by Pastor Patrick Cho

Sadly, borrowing the analogy from 1 Corinthians 3:2, the gospel is sometimes dismissed as the milky, elemental doctrine of the Bible. What many people fail to realize is that God’s plan to atone for man’s sin is one of the chief themes of His Word and makes up most of its contents. If you think the gospel is milky, you sort of have to conclude the same about the Bible. In truth, the gospel is the meat of the Bible. There are few meatier themes, and the argument could be made that it is the meatiest.

Understandably, Hebrews 6:1 speaks about elementary doctrine and lists “repentance from dead works and faith toward God” as part of that elementary doctrine. But the author of Hebrews seems to be concerned more with the lack of progression in theological understanding rather than downplaying the content of the gospel. Regardless, there is much more to the doctrine of salvation than “repentance from dead works and faith toward God.” The gospel also encompasses awesome truths like the incomparable holiness of God, the amazing grace of God, the radical depravity of man, the absolute necessity of the atonement, and the undeniable resurrection.

The gospel is a sweet study for those seeking to understand more about Christianity as well as those who already know Christ as Savior. As Sinclair Ferguson once stated, every time you hear the message of the cross, it should be like you want to receive God’s salvation all over again. There is sweetness in the gospel message to the soul.

If one recognizes the righteous character of God, the seriousness of sin, and the necessity of judgment for that sin, he realizes that things look pretty bleak for men. We have offended a holy God by our rebellion and wickedness. We have turned to other things that are not God and have treated them as God. Certainly our idolatry makes us guilty, but we not only elevate other things as gods (i.e. wealth, comfort, pleasure, etc.), we too desire to be God and to have total authority over our lives. Because of our sin, God promises to bring judgment.

And there is nothing we can do about it. No person is able to change their sinful condition because their sin taints and affects everything that they do. There isn’t enough good a person can do to work their way into heaven or to please God. Left alone, man is completely lost, blind, and dead spiritually (Eph. 2:1). While there is a definite need to be made right with God, there is also a complete inability to anything to bring about that reconciliation (Ps. 14:1-3). Clearly, we need a Savior.

This is why Jesus came. When Jesus came and eventually died on the cross, He accomplished for us what we could not accomplish on our own. He stood in our place, dying on the cross and paying our penalty for our sin. In so doing, He made it possible for us to live. He redeemed us, meaning He purchased us at the cost of His precious blood (Col. 1:13-14; 1 Pet. 1:17-19). The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23), and Jesus purchased our pardon by paying our debt in full on the cross.

Jesus also brought peace with God by reconciling us to the Father (Rom. 5:1-2). We were in need of this peace, because in our sin we were self-proclaimed enemies of God (Rom. 5:10). Through His death on the cross, peace with God was made possible (Col. 1:21-23). We who were far off were brought near by the cross and now can have access to God and enjoy a sweet relationship with Him.

God’s holiness and justice demand that the price for sin be paid. Some wonder why God couldn’t just snap His fingers and make sin go away. He cannot ignore the reality of sin and man’s guilt. He is a just Judge, and when the crime has been committed, the punishment must be executed. God hates sin and those who sin are His enemies. His wrath is clearly aimed against them. But the glorious truth of the gospel is that when Jesus suffered and died on the cross, taking on the sins of the world, He satisfied the righteous demands of God. Not wanting sinful men to bear the punishment for their sin, Jesus died in their place and took the punishment upon Himself.

So through Christ we are declared righteous. This declaration is not based upon our own merits or inherent goodness (we have none!). It is solely based upon the work of Christ on the cross. As believers, our sin was transferred to Him and His righteousness was credited to us (2 Cor. 5:21). Salvation is completely by grace through faith and not by our deeds (Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7). Sinners could be declared righteous because the punishment for sin was paid for by Christ on the cross. As a result, no one can bring a charge against God’s elect because Christ stands as our mediator and intercedes for us (Rom. 8:33-34).

In salvation, those who place their faith in Christ receive new life. Jesus told the Pharisee Nicodemus in John 3:3 that a man must be born again in order to see the kingdom of God. When a person places his faith in Jesus, he receives a new birth. The old things pass away and all things are made new (2 Cor. 5:17). This is why the Apostle Paul could say that he no longer lives, but Christ lives through him (Gal. 2:20). Just as the believer identifies with the death of Jesus and dies to himself, so he also identifies with the resurrection of Jesus and is raised in newness of life (Rom. 6:3-5).

The result of this salvation is that we are no longer considered God’s enemies. In fact, we are brought near even closer than friends. In Christ, we receive adoption as God’s children (1 John 3:1-2; Rom. 8:15-17). Because we are His children, the Bible promises that there is an inheritance that awaits us in heaven. This inheritance ensures that our salvation is secure in Christ. God will see our salvation to the end because He does not fail in His promises.

Jesus accomplished all this when He hung on the cross in the place of sinners. He served as our substitute willingly and in accordance with the will of God so that we could be saved. This gospel is man’s only hope to be made right with God. It is the only way to the Father (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Those who do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are called to trust in this truth and to place their faith in Jesus. Those who already have experienced the grace of God to save ought to continue to savor these amazing truths. God is gracious to save, and we would be wise to deepen our understanding of the power of the gospel more and more.

by Kevin DeYoung

Editor’s Note: Given his recent sermon on understanding the place of the doctrine of Hell in light of the Gospel, Pastor Patrick was gearing up to write an article to that effect.  However, he was quite pleased to discover that Pastor Kevin DeYoung (whom I am provably fond of, as he occupies a place on our Top 10 Recommended Blogs) had already written one, and done a fantastic job.  Rather than reinvent the wheel, he’d like to present it to you here.

To Hell with Hell

by Pastor Patrick Cho

A few years ago, a friend of mine had an interesting encounter with an individual while trying to share the gospel. This person simply couldn’t accept the fact that my friend was telling people they were sinners. She adamantly disagreed and was offended that my friend didn’t believe that people were generally good at heart. Her position is commonly accepted by many. Most people would argue that the human spirit is something worth believing in. They contend that people are generally good by nature. We might mess up and make mistakes from time to time, but that doesn’t take away from the general goodness within each person.

Few people would argue that they are perfect, that they have never done anything wrong. Most people understand that every person is guilty of some sin in their life. That is not what is so offensive when sharing the gospel. People aren’t upset about having to admit that they have done wrong. The problem lies in the fact that the Bible doesn’t describe the problem of sin by indicating that people have committed a few wrongs in their lives. The Bible explains that by nature, all people are sinners. It is not just the fact that people have sinned. Sinner is their identity. People sin because of who they are and because of the condition of their hearts.

This is what people are so reluctant to accept. They don’t want to believe that by nature they are wicked people who are in open rebellion against God, and that sin taints everything they do, say, and think. When you believe that there is some good in a person, you believe that they are capable of choosing good. But when you believe that a person is sinful by nature, it necessitates that sin affects everything they do because everything they do stems from who they are.

The Bible begins by demonstrating that people do not choose God. Jesus told His disciples quite clearly that no one would comes to Him unless the Father draws them (John 6:44). Left to ourselves, no one would volunteer to pursue God. It is not in our nature to do so. We are naturally inclined to turn from God and run from Him. Wherever He is, is where we least want to be. This was the Apostle Paul’s conclusion as well. No one seeks after God (Rom. 3:11-12). This means that we are content with living for ourselves. Rather than recognizing and submitting to God as Lord of our lives, we seek to be sovereign and to live for ourselves. We refuse to subject ourselves to Him and would rather choose to live for lesser things. All of this is because of our nature as sinners. We do not choose the greatest good, which is God, but turn to the things of the world that pale in comparison.

Not only do people refuse to choose God, the Bible teaches that because of our sin nature, we also aren’t able to choose God. Even if we weren’t dead set against God volitionally, we would not be able to turn to Him anyway. This is because our sin renders all of us spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1). We are completely incapable of doing anything that would merit us favor with God. Just as dead people don’t talk, move, or think, so also the person who is spiritually dead is completely impotent and incapable of doing any spiritual good. The Bible teaches that it is impossible to please God without faith (Heb. 11:6), and that faith is a gift of God’s grace (Eph. 2:8-9). Without the grace of God to change our hearts, we would not be able to turn to Him in faith.

So people are dead set against God and are completely incapable of choosing Him, but the condition of sinful men is even more severe. The Bible explains that people also do not know how to choose God. If we had the desire to pursue Him and even the ability (and we certainly don’t!), we still would not have the understanding to do so. This is because our understanding is darkened because of our sin (Eph. 4:17-19). We are utterly spiritually blind (John 12:40; 2 Cor. 4:4; 1 John 2:11). We would grope around in the darkness and if our hope was even dangling a few feet in front of us, we would not know.

The truth is that the Bible paints a very bleak picture of the condition of men. We are sinners by nature and act consistently with who we are. What is the greatest problem in the world? We are. Our sin affects us to the core so that we cannot live as God originally intended, to walk in righteousness and in right relationship with Him. We cannot please Him. We cannot earn our way into heaven. Our sin stains us and makes us unclean, and God cannot dwell with what is unclean. If we are to have any hope of being made right with God, we must first be cleansed. Since we don’t have the capability of cleansing ourselves, we need someone else to cleanse us.

This is where the hope of the gospel comes in and what Christ came to accomplish. By dying on the cross, He took on the sins of the world so that anyone who would trust in Him could be cleansed of the guilt and stain of sin. But in order to receive this salvation, one must first acknowledge the need for it. We must confess with God’s Word that we are sinners and have no hope in ourselves to change our condition. We are completely dependent upon God to save us. Salvation is His work and accomplished by His grace. We can’t do it and we certainly don’t deserve it, but He offers it to us because of His great love (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8). In order to understand the good news, it is essential that you first understand the bad news. In order to be saved, you need to realize your need for a Savior. We must first be honest about ourselves and confess our hearts’ sin condition.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

It has felt like an eternity being away from San Diego, and it certainly is great to be back. What a great weekend it was spending a day at the park with the Lighthouse family, and it made things even sweeter being able to share that time with Pastor Chris Wu and Redeemer’s Grace Church. So many people came out that we needed to carefully ration the food! Not having enough food is hardly ever a problem at our church, but yesterday it was a great problem to have. It meant that a lot of people came out and enjoyed the afternoon with one another. I was so encouraged to see members of both churches engaging one another in good conversations or just playing team sports together.

One thing that our Fun in the Sun Day reminded me of is the grace of God to desire our unity in the gospel. What proof that God desires good for His people! He commands us to love one another (1 John 4:7), encourage one another (1 Thess. 5:11), and fellowship with one another (Heb. 10:24-25). It glorifies God to have His people enjoying the blessings of Christian fellowship.

All this is made possible because of the work of Christ on the cross to redeem us. Jesus died so that we could have life. He died in our place and bore our just punishment so that God’s wrath could be satisfied. And in His sacrifice, not only do we benefit by having our sins forgiven (which is a huge benefit!), but we also receive new life and are incorporated into a body of believers that Christ calls His bride. Jesus certainly meant it when He said He came that we might have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10).

One of the most exciting things about being back in San Diego is that we get to begin our series walking through “The Glorious Gospel.” There is no greater theme in the Bible! The gospel is the heart of everything we trust. It should be the focus of our lives and our ministry, and it should remain the overarching theme of our conversations.

This past Sunday we had the opportunity to examine the character of God. When it comes to the gospel, it is essential that we begin with God. It is only through a correct understanding of God that we know our purpose in life. Only by studying God do we gain a good understanding of what is morally excellent or reprehensible. Through a careful study of God, we gain a good understanding of our identity – our sinful depravity and desperate need for salvation. God’s character also helps us understand the necessity of the cross, that He might be both just and justifier (Rom. 3:26).

The foundations of everything the Bible reveals about God are found in Genesis 1. Throughout Scripture, God repeatedly defines Himself as the Creator, the Maker of heaven and earth (cf. Deut. 32:6; Ps. 104:24-30; Ps. 148:1-6; Isa. 40:25-28; etc.). It is no wonder that in Acts 17, when Paul defines God for his unbelieving Gentile audience, he explains that God is the Creator of all that is (Acts 17:22-29).

Many Christians today do not believe that the creation account is very significant. Because of the pressures of modern science and the pervasive trust in evolution by people both inside and outside the church, many have surrendered in the battle for the beginning. But it is essential that we understand how significant this battle is. Too often we find ourselves waging war in peripheral battles while the rest of the world undermines and attacks our foundation. We must not give up so easily.

Having a skeptical distrust of Genesis 1-2 is really founded in an unbelief of the supernatural and miraculous. People turn to natural selection and evolution because it seems scientific and explicable. If a person has problems with the creation account, there are all sorts of other inexplicable miraculous events in Scripture that totally fly in the face of modern science and completely go beyond the range of scientific possibility. People do not walk on water. People do not heal the blind or crippled. And people certainly do not come back from the dead. If you discredit Genesis 1-2, you might as well start ripping out entire sections of the Bible that are not scientifically explainable because at the core of that distrust is unbelief in the supernatural and miraculous.

God is God, and I am not Him. He chooses how to define Himself without needing my assistance or attempts to improve that definition. And God chooses to define Himself as Creator. It is not my place to second guess that or diminish the significance of it. He made me, and that has all sorts of ramifications on who I am, what my purpose is, what my problem is, and what I must do about that problem.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Being at Disneyland this past week, I am reminded of the irony that this is called the “Happiest Place on Earth.” I had the opportunity to people watch a little bit as Eden napped in her stroller, and quite a few very unhappy people walked by consistently. One after the next, I was witness to angry mothers, exasperated fathers, complaining children, and crying babies. I could imagine some of these parents yelling at their children, “You’d better have a good attitude! We’re at Disneyland for crying out loud!”

It was a good reminder of a sermon I once heard by C. J. Mahaney that church is actually the happiest place on earth. C. J., I wholeheartedly concur (because it certainly isn’t Disneyland!). Church is the place where you can find Spirit-filled people who are committed to each other in love. Everything isn’t about simply looking after yourself. This is why the attitudes at Disneyland are so disappointing. It’s a park full of people who do not have a biblical, God-centered, redeemed view of love.

1 John 4:7-8 states that “love is of God” and “God is love.” Without the grace of God to redeem our minds to think His thoughts after Him, we cannot understand this. The natural man simply doesn’t get it. Love is defined by God because God is the definition and source of love. This is why if a person has not trusted in Jesus as Lord and Savior, having received the Spirit of God, he cannot truly grasp what love is. An unbeliever can have a partial understanding of love but not a full one, because the fullest sense of love can only be achieved, comprehended, and practiced in God.

It is no wonder there is so little genuine happiness at a theme park. When you are thinking of yourself, the “fun” is not really worth the long lines, hot weather, expensive food, and crowds of people. It is easy to bicker, complain, and whine. But when in Christ you are considering others more important than yourself, it’s ok to wait in a long line, bear the heat, and pay expensive prices to make sure those who are with you are having a great time.

There is no better place on earth to be than the church in order to see this demonstration of God-pleasing, selfless love. Yes, at times we lose sight of our responsibility to love others this way, but by God’s grace the church gets to display the love of Christ for the world to see.

I still enjoy spending the day at Disneyland, but not because it’s the happiest place on earth. I like the corn dogs and turkey legs. But as enjoyable as Disneyland might be, let’s not lose sight of the fullness of joy we have in Christ. Let’s not forget our call to love one another with the love of God. If we strive for this by God’s grace and through His strength and enablement, we will always rightfully lay claim to the title “Happiest Place on Earth.”

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Editor’s Note: This post was originally posted on February 7, 2007 on the Shine the Light! blog. We have since incorporated all that content into the Beacon, and you can even find the original version of this post here. Pastor Patrick has kindly agreed to help take you on a bit of a tour of some of those articles, in the hope that you will be encouraged to explore that content yourself. Enjoy!

I have been reading through Psalm 119 in my daily devotions and it really has been a blessing to my soul! Reading through it carefully has helped to reveal the many comforts and encouragements the Psalmist receives from spending time in the Word. It seems like such a simple thing to be reminded to be in the Scriptures, but I wonder how often we consider the many reasons why we should earnestly seek God’s Word.

Even in the first stanza the Psalmist reveals some of his reasoning. He writes, “How blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD.” The word “blameless” literally has the idea of being whole or complete and is one of the Old Testament words for integrity. The idea behind the Hebrew word “way,” simply speaking, is one’s manner of life. The complete thought is that happiness belongs to the one whose manner of life is marked with integrity.

But how does one achieve a joyful life of integrity? The Psalmist answers that question in the same breath – by walking in the Torah of YHWH. This reminds me of the thought in Psalm 1, “How blessed [or happy] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked . . . . But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night.” I found this to be a great reminder of the blessing that is found when one seeks to walk according to God’s Word. This is the one who does no unrighteousness (Ps. 119:3). This is the one who is not ashamed (Ps. 119:6). This is the one who is not forsaken of God (Ps. 119:8).

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Editor’s Note: This post was originally posted on October 2, 2007 on the Shine the Light! blog.  We have since incorporated all that content into the Beacon, and you can even find the original version of this post here. Pastor Patrick has kindly agreed to help take you on a bit of a tour of some of those articles, in the hope that you will be encouraged to explore that content yourself.  Enjoy!

When the church came together on Sunday evening for our members meeting, it was amazing to look around and see how much the congregation has grown these past nine years. This meeting came just after the membership class where seventeen more individuals were being taught about being committed to the church. What an encouraging evening it was, especially when the microphone was passed and various people shared about how the church had been a blessing to them. Each time we gather together, I am more and more appreciative of our church family. God certainly has blessed us tremendously with wonderful relationships and a body of believers that strives to grow together in His Word.

At the membership class, as I was teaching about the importance of membership, I was once again reminded of the many churches that do not place an emphasis on church membership. I understand and completely support the idea of the autonomy of the local church, but I must say that it causes a bit of concern when I hear that a church does not have formal membership especially because this means that these churches most likely do not practice church discipline either.

One of the participants in the membership class shared that it was the fact that LBC practiced church discipline that kept her at Lighthouse. This may have been a shocking statement to me years ago, but today it is no surprise. Not only is the practice of church discipline prescribed for churches in Matthew 18, it helps preserve the holiness of individuals (which in turn helps preserve the holiness of the church). I often tell believers, if you are serious about maintaining personal holiness, you must go to a church that practices church discipline. It is no wonder that John MacArthur often attributes the enormous success of Grace Community Church to the fact that they practice church discipline. He once stated (and I’m paraphrasing), “By kicking people out of the church, you help the church to grow.”

Of course, it’s not that LBC gets a kick out of excommunicating members. It is actually the most painful and draining ministry for the elders. So why do we go through the trouble if it is so difficult? Here are some reasons:

1. Church discipline upholds the glory of God in His church. The glory of God is the chief motivation for any ministry at LBC. If the church allows sin to go unaddressed in the church, it defames the name of Christ since He is the head of the church. By practicing church discipline, God’s glory is magnified because His saints are dedicated to preserving His name.
2. Church discipline protects the holiness of the church. One of the most practical reasons for church discipline is to show the members that there are consequences to habitual, unrepentant sin. When members know that the church will confront them if they are unwilling to repent, it gives them additional motivation to make things right with God and others. It provides a level of accountability that cannot be provided in any other institution.
3. Church discipline is a ministry of care to the members of the church. It would be entirely unloving to see a brother or sister in sin and not do anything about it. This is one of the reasons why we refer to the discipline process as “member care” at LBC. This was an idea that was first introduced to us through the ministry of Mark Dever at Capitol Hill Baptist. When a member falls into unrepentant sin, the church lovingly is to appeal to that member to repent and return to good standing with God and the church. Through church discipline, the member can see how serious his actions are to God.
4. Church discipline serves as a witness to unbelievers that the church stands for holiness. When an individual’s name is announced to the congregation as having gone through the disciplinary process, it provides a great opportunity to preach the gospel and to explain to people the reason for practicing church discipline. In doing so, even unbelievers can get a sense that the church has been called to be holy as God is holy. What a lame testimony it would be for a church to preach the gospel and yet be full of members who allow unrepentant sin to defile their lives.
5. The Bible tells us to practice church discipline. If for no other reason, this should be motivation enough for any church. Since the Bible gives us set principles in Matthew 18 about this process and we see the outworking of these principles in the epistles, churches should seek to be obedient to God’s will and practice church discipline.

I’m sure there are many more good reasons to practice church discipline. It is a sign of a healthy church that it maintains formal membership and practices church discipline. I just don’t see how the leaders of a church can adequately care for their flock without membership, and I really feel it is an obedience issue to practice church discipline.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Editor’s Note: This post was originally posted on April 13, 2006 on the Shine the Light! blog.  We have since incorporated all that content into the Beacon, and you can even find the original version of this post here.  Pastor Patrick has kindly agreed to help take you on a bit of a tour of some of those articles, in the hope that you will be encouraged to explore that content yourself.  Enjoy!

One issue that I have been intending to address on this blog is something that has caused some unfortunate confusion and misunderstanding in the church. Being a graduate of The Master’s Seminary, I understand that there is a perception (and sadly sometimes warranted) that “Master’s guys” have a knack for preaching cold, rigid theology in a domineering, blunt, and even arrogant way. John alluded to this in his previous entry that there is a certain unavoidable stigma that comes with being a TMS alumnus. I am, therefore, thankful that John elaborated on Lighthouse’s commitment to preach the truth of God in love. Paul refers to speaking truth in love in 1 Timothy 1:5 where he writes, “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” The relationship of love and truth is also the theme of much of the epistles of John. John writes, “Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love” (2 John 3).

Truth taught without the temperance of love is cold, impersonal, and oftentimes unnecessarily offensive. Love without the standard and foundation of truth is misguided, shallow, and oftentimes misleading. In order to love in a godly way, one must know and be committed to the truth about love as it is revealed in the Word of God. In order to preach the truth in a godly way, one must also understand and sincerely work to apply God’s heart of love.

I suppose the issue that arises from this discussion is where conviction plays a role in our communication of beliefs. Unfortunately, when one speaks out of conviction it is frequently misunderstood as bold arrogance. However, in 1 Thessalonians 2:2, Paul states, “…we had the boldness in our God to speak to you…” While Paul characterizes his instruction as boldness, his life was at the same time indisputably characterized by humility (cf. 2 Cor 12:11). If we take a closer look at what is intended in 1 Thessalonians 2, it helps to provide a greater understanding of how one can be bold in proclamation and yet remain humble. While it is unfortunate that conviction and boldness are misinterpreted as arrogance, it is equally or even more unfortunate that some with good reason to have conviction cannot communicate their convictions with “humble boldness.”

How can Paul say that he and his partners in ministry had boldness to speak? First, he understood that the authority behind what he communicated was not found in himself but in God. I have often thought that one of the keys to true humility is giving credit to the right people and not undeservedly taking credit for oneself. Notice that Paul qualifies his boldness by saying that it is “in our God.” Outside of the revealed truth of God, Paul had no grounds for speaking with boldness. Isn’t it true that when we speak with boldness without first being quick to hear the Word and fully contemplating what the Bible says about a matter we discover that our bold assertions are actually foolishness? Paul’s only claim to boldness came in God (cf. 2 Cor 10:17). Only by thinking God’s thoughts after Him and speaking God’s words could he speak with boldness. This actually says less about the character of Paul than it does the character of Paul’s God. He understood that without God he was reduced to nothing.

Second, and this is certainly related, Paul understood that the source of the message itself was from God. The instruction that Paul bore was “the gospel of God” (1 Thess 2:2). It is God’s gospel. This is the reason Paul states, “For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor 4:5). To be committed to anything else than preaching the true gospel of Christ is futility and focusing on peripherals at best. This is the same instruction that Paul gave to Timothy, “Preach the Word!” (2 Tim 4:2). Don’t preach useless words (2 Tim 2:14)! Don’t preach worldly and empty chatter (2 Tim 2:16)! Don’t preach useless speculation (2 Tim 2:23)! Don’t preach deceptive messages (2 Tim 3:13)! Don’t preach ear tickling stories (2 Tim 4:3)! Don’t preach according to the desires of men (2 Tim 4:3)! Don’t preach myths (2 Tim 4:4)! Preach the unadulterated gospel of God!

It is possible to speak conviction with boldness and yet to maintain a spirit of humility. Of course much of this is dependent upon whether the one who speaks backs his words with a lifestyle of humility. In any case, one must not be too quick to judge someone as arrogant because he speaks with confidence or boldness. Of course even when something is spoken properly from proper motives and with proper means, one’s message still may not be received the way it was truly intended. This places even more responsibility upon the one who speaks with conviction to make sure that truth is indeed spoken and colored with godly love.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

What is your testimony? Many times in our Christian walk we are given opportunities to represent our faith by sharing the gospel with others. It is always exciting when the Lord opens a door and presents an occasion to talk to someone about Jesus. But what is your testimony? When asked to share your testimony, is it basically just the story of your life? What does it mean to have a testimony or to serve as a witness? In a court of law, a witness is someone who takes the stand because they saw some event or possess knowledge or expertise in a particular area so that they can bear testimony concerning it. They can offer details and explanation about what happened at the scene of a crime. Translating this idea to your experience with the gospel, what is your testimony? What are you a witness of? As a Christian, you are a witness of the saving power of God through Christ in your life. You testify that through repentance from sin and faith in the Savior, God forgives your sin, removes your guilt, satisfies His wrath, changes your heart, grants you new life, and fills you with His Spirit. Your testimony is that salvation is necessary because sin is real and God hates sin.

In the early church, the testimony that the believers shared was very specific. They testified as witnesses that God raised Jesus from the dead (cf. Acts 2:32; 3:15; 5:30-32; 10:39-41; 13:30-31). It is interesting that this would be the primary aspect of their testimony. They certainly could have focused their testimony on Jesus’ proclamation of forgiveness from sins. They could have centralized their message on the amazing works Jesus performed to prove He was the Son of God. Certainly they did testify of these things, but their central message was the He came back from the dead. Why? Because this certainly verified and validated everything that Jesus said and did. If anyone had any question about who Jesus was – was He really God or was He just a good teacher – those questions would be removed if they understood He came back from the dead exactly as He said He would.

We as believers living today are not physical witnesses of the resurrection of Christ. We walk by faith, and not by sight (cf. John 20:25-29). But does this mean that the central focus of our testimony is any different? No! Our testimony remains that our hope in life rests on the truth that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. He paid the penalty for sins on the cross, and He proclaimed victory over the curse of sin by coming back from the grave. He beat sin and death. If He did not come back from the dead, then death wins. This is still our testimony as believers. It must still be central to our presentation of the gospel. In Christ, we have died to ourselves because we identify with the cross. The only reason we can have new life in Christ is because we identify also with His resurrection.

This weekend is Resurrection Sunday. It is a great opportunity to take some time this week to meditate on the implications of Christ’s resurrection. But this week should also motivate you, if you are indeed in Christ, to proclaim His death and resurrection and the forgiveness of sins and the renewed life that comes to those who trust in Him. It is unfortunate that the typical “testimony” that people share today make no mention of the resurrection. We explain that Jesus went to the cross to pay for sin, but we neglect the importance of explaining His resurrection. Let us take time this week to draw attention to the glorious truth that Jesus came back from the dead.