The Instrumentality Of
The Word
James 1:18
In this gospel age, God
has ordained the salvation of his elect by the preaching of the gospel (Rom.
God will see to it that
every elect sinner in this world hears the gospel of Christ, even if he must
turn the world upside down to do it, because THE WORD OF GOD, BY THE BLESSING
OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT, IS THE SOURCE AND INSTRUMENTAL CAUSE OF ALL SPIRITUAL
LIFE IN MEN (Heb. 4:12; James 1:18; I Pet.1:23-25; Rom. 10:17). God saves his
elect by the Word he has given, through the preaching of the gospel of Christ.
And this Word is fully preached when Christ crucified is proclaimed. When a man
preaches Jesus Christ and him crucified, (substitutionary redemption, imputed
righteousness, and salvation by grace alone), he is
preaching all the counsel of God. And the man who truly preaches all the
counsel of God is the man who preaches Jesus Christ crucified, as he is
revealed in all the scriptures (cf. Acts
It is the
responsibility of every believer and every local church in this world, to do
everything within the scope of our God given ability to preach the gospel to all the world in the generation in which we live. This is
the task of evangelism which our Lord has committed to our hands
(Matt.28:18-20; II Cor. 4:7). We cannot save sinners or give men faith. But we
can give them the Word by which faith and salvation are given. And we must do
it. And we know that our labor is not in vain in the Lord(I
Cor.15:58). God will honor his Word. God will save his elect by the preaching
of the gospel (Isa. 55:11). Let us be faithful in preaching the gospel. God
will be faithful in honoring the gospel.
Don Fortner