“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel– not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”– 1 Cor. 1:17, NIV
Today in the Church in America at large, there is another “gospel”, or even several different “gospels” being preached. There is the “gospel of health and wealth” which teaches that God just wants you to be happy, healthy, and wealth. If you accept Christ, He will make you prosper physically. Basically, it’s your best life now. He will take away all your problems. Not only is this wrong and unBiblical, it is also not true of human experience. Have you ever med even one person who does not experience some kind of suffering in their life? The Bible itself traces the lives of the apostles and the other Christians in the First century Church, and there are stories upon stories that show that Christian living is far from being a “walk in the park”, if you will. Here in America, we are somewhat blinded to the Christian martyrdom that occurs in other parts of the world, particularly, in the Muslim world. I have also heard stories from the days of the Soviet Union in which Communism was the ruling governing authority, and Christianity was under serious attack. The Truth of God has always been attacked and twisted down through the ages, and this day and age is certainly no exception. Some preachers only preach half of the gospel, usually the half that is all about God’s love, and they say nothing about God’s wrath. The gospel is not complete if sin, repentance, and God’s judgment are not mentioned. Neither is it complete is God’s love is not mentioned. God is love, and God is just.
In any event, when the full and pure gospel of Jesus is not preached, the cross of Christ is emptied of its power. If any works or any notions of health and wealth are exalted over the cross of Christ, then that “gospel” is not the gospel. Paul says in Galatians that if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than that of Christ, let him be accursed or eternally condemned. He says that last part twice for emphasis. It is so very important to preach the whole gospel and to share the truth of our sinfulness and God’s righteousness and also, His love… a love so great that He sent His only Son to die for us, sinners who have fallen terribly short of the Lord’s glory and holiness. Examine your life in light of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20), and read James 2:10. Is there any command you haven’t broken? Have you ever lied or stolen something? Have you ever committed adultery, or even lusted after another in your heart, which according to Jesus, is equal to adultery? The verse I referenced above from James says that if we have broken even one of these commandments, we are guilty of breaking all of them. It doesn’t matter how “good” you think you are, and it doesn’t matter how “good” you think you are compared to others. Your life is between you and God, and He loves you so much that He does not desire for you to perish in hell. He sent His Son, Jesus, to die a horrible death in grueling agony upon a criminal’s cross, enduring the full wrath of God in complete physical and spiritual separation from Him so that your sins could be forgiven, all of them, past, present and future. Just repent, (turn from your sins), and believe. It is a 180 turning from sin, and it is certainly a process to be sure. No one is perfect, and that is why we need Christ, because all are sinners.
To believers, when we preach Christ, let us do so with love and gentleness, but let us not empty the cross of Christ of its power by failing to preach the whole gospel. A half gospel has no power.
