhort somebody, you present the gospel, you invite them to receive Christ.

Again, we want to be sure we are doing this in the context of presenting Christ. I’ve been in services, as many of you have, where the invitation is given at the end of a message, we invite you to receive Christ. But the gospel was never presented. What do you mean receive Christ? Inviting them to believe in Christ without having presented the truth of the gospel. The response is the same. You receive Him, you’re accepting Him, you’re taking Him, you’re believing in Him. Pretty clear.

Look in John chapter 5 verse 43, Jesus said to the people in His day, “I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive Me.” Well, what does He mean? You don’t believe in Me, you won’t receive Me, they won’t accept Him as their Messiah, their Savior. You won’t believe in Me as your Messiah, your Savior. Look in John chapter 12 verse 48, “he who rejects Me and does not receive my sayings has one who judges him. The word I spoke is what will judge him in the last day.” You see not to receive the word of Christ is to reject Him, “He who rejects Me and does not receive my sayings.” Those who refuse to believe what He says are rejecting Him. Those who don’t receive what He says, accept it, welcome it.

Look over in I Thessalonians 2:13. There are two basic Greek words, I mentioned there are two words and I’m not identifying them, but they’re both used in this passage—dechomai and apolambano, and they are words that can be used synonymously for to receive something, accept something. In verse 13, “for this reason we also thank God, that when you received the Word of God which you head from us, you accepted it.” He uses the two words here; we have the same with our English. Received and accepted are synonyms, and the two Greek words he used here are apolambano and dechomai. “You received the Word of God, you accepted it, not as the word of men but for what it really is, the Word of God which performed its work in you who believe.” What does it mean to receive the Word of God? You believe the Word of God, you accept the Word of God, you believe the Word of God. It is valid to tell people you need to receive Christ. But you can only tell them that after you’ve presented the gospel. I mean you’re going to respond; you’re going to receive Him. Yes, I’m going to take Him. I believe what He said is true, I believe what God said about Him is true. I believe He died for me, I’m taking Him, receiving Him, accepting Him.

Now turn over to II Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 10. Here talking about the coming tribulation period but note how those who don’t believe are identified. At the end of verse 10, “because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.” These are the same people identified in verse 12 as those who did not believe the truth. If you don’t receive the love of the truth, you’re one who doesn’t believe the truth. The two go together. You receive the Word of God, you accept it, you welcome it, you believe it is the response. Or you can talk about people who are unsaved. They are those who don’t receive the truth. There are people who want to go to church, and they are looking for a church where they won’t hear the truth because they don’t want to hear the truth. They don’t receive the truth. They want to go to church, but they don’t want to hear the truth because they don’t receive the truth, they don’t believe the truth. That’s what he’s talking about here.

Turn over to Revelation chapter 22 and this will transition us into the next word I want to note with you. Some of these I’ll just end up mentioning. Revelation 22 verse 17, “the Spirit and the bride say come, let the one who hears say come, let the one who is thirsty come, let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.” That’s the same word that’s been translated accept or receive. “Let the one who wishes receive the water of life,” accept the water of life, take the water of life. It’s belief. You’ll note in this context there’s another term used. We have faith as the basic term that is encompassing, but repentance can be used, receive or accept. Note in this context you can invite people to come to Christ, because note what the verse we’re in says. Verse 17, “the Spirit and the bride say come, let the one who hears say come, let the one who is thirsty come, let the one who wishes take, receive, the water of life.” So, when you invite people to come to Christ, you’re saying the same thing. In some of these things we say well they’re obvious but it’s important we understand that the Bible does use a variety of expressions to talk about people turning in faith to Christ.

The problem we get to is you can use unbiblical terms, but you can also fail to present the gospel. You don’t want to invite people to come to Christ if you haven’t presented the gospel. Come to Christ is not some kind of emotional experience. There may be emotion involved when you come to Christ savingly, but nobody comes to Christ who has not heard the gospel because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ. I don’t exhort people to believe in Christ if I haven’t presented to them the gospel of Christ. I don’t want them just to have some kind of emotional experience that may be created by the way I talked or what they’ve seen or anything. I want them to know what they must believe as we talked about. If I invite them to come to Christ, come take of the water of life, you can be saved. That’s why He died. So come to Christ.

In John, we won’t turn there because we’re running out of time, John chapter 6 verse 35 and 37, “he that comes to me, he that believes in me.” You look at verse 35 of John 6 and verse 37, he talks about he that comes to me. Then He says the same thing and says he that believes in me. To come to Christ is to believe in Christ. Those words are used synonymously. In Matthew chapter 11 verse 28 “Jesus said come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Come unto me. What does that mean? Is that different than believing in Him? No, not at all. It’s the same thing. You recognize you’re a sinner, you recognize He is the only Savior. He died for you. Come to Him as the one who gives you forgiveness, believe in Him. John chapter 5 verse 40 says the same thing.

Another word that can be used, be reconciled. We would exhort people to be reconciled to God. You are alienated from God, you are separated from God, you are the enemy of God. II Corinthians chapter 5 verse 20 says what? “We beg you in Christ’s stead be reconciled to God.” You’ll note that’s in the context of having presented to them the truth of the gospel. Verse 21, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them. We beg you be reconciled to God. What does it mean be reconciled to God? You understand you’re the enemy of God, you’re under the condemnation of God. To be brought in right relationship with Him necessitated the death of His Son. But that alone won’t do it. True, His Son has died, His Son has been raised from the dead. But you are on your way to hell. I beg you be reconciled to God, meaning what? Believe in Him, come to the Savior, repent. Paul exhorted them to do the same thing.

Prayer. Sometimes people make fun of oh you’re not saved by saying a prayer. That’s true. But prayer can be a valid response to the gospel. Joel chapter 2 verse 32 is quoted by Peter in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 verse 21. What does he say? “Whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” That’s a valid response. Saying a prayer doesn’t save you, but I exhort people to call upon the name of the Lord. Is that not prayer? I’m calling on God to save me, which means what? I’ve repented, I’m turning from my sin to Him, I’m believing what He has said about my sin and about His Son. I’m calling on Him. In Romans chapter 10 verses 11-15, they call on Him as a result of believing in Him. If you’re going to analyze it, that expression is coming from their heart that has responded in faith. “How shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? How shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard,” Romans 10 says. So that call is expressing faith. You call upon the names of the Lord to be saved, that’s a valid response. You heard somebody call upon the name of the Lord and say let’s pray together. Would you like to call upon the name of the Lord, acknowledge to Him your sin and guilt, thank Him for His Son dying for you. Tell Him you know you have no hope but His Son, and you want to trust Him alone. You’re calling on the name of the Lord for salvation. Comes out of a heart that the Lord is working on, that is believing in Him. But it’s a valid response. “Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” If a person says, how can I be saved, you can call upon the name of the Lord. I have to explain to them what that means. A person can’t call upon the Lord in a saving way who has never heard the gospel. It’s important that we’re clear.

I have one other—inviting Christ into your life, opening the door of your heart. I’ll work that in somehow at another time because I have to walk you through several passages for that and it’s 7:30. I was going to say I got done 10 minutes early this morning, I’m taking them tonight, but I’m not going to do that. It’s important that we first present the gospel clearly. There is a great failure because once you’ve presented the gospel it can be like Peter. He presents the gospel, the Spirit of God opens blinded eyes, people get saved. Some of you got saved when you were sitting in a class or sitting in a service and the Spirit of God opened your eyes to believe the truth that was being presented. We hadn’t even gotten to the point where we told you that you need to believe. You believed what you heard and were saved. We ought to be careful that the first important thing that we do is present the gospel to people, the clarity of the gospel. The issue of their sin, the fact of the death of Christ and His resurrection.

But what are the terms offered? You must believe in Him, you must receive Him, you must repent, you must come to Christ. Are these all-different things that a person must do? Nope, that’s all the same thing expressed with different words. Each of those different words gives you a little different flavor. I’m not saying they are all the same things. Repentance and faith give you the idea of relying upon. Repentance gives you the idea of turning from your sin to Christ, but they are all saying the same thing. All parts of the same package. You can’t do them separate from one another because anyone who has believed in Christ has come to Christ. Anyone who has come to Christ has received Christ. Anyone who has received Christ has believed in Christ and on it goes. The glorious message. It’s simple. It’s clear and we need to be ready to present to people the beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ. You can do it if you only have a few minutes. You can do it if you have an hour. Then we trust God will use His gospel which is His power for salvation to accomplish His purpose. “The gospel is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.” What we are doing is turning loose God’s power so that by His grace some might believe and be saved.

Let’s pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the simplicity of Your work of salvation. Lord, we do not in any way minimize it. Lord there’s depths that we do not understand and yet Lord the simplicity of the message is easy to understand. We are sinners. The evidence is overwhelming. Your judgment is clear. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Lord the beauty, the simplicity of the response that is required if we let go of everything else. We stop trusting our works, our efforts, our goodness. We cast ourselves upon Christ alone. We receive Him. We have repented of our sin recognizing our vileness, our hopelessness and turn from that to Him and come to the One who is life, receive Him and in Him received life. Lord may we be messengers of this beautiful message. May everywhere we go give a beautiful aroma of the fragrance of the knowledge of Jesus Christ be given off so that by Your grace many might come to the salvation that’s found only in Him. We pray in His name, amen.