Title: “Obeyed The Gospel Since You Believed?”
Introduction: Have you been and are you now being deceived and deluded? Are you placing your hope in a lie? Is the gospel you affirm the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and Christ according to the scriptures in TRUTH? This is a sober matter of eternal import. Examine yourself whether you are in the faith or not – eternity depends on it.
The Spirit of Error & Strong Delusion
Revivalism brought with it a posion pill deceiving men to trust in themselves, fashioning a way that appears right in their own eyes. With appeals to claiming ‘their receipt’ of salvation in a prayer. In this, the ancient deceiver by subtlety and not by open denial but by corruption—is turning hearts from the living work of God to confidence in a transaction which Christ has not accomplished and a claim by petition He has not commanded. Thus many profess by mouth what has not been wrought within; and though they speak peace, they remain unchanged, still bound in sin, remaining strangers to the Life of God and the power of His Spirit. (cf. Mt. 15:7; Mk 7:8,13)
The Call of Christ – Verily, I did NOT pay it ALL
In the fullness of time, the Son of God was revealed, not to balance a cosmic ledger, but to bring many sons to glory through union and participation in/with Himself. Christ Jesus did not fate some men to redemption and others to damnation, but His gracious plea is to all to repent and believe, to deny themselves, and to follow Him in truth —whereby the old man is crucified, sin is broken, and new life is imparted from above. In Him, those who truly come are made alive, transformed, and reconciled—walking no longer after the flesh but in the Spirit. It is by this living faith that obeys and endures, that we lay hold on the hope of the promise of eternal life and incorruptibility in Him at HIs coming. (cf. Mt. 7:21)
Admit & Quit Your Sinning
We acknowledge God’s righteous judgment of sin and evil in turning from our sin and embracing
Christ’s cross. (cf. Prov 16:6; Tit. 2:11-14)
Mark 1:14-15 KJV
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye and believe the gospel.
Believe the Gospel of the Kingdom
We hear the Gospel message and receiving the Word of the Kingdom in our hearts believing and receiving that Word. Conception takes place in us. (cf. Mt. 13:19; 24:14)
1 Peter 1:23 KJV
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but by incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.
Be Baptized
This is our change of allegiance. We denounce sin completely and the god of this world, we concede with God’s condemnation of sin in the body of His Son on the cross by condemning sin in ourselves. Through identification, we participate in Christ’s cross and come into union with Him in the waters of baptism; We put on Christ. We receive the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. We receive the gift, seal and pledge of the Holy Spirit. We have our sins remitted and the body of sins cut away and destroyed through faith in the operation of God. We are made new creatures in Christ; members of His body. We are now a new, reborn, and redeemed humanity in Christ, the Last Adam—the LORD from heaven. We are reunited to Righteousness and Life—the LORD with us and in us conforming us to His likeness from faith to faith and glory to glory by the Spirit of the LORD. (cf. Acts 22:16; Gal. 3:26-27; 6:14-15; Rom. 6:3-4; Col. 2:10-12; Jn. 3:3-8)
Acts 2:38-39
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Abide In Christ
Jesus admonishes us sternly that we must remain in Him, endure, overcome, not be offended in the face of affliction, rejection, temptation, and persecution. In all this, we are to triumph and remain in His love for He is with us—we can faithfully keep His commands and labor in the strength He provides until he comes; lest we in the end be withered branches to be gathered and cast into the fire. God forbid! (cf. John 15; Heb. 3:12-14)
Are you on the Path to Eternal Life?
There are two paths you can go by but as long as you have breath; there yet remains opportunity to repent and draw near to the King and Savior. (cf. Heb. 9:27; 2 Cor. 6:2)
Path of the Disbelieving & Disobedient
Revelation 20:14,15 ESV
Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Path of the Faithful & Fervent in Christ
Revelation 21:3-4 ESV
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Look! The residence of God is among human beings. He will live among them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the former things have ceased to exist.
Will you be found “in Him” at His coming? Will you bow the knee at the cross of Christ and be made new? The Way to fellowship of Righteousness and Life has been revealed through the Son. The call is going forth to all the world – whosoever will, let them come to the LORD and receive His provisional amnesty and Righteousness unto Life; why will you rebel and perish? How can you insult the loving and righteous LORD who went to such lengths to bring you back from destruction? (cf. Rev. 1:4-8; Heb. 12:1-2; 2:1-4)
Prayerfully consider Christ Jesus, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth—the one that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.
The one who for the joy that that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God. The choice is yours, and yours alone. I pray you make the right one.