Sharing good news

If ten people were asked the purpose of the church, there could be ten different answers, yet many will agree that the Body of Christ is to share the good news. My hubby like this quote: “At all times, preach the Gospel, and if necessary use words.”

Today’s devotional reading says that “the singular method of biblical evangelism is gospel preaching. When our Lord told us to go into all the world, he did not tell us to entertain the world, to change the world, to provide counseling for the world, to educate the world or to get control of political offices so that we could rule the world.”

Instead, Jesus said . . .

“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:15–16)

(Just to confirm, the rest of the New Testament is clear that baptism saves no one, but it is first step of obedience to the Lord and therefore a declaration that the person being baptized has been saved.)

Most people begin a letter with Dear . . . but Paul was so intent on preaching the Gospel that he began many of his letters/epistles by declaring or including elements of this grand truth. For example . . .

“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 1:1–7)

Paul commended the church at Rome because they were fulfilling their purpose. He said, “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.” (Romans 1:8) Very soon into his letter, he explained his own reason for proclaiming his faith . . .

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” (Romans 1:16–17)

Living by faith means talking about the One that I trust, yet also living in such a way that faith is demonstrated. That is, if troubles and trials come, faith keeps me from falling apart. How could I claim to believe in a sovereign God who has good purpose for my life if all may actions failed to affirm it?

Yet the Gospel message is not about me and the way I live. It is about the amazing life and death and resurrection of the Lord, of Jesus Christ and him crucified (1 Corinthians 1:30–2:5).

I love the quote in the devotional from Rowland Hill. He said, “Any message which does not contain the three ‘R’s’ [Ruin by the Fall, Redemption by the blood, and Regeneration by the Holy Spirit] ought never to have been preached.”

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Jesus, You have given me a task to declare the good news, the Gospel, in a simple, clear way. I like those three ‘R’s’ that underscore the fact that God saves sinners through the merits of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. You are blessed. Grant me grace and wisdom as I share with others all that You have done!

Called by God to do what?

Paul might hold the world’s record for the longest sentences. He had much to say and wanted to pack as much truth into every line, every sentence. Here is one that is more than 135 words:

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, to all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:1–7)

Chambers picks out one thought from these many words: the idea of being called by God. Before I read what he wrote, I want to record my own thoughts (and in shorter sentences than Paul used). The idea of having a calling once bothered me because I did not sense God calling me to anything in particular. My interests are vast. I could do many things and have tried many, but nothing seems to hold me for long. I wondered if I’d been left out in the “calling” department. Then at a writers’ conference, the main speaker set me free from this concern. She said, “We are not called to be writers. We are called to love and obey God. Today you might be writing; tomorrow He might ask you to do something else.”

Some might agree that a Christian calling is to do all that God says, but no person can fulfill that in one lifetime. A calling based on what He asks of me is more specific and suited to the gifts He has given me, the circumstances where He places me, and the opportunities that He lines up for me.

However, Chambers has a different take on calling. He says, “Our calling is not primarily to be holy men and women, but to be proclaimers of the Gospel of God.”

He bases this on the first part of that long sentence where Paul said that it was God who did the calling, setting him apart for the gospel. Paul’s focus was not on his own character or personal holiness or anything else that might make him more desirable in his own eyes. Chambers says Paul was unconscious of himself, separated by God for one purpose—to proclaim the Gospel of God.

I’ve thought about this all day. Yes, I agree that I’m to tell others about Jesus Christ, yet there are many ways to do this. Also, I have not been given Paul’s gifts, circumstances or opportunities. However, one thing keeps popping into my mind. As a new Christian, God impressed on me that He would use all things for good in my life, the good being that I would become like Jesus. He didn’t say that I would be like Paul, or like anyone else. Of course, being like Jesus is one lofty goal, an incredible ‘calling’ that only God can fulfill.

Then I began thinking about the obedience of Jesus. Sometimes He preached. Sometimes He taught His disciples, or He ate and drank with sinners, or He healed the sick, or cast out demons, or confronted false teachers and religious hypocrites. Aside from the final obedience of dying on the cross, it seems to me that His calling was varied and unfocused, not at all only one thing (like proclaiming the gospel), but a host of obedient actions.

Paul was called to be an apostle set apart for the gospel yet there are many ways to declare the good news of redemption. It could be orally, or in writing, or in silent acts of love. As Chambers says, redemption is at the root of it, not that I can do this great thing that God has done. Yet I can respond daily to the fact of my redemption by doing whatever He might be asking me to do. That seems more of a calling than trying to imitate Paul or anyone else.

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Bob was out of his “cell” today when I got there after church. They were taking him for an x-ray. He had to wear a mask, but he was no longer shut in ‘solitary confinement’ and was very glad about that. I took some financial papers so we had a ‘project’ of balancing statements, which was better than looking at the clock. Then two couples showed up for a visit. We were blessed by their presence, conversation, and prayers. After that, our son brought a pizza for supper, another blessing with good conversation.

Bob’s test results are still not back, but his oxygen input is turned down to 1, and they are going for 0 in the morning. If he can breathe without it, they will keep him for a day or two to make sure, but this is a vast improvement. I am so thankful.