What is the most important gospel message?

The most important gospel message is our topic for discussion. We are exploring possible answers to the question. ‘’what is the most important information we want people to understand when we share Jesus with them?

The aim of witnessing is to help unbelievers to move at least one step from where we met them and along their salvation journey. The end goal is when they are ready to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. And after that, they begin their discipleship journey with Christ.

According to the Bible, the point of salvation is when someone is ready to believe in their heart and declare with their mouth that Jesus is Lord. This is stated in Romans 10:9. ‘’If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved’’.

There are different methods, strategies, and opportunities to witness Jesus to people around us. Many Witnesses’ experiences have shown that the most important factor is praying and asking God for opportunities. God, Himself will provide the opportunity and lead the Witness in what to say or do.

A lot has been said and written about practical witnessing; loving and kind actions, friendships, charitable actions, pulpit witnessing, to direct preaching of the gospel to strangers on the streets.

Most people will agree that it is much easier to take witnessing slowly as you get to know people. At the same time, we have to be mindful that time is short and so we must make use of every opportunity that is presented to us.

This is why it is important to know what is the most important thing for an unbeliever to know about Jesus and His Gospel of salvation.

Gospel message – God’s love

John 3:16 is probably the most used scripture in witnessing. ‘’For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’’.

Likewise, ‘’Jesus loves you’’ is a common phrase used to engage people in the gospel conversation.

The message of love is a friendly way to engage people in conversation and the recipient is unlikely to react negatively. However, from personal experience, it does not mean they will engage in the gospel conversation. Those not interested will mostly smile and carry on with their journey.

However, the use of ‘’Jesus loves you’’ as the main witnessing expression has faced a lot of criticism. One article describes the use of John 3:16 as a ‘grave danger’ to the gospel and advises for it not to be used. 

The article provided explanations as below:

1. John 3:16 is not the complete gospel.
2. There is no conviction of sin based on God’s law.
3. Not enough information for genuine conversion.
4. It was not part of the early disciple’s apostolic preaching.
5. The use is usually borne out of fear or desire for acceptance.

The article went on to propose the preaching of the law, sin, and condemnation before preaching the love of God. It describes the cross as God’s unique demonstration of love as it reveals both the extent of man’s gloom and God’s inexhaustible love and faithfulness.

You can read the full article at –

https://evangelicalbible.com/apologetics/is-jesus-loves-you-the-gospel/  

Gospel Message – God’s righteousness

A friend recently shared with me a sermon on the topic ‘Is God love’ by David Pawson, a prominent Bible teacher. I listened to the message and then had a discussion about it with the friend.

I like the way David Pawson introduced the message; if you cannot find it in your Bible, disregard it! You can watch the sermon on YouTube at https://youtu.be/1eORIjfsI7g

The message covers the question about the most important things we should tell people about God. David Pawson described the use of John 3:16 to give the gospel as a ‘’biblical mistake’’.

He gave his reasons  as below:

1. Very little is recorded in the bible about the love of God.
2. ‘Love’ is widely misunderstood in our world.
3. Jesus and the apostles did not preach about the love of God to the public.
4. The love of God was reserved for people who are already redeemed and so understand the love of God.

David Pawson concluded that we cannot tell the world that God is love or even that God is good. He said this is because the love and goodness of God are misunderstood by the world.

Mr. Pawson proposed ‘God’s righteousness’’ as the main message to be preached. He said this will help believers to avoid what may seem contradictory in the bible due to the worldly interpretation of God’s love and goodness.

He advocated that sharing of the gospel must begin with the righteousness of God which means He cannot do anything wrong. This will then enable people to see God to be right to punish sin and for Jesus’s death on the cross as payment for our sins.

Gospel Message – you need to be born again

The need to be born again is a fundamental Christian principle to be understood. But even a well-learned religious leader like Nicodemus struggled to get it. His questions to Jesus were ‘How can someone be born when they are old?’ And ‘’how can this be?’’.

Nicodemus’s questions lead to the now well-known teaching of Jesus on the topic of being born again (John 3:1-15).

The four key points illustrated by Jesus are:

• No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.
• We cannot enter the kingdom of God unless we are born of water and the Spirit.
• Flesh gives birth to flesh and Spirit gives birth to Spirit
• Those born of the Spirit are like the wind (can be felt but not seen).

An online article provided four reasons why we need to be born again.

https://www.the-saltoftheearth.com/4-reasons-why-a-person-must-be-born-again/

These are:

1. The universal result of sin demands it (Romans 5:12)
2. Unregenerated man is unable to understand the things of God as they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14)
3. Every impulse and action of man is defile without the new birth (Mark 7:21-23)
4. To escape the judgment of God (Ephesians 2:1-3)

I believe Nicodemus’s night-time visit to Jesus is a lesson on its own. This is teaching us to be humble to seek knowledge when we don’t understand something. The best teacher of the word of God is the Holy Spirit so we must humbly ask Him to teach us the Word.

Nicodemus’s story illustrated the difference between knowing Jesus Christ and accepting His offered gift of salvation. Nicodemus already believed that Jesus was a teacher who had come from God. But that is not enough for him to be saved, he had to accept Jesus as the Messiah, his Lord, and Saviour.

How shall we conclude?

What is the most important information for someone to know before they are saved?

I would suggest this is not an important question for a witness. The witness job is to be available to share the truth as the Holy Spirit will reveal to them in each conversation.

Salvation is a progressive journey that starts with the confession of faith followed by the three stages of justification, sanctification, and glorification.

I feel the debates on the perfect way of sharing the gospel can be a distraction. It makes witnessing seems so complex that it discourages ordinary Christians from doing it.

We must always remind ourselves that it is only God who saves people. No one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him (John 6:44).

I will therefore propose the following to those who are willing to witness:

• Just go and witness in obedience to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).
• Have a clear conscience and talk to people about Jesus in a natural way.
• Help those who are ready for salvation to make the sinner’s prayer to commit their lives to Jesus.
• Offer to follow up with people to encourage them on their discipleship journey.
• Keep learning, working, praying, and watching until we see the Lord face to face.

Our aim is to encourage people to have ordinary conversations about Jesus. You can read the introductory blog at Conversations about Jesus Christ – introductions – Fishers of Men Ministry (fmministry.co.uk).

Please share the blog and send your feedback and comments to hello@fmministry.co.uk   or use the comment box below.

God bless you and let us keep talking and sharing Jesus Christ with the world.

Adesina