What is it to Preach The Gospel?
If a man is called of God to the work of the gospel ministry, it is his great privilege and awesome responsibility to preach the gospel of Christ to eternity bound sinners, for the glory of God and the everlasting salvation of those who hear him.
I wish I could get the attention of every preacher in this world, and could persuade him of this fact. – The only true, biblical preaching there is gospel preaching. No man has preached, in Bible terms, until he has preached the gospel. No man has truly and accurately expounded any text of Scripture, until he has preached the gospel from the text. No Bible subject has been faithfully and properly handled, if it has not been set forth in the context of gospel light. No sermon should ever be preached which does not show eternity bound sinners the way of life and salvation in Christ. The singular, universal subject of Holy Scripture is the gospel of God’s free and sovereign, saving grace in Jesus Christ, our crucified, risen, exalted Lord and Savior (Lk. 24:24, 44-47; 1 Pet. 1:23-25).
Knowing these things, I say with the apostle Paul, — “As much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you… For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth…For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith…Christ sent me…to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God…I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified…God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" (Rom. 1:15-17; 1 Cor. 1:17-18; 2:2; Gal. 6:1-4;1 Cor. 9:16)
To preach the gospel is not merely declaring the historic facts of Christ’s person, incarnation, virgin birth, life of perfect obedience as our federal Head Representative before God the Father, sin-atoning death, resurrection, and glory as our Substitute, that God might be just and the Justifier of all who believe, though these facts must be faithfully proclaimed. There is more to preaching the gospel than merely repeating to sinners the necessity of the new birth, Holy Spirit conviction, and faith in Christ, though we must never fail to show sinners the way of life in Christ.
To preach the gospel is to set forth the beauty and glory of Christ in all his glorious person and work as the God-man, our Mediator, in all the Scriptures. It is to proclaim Christ crucified as the basis, motive, and inspiration for all faith, obedience, devotion, worship, and praise. To preach the gospel is to show in all the Scriptures the things concerning Christ. Pastor Maurice Montgomery wrote…
“The subtlety of Satan is such that there are those in our day who so vehemently stress and emphasize Christ’s imputed righteousness as the sinner’s only ground of justification before God, that they fail to preach CHRIST HIMSELF who is our righteousness, CHRIST, “who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” Consequently, they may be leading men and women to trust in a system of theology, rather than in CHRIST, who is the sum and substance of all theology.
Paul did not say, "Woe is unto me, if I preach not." We have scads of preachers. The world would be better off without most of them. The Lord Jesus Christ never sent any man just to preach. Those men who are called, gifted, and sent of God to preach are sent by him to preach the gospel, to preach the gospel exclusively, and to preach the gospel in its entirety. Paul said, "Necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" There is but one gospel, the gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ; and it is the great privilege and responsibility of all who preach, every time they preach to eternity bound sinners, to preach the gospel. That makes the question which heads this article a matter of immense importance. – What is it to preach the gospel?
To preach the gospel is to tell the truth about man. What is the truth about man? "All flesh is grass," withering, worthless, insignificant grass (Isa. 40:6-8). All men are fallen, depraved, helpless, guilty sinners, without the least inclination or ability to do good, seek God, or know God (Rom. 3:9-18), dead in trespasses and in sins (Rom. 5:12; Eph. 2:1-3).
To preach the gospel is to tell the truth about God. Read Isaiah 40:9-31, and find out who God is. The only God there is is the eternal, holy, sovereign Monarch of the universe. It is he who made all things, rules all things, and disposes of all things (including you and me) as he will. — "All things are of God." Nothing in this universe writhes or wiggles apart from God’s purpose, predestination, providence and power (Rom. 11:36). It is this great and glorious Lord God who lifts his hand and says, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."
To preach the gospel is to tell the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is God in human flesh, God come to save. He was called "Jesus" because he is Jehovah our Savior. He came here on an errand of mercy, with a commission from God the Father as our covenant Surety to save his people from their sins (Matt. 1:21; John 10:16-18); and when he left here, all that he came to do was done. Righteousness was established. Justice was satisfied. The sins of God’s elect, which were made his, were put away. His people were fully and forever redeemed, justified and sanctified by his blood (Heb. 10:10-14).
To preach the gospel is to tell the truth about salvation. What does it take to save a sinner? It takes a work of God’s sovereign, eternal, electing love and predestination (Eph. 1:3-6). It takes a work of effectual, blood redemption, the satisfaction of divine justice by an infinitely meritorious Substitute – The Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:24-26). It takes all the work of God’s universal providence (Rom. 8:28-30). It takes the infallible, irresistible grace and power of God the Holy Spirit in regeneration and effectual calling, by which chosen, redeemed sinners are raised from the dead and given faith in Christ (Eph. 1:17-20; Psa. 65:4). It takes a work of immutable grace, preserving the called in life and grace, causing them to persevere in faith, keeping them unto the end (Phil. 1:6). It takes a work of resurrection glory, by which these bodies sown in corruption shall put on incorruption, mortality shall put on immortality, and God’s elect shall enter into that eternal state of bliss called "the glorious liberty of the sons of God" (1 Thess. 4:13-18). This salvation, in its entirety, is found in the Lord Jesus Christ alone (1 Cor. 1:30-31).
Donald S. Fortner, Pastor
Grace Baptist Church of Danville
Danville, Kentucky — USA