Seeing Our Need for the Gospel

Articles

Derek Long
05/06/18 - Salvation

Seeing Our Need for the Gospel
By Derek Long
Solicitors, telemarketers, and some salesmen try to sell
something the consumer does not need. Groups will contact you about how to get out of student debt when you have no student debt. Life insurance companies may contact you when you already have a life insurance policy in place. A friend may contact you about a great business opportunity when you have no desire to go into business. When someone tries to provide someone with an opportunity they do not want or they do not see their need for, the results are typically not very great. In a similar way, people who do not see their need for the gospel are often uninterested in studying or talking about the Bible.
While we may not need our student debt forgiven, life insurance, or a great business opportunity, we do need the gospel. The book of Romans deals with the premise, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith’” (Romans 1:16-17). The gospel is powerful enough to save anyone who will accept it with an obedient faith. The gospel is not simply a powerful message. It is also a needed message as chapters 1-3 of Romans point out. In Romans 1:18-32, we see how many left God behind and went after idolatry, became involved in sin, and were deserving of death. In Romans 2, we find how those who looked upon themselves as moral individuals still needed the gospel. Even the Jews, God’s chosen people in the Old Testament, needed the gospel because they had not actually been living by the Law. Romans 3:9-18 proves the point every accountable individual is “under sin” and needs the salvation offered in the gospel. Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Sin results in terrible consequences. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Everyone has sinned and so all need the salvation offered by the gospel to escape spiritual death or separation from God.
Instead of seeing our need for the gospel, it is easy to see how others need the gospel. Jesus told a parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector. The Pharisee could not see his need to be forgiven while the tax collector could (Luke 18:9-14). In order to receive justification we must be humble and acknowledge our need for forgiveness. Pride will hinder us receiving the grace God is willing to give us (James 4:6-10).
In our efforts to teach others the gospel, it is important we impress upon their minds their need for the gospel. Many people will be lost throughout eternity as Jesus says, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). Among those who end up lost will be people who thought they were saved. Jesus goes on to say, “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?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice
lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:21-23). If you had talked to these people, you would have been talking to religiously zealous people who claimed to be serving the Lord and yet these people were lost. Saul of Tarsus was a religiously zealous individual but was lost and needed the gospel (Philippians 3:6; Acts 26:9-11). Today, we find people who have a zeal for God but are lost because they lack knowledge and fail to submit to God’s righteousness (Romans 10:1-3). Religiously zealous individuals who are not following what the Bible teaches in all points need the gospel (James 2:10-12).
As Christians, we need to remember our need for the gospel. The gospel provided us with the means to be cleansed from our past sins and should motivate us to continue to be diligent to make our call and election sure (2 Peter 1:9-10). We need to make sure in our teaching we help those who are still in their sins to see their need for the gospel. One of the things which characterized the preaching of men throughout the Bible was their convicting men of their sin and need for forgiveness (Matthew 3:2; Acts 2:37; 7:54; 8:20-23; etc.). If you realize you are lost in sin and need the salvation offered in the gospel message, why not obey the gospel and be set free from sin to become a slave of righteousness (2 Thessalonians 1:8; Romans 6:1-23). If we can help you learn more about what the gospel requires of you, please contact us and let us know. We would enjoy having the opportunity to study with you further!