“My Gospel”

“In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.”                                                                             (Romans 2:16)

Without question, there is only one true gospel. Every other gospel is a false gospel. Those who preach a false gospel are false prophets; and those who believe a false gospel are yet lost, under the wrath and curse of God (Read Galatians 1:6-8). Serious as that charge is, it cannot be ignored or denied.

That one true gospel, the gospel of God, is the gospel of salvation by grace alone. By that statement I mean that salvation comes to helpless, depraved, lost and justly condemned sinners only by God’s sovereign, eternal election (Ephesians 1:3-6; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; John 15:16), Christ’s particular, effectual, substitutionary redemption of his people (Isaiah 53:8-11; John 10:11, 15; Galatians 3:13; Hebrews 9:12) and the Holy Spirit’s irresistible, effectual call and omnipotent, regenerating grace (Psalm 65:4; 110:3; John 6: 63; Romans 9:16). Salvation is the free, unconditional gift of God’s eternal, immutable grace. It is not in anyway determined by or dependent upon the will, works or worth of the sinner (2 Timothy 1:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 9:11-16).

I once received a letter from a lady who asked, “How can I be sure the gospel you preach is the only true gospel?” That is a fair, honest, and reasonable question. It is a question you would be wise to ask and a question every preacher should be required to answer. This is my answer: I know that the gospel of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone is the only true gospel because...

1.     This is the only gospel revealed in all the Holy Scriptures (Luke 24:44-47; Acts 13:38-39).

2.     This is the only gospel that glorifies God in all his holy attributes (Romans 3:24-26; Psalm 85:10-11)

3.     This is the only gospel that honors, magnifies and satisfies all the demands of God’s holy law (Romans 3:31).

4.     This is the only gospel that offers hope to helpless, guilty sinners who can do nothing for themselves (Ephesians 2:1-5).

5.     This is the only gospel that gives all the glory of salvation to the triune God alone (1 Corinthians 1:29-31).

6.     This is the only gospel that completely forbids the boasting of the flesh (Psalm 115:1).

7.     This is the only gospel that compels saved sinners to consecrate themselves to God with grateful, devoted hearts (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 19-20).

This is, as Paul put it, “my gospel.” It is the gospel I believe, the gospel by which I am saved and the gospel I preach incessantly. — “Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed!”

Don Fortner

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