And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature
Mark 16:15
The Lord Jesus has given every believer the responsibility of preaching the gospel. The propagation of the gospel is not just for the select few but for all who have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. The only qualification for preaching the gospel is to be saved. Apostle Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthians, wrote, “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). We have been given the ministry of reconciliation, and that ministry is a message. Every believer is a minister of reconciliation and needs to see himself as such.
Jesus Christ is the message of the gospel. In other words, the gospel is about Him. He is the central theme of the gospel. Paul, the apostle, introduced his letter to the church in Rome by saying, “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:1-4). Therefore, the gospel is about Jesus Christ. It has to do with His accomplishment and conquest.
The gospel is, therefore, specific and has definite terms that must not be missed. The specificity is so crucial that if we attempt to change the narratives, the result will be false conversion. Paul itemised these facts of the gospel:
“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). The gospel is the news of Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and consequently His ascension. What you say to a virgin must not be different from what you say to a prostitute. The same goes for the rich and the poor. It is the same news for everybody. The gospel is not situational; it is specific. So, as one who has been called to preach the gospel, knowing the gospel well makes you effective in preaching the same. Keep the narratives intact, and be bold to announce them.
Confession
I am committed to knowing the gospel. I’m not ashamed to declare it; thus, I’m an effective preacher of the gospel.
