The gospel is our only hope

Journal-Advocate religion columnist

Almost four years ago, John Stott made the following observation about the Anglo-American church: "All around us we see Christians relaxing their grasp on the Gospel, fumbling it, and in danger of letting it drop from their hands altogether." This warning from a generation ago is happening today. The church is discarding the genuine gospel, to be replaced by a false gospel of self-affirmation and therapeutic self-help. "If it's to be, it's up to me," proclaims one famous preacher. "Money cometh to me now!" shouts another one. Yet a third declared, "If you have enough faith, God will do for you whatever you tell Him."

Why is John Stott's warning of a church without gospel coming true?

Americans are steeped in pragmatism. Questions like, "What works?" "What can I do?" and, "How can I solve this?" drive our worldview. We tend to be doers, fixers and solvers. Add to this the natural inclination of sinners to oneself, and you get the multi-billion dollar self-help industry.

The church, in its effort to make the message "relevant," has accommodated its teaching to the trend of the age. But, wait. "Make the message 'relevant?" "Since when was the Word of God ever in danger of not being relevant? Has the fact that Christ died for sinners become unimportant over the last generation or two? Of course not. In a hundred years, when you are in heaven or hell forever, it will be a lot of money to make you feel better. In their eyes of self-help, while they fumble the biblical gospel.

I'm not saying that gospel is contrary to happiness, fulfillment, or wholeness. But what I am saying is that the gospel is much bigger than that. Jesus came to earth for the sake of his father's glory and your salvation, not just to give you a brighter smile and a nicer car.

So, what then IS the gospel? Here's a hint: the four biblical accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus are called "Gospels." That tells us that the gospel, more than anything else, is about Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Son of God. It's specific, factual, real, and objective.

These factual accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John concentrate mainly on Jesus' death and resurrection. Almost half of the verse in these four books with Christ's suffering, crucifixion, burial, and victory over death.

In the heart of the world, the apostle Paul summarizes the gospel: "Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you … that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures "(1 Corinthians 15: 1, 3-4).

That's it.

Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. The gospel is about Jesus doing things for us, even with help. "The gospel," Tim Keller reminds us, "is good news, not good advice." It tells us much more about what God has done than what we must do.

Indeed, the gospel is the exact opposite of self-help. The gospel tells us that we can not help ourselves, not at all, not even a little bit, because we are sinners and our sin makes us spiritually dead. Dead people can not help themselves. Dead people need someone to take their deadness upon Himself, and give them His death-conquering life.

And that is exactly what Jesus did. By His death and resurrection, the Jesus did everything the Father required to save the worst of sinners.

Do you believe it? You should. It's the gospel truth. It's your only hope.

John Roberts is the longtime pastor of the First Baptist Church in Sterling.